Supernatural

Above the order of created nature.

Since God created the entire universe and everything in it, only God is above the order of created nature.

Sanctifying grace is a supernatural gift, a sharing in the nature of God himself. It gives us the right to enter heaven.

§ 1998 “This vocation to eternal life is supernatural. It depends entirely on God’s gratuitous initiative, for he alone can reveal and give himself. It surpasses the power of human intellect and will, as that of every other creature.”

The difference between supernatural and preternatural is that preternatural is above the order of human nature. The saints and angels in heaven are above the order of human nature because they are pure spirit while man is both spirit and matter. Supernatural, by contrast, is above the order of created nature. God created all things, so God alone is supernatural. We speak of supernatural events as being accomplished by God himself.

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