Three Graces

Grace is a decidedly spiritual notion.  “There but for the grace of God go I” is a thought often repeated that’s been attributed to the English evangelical preacher John Bradford upon seeing criminals being led to the gallows.  To Christians grace means mercy or forgiveness.  Grace carries a sense of divinity.  Often it is not merited or earned, just given and possessed.  Hindus think of grace as a requirement to be obtained before spiritual self-realization.  Grace summons calm and intention.  “God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that can be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish one from the other” has been attributed to theologian Reinhold Niebuhr.  The saying is called by its common name, the Serenity Prayer, and occupies the heart of many a troubled soul.    

Grace fascinates for its many dimensions.  It goes well beyond the spiritual meanings.  You can think of physical grace or gracefulness, which is an ability to move around effortlessly.  You can think of social grace.  In Greek mythology the Charites, known as The Three Graces, were the goddesses of joy, charm and beauty.  They were named Aglaia (Splendor), Euphrosyne (Mirth), and Thalia (Good Cheer).  The Graces presided over banquets, dances, and all other pleasurable social events, and brought joy and goodwill to both gods and mortals.   In Roman mythology they were known as the Gratiae, which connotes gratitude.  With grace and gratitude derived from the Latin gratus, the meaning of grace can be extended to mean a sense of gratitude or gratefulness.  “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.  It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow,” writes Melodie Beattie.               

from Threes, Chapter 4, “Threes in Religion and Mythology” 

Read more about the Three Graces in my new Kindle mini-e-book, Threes in Religion and Mythology, that’s available now at Amazon.