A single question can bend the arc of a life: Will many be saved—or only a few? In this episode, Msgr. Wolf explores how generations shifted from “heaven is promised but not presumed” to “heaven is assumed if we’re decent,” and why both comfort and terror can miss the heart of grace. We unpack the old struggle over predestination and assurance, and how Sunday worship takes shape from those assumptions: is the goal a moving experience that signals chosenness, or the steady sacramental life that Christ entrusted to the Church? We argue for a both/and spirituality—feelings welcomed, sacraments central—anchored in a God whose mercy calls for a real response.

To bring Jesus’ “narrow gate” to life, we contrast Broadway’s bright promise with the quiet courage of daily fidelity. Drama can awaken us; only the cross can change us. The narrow way is the kitchen table, the hospital corridor, the patient choice to forgive without applause, the freedom that comes from dying to self early so fear loses its grip. Blessed Stanley Rother’s witness ties it all together: he did not become a martyr in a moment; he became ready through thousands of hidden yeses. That is the shape of salvation lived now—focused love, steady hope, and a cross that promises all is gained in what is given away.

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Father Don Wolf is a priest of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Living Catholic also broadcasts on Oklahoma Catholic Radio several times per week, with new episodes airing every Sunday.