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Fidei
Guest
This specific magnification of scripture has bothered me-- If “narrow is the way to Christ and the wide gate leads to DESTRUCTION”… Would it mean only a very few number would go to heaven and most to hell?
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docrock
Guest
Frankly, this has been on my mind as well, you can certainly find a number of saints writings that would seem to agree with this. On the other hand I would certainly hope that a God that loves us enough to become one of us would want at least as high a “save percentage” as the angels, at about 67% or so.
I know God’s ways are not our ways and that may surprise us (either delightfully or not so happily). But there does seem to be a sense from what Jesus said that not many are going to make it, and it is tough not to feel anxiety, although I know that can be from the devil.
I know God’s ways are not our ways and that may surprise us (either delightfully or not so happily). But there does seem to be a sense from what Jesus said that not many are going to make it, and it is tough not to feel anxiety, although I know that can be from the devil.
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momor
Guest
Please check out the Divine Mercy message given by Jesus to St. Faustina. It will tell you how much Jesus wishes to shower sinners with His mercy.
I used to worry terribly about going to Hell until I read St. Faustina’s diary. Now I believe that although I may spend a lot of time in Purgatory I can’t imagine myself rejecting God’s mercy and condemning myself to Hell. This message completely changed my life. I received the Holy Eucharist for the first time in 15 years last year on Divine Mercy Sunday (the Sunday after Easter). I went to confession the Saturday before and the priest told me about the Divine Mercy and encouraged me to receive communion the next day. I had never heard about it before. It wasn’t coincidence that led me back to the Church that day, it was His Divine Mercy.
Her diary is online at our.homewithgod.com/divinemercy/
The official website of this apostolate thedivinemercy.org/message/acts/
I used to worry terribly about going to Hell until I read St. Faustina’s diary. Now I believe that although I may spend a lot of time in Purgatory I can’t imagine myself rejecting God’s mercy and condemning myself to Hell. This message completely changed my life. I received the Holy Eucharist for the first time in 15 years last year on Divine Mercy Sunday (the Sunday after Easter). I went to confession the Saturday before and the priest told me about the Divine Mercy and encouraged me to receive communion the next day. I had never heard about it before. It wasn’t coincidence that led me back to the Church that day, it was His Divine Mercy.
Her diary is online at our.homewithgod.com/divinemercy/
The official website of this apostolate thedivinemercy.org/message/acts/
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eichenb2
Guest
People are in hell because they refused God’s free gift of love. People are in heaven because they were willing to recieve. As to numbers, I would leave that to God. As to the reference to the way being narrow, I suppose it means that we have walk that road willing; therein rcving the love of God. We must, as St. Thomas says, will our sainthood. We have to do it. The way is narrow, because many people do not want to follow One who beckons us with a cross of our own and rewards us with a crown.
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Theophorus
Guest
Where we end up is ultimately a decision we make ourselves. If we decide to reject God’s friendship in this life he will respect that decision in the next. Conversly if we strive to follow Christ as best we can and die in friendship with God then I think there is a good chance we will see Heaven. God knows our hearts, knows what we desire, and if we desire Him (or would desire him if we had knowledge of Him) with a faith expressed through love (cf. Gal5:6) then heaven is a real possibility. we must also consider things like Jn15:22 where Our Lord discusses guilt and knowledge of guilt, the existence of purgatory and a range of other things before we assume most people are in hell.
Hell exists, there are souls there but we just don’t know how many.
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Fidei
Guest
regarding the topic of hell, do people already in hell have hopes for a bodily resurrection on Judgement day?
“Judgement of the living and the Dead”—
Rev. 20:13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades [hell] gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.
According to CC teachings, when one is in hell, they have no hopes for resurrection. then how can this be?
“Judgement of the living and the Dead”—
Rev. 20:13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades [hell] gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.
According to CC teachings, when one is in hell, they have no hopes for resurrection. then how can this be?
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eichenb2
Guest
From Catechism of CC:
1033 We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves: "He who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."612 Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the little ones who are his brethren.613 To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called “hell.”
1034 Jesus often speaks of “Gehenna” of “the unquenchable fire” reserved for those who to the end of their lives refuse to believe and be converted, where both soul and body can be lost. Jesus solemnly proclaims that he “will send his angels, and they will gather . . . all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire,” and that he will pronounce the condemnation: “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!”
1035 The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, “eternal fire.” The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.
1036 The affirmations of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church on the subject of hell are a call to the responsibility incumbent upon man to make use of his freedom in view of his eternal destiny. They are at the same time an urgent call to conversion: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
Since we know neither the day nor the hour, we should follow the advice of the Lord and watch constantly so that, when the single course of our earthly life is completed, we may merit to enter with him into the marriage feast and be numbered among the blessed, and not, like the wicked and slothful servants, be ordered to depart into the eternal fire, into the outer darkness where “men will weep and gnash their teeth.”
1037 God predestines no one to go to hell; for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end. In the Eucharistic liturgy and in the daily prayers of her faithful, the Church implores the mercy of God, who does not want “any to perish, but all to come to repentance”:
Father, accept this offering
from your whole family.
Grant us your peace in this life,
save us from final damnation,
and count us among those you have chosen.
1033 We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves: "He who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."612 Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the little ones who are his brethren.613 To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called “hell.”
1034 Jesus often speaks of “Gehenna” of “the unquenchable fire” reserved for those who to the end of their lives refuse to believe and be converted, where both soul and body can be lost. Jesus solemnly proclaims that he “will send his angels, and they will gather . . . all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire,” and that he will pronounce the condemnation: “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!”
1035 The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, “eternal fire.” The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.
1036 The affirmations of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church on the subject of hell are a call to the responsibility incumbent upon man to make use of his freedom in view of his eternal destiny. They are at the same time an urgent call to conversion: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
Since we know neither the day nor the hour, we should follow the advice of the Lord and watch constantly so that, when the single course of our earthly life is completed, we may merit to enter with him into the marriage feast and be numbered among the blessed, and not, like the wicked and slothful servants, be ordered to depart into the eternal fire, into the outer darkness where “men will weep and gnash their teeth.”
1037 God predestines no one to go to hell; for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end. In the Eucharistic liturgy and in the daily prayers of her faithful, the Church implores the mercy of God, who does not want “any to perish, but all to come to repentance”:
Father, accept this offering
from your whole family.
Grant us your peace in this life,
save us from final damnation,
and count us among those you have chosen.
V
Vile_Servant
Guest
yes, the greater number will go to hell, because the greater number will be overcome by the temptations and lusts of the world and the snares of the devil.
the parable of the sower illustrates this point well;
some seeds fell on thorns and were choked. some seeds fell on rocky ground and failed to develop roots. some seeds fell on rich soil and bore fruit.
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Vile_Servant
Guest
on judgement day, all the souls in heaven, hell and puragatory will be reunited with their bodies after their bodily resurrection. after the last judgement, the blessed will go to everlasting life, and the reprobate, together with the devil and his angels, to everlasting punishment.
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Southerncross
Guest
Keep going you are absolutely right ! I say the chaplet each day without fail & at the same time I ask God in his Divine Mercy to show me His Mercy when He judges me & to take me to Heaven without Purgatory . It`s a big ask but His Mercy is boundless .
Love & peace in Christ. :knight2:
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Fidei
Guest
so there is a great possibility that you or I might not make it to heaven and are destined to hell, if the judgment of fate lies through chances [like dices] from the parable you mentioned? If we were good seeds, wouldn’t it be fair in God’s eyes for him to just throw us in some thorns and rocky ground? would the simple teenager, who (out of ignorance) committed an act of immorality deserves such eternal punishment? Surely it was not God’s purpose to send humanity to the pits of hell–but give life just as Adam lived.
Coming from previous posts, Ive learned that those who accept Christ or even ones who don’t belong to him but are repentant and are pure of heart belongs to heaven. but ones who willingly-- not innocently but willingly denies Christ are the ones destined for it. Those who recognize Him who do not convert or if not, repent before or during Judgment does not belong to Him.
Judas is the best example where the apostles themselves knew the fate of the traitor Judas who willfully denied Christ— “To replace Judas [Iscariot] who deserted the apostolic ministry for the place he deserves”
but the ones who did see Christ immediately–even the criminal who is hanged beside him,-- though he did not convert, he believed and thus he reaps the rewards of heavenly salvation–his fate sealed through the words of the Lord himself “surely today, you will be with me in paradise”
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Vile_Servant
Guest
salvation is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of free will, a willingness to listen and keep the word of God, to take up one’s cross and persevere to the end of our life. it will not be easy, but God in His infinite mercy will strengthen his faithful by means of the sacraments. God desires that everyone is saved, just as Satan desires that everyone is lost. We choose who we wish to serve and be with for all eternity by our faith and works in this life.
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thistle
Guest
So we are clear, God does not send anyone to Hell. We freely choose to go to Hell by committing a mortal sin and dying unrepentant.
A mortal sin cannot be committed by chance or ignorance.
S
Sir_Knight
Guest
This topic has been discussed a number of times in the past and according to the Church Fathers … * “The most common sentiment which is held is that, among Christians, there are more damned souls than predestined souls.”
… (Source) and the above conclusions are supported by the Words of Christ as recorded in Matthew 7:13-14 …
Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!
… “Many” lost compared to a “few” saved.
Code:
* "Many attain to faith, but few to the heavenly kingdom."
* "There are few who are saved."
* "Few are saved in comparison to those who are damned."
* "Out of 100,000 people whose lives have always been bad, you will find barely ONE who is worthy of indulgence."
* "the number of priests who fall into hell each day is so great that it seemed impossible that there be any left on earth"
* "Many priests are not saved; on the contrary, the number of those who are damned is greater."
* "Out of thirty-three thousand people who died. Two went up to heaven without delay, three went to purgatory, and all the others fell into Hell."
* "If you consider the sacrament of penance, there are so many distorted confessions, so many studied excuses, so many deceitful repentances, so many false promises, so many ineffective resolutions, so many invalid absolutions!"
* "Most Catholic adults confess badly at death, therefore most of them are damned."Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!
… “Many” lost compared to a “few” saved.
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momor
Guest
We are so poorly catechized that I think most people don’t realize how much their sins are an offense against God. The more a person comes to know God the more they abhor their sins. This goes to full knowledge and consent. I think that when we die God, at our judgement, gives us the grace of perfect knowledge of how our sins have hurt Him and others. I can honestly say that I don’t think I know anyone who is so hate-filled that they would reject God’s offer of mercy at death and not repent their sins if they realized how much they offended God.
I believe the souls in hell are there because knowing all that they still choose to reject God’s love and mercy.
I don’t believe in a “gotcha” God. If sending so many souls to hell seems unmerciful to us, how much more so would it be to Jesus who loves us so much despite our sins?
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mmarg77
Guest
I am horribly tormented, as I am convinced I am going to go to hell because I am a repeat sinner, treated my family miserably while in alcoholic hazes, have made confessions where I made excuses for my sins (to me and the Confessor), want a house/car/clothes/good health/and happy times, blame my faults to be caused by mental illness/previous abuses/used contraceptives, etc., etc. etc. I am gluttonous (fat) and prideful.
The information I have gleaned from reading about the lives of our saints tells me that the only way to be saved is to feed and clothe the poor by sharing what I have - not hold back retirement savings, fast, do pennance, run from modern entertainment (drinking, dancing, over-eating, TV and videos) and current clothing styles which are immodest, be eco-friendly, discard my car and not over-use heating or cooling devices in our homes… I could go on.
This is a serious situation for me. It’s enough to drive me to despair. Holy Mother Mary said at Fatima that souls are falling into hell like snowflakes. Various other apparitions say similar things. There is no consistant response from the Church. Some priests lean toward a more charitable and forgiving God; some do not. A lot of Jesus’ quotes are enough to convince me that I am unworthy.
The internet has revealed to me that there is conflict in the Church about our Liturgy, the validity of the Popes since Vatican II, and that many of the proposed outreaches for our Christian brothers and sisters is heretical. There is apostacy pouring from The Popes. Misguided Priests are dragging us to hell and somehow, they will suffer more than me.
Did Jesus not say that who ever is forgiven by the priest is forgiven? That the gates of Hell shall not prevail against The Church? Didn’t Paul say that he did the things he didn’t want to and didn’t do the things that he wanted to do? If I obey (and I understand that obedience and purity of intention are important) the priest in my diocese here in Canada, am I at fault? What if I only follow The Magisterium and how do I go about that? I really don’t recommend anyone else looking to the internet for advice but am I supposed to search information and make my own decisions? I’m sorry to go on and on, but I truly am close to despair and giving up on trying anymore.
Please, can you help me? Is there Divine Mercy for me?
S
Sir_Knight
Guest
Yes, the Church, through the actions of the priest, can forgive sins – all sins but as Saint Leonard of Port Maurice tells us …
If you consider the sacrament of penance, there are so many distorted confessions, so many studied excuses, so many deceitful repentances, so many false promises, so many ineffective resolutions, so many invalid absolutions! Would you regard as valid the confession of someone who accuses himself of sins of impurity and still holds to the occasion of them, or someone who accuses himself of obvious injustices with no intention of making any reparation whatsoever for them? Or someone who falls again into the same iniquities right after going to confession? Oh, horrible abuses of such a great sacrament! One confesses to avoid excommunication, another to make a reputation as a penitent. One rids himself of his sins to calm his remorse, another conceals them out of shame. One accuses them imperfectly out of malice, another discloses them out of habit. One does not have the true end of the sacrament in mind, another is lacking the necessary sorrow, and still another firm purpose.
… frightening indeed. I close with the following quote from the infallible Word of God …
[bibledrb]1 Peter 4:18[/bibledrb]
If you consider the sacrament of penance, there are so many distorted confessions, so many studied excuses, so many deceitful repentances, so many false promises, so many ineffective resolutions, so many invalid absolutions! Would you regard as valid the confession of someone who accuses himself of sins of impurity and still holds to the occasion of them, or someone who accuses himself of obvious injustices with no intention of making any reparation whatsoever for them? Or someone who falls again into the same iniquities right after going to confession? Oh, horrible abuses of such a great sacrament! One confesses to avoid excommunication, another to make a reputation as a penitent. One rids himself of his sins to calm his remorse, another conceals them out of shame. One accuses them imperfectly out of malice, another discloses them out of habit. One does not have the true end of the sacrament in mind, another is lacking the necessary sorrow, and still another firm purpose.
… frightening indeed. I close with the following quote from the infallible Word of God …
[bibledrb]1 Peter 4:18[/bibledrb]
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Vile_Servant
Guest
Do not be discouraged, with humble and sincere repentance and holy perseverance, there is always hope for salvation. Remember that we shall all be judged according by our love for God and neighbor at the last judgement.
(Matthew 25:34-36)
"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
(1 Peter 4:8)
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
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mullenpm
Guest
If we die and our soul is not in a state of grace and we have not sought forgiveness for whatever mortal sin we may have committed, we will go to hell. At the final judgment, there is no movement out of hell.:sad_bye:
The only movement is for the souls in Purgatory. That is when they will have salvation.:heaven:
The only movement is for the souls in Purgatory. That is when they will have salvation.:heaven:
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momor
Guest
Marg,
Yes, there is Divine Mercy for you. Please read this to know how much Jesus thirsts for you.
catholicapologetics.info/library/sacredheart/trulve.htm
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