We are living in a unique time where people are saying we no longer have to have any relationship to Jesus. They are talking about finding your particular spiritual path in life. They tell us that there are many paths, but that implies there are many definitions of salvation. This goes back to a lack of understanding of truth. What is true for you, they will say is not true for me. The world teaches many paths, but God says there is only one: doing His will. Let me demonstrate the discrepansy.

• If you say there is reincarnation and I say there is not we cannot both be right because they are two opposites.
• If you say we can find salvation without God and I see God leads us to salvation we cannot both be right for likewise they are two opposites.
• Finally, if  you say there is no eternal life and I say there is we cannot both be right because they are two opposites.

Therefore, we listen to Jesus Christ, God incarnate who tells us what no other can tell us, what salvation is and who receives it. Salvation is when we come to the presence of God and become fully human and fully alive. It is beyond us completely, because none of us have fully experienced it, but it is what we wait for so that we may experience it in the next world. The world teaches many paths, but God says there is only one: doing His will.

The next contradiction comes within the Christian community. You can say that certain people are by default excluded from salvation by definition. That is not Catholic teaching. Again, we deal with two opposites. Who can be saved?

The answer for the Jew up to the Apostolic times was simple: Jews. Non-Jews were outside of God’s plan of salvation but would be part of His plan eventually. So we have this prediction from Isaiah that foreigners who nevertheless sought to do the will of God would be brought to the temple. Indeed, the Psalm is a reminder that God would be worshiped throughout the world by all nations. What was the defining point. Strangely, it is the same point we see for those who are within the Church who will be saved: God says there is only one path: doing His will.

Since the time of John Calvin there has been an element of Christianity that has taken that concept of salvation of the Jews and brought it into Christianity. However, it is a false doctrine that says that God has predestined certain people to be saved and all else are outside His Mercy and Jesus’ atoning action of Salvation. When we put that idea together with the concept of many forms of salvation we have the two opposing doctrines that define our popular culture both are wrong and mutually exclusive. If they agree on anything it is that they don’t agree with Catholicism.

The first based on the many ways of salvation approach is that all will be saved, period. This is called universalism and like the church that embraces it, rejects the bible completely and defines salvation only in terms discernable to human reason. It is quite common in popular culture especially in Hollywood and universities.

The second which is common in an area we call the Bible belt teaches that certain people are basically born saved and certain people are basically born condemned and neither point can be changed. This we can find in some evangelicalism and fundamentalism, but not all. We also find this among what we call the “No Salvation Outside the Church Crowd” which are those Catholics who believe that non-Catholics cannot be saved at all.

What we see in today’s readings is quite close to the actual Catholic approach. It is both a definition and a prophecy.

Who can be saved? Those who do the will of God.

It is every person who humbles him/herself before the Lord and says Lord fill me with your grace that I may do your will is the person who is saved by God. In other words that person who does not pick his own salvation, nor takes it for granted nor despairs of it altogether but humbles him/herself and says Lord, make me holy that I may do your  will. Is the one who will be converted and saved.

That also means that although baptism is an essential element to salvation it calls for a response on our part that we seek to be converted and healed to be saved.

I guess my old archeology model gives me the best image. As you know a fossil is formed by organic tissue that has died decaying and it is replaced by sand over centuries. So that what is left is something that looks just like the original organism but is as hard as a rock. One example, I can think of is that Mount Tom in Holyoke has several petrified trees. So you have rock that looks just like a tree. It is a similar process but actually the reverse that we ask of the Lord: not that we become holy overnight, but that throughout our lives that He removes that which is not holy and hard and lifeless and replaces it with that which is holy and brings life, even in those who never understood or knew Jesus through no fault of their own.

Let us look at a real life example: Ghandi. There are some who take a literal view of salvation will tell you that Ghandi, because he was not Christian is in Hell, but few people could ever take that concept seriously. Ghandi, indeed, taught that if Christians lived their religion there would not be a Hindu in India.

However, Ghandi was turned off of Christianity by some rather nasty South African Christians who themselves despised people of color. Yet, he sought to do the will of God nevertheless and sought it in the only way he could in the faith of his birth.

This does not mean that we have the option of more than one path, we don’t; we have Christ. However, it does mean that our call is not just to lead people to Christ, but first to lead them to seek to do His will for that is the road to Christ and that is the road to salvation. That is also our own road. If we are not first focused on doing the will of God, then we are not choosing salvation, even if we appear to be. Those who seek to do His will even though they do not fully understand Christ are choosing salvation even if they do not appear to be. All our readings today are focused on the day when all nations will recognize the Kingship of Christ and His sovereignty over all nations   brought about by those who seek not their own path, not their own will, but humbly seek nothing more than to do the will of God who is Christ.

In fact as the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:

This means that all salvation comes from Christ, the Head, through the Church which is his body. Hence they cannot be saved who, knowing the Church as founded by Christ and necessary for salvation, would refuse to enter her or remain in her. At the same time, thanks to Christ and to his Church, those who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ and his Church but sincerely seek God and, moved by grace, try to do his will as it is known through the dictates of conscience can attain eternal salvation. Compendium CCC 846-848

That means our appeal should be less focused on telling people they are condemned for their sinful actions, all are condemned by default and more on leading people to be humble to seek to do the will of God. We allow Him to show them how to turn from sin and seek salvation. That is as simple as inviting people especially those who are reading this even among the baptised and practicing Catholics to say to the Lord in humility. Show me Lord, who you are, make me Holy and lead me to your salvation. Asking this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

The world teaches many paths, but God says there is only one: doing His will.

God Bless You,

Fr. Robert J Carr

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