Feingold

The term "actual grace" first came into common usage after the Council of Trent. Nevertheless, the notion goes back to the Gospel and Apostalic Tradition. It was one of the merits of St.Thomas Aquinas to distinguish clearly between actual and habitual grace (sanctifying grace).

Dr.Feingold explains/defends this assertion in his section on the distinction between sacntifying and actual grace.

I think this insight is significant because I want to make the case that the notion between the sacramental and the sacrament is not only related to this distinction between actual and sanctifying grace but like it, rooted in scripture and tradition only to be more precisely formulated later. Though there doesn't seem to be a particular person behind elaborating this distinction, this is more like, trying to see ordinary magisterium at work...

Feingold

"Actual grace is a kind of divine impulse given to us in order to help move us towards salvation. Actual grace enables us to cooperate freely with the movement of grace, so as to turn ourselves efficaciously towards God and perform acts which contribute towards our salvation."

- Lawrence Feingold, Class notes on Anthropology, Sin, and Grace. (St.Louis, MO: Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, distributed 2010) 195.


This definition of actual grace sets the stage for distinguishing between the spiritual effects of sacramentals, which "excite pious devotion", or more properly aid in obtaining the proper disposition to receive the sacraments, and the sacraments themselves by which we receive sanctifying grace.