“For we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” This phrase from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans was very important to Martin Luther, and hence, to the Protestant movement he initiated. Faith alone saves is the catch phrase. Looking at the context the Apostle was stressing that we all have the same starting point. We all need the grace of Christ. Coming from a Catholic family or being baptized or having knowledge of the catechism does not change the fact that it is the gracious gift of God that saves, not what we do. Once Catholics and Protestants stopped yelling at each other and entered into dialogue, we found that everyone agrees that salvation is God’s gift.
