Salvation: Attainment of our supernatural destiny through our sanctification

According to Martin Luther and his followers in the 16^th century, human salvation could be attained exclusively by faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior and by an extrinsic attribution of Christ's merits to those who have this faith. This concept of salvation leaves no room for any intrinsic transformation of sinners—that is, their sanctification. Under this mentality, there can be no such concept as "a canonized Saint". Even the Blessed Virgin Mary is just one among many sinners and believers. No penance on earth or purification in Purgatory is necessary, as salvation can be assured through faith alone and does not require real transformation of the soul. Martin Luther even taught that sanctification was not possible because of the irreparably corrupt human nature.

The Catholic teaching, on the other hand, emphasizes the fact that humans have free will as long as they live in this world. This free will has been considerably weakened by sins but is still capable of choosing between right and wrong and between good and evil, and can be significantly strengthened through determined efforts with the help of the divine graces. For example, sincerely repenting one's sins, making a good Confession, and receiving Holy Communion can substantially increase one's strength against disorderly passions and the lures of the world. Thus, even after one initiates the process of salvation by repenting sins, professing the faith, and receiving Baptism, he must continue the lifelong task of practicing the faith one day at a time, trying to love God with his whole heart and love his neighbors as his self. Through repeated efforts to do good, avoid evil, and do penance for past sins, virtues (that is, habits of doing good) can grow and the soul purified and sanctified by the power of the supernatural graces from God. St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo in the Fifth Century said, "He who has created thee without thyself, does not justify thee without thyself. Thus He created thee without thy knowledge, but only with thy agreement and thy will does He justify thee" (Sermon 169, II, 13). In Scripture, St. Paul remarks more than once that we are saved through the faith, but this faith to which the Apostle refers is a living faith that functions as the basic principle for how we should live to work out our salvation, as repeatedly emphasized by St. James (James 1:22; 2:20; 2:24; 2:26) and St. Paul himself, "Wherefore he that thinks himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:12) and "For this is the will of God, your sanctification" (1 Thess. 4:3). Also, when St. Paul mentioned "laws" through which salvation does not come, he was referring to the laws of the Old Covenant which, he said, did not need to be observed any longer to be saved. He was definitely not implying that we could ignore God's Commandments, the moral laws written in our consciences, and other legitimate laws and rules or deny the need for our sanctification. Our Lord said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17); and "If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love" (John 15:10).

Our Lord further explained how our salvation is to be worked out with the parable of the vine and its branches (John 15:1-5). The branches can bear fruit by receiving life and nutrition from the vine. Likewise, we can bear fruit for the salvation of ourselves and of others by remaining in union with the Lord, receiving His teachings and graces. Of course, as we are endowed with free will, it is up to each of us to respond to and cooperate with the promptings and assistance of the divine graces. No one should be surprised to see that there are many failures and imperfections even among the members of the Church, as they are still working out their salvation under the constant possibility of failing if they misuse their free will. As St. Paul exhorted, "With fear and trembling work out your salvation" (Philippians 2:12).

The road to our salvation is difficult and filled with the snares of the devil, but the goal set by Our Lord for us is lofty. Our Lord said, "Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). It is clear that He expects from us a complete purification from sins and sanctification through His graces so that we may be made worthy of entering God's Kingdom. But how can we become perfect? By natural means, it is impossible. We are too weak and miserable even to imagine such a possibility. Nevertheless, Our Lord said, "For humans this is impossible, but for God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). The fact that the Church has thousands of canonized Saints is good evidence of this. This is also why there is Purgatory where purification can be completed if not done so in this world. St. Paul said, ". . . the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work burn, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire" (1 Cor. 3:13-15).

The Reformist doctrine that our salvation is attained by faith alone is not compatible with the teachings of Our Lord and the Faith of the Apostles. This is not a trivial matter, as the whole set of the Christian doctrines concerning the Church and the life in the Church (including the Eucharist, the Blessed Mother, the teaching authority, the Sacraments, prayers, penance, Saints, Purgatory, and so on) hinges upon the question of whether we are saved by faith alone or by the sanctification through our continuing cooperation with the divine graces.

"Not everyone that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew: 7:21).

"We believe. . . in the communion of saints" (The Apostles' Creed)

As the branches receive life and nutrition from the vine, the members of the Church receive the graces from the Lord. In addition, they also receive various spiritual goods from other members through prayer, teaching, advice, encouragement, and sacrifice for each other. Conversely, when a branch becomes sick by committing a sin, it adversely affects the vine and all other branches. The work of salvation is more than an individual matter. Our Lord asked us to pray to "Our Father in Heaven" (Matthew 6:9) as we were created as social beings as well as individual persons. The task given to us is to accomplish our individual salvation and, at the same time, build up God's Family and Kingdom, which is the Church. St. Paul said, "I desire therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all men" (1 Tim. 2:1). St. James said, "Pray for one another that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man avails much" (James 5:16). St. Paul further says that our sufferings have a redemptive value for the Church, "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the Church" (Col. 1:24). The Apostle was not implying that the merits of Christ's sufferings were insufficient for redeeming the entire human race; he was only saying that what Christ did as the head of His Mystical Body must also be accomplished in each member of the Body so that the whole Church may become perfected as His Mystical Body. The Church teaching clarifies this profound truth even further:

"God is the sovereign master of his plan. But to carry it out he also makes use of his creatures' cooperation. This use is not a sign of weakness, but rather a token of almighty God's greatness and goodness. For God grants his creatures not only their existence, but also the dignity of acting on their own, of being causes and principles for each other, and thus of cooperating in the accomplishment of his plan" (Catechism of the Catholic Church #306).

Through His goodness, God endowed intellect and free will upon human beings so that they may freely come to the realization that God is truly and infinitely good, just, and loving, and may freely choose to love and serve Him for all eternity. In loving and serving God, we are called to help other people so that they may be saved also. For this reason, all the followers of Christ are called to become co-redeemers as they can make real contributions to the growth and perfection of Christ's Mystical Body, the Church. As Christ's Church includes not only the Church Militant on earth but also the Church Triumphant in Heaven and the Church Suffering in Purgatory, the Communion of Saints covers all Christians on earth, in Heaven, and in Purgatory (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #954-959).

Our Lady: Perfect Fruit of Christ's work of human salvation

God the Father sent His Only Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, to the world as the source of the saving truths to enlighten and guide our darkened minds, and the saving graces to cleanse our souls from sin and sanctify them. After Jesus?Ascension, the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit to effect and power the work of human salvation being carried out through the Church. What was needed in addition was cooperation by humans, as God would not force anyone to follow His Will. Humans are free to accept or refuse God's invitation, but, if they decide to refuse it, they will have to take the responsibility for making that decision. Misusing her free will, Eve assisted in Adam's committing sin, bringing about misery and death upon the entire human race. Our Lady, on the other hand, willingly consented to God's plan of sending the Savior to the world (Luke 1:38) and, like Christ Himself, had to endure indescribable sorrows and sufferings in consequence of her consent (cf. Luke 2:35), eventually offering up to the Father her Divine Son's sacrifice as well as her own at the foot of the Cross (cf. John 19:25-27) in reparation for all human sins. As her Son was the Second Divine Person of the Holy Trinity, she was rightly the Mother of God. This does not mean that God began to exist by being born of Mary but that the Person Who was born of Mary as her Son was truly God. The doctrine of Mary's Divine Motherhood is the most convincing testimony of God the Son's Incarnation as true God and true Man. As the Church is the Mystical Body of her Divine Son, Mary is also the Mother of the Church and everyone in the Church. Her motherly role for the whole Church did not cease after her Assumption into Heaven but is continuing for the full growth and glorification of the Church:

"This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation. . . . Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #969)

As the Mother of the Savior and His Church, she is the closest Helper to the Savior and is the Co-Redemptrix who participates in the Lord's work of human redemption to the most outstanding degree. This truth of Mary's participation in the Lord's work of human redemption is based on the doctrine that applies to all members of the Church, namely, the doctrine that we are all called to follow Christ, carrying our crosses (Matthew 10:38), and on the doctrine of the Communion of Saints. That she was the most outstanding Helper to Christ as well as the Mediatrix of All Graces and the Co-Redemptrix is based on the doctrines of her Divine Motherhood and her Motherhood of the Church. As Eve was the essential helper and intimate companion to Adam in the Old Testament era, Our Lady, the Second Eve, is the essential and closest Helper and Associate for the Savior in the New Testament era.

"The cross is the unique sacrifice of Christ, the 'one mediator between God and man' (1 Tim. 2:5). But because in his incarnate divine person he has in some way united himself to every man, 'the possibility of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery' (Gaudium et Spes 22 #5) is offered to all men. He calls his disciples to 'take up their cross and follow him,' for 'Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example so that we should follow in his steps' (1 Pet. 2:21). In fact Jesus desires to associate with his redeeming sacrifice those who were to be its first beneficiaries (cf. Mark 10:39; John 21:18-19; Col. 1:24). This is achieved supremely in the case of his mother, who was associated more intimately than any other person in the mystery of his redemptive suffering (cf. Luke 2:35)" (Catechism of the Catholic Church #619).

While Christ is the source of all the graces that can sanctify our souls, Mary is the most perfect fruit of these graces, totally immaculate from the moment of her conception (Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, 1854) and filled with the divine love and holiness (cf. Luke 1:28), rendering her worthy of the Divine Motherhood. In Mary, the supernaturalization and sanctification of human beings willed by God has reached the highest summit that can ever be attained by a creature.

Sanctity is not a static concept but a dynamic one in that it constantly flows from God's infinite love and holiness and radiates back to Him as total love and dedication and also to fellow humans as familial love and selfless service. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta spent hours before the tabernacle every morning before she began looking after the poor and sick. Her charity for her neighbors was the necessary fruit of her total love for God. Our Lady's immense motherly love for and concern over her children and her invincible immaculate power against the devil (cf. Gen. 3:15; Apocalypse 12) pervade and protect the entire Church and stretch over all her children. Thus, the Blessed Mother is in a constant state of loving God with her whole heart and whole being and also loving her children in the most tender and powerful way as their true Mother. In Naju, she repeatedly mentioned that her Heart was "flaming up with the fire of love". As so many of her children on earth are still in sins walking toward hell, she manifests her indescribable sorrows with messages and miraculous signs and unceasingly works to bring about a change in people's hearts so that they may return to God.  Our Lady is not only filled with the love and graces from God, but also is the greatest conduit of them to her children.

In her messages in Naju, the Blessed Mother has used the word errors more than twenty times, deploring the dangerous evil doctrines that are spreading in the Church like a cancer. Their erroneous ideas are polluting so many people's minds, inducing them to believe that salvation can be attained by faith alone or otherwise in some easy ways, without true penance and sanctification. Concepts like "salvation", "sins", "penance", "sanctity", "graces", "miracles", and "supernatural" are becoming either forgotten or irrelevant. These influences induce people to become insensitive to the supernatural reality of Christ's Work of human salvation, leading to the abandonment or equivocation of the core of the Christian Faith, namely, the Paschal Mysteries of Our Lord's Passion and Resurrection, a supernatural reality that continues in the Church and should also continue in all her members.

Conclusion

To turn the tide and prevent the approaching disaster from moral disintegration and atheistic pride, we need to restore the sense of the supernatural in our minds, our families, and our churches. We need to restore the firm faith in the true reality of Our Lord, which is the hypostatic union (not a mixture or juxtaposition) of the divine nature and the human nature in the One Person of God the Son, Who entered our world and dwells in it through His Church in order to save us. We need to repel the insidious error that Our Lord's Presence in the Eucharist is only symbolic or spiritual and kneel humbly before the most awesome supernatural reality in the Blessed Sacrament. We need to recognize the Divine Motherhood of Our Lady as well as her Motherhood of the Church. Her sanctity and power against the devil are for the benefit of the salvation of us all. After all, a mother is the most precious gift from God to her children. We need to stop behaving like adults before God, as if we do not need any help; rather, we should humbly admit our moral frailty and spiritual destitution. We need to recognize the Divine Power at work through the sacraments, hierarchy, and teachings of the Church. We also need to handle with respect the proper signs and instruments of the supernatural such as sacred music, statues, paintings, architecture, literature, rosaries, scapular, medals, and so on, which draw our minds and hearts to the divine reality. We need to reopen our eyes to God's teachings through the Church and rely on them as the principles that underlie and govern all our thoughts and decisions. "There is an organic connection between our spiritual life and the dogmas. Dogmas are lights along the path of faith; they illuminate it and make it secure. Conversely, if our life is upright, our intellect and heart will be open to welcome the light shed by the dogmas of faith" (Catechism of the Catholic Church #89). Time is precious and limited for each of us. In that limited time, though, we can succeed in achieving our supernatural destiny if we are faithful in following the two greatest signs from Heaven: the Holy Eucharist and Our Lady.

Excerpts of Our Lord's messages in Naju

"In this world which is being covered with errors and darkness, stay close to the Bible, which contains the Sacred Truths, lead a life according to the Gospels, and put into practice the words of My Mother who has been appearing and imploring with tears at many places in the world in this urgent time. Tell everyone that accepting My Mother's words is the same as accepting Me and that holding her hands and following her is the shortcut to Me." (May 16, 1991)

"Because My Mother's loving and kind words for the past several centuries have been ignored, sin has reached a saturation point, even in the Church." (September 22, 1995)

"As I first took My Body in the womb of Mary, My Holy Mother, My Heart began beating for you in union with hers. Therefore, love Mary, My Mother, and follow her words. You must know that loving and following her is loving and following Me." (October 19, 1996)

"Together with My Mother Mary, who gave birth to Me and raised Me, I have been giving many messages of love and signs in Naju, Korea, but even many of my children who experienced the miracles of love are dispersing in all directions because of the devil's temptations. How sad and deplorable!" (April 12, 1998)

"The world is in such a shocking state. . . the world which will be reduced to ashes. . . this age which will be destroyed by the devil's attacks. . . However, when there are more little souls, My Sacred Heart and My Mother's Immaculate Heart will surely triumph. Do not fear, but make haste to perpetuate the Paschal Mystery of Resurrection. I will help you." (April 12, 1998)

"Remembering that only My Mother can turn God the Father's wrath away from you, respond with 'Amen' to My Mother's messages of love which she has been earnestly giving you, personally revealing her presence, love, and friendship with her tears, tears of blood, and fragrant oil." (November 2, 2000)

"Those children who draw close to Me through My Mother, who is the Helper in My Work of Salvation, the Mediatrix, and the Co-Redemptrix, will be counted as good heads of grain at the last judgment and will enjoy eternal happiness at My table in My Kingdom." (November 8, 2001)

Excerpts of the Blessed Mother's messages in Naju

"When fervent prayers of poor souls reach Heaven, God's just anger will be appeased. Pray and pray again. I came to this world as the Lord's Helper to save you in this age fallen into danger. When you renounce everything and follow me completely, my role as your true Mother and the Lord's Helper in saving the world will soon be manifested clearly. The reason why I was chosen to be the Lord's Helper was to give the opportunity of salvation to everyone." (August 27, 1991)

"My dear children! Listen to my words well. Look back at history, when people did not listen to the many warnings given by God. What will happen to this age, if people, like those of the past, remain indifferent to or reject the Words of God and my messages of love? Keep in your hearts the words of this Mother, who is the Helper in Redemption, and offer up even the pains that cause bleeding inside of you." (September 17, 1991)

"Numerous children, who have gone far away from my Son Jesus and me, have been swept away by storms and have fallen into errors and, because of the resulting lack of faith, are not able to accept the Dogmas and are causing a great disorder in the Liturgy and the Church Laws. Even many shepherds have fallen into this disorder and are walking along the way to hell. The gates of hell are wide open to receive them." (February 2, 1995)

"This Mother of Heaven cannot help weeping continuously because of the heretics who have deviated from the authentic Church. Many priests, who should look after the sheep which have been lost and are wandering about, are facing the danger of losing true faith. They even sometimes forget about the Resurrection of Jesus, because they are immersed in the spirit of the world which is permeated with disbelief and errors. Thus, the tide of a great apostasy is spreading extensively inside the Catholic Church. Therefore, try to become signs of my love filled with my Motherhood." (May 9, 1995)

"Realize that the Love of my Son Jesus and me, your Heavenly Mother, is penetrating your souls, hearts and beings and rely (on Us) completely with faith and trust." (January 6, 1996)

"Courageously and adhering to the Heritage of the Faith that has been entrusted to you, unite with the Pope more humbly, following the messages of my burning love." (January 18, 1997)

"When the sounds of prayers by you, the little souls united with each other in love in the Holy Trinity, are combined together and soar high into Heaven, the crisis of the Third World War will be averted. However, if the children in the world fail to the end to accept the messages of love which my Son and I are giving them, to repent, and to remain awake, I will no longer be able to hold the cup of God's wrath." (November 9, 2001)

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