Your Question: What is sanctifying grace?

First of all, "grace" is a term we use to describe God's freely given power or action in our lives. Grace is not a substance, but an action, a state of being. There are many ways of describing grace and the ways in which it comes to us and acts in our lives. "Sanctifying grace" refers to the grace given and received in baptism. Sanctifying grace is a supernatural state of being infused by God into our souls at baptism. This life of God given and living in our soul is permanent once it is received. This is why we do not "re-baptize" people in the Catholic church. Baptism with water, and the invocation of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit bestows sanctifying grace--a real participation in the inner life of God. It "sanctifies," which means to "make holy," by giving those who possess it a participation in the life of the Trinity. Sanctifying grace makes the new Christian a child of God and unites them with Jesus Christ.