The third point which is generally accepted within the teaching of the Church regarding predestination is this:
"Thus even the free determination disposing one toward salvation is entirely included in the effect of predestination. 'There is no distinction,' says St. Thomas, 'between what flows from free will, and what is of predestination: as there is no distinction between what flows from a secondary cause and from a first cause.'"
All grace and all good works are from God, and therefore, within the call of God to eternal life with Him. We cannot merit anything without God's Will and God's grace. One is predisposed to God and following His ways because of predestination.
The Summa holds this discussion in Ia, q.23, a.5. as noted by Garrigou-Lagrange.
To write this in simple words, all goodness comes from God and returns to God.
Garrigou-Lagrange quotes the Second Council of Orange, Canon 9: "'It is God's gift when we think aright and restrain ourselves from walking in the path of error and corruption. As often as we do good, it is God who works in us and with us enabling us to act.' This canon is a recapitulation of Prosper's twenty-second sentence, which repeats the teaching of St. Augustine."
Again,the author quotes, too, St. Paul, from Phil. 2:15--"It is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish."
The mystery of predestination is in the overlap of God's Providence and our response to His graces.
Canon 12 from the above Council notes this: "God so loves us, as we shall be by the gift of His grace, not as we are by our own merit."
No one can please God without sanctifying grace and no one has grace except from God.
And, those who are better than others, responding to grace, are simply more loved by God.
The modern democratic, socialist and communist sensibilities wants everyone to be the same, have the same, act the same. This is not in God's plan, and obviously, contrary to the teachings on grace and free will.
Garrigou-Lagrange writes, "....one is not more pleasing to God than another, without having received more from Him. If, on the contrary, grace became efficacious in actu secundo by our consent, then it would follow that of two men who received equal help, one would become better, and this without having loved more. helped more, or having received more from God." Such ideas go back to the year 500, states Garrigou-Lagrange
