Catechism of the Catholic Church §2008 — excerpt
The merit of man before God in the Christian life arises from the fact that God has freely chosen to associate man with the work of his grace.
This translation is under copyright, so only the cited words are quoted here. Follow the link for the full text. Translation: English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Libreria Editrice Vaticana), as posted at vatican.va.