Today we commemorate the birth of Our Savior. Savior from what? From going to Hell for our personal sins. However, few will be saved from Hell. Few will focus on the real reason that Jesus came into "the world." He did not come to save “the world.” He came to salvage us from this lost world. He came to save those FEW souls who are willing to repent and ask for His mercy. Very FEW souls, as St. Leonard of Port Maurice makes clear in the following: http://www.saintsbooks.net/books/St... The Little Number of Those Who Are Saved.htm
It's true that most Saints and Fathers of the Church who comment on this like St Alphonsus of Ligouri, A Doctor of the Church, and the Church say the exact same thing. This makes very,very uncomfortable reading for modern Catholics who are more inclined to the believe that all men will be saved and there is really no such thing as Hell, or if there is it will be empty. However the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that those who pray will most certainly be saved; whereas those who do not pray will most certainly be damned. I am more and more aware of how very cranky I am getting as a I get older, so I try to make allowances. One day you yourselves may be as old as me so may get very cranky yourselves. However in my experience looking around me, thoughts of God and prayer are as far from the modern mind as taking a day trip to the moon. So I am inclined to think that the Fathers of the Church and the Saints got it dead on. That very few will be saved. Cranky old me. God does indeed Will that All men should be saved. But it is a matter of personal choice. In order to be saved, we have to wish to be saved. It is out choice and most choose otherwise. God cannot hijack our souls, kidnap us and force us there. We have to Will it.
As Our Lady told the three children at Fatima, many souls go to Hell because they have no one to pray for them. Little St Jacinta understood that. She made many sacrifices for poor sinners.
I often ponder on this.our lady said this to children 100 years ago.people back then were bound to be better than us and still many were going to hell it terrifies me.i pray she will take care of me when I stand infront of here son.
Appreciate this post very much. It makes me reflect upon what it means to be saved? It’s a mystery to me in many ways… when I think through this is hurts my head . God knows all things and is in control of all, yet we have free will… we choose .. yet He knows our choice. I know there is much written on this by great theologians…. But to me I can get lost so I try to keep it a bit simple in my mind. I know that for some reason.. God bestowed a great grace upon me, that in my own personal history, he allowed me the grace of baptism in the Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. And it’s through this Church and baptism that I was infused with grace and given faith and the OPPORTUNITY to get to Heaven. But, baptism, especially since it was a an infant, now requires my true assent… my willingness to cooperate. Our baptism is really the death of our old self… as we were all born with stain of sin. Baptism is our spiritual death and our rebirth as a Christian. But, what dies this really mean? To me, it means, If I accept, the I accept the Cross, I accept death… the death of living for myself and my will. It’s a cost… that must be calculated and agreed to. It’s the willingness to allow the Spirit of Jesus Christ the reside in me. This to me is salvation…. To try and live this spirit of Christ… knowing I will fall and stumble… sin again and again, but yet know God loves me, asks me to seek forgives and get up. The saints are sinners who get up again and again. . As we are still in the Christmas Octave, this reading struck me anew today (after watch the most recent episode of the Chosen) Christ did come to save, the Church ( of which He is the Head) , brings us all we need to be saved. And so we walk…… He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."
1 Corinthians 1:26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. The rich and the powerful and influential chase shadows as reality and are thought the wisest of the wise. The poor and humble follow the Bethlehem Star.
Thank you, PNF. I know Bishop Barron has defended himself against those claiming he stated, "Few are in Hell." He clarified that he meant only that there is always hope that few are in Hell. Your article above blows that out of the water. This coming week I am speaking on the reality of Hell in my homily and the need to place ourselves under Mary's Mantle as part of our protection! https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=234397750997489 O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!
Thank God, He will Bless you for this. This kind of preaching takes Great Courage because it enrages the Demons.
Found the article hard reading but it is true, sadly. But I do think it is important for us to remember that if we do what Our Lady asks, say the rosary, wear the brown scapular and do our best to live out the comandments, Our Lady will obtain for us the graces we need to be saved. This is why we call Her "Cause of our Joy", the rosary has great great power if said well and from the heart, also remember that none of those truly devoted to Our Lady will be lost, not one, so everybody go and consecrate yourself to Her if you have not done so, hold Her hand in life, and go forward in confidence and joy. Merry Christmas everybody.
Merry Christmas, AG. Your post rings true. Definitely we should consecrate ourselves to Our Lady. The prayers recommended by St Louis de Montfort are good for this. Thank you for your post.
Sometime ago I did the "33 Days to Morning Glory" A consecration to Our Lady, by Father Michael E. Gaitey, MIC. A do it yourself retreat. Life changing that is all I can say about it. Each week Father looks at one of the big four of consecration to Our Lady, St De Montfort, St Max Kolbe, St Mother Teresa , St John Paul 2. Wonderful altogether.
I believe it was during the exorcism st domnic performed on the heretical man that the demons were forced to say that many who really ought to be damned when they die are saved by a single sigh from the high lady. Fulton sheen always said make sure when u finally meet jesus he can say to you.MY MOTHER SPOKE WELL OF YOU
Demons seem to act really, really weird when it comes to Our Blessed Lady when exorcisms occur. They appear to be forbidden to insult her. They never call her by name directly, they refer to her indirectly as, things like, 'Her', 'That woman'..and so on. When she shows up there is no contest whatsoever. They just shut down at once. She really is the Terror of Demons.
