The fewness of the saved!

[NihilNominis]

It's probably wise to entertain good hope and holy fear at once.  Best to avoid both presumption and despair.

[StrictCatholicGirl]

So many people say we should only talk about the nice things, and ignore the dark, sober things, so as not to lead people to despair. They imply that people are so delicate and sensitive, that the Truth will crush their spirit. In my own personal experience, that is not true. The times that I have thought of the Catholic life as easy, I have gone from mortal sin to mortal sin. The times I have read sobering texts, like The Fewness of the Saved, and Letter from Beyond, and the like, I have exerted much more effort to resist temptation, and persevered longer in a state of grace.

Not true for me. I'm one of those delicate spirits easily crushed. Fear was never a motivator for me to do good. I like the old Irish/Celtic spirituality, what I mean is, the old St. Patrick kind. Joyful in its approach to the natural world, not concentrating on the fewness of the saved, but on the Trinity and the goodness of creation. That's the legend, anyway.   

[Scotus]

I think at different times we can be either crushed or spurred on by the thought that the number of the saved is relatively few. At those times we are depressed or struggling in our faith it is better (I think) to refrain from books and articles that we know will cause us anxiety and concentrate on God's infinite mercy. However, when we feel more robust it is no bad thing to turn our thoughts to God's infinite justice and how narrow is the path that leads to Life.

[StrictCatholicGirl]

I will never be spurred on by the thought that the saved are few and the damned are many. Never. I don't care how theologians interpret the texts...in my opinion Jesus was speaking about the Pharisees in those scripture passages, not about people in general. In Revelations, there is a number in heaven "too great to count." Wow.. the manyness of the saved!

[JoeVoxxPop]

Um
Narrow is the way and FEW are they who find it. JESUS
Many are called but FEW are chosen JESUS
I rest my case.

[StrictCatholicGirl]

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 in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. (Revelation 7:9)

I rest my case.

[Vetus Ordo]

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 in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. (Revelation 7:9)

I rest my case.

That passage only establishes that the number of the elect will indeed be great. We can only wonder at God's bountiful mercy! However, it doesn't establish that the number of the elect is greater than the number of the reprobate. You're trying to read that in the text but it's not actually there.

In fact, Christ intimates very clearly - not just to the Pharisees or to His own disciples - but to all the Christian audience throughout the centuries that few will indeed find the strait way that leads to heaven. In other words, the analogy is that the gate of damnation is large and the gate of eternal life is narrow. It's not merely a description that the life of holiness is hard and the life of debauchery is easy, that is obvious enough, but a divine insight into how much of mankind will indeed be lost. Does this mean that the reprobate will outnumber the elect? We don't know and, frankly, it's a worthless speculation. What we do now is that mankind is lost and that if it were not for God's mercy, we all would be damned.

[Scotus]

I will never be spurred on by the thought that the saved are few and the damned are many. Never. I don't care how theologians interpret the texts...in my opinion Jesus was speaking about the Pharisees in those scripture passages, not about people in general. In Revelations, there is a number in heaven "too great to count." Wow.. the manyness of the saved!

Of course, I do not mean that we actually rejoice that the greater number of people effectively choose not to enter into the Beatific Vision. I mean that the thought of the relative fewness of the saved in comparison to the lost can act as a spur to pray and do penance for our sins and those of others.

But, the fact is, not everybody finds such a reflection salutary and it can become a source of dread and anxiety. I have felt like that at times as well. Especially at the times I have struggled with aspects of the faith. In that case it's best to "pray, hope, and don't worry", as Padre Pio said.

[nmoerbeek]

"Christ died for sinners; we must take heart, therefore, and hope that Paradise will be ours, provided only we repent of our sins, and do good." St Philip Neri
source
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_maxims_and_sayings_of_St_Philip_Neri

Have Hope in Jesus, he desires your salvation more than you do!

[shin]

I have always had special hope in the Green Scapular, and the regular recital of its prayer for one's family.


'Nature and grace cannot subsist together in the same heart. The one must always make room for the other.'

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque