What, if anything, might be the most important thing that we can do to contribute to our own ripening or the ripening of others, or is it a sheer gift?
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Seems our part is to create a state of mind that leaves space and invites grace.
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here is an excerpt from the beautiful essay by PB on Grace: [+Instructions for Spiritual Living essay The Progressive Stages of the Quest (The Working of Grace) = 2.9.67]
…The factuality of Grace does not cancel out the need of moral choice and personal effort. It would be a great mistake to stamp human effort as useless in the quest and to proclaim human inability to achieve its own salvation as complete. For if it is true that Divine Grace alone can bring the quest to a successful terminus, it is likewise true that human effort must precede and thus invoke the descent of Grace.
His initiative pushes on toward the goal, whilst divine Grace draws him to it. Both forces must combine if the process is to be completed and crowned with success. Yet that which originally made the goal attractive to him and inspired him with faith in it and thus gave rise to his efforts, was itself the Grace. In this sense Paul’s words, “For by Grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves,” become more intelligible. …
… What is needed to call down Grace is, first, a humility that is utter and complete, deeply earnest and absolutely sincere, secondly, an offering of self to the Overself, a dedication of earthly being to spiritual essence, and, thirdly, a daily practice of devotional exercise. The practices will eventually yield experiences, the aspirations will eventually bring assistance…. 2.9.67
In another note PB says — how long do you have to do the long path? As long as you’ve got an ego.
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