Very few will be saved

[Otche_Nash]

Hi,
This is what distresses me. The opinions of the Doctors of the Church on what percentage of souls are saved:
“What I am about to tell you is very terrible, yet I will not conceal it from you. Out of this thickly populated city with its many inhabitants, not one hundred people will be saved. I even doubt there will be as many as that.” St. John Chrysostom
" It is certain, few are saved." Saint Augustine
" On the threshing floor, few are the grains carried into the barns, but high are the piles of chaff burned with fire." Pope St. Gregory the Great
“There are a select few who are saved.” St. Thomas Aquinas

Ahxx! Could it be the Doctors were not considering Purgatory in their dismal assessments?

 

[MidnightSun12]

To quote a great Saint:

"What is the use of knowing whether few or many are saved? Saint Peter says to us, “Strive by good works to make your election sure.” When Saint Thomas Aquinas’s sister asked him what she must do to go to heaven, he said, “You will be saved if you want to be.” I say the same thing to you, and here is proof of my declaration. No one is damned unless he commits mortal sin: that is of faith. And no one commits mortal sin unless he wants to: that is an undeniable theological proposition. Therefore, no one goes to hell unless he wants to; the consequence is obvious. Does that not suffice to comfort you? Weep over past sins, make a good confession, sin no more in the future, and you will all be saved. Why torment yourself so? For it is certain that you have to commit mortal sin to go to hell, and that to commit mortal sin you must want to, and that consequently no one goes to hell unless he wants to. That is not just an opinion, it is an undeniable and very comforting truth; may God give you to understand it, and may He bless you. Amen. "

• St. Leonard of Port Maurice

 

[The_Reginator]

Hi,

Ahxx! Could it be the Doctors were not considering Purgatory in their dismal assessments?

No one is saved in Purgatory. If you are in Purgatory you are already ‘saved’.

It’s not just the Church Doctors that say this.
Jesus Himself is recorded in the bible as saying the same thing. Remember His words about the wide road versus the narrow one, for example.

 

[R_C]

If you read “Way of Divine Love” of Sr. Josefa Menendez, you’d see how sorrowful is the vision of the state of hell the Lord allows her to experience and describe…many, many souls falling at once, cursing the Lord, themselves, their loved ones, their superiors, their vows…but then she was granted a vision of the state of heaven, and it was extraordinary…but not much different from that of John, who wrote:

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

Spera in Deo Christ said there were many places in the Father’s house, and that many would come from all parts of the world.

A quote from Augustine’s Sermon 61 on the New Testament:

You remember a question which was lately set before us out of the Gospel, “Lord,” it was said, “are there few that be saved?” What said the Lord to this? He did not say, “Not few, but many are they who are saved.” He did not say this. But what said He, when He had heard, “Are there few that be saved? Strive to enter by the strait gate.” When you hear then, “Are there few that be saved?” the Lord confirmed what He heard. Through the “strait gate” but “few” can “enter.” In another place He says Himself, “Strait and narrow is the way which leads unto life, and few there be that go thereby: but broad and spacious is the way that leads to destruction, and many there be which walk thereby.” Why rejoice we in great numbers? Give ear to me, you “few.” I know that you are “many,” who hear me, yet but “few” of you hear to obey. I see the floor, I look for the grain. And hardly is the grain seen, when the floor is being threshed; but the time is coming, that it shall be winnowed. But few then are saved in comparison of the many that shall perish. For these same “few” will constitute in themselves a great mass.

 

[Rete]

What I don’t understand is how this is possible when so many people died doing exactly what the Church requires of them. They went to mass. They strove to sanctify themselves. They went to regular confession. They helped the poor, homeless, and hungry. They died after confession and last rites.

Surely more than a hundred people died like that in his city. What else must a person do?

 

[bobbyhillisabro]

Hi,
This is what distresses me. The opinions of the Doctors of the Church on what percentage of souls are saved:
“What I am about to tell you is very terrible, yet I will not conceal it from you. Out of this thickly populated city with its many inhabitants, not one hundred people will be saved. I even doubt there will be as many as that.” St. John Chrysostom
" It is certain, few are saved." Saint Augustine
" On the threshing floor, few are the grains carried into the barns, but high are the piles of chaff burned with fire." Pope St. Gregory the Great
“There are a select few who are saved.” St. Thomas Aquinas

Ahxx! Could it be the Doctors were not considering Purgatory in their dismal assessments?

What does Purgatory have to do with it? Purgatory is only for those who have already been saved.

 

[Otche_Nash]

Thanks for your responses, especially Midnight Sun and R C. I drew a great deal of comfort from the quotes, and i will do further reading along those lines.

 

[Gailgirl]

The post written by Rete: Quote “What I don’t understand is how this is possible when so many people died doing exactly what the Church requires of them. They went to mass. They strove to sanctify themselves. They went to regular confession. They helped the poor, homeless, and hungry. They died after confession and last rites. Surely more than a hundred people died like that in his city. What else must a person do?” Unquote.

What gives me comfort are the Scripture verses that supercede all Tradition and apply to every Christian denomination:

John 5:24- Jesus said, "He who hears my word, and believes on Him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
**John 11: 25-26- ** Jesus again said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever lives and believes shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Romans 10:9- Paul writes, “If you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

These are comforting verses for those who know, love, and follow our Lord. He paid the penalty for our sin. A completed transaction for those with saving faith. I suspect many, many more than 100 souls are with the Lord.

Gailgirl.

 

[John_Paul_Jones]

Hi,
This is what distresses me. The opinions of the Doctors of the Church on what percentage of souls are saved:
“What I am about to tell you is very terrible, yet I will not conceal it from you. Out of this thickly populated city with its many inhabitants, not one hundred people will be saved. I even doubt there will be as many as that.” St. John Chrysostom
" It is certain, few are saved." Saint Augustine
" On the threshing floor, few are the grains carried into the barns, but high are the piles of chaff burned with fire." Pope St. Gregory the Great
“There are a select few who are saved.” St. Thomas Aquinas

Ahxx! Could it be the Doctors were not considering Purgatory in their dismal assessments?

Maybe they did take the idea of Purgatory into consideration. Maybe it is about how many go directly to heaven.

 

[R_C]

What I don’t understand is how this is possible when so many people died doing exactly what the Church requires of them. They went to mass. They strove to sanctify themselves. They went to regular confession. They helped the poor, homeless, and hungry. They died after confession and last rites.

Surely more than a hundred people died like that in his city. What else must a person do?

How do you know that more than a hundred people did that in his city? Maybe as bishop he knew them better And mind you, it is the fourth century. Besides, the great John Chrysostom was not infallible in such a prophesy either…even if he had received some sort of special revelation on the matter, only God knows how many will be saved. After all, at one point the entire city of Niniveh had merited eternal damnation, and yet after a sincere repentance and fast God spared it in its entirety…and to Abraham the Lord promised to spare the entire city of Sodom if ten righteous had been found within its walls…I think we are underestimating the Mighty to Save

 

[Nobah_Di]

Ive been doing alot of independent study on this topc go through and by scripture try to defime what the kimgdom of heaven is and what salvation is. christ taught the kingdom of heaven is like a seed that grows in a man its like a man working a field and fimding a piece of silver he goes and sells all he has to purchase that field. its inside you /in your midst. Salvation is salvation from sin or our sinful nature the nature that is rebellious to God. its actually not salvation from death. As for those who would declare the majority of a city or the world is guilty and going to hell. I seem to remember christ saying woe to you who condemn a man with a word. So i would not take heed of words that are themselves a sin. I iimagine those men pray like the selfrighteous man who stamds before the temple with his face to the heavens thanking god hes not like other men. While a taxcollector looks away from the heavens beating his breast praying have mercy on me a sinner its the tax collector who goes home justified. Woe to you pharisees you yourselves have not entered the kingdom of heaven but block the way for those who wish to enter from doing so.

 

[PeaceInChrist]

I recall reading something from a saint, though I don’t recall where, that if we pray persistently for holiness, for grace, for perfection, for final perseverance, ect., we shall be granted them. And when you think of it, how many people actually ask for perseverance and holiness and grace? Probably not many, which, if I recall, the saint stated and was disappointed about, because according to him, many don’t care about such things. Yet if they would only ask, he said they would receive, as the Lord promised.

Don’t let Hell trouble you too much. Ask the Lord to lead you to holiness and perfection, to fill you with the Holy Spirit, to grace you with the ability to cooperate with His grace, and to give you the grace to persevere in His grace till death. Then, have faith and do what you can, knowing that He is greater than your sin and imperfection.

 

[Nobah_Di]

I hope this helps always remember its up to gods grace mercy and his compassion. And as far as i know they are as limitless as his might is.

 

[PeaceInChrist]

Maybe they did take the idea of Purgatory into consideration. Maybe it is about how many go directly to heaven.

I do recall, in a quote from Augustine, he said that very few would go to heaven (I can’t remember what he said, maybe 1 in 100 or some low number). Then he said that many more would go to Purgatory, so… yeah. Sometimes they are speaking about immediate entry into perfection.

I find that looking at isolated quotes from the saints about Hell does nothing but cause despair, because people don’t understand God’s mercy and love first. People have to understand these things before they can understand Hell. We must also remember, that if we ask for holiness, grace, sainthood, and the openness to receive these graces, ect, we will receive it. Jesus has promised He will give, and to doubt that He is great enough to perfect us is not only doubting ourselves, but more so doubting His promises to us.

Ask, and you shall receive. Knock, and the door shall be opened. He wasn’t talking about sports cars, wealth, fame, ect.

 

[Nobah_Di]

I recall reading something from a saint, though I don’t recall where, that if we pray persistently for holiness, for grace, for perfection, for final perseverance, ect., we shall be granted them. And when you think of it, how many people actually ask for perseverance and holiness and grace? Probably not many, which, if I recall, the saint stated and was disappointed about, because according to him, many don’t care about such things. Yet if they would only ask, he said they would receive, as the Lord promised.

Don’t let Hell trouble you too much. Ask the Lord to lead you to holiness and perfection, to fill you with the Holy Spirit, to grace you with the ability to cooperate with His grace, and to give you the grace to persevere in His grace till death. Then, have faith and do what you can, knowing that He is greater than your sin and imperfection.

This is so true i once asked the father for a month straight to give me a greater love for him for others amd for myself. I asked that he would bless me with a greater capacity for love and fill that new capacity til it over flowed. I was blown away by his response it was like every person became my precious child whom i had been longing to see i understood finally the great compassion paul had for his brothers in christ.

 

[R_C]

Ive been doing alot of independent study on this topc go through and by scripture try to defime what the kimgdom of heaven is and what salvation is. christ taught the kingdom of heaven is like a seed that grows in a man its like a man working a field and fimding a piece of silver he goes and sells all he has to purchase that field. its inside you /in your midst. Salvation is salvation from sin or our sinful nature the nature that is rebellious to God. its actually not salvation from death. As for those who would declare the majority of a city or the world is guilty and going to hell. I seem to remember christ saying woe to you who condemn a man with a word. So i would not take heed of words that are themselves a sin. I iimagine those men pray like the selfrighteous man who stamds before the temple with his face to the heavens thanking god hes not like other men. While a taxcollector looks away from the heavens beating his breast praying have mercy on me a sinner its the tax collector who goes home justified. Woe to you pharisees you yourselves have not entered the kingdom of heaven but block the way for those who wish to enter from doing so.

You have been doing independent study on the Bible? Why, do you think you can understand Scripture by yourself? That is not what Scripture teaches. Did the Holy Spirit not send the apostle Philip to teach the Ethiopian, who would read Scripture and say: “how can I understand this if nobody explains it to me?” It is very edifying to read the Bible, but you can only understand it through the teaching of the apostolic Church. It was to the apostles, the elders, to whom Christ said: "as the Father has sent me, so I send you. …] To you the secrets of the kingdom are revealed, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that “they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.”

As for “those who would declare the majority of a city is guilty”, have you not read in Scripture that the prophets of God were given knowledge of God’s will on these matters in order to move the people to repentance? Do you even know who John Chrysostom is, whom you call a pharisee?

Salvation has many meanings, and there are over twenty centuries of orthodox Christian teaching that you need to go over rather than trying to come up with your own understanding, lest you do what Peter wrote and misinterpret Scripture to your own destruction. Salvation is first and foremost from death: we receive in Christ eternal life as a free gift. However, some will raise for a resurrection of condemnation and will be in the lake of fire meant for the devil and his angels. How we attain salvation beyond justification is something that solely the apostolic Church can teach - all others have terribly distorted this truth, leading many to error and indeed blocking for them the path towards the already narrow gate.