The Little Number of Those Who Are Saved

Our Lady of the Rosary Library ^ | ~1745 | St. Leonard of Port Maurice

[jafojeffsurf]

Saint Leonard of Port Maurice was a most holy Franciscan friar who lived at the monastery of Saint Bonaventure in Rome. He was one of the greatest missioners in the history of the Church. He used to preach to thousands in the open square of every city and town where the churches could not hold his listeners. So brilliant and holy was his eloquence that once when he gave a two weeks' mission in Rome, the Pope and College of Cardinals came to hear him. The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin, the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the veneration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus were his crusades. He was in no small way responsible for the definition of the Immaculate Conception made a little more than a hundred years after his death. He also gave us the Divine Praises, which are said at the end of Benediction. But Saint Leonard's most famous work was his devotion to the Stations of the Cross. He died a most holy death in his seventy-fifth year, after twenty-four years of uninterrupted preaching.

One of Saint Leonard of Port Maurice's most famous sermons was "The Little Number of Those Who Are Saved." It was the one he relied on for the conversion of great sinners. This sermon, like his other writings, was submitted to canonical examination during the process of canonization. In it he reviews the various states of life of Christians and concludes with the little number of those who are saved, in relation to the totality of men.

The reader who meditates on this remarkable text will grasp the soundness of its argumentation, which has earned it the approbation of the Church. Here is the great missionary's vibrant and moving sermon.

[jafojeffsurf]

So many Souls, Lord we pray you will give us the Grace to recognize and reject those demons who so wantonly wish to separate our souls from yours. Give us the Wisdom to see them and their wiles and the Strength to Reject them and the things of this world, to pick up Our crosses and Follow you. God Bless

[MHGinTN]

Is this a caucus thread?

[jafojeffsurf]

I did Not set it up as a caucus, so your free to comment all you want, However I will not be responding to many comments for if you disagree it is not me you disagree with.

God Bless

[onedoug]

Deuteronomy 4:19 & Malachi 1:11.

“Thou art the Lord,
And all beings are Thy servants, Thy domain;
And through those who serve idols vain
Thine honour is not detracted from,
For they all aim to Thee to come.” —Solomon ibn Gabirol, 11th century philosopher and synagogue hymn writer

[who_would_fardels_bear]

There are numerous Protestant sects and groups of Catholics that believe that the number of the saved will be very small.

God created man in his image. In many places in the Bible it states that having faith and living a Christian life is easy and a light burden, i.e. something that a person created in the image of God should find it easy and natural to do.

However the Devil, Original Sin, and our own less-than-Godlike qualities lead us to sin and reject God.

But is it truly the case when all is said and done that God created billions of souls in His own image knowing ahead of time that the vast majority would end in Hell?

[SubMareener]

Note that the USCCB says “any Christian individual”, and not “any Catholic individual”.

* [2:7] Victor: referring to any Christian individual who holds fast to the faith
and does God’s will in the face of persecution. The tree of life that is in the
garden of God: this is a reference to the tree in the primeval paradise (Gn 2:9);
cf. Rev 22:2, 14, 19. The decree excluding humanity from the tree of life has
been revoked by Christ.
Revelation 2
7 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To the victor I will give the right to eat from the tree of life that is in the garden of God.”’
- - - - -
11 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The victor shall not be harmed by the second death.”’

17 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To the victor I shall give some of the hidden manna; I shall also give a white amulet upon which
is inscribed a new name, which no one knows except the one who receives it.”’
- - - - -
24 But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not uphold this teaching and
know nothing of the so-called deep secrets of Satan: on you I will place no further burden,
25 except that you must hold fast to what you have until I come.
26 “’”To the victor, who keeps to my ways until the end, I will give authority over the nations.
27 He will rule them with an iron rod. Like clay vessels will they be smashed,
28 just as I received authority from my Father. And to him I will give the morning star.
29 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
- - - - -
Revelation 3
4 However, you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments;
they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy.
5 “’”The victor will thus be dressed in white, and I will never erase his name
from the book of life but will acknowledge his name in the presence of my
Father and of his angels.
6 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
- - - - -
20 “’”Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and
opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.
21 I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself
first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne.

22 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”
- - - - -

http://www.usccb.org/bible/revelation/2
http://www.usccb.org/bible/revelation/3

Romans 10
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.

Nelson, Thomas (2009-02-18). Holy Bible, New King James Version (NKJV) (p. 1100). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

1 Thessalonians 4
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Nelson, Thomas (2009-02-18). Holy Bible, New King James Version (NKJV) (p. 1146). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

1 Thessalonians 5

1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.
2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.
8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.
9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Nelson, Thomas (2009-02-18). Holy Bible, New King James Version (NKJV) (pp. 1146-1147). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

[Salvation]

St. Therese saw people falling into heaven like snowflakes.

Another testimony is from St. Faustina.

[SkyPilot]

https://www.raptureready.com/soap/roger2.html

Matthew 7:22-23 “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

We know from the words of Jesus that "few" find salvation. Few is less than 50% by definition, and the actual percentage of those saved is most likely much, much, much less than that.

In America, supposedly the most Christian nation on earth, I would estimate that the percentage of those who actually are saved by faith in Jesus Christ to be in the single digits. It could be in the low teens, but I doubt it.

[Arthur McGowan]

The marriage vows don’t mention probabilities.

Neither is salvation a matter of probabilities. It is a matter of choice.

[vladimir998]

“In America, supposedly the most Christian nation on earth...”

Wait. Who says that?

[MHGinTN]

I am reminded of that scene from onew of the Indiana Jones movies, where Indie steps on faith and there is a stone bridge under the foot that stepped forward ...

[Lera]

[[In America, supposedly the most Christian nation on earth, I would estimate that the percentage of those who actually are saved by faith in Jesus Christ to be in the single digits. It could be in the low teens, but I doubt it. ]]

I’d say single digits too and we are seeing the fruit of their being so few who are actually walking a close relationship with him.

[jafojeffsurf]

“Another testimony is from St. Faustina.”

Yes, and Fatima is another famous and well documented one too.

Yes, Salvation is for All, However All will not be save as St. Leonard points out due to Freewill many choose not to follow but to make their own way down that wide path.

God Bless

[jafojeffsurf]

“Neither is salvation a matter of probabilities. It is a matter of choice.”

Agree, however probabilities is not the point St. Leonard was making, the point was how easy it is and how many choose their own path to the wide road, because its easier... Something I struggle with often!

Pray for All of us, that we may focus more on the next world and less on this.

God Bless

[MHGinTN]

The Bride will not be bloated. BUT after the Rapture, during the Tribulation, many will come to call upon JESUS to save them that the number is so big ‘no man can number them’, and they show up in Heaven as invited guests to the Wedding Feast. These are granted His Grace fro placing their faith in Jesus under great duress. You don’t want to be around for that!

[BereanBrain]

The number will be small. But - not because of God. Because of the hardness of mankind’s heart.

2 Peter 3:9
John 3:16

and many others.

[jafojeffsurf]

“not because of God. Because of the hardness of mankind’s heart”

Amen!

“many choose their own path to the wide road, because its easier...”

God Bless

[metmom]

Many years ago, when I first got saved, someone told me that the church he went to estimated that the number of saved would be 25%.

The reason he, told me, which I always thought made sense, was based on the parable of the seed and the four types of soil. The seed grew and produced fruit in only one of the four types, 25%.

Interesting thought.

I still marvel that God would have given me a heart to believe instead of just letting me go my own way on to hell with the rest of humanity. I mean, why me? Why not someone else?

I’ve spent my entire life watching good things happen to others and sometimes still cannot grasp that this time I’d be fortunate enough for it to be me.

[metmom]

Fatima is a demonic apparition calling itself Mary to deceive the gullible.

The so called promises that apparition made concerning the rosary are enough to show that it was NOT from God.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

"Fatima is a demonic apparition"

This is the first I've heard of that. I know that Medjugorje has been debunked, but my understanding is that all orthodox Catholics consider Fatima a true Marian apparition. There is controversy about whether we've been allowed to know the third secret, and what it is, but the apparition itself is generally regarded as true.

There is so much dissension in the ranks of orthodox Catholics these days. There are those in the SSPX. There are those in the "New SSPX". There are those not in the SSPX who either believe the SSPX is in schism or is not in schism. There are sedevacantists. There are all sorts of views on Vatican II including that it was good, but not properly interpreted, that it was bad but still binding, that it was bad and not binding, that it is evidence that the post-conciliar church is heretical, etc.

So even being an orthodox Catholic doesn't guarantee anyone that he/she has the correct beliefs because there are so many varieties of orthodox Catholicism.

If any of the Protestant or Catholic sects are correct, then the number of saved will be in the thousands at most.