"Prevent"

From Divine Intimacy, #99, Conversion
by Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene, O.C.D.

St. Thomas teaches that “in the pursuit of the end, no limits should be set” (IIa IIae, q.184, a.3)

The measure of loving God is to love Him “without measure”; if we should not set a limit to love, neither should we set one to our conversion. The Lord said, “Be converted to Me with all your heart” (Jl 2:12). This is the indispensable condition for loving God with our whole heart. The cases where total conversion is reached in an instant by a very special grace are rare; ordinarily, we do not arrive at it except by a daily progressive conversion. And if, in this conversion-as in the whole work of sanctification-the initiative is always from God who prevents us with His grace, our cooperation is nevertheless required; hence we must strive every day with renewed diligence to “be converted to God with all our heart.” Let this be our program for Lent.

Reading old(er) books is so interesting, when you run across words which are no longer in common (or any) use, or have taken on a meaning quite different from what is intended by the author. Such is the language, and such is the word "prevent."

we all use the word "vent;" and we know what "pre-" as a prefix means, so ... God "prevents" us by opening us to His grace, and act we could not do, had He not "prevented" us. Notice how the usage has done a 180!

Here's some "preventing" we could all use!