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https://olrl.org/misc/winsouls.shtml"Win Souls For ChristJESUS is calling us to announce His gospel of mercy, forgiveness and love. Winning souls for Him by interesting others in our holy Faith should be the business and concern of every Catholic. Christ's words were addressed to all His followers including you. "Go into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). And again: "Go, therefore, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold I am with you all days even unto the consummation of the world" (Matt. 28:19,20). These words were addressed not only to the Apostles but also to all His followers.
Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ promised: "Therefore everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge him before My Father in Heaven" (Matt. 10:32), and "He who reaps receives a wage and gathers fruit unto life everlasting so that the sower and reaper may rejoice together" (John 4:36).
People outside of the Catholic Church must be warned that they must adopt the Catholic Faith in order to be saved. This direct approach does work as proven by many of the saints such as St. Francis Xavier, who won over a million converts to the faith in the Indies. He believed and taught that there is no salvation outside of the Catholic Church and Our Lord confirmed his work by tremendous miracles. Consider the zeal and examples of some of the saints and holy persons listed below:
St. James the Apostle: "He must know that he who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way will save his own soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins" (St. James 5, 19-20).
St. John Chrysostom, (347-407), the illustrious Bishop of Constantinople, and Doctor of the Church, tells us: "Zeal for the salvation of souls is of so great a merit before God, that to give up all our goods to the poor, or to spend our whole life in the exercises of all sorts of austerities cannot equal the merit of it. There is no service more agreeable to God than this one. To employ one's life in this blessed labor is more pleasing to the Divine Majesty than to suffer martyrdom. Would you not feel happy if you could spend large sums of money in corporal works of mercy? But know that he who labors for the salvation of souls does far more; nay, the zeal of souls is of far greater merit before God . . . than the working of miracles."
Pope St. Gregory the Great (590-604): "No sacrifice is more acceptable to God than zeal for souls."
St. Vincent de Paul (1576-1660): That St. Vincent was devoured by zeal for the house of God, his entire life testifies, because that life was employed in combating evil and extending the reign of good; and in this consists true zeal. Listen to some of his instructions to his community: "Let us give ourselves to God, gentlemen, to go to carry His holy Gospel over the entire earth and into whatever part He may lead us; there, let us maintain our part, and continue our duties until such time as His good pleasure will withdraw us. Let no difficulties move us, the glory of the eternal Father and the efficacy of the Word and of the passion of His Son are at stake. The salvation of men and our own are so great that they merit to be obtained at any price."
St. Rose of Lima, (1586-1617). We read that her confessor offered himself to go to the missions, but he feared because of the dangers it would entail. After consulting the saint, he heard these words: "Go Father, and do not fear. Leave all to labor for the conversion of the infidel, and know that the greatest service that man can offer to God is to convert souls, for this is a work proper of the Apostolate. What greater happiness could there be than to baptize, be it only a little Indian child who would enter Heaven through the gates of Baptism?"
St. John de Brebeuf (1593-1649), one of the eight North American Martyrs, was heard to say, after pouring the saving waters of Baptism on a dying Indian child, "For this one single occasion I would travel all the way from France; I would cross the great ocean to win one little soul for Our Lord!"
St. Margaret Mary (1647-1690): "My divine Savior has given to understand that those who work for the salvation of souls will have a gift of touching the most hardened hearts, and will labor with marvelous success, if they themselves are penetrated with a tender devotion to His Divine Heart."
Topic: OLRL Article: Win Souls for Christ. (Read 1437 times)