True Catholic Faith: Clarion Call of the Church’s Timeless Teaching

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 00:01

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Many are called but few are chosen. I have heard many times over the years as an objection heard to what we are doing in reaction to Vatican two that you're so small and how could it be that all of these other people are wrong? I'm sure you have heard that.

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 00:34

And it is true. It's a tiny number of people, less than 1% of the Catholics in the world who have reacted to Vatican two to preserve their faith. But if we look at the holy gospel and if we look at other events in sacred scripture, we come to understand that it is most probable that the greater part of those who receive the waters of baptism even in the Catholic church will go to hell. That is the general teaching of the fathers of the church. Our Lord died on the cross for all men.

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 01:25

That is, his reparation on the cross is sufficient for all of the sins of men whether in whether before the crucifixion or whether after, even if there should be an infinite number of mortal sins, our Lord's death is sufficient to overcome them, to repair them. And by his death and by the sufficient grace that he gives power to save his soul. So it is the general teaching of theologians that God gives to every man the sufficient grace to save his soul. Our Lord ordered the gospel to be preached to the whole world and even sent Saint Peter in a revelation to him after his ascension when Saint Peter was preaching the gospel. He sent Saint Peter in this revelation to the Roman Gentile Cornelius, lest Saint Peter despise that man because he was a Gentile.

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 02:47

And so the the whole human race is called to go to heaven, to become Catholics, to embrace the true faith, to be in the state of sanctifying grace, to die a good death. But only a few will be chosen. The man without the wedding garment in the gospel is he who, although he is baptized and a member of the church, is not in the state of sanctifying grace. It is a symbol. It is a parable.

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 03:25

And our Lord's comment to this expulsion of the sinner is many are called, but few are chosen, implying that only a minority of those who come will actually make it to heaven. Only a minority of those who call themselves Catholics will make it to heaven. This small number of the elect is supported by other passages in sacred scripture. You have the case of Noah and the flood in which the entire race was wiped out except for Noah and his immediate family. You have the Exodus in which only two of those who left Egypt made it to the promised land, only two.

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 04:31

And the estimates of of those who left the the Egypt are between 900,000. Only two made it. And Saint Paul said concerning that fact, now these things were done in figure of us that we should not covet evil things as they also coveted. Those Jews who had been the beneficiaries of the miracles of God lost their promised land because they were punished by God, because they murmured against him, because they were idolaters, and turned their backs on the God who was so good to them. The prophet Isaiah says that the number of rescued Israelites is compared to the number of ears of corn picked up by the gleaners.

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 05:49

The gleaners were those poor people who went in after the harvest and picked up whatever was on the ground. He says, that is an image of the number of Israel ites who shall be saved. And another image he gave of the number of olives left on the tree after it has been shaken. That's how many of the Israelites shall be saved. And our Lord said in another place place of of the the gospel, strive to enter by the narrow gate.

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 06:34

For many, I say to you, shall seek to enter and shall not be able. And Saint Paul said, know you not that they who have run the race all indeed run, but one receiveth the prize? And this opinion that most of those who call themselves Catholics will not make it to heaven is supported supported by by the the fathers fathers of of the the church, church, most notably, Saint Gregory the Great, Saint Jerome, Saint Augustine, and Saint John Chrysostom. It is not strictly speaking a dogma of the faith, but it is a strongly held theological opinion very much based on sacred scripture. Now we ask ourselves, why do Catholics to hell?

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 07:44

They go to hell because they fail to take seriously the gospel and the moral law that is preached to them. Just as the Jews, when our blessed Lord came to them and showed himself to be the true messiahs, refused to believe in him. They persevered obstinately in their in fidelity. And as a result, they lost their souls. Not only their souls, they lost their homeland.

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 08:19

They lost everything that was given to them by almighty God through Moses and through Abraham. They lost it all. And they were the chosen people of God and salvation was supposed to have come through them. But only a handful of them, the apostles, Saint Joseph, our blessed lady, Saint Mary Magdalene, and other pious Jews converted to the true faith. But the rest were the rest perished.

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 09:10

And Catholics today do not take seriously what is preached to them about the evils of the modern world. And they take in the modern world and enjoy it. And they commit mortal sin upon mortal sin and they don't care. Their consciences are numbed. They live in mortal sin, many of them.

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 09:36

And for all intents and purposes, they are going to lose their soul except by some great mercy of God. Now how should we receive this this doctrine? Many are called, but few are chosen. Should we give up in despair and say, well, it's impossible to go to heaven and then and then go out in sin? No.

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 10:06

Because God has made it so easy for us to go to heaven. It is, when we think about it, very easy. All we have to do is obey his law, which in most cases is the natural law. That means simply to act in the way that he has created us. We have to pray to him.

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 10:32

We have to profess his faith. But what he asks of us is not very much. Our Lord said, my burden is light and my yoke is sweet. Human race. Why it exists?

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 11:05

We should think about its sins, where it has gone. Where are all of these people who have preceded us? Where are their souls? Are they in heaven or in hell? Look in cemeteries.

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 11:20

Think about what happened a few weeks ago in that terrible bombing. Where are those people's souls right now? All of those people who expected to be alive this day as we speak, where are their souls right now? How many of them save their souls in that sudden catastrophe? Those are the questions that should inspire a holy fear in us.

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 11:56

A fear of how much we can offend God, how easy it is for us to fall. That is holy fear. That is the fear of the Lord. And we should apply it to the present state of the church. We should not be surprised to see masses of people defecting from the Catholic faith and that there should be only a small number who retain the faith.

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 12:26

That has been the pattern over the ages from the very beginning of time. So if you are in sin, you need only to be sorry and to confess. But if you do approach the confessional, set aside your evil, hate your sins. Resolve not to commit them again, but do not return to them like the dog returns to his vomit to use the very words and image of our Lord Jesus Christ. And if you are in the state of grace, then persevere and but take heed lest you fall.

Bp. Donald Sanborn: 13:16

Maintain habits of prayer and spiritual reading and the mortification of your evil passions and of the avoidance of the occasions of sin. So that when the king comes into the wedding, you may be found with your wedding garment on. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.