The Catholic Church teaches:

 

Pope Gregory XVI, Mirari Vos (# 13), Aug. 15, 1832: “With the admonition of the apostle that ‘there is one God,

one faith, one baptism’ (Eph. 4:5) may those fear who contrive the notion that the safe harbor of salvation is open

to persons of any religion whatever.  They should consider the testimony of Christ Himself that ‘those who are not

with Christ are against Him,’ (Lk. 11:23) and that they disperse unhappily who do not gather with Him.  Therefore,

 ‘without a doubt, they will perish forever, unless they hold the Catholic faith whole and inviolate”

(Athanasian Creed).

 

God wills all men to be saved.  Unfortunately it is an eternal truth that most men choose the wide path to destruction.

"Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there

are who go in thereat.  How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!"

(Matt 7:13-14).

 

So how does one love God and put himself on the road to salvation?

 

1) It is an eternal truth given by Our Lord Himself and taught by His Church that one must be baptized by water and the

    Holy Ghost.  This command includes ALL, infants and adults alike.

 

  John 3:5  Jesus answered: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter

   into the kingdom of God.

  Mark16:16  He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned.

Pope Eugene IV, The Council of Florence, “Exultate Deo,” Nov. 22, 1439, ex cathedra:  “Holy baptism,

which is the gateway to the spiritual life, holds the first place among all the sacraments; through it we are

made members of Christ and of the body of the Church.  And since death entered the universe through

the first man, ‘unless we are born again of water and the Spirit, we cannot,’ as the Truth says,

‘enter into the kingdom of heaven’ [John 3:5].  The matter of this sacrament is real and natural water.”

 

2) One must believe in the truths handed down by Jesus.  What are these truths? 

The Truths of the Catholic and Apostolic Faith

 

3) In addition one must be completely open the generation of new life.  This is a commandment given by Our Lord and

taught by His Church. That means no contraception whatsoever in any form whether by "natural" means or by artificial

means.  This includes the contraceptive procedure known as Natural Family Planning.

 

1 Tim 2:15 - Yet she shall be saved through childbearing; if she continue in faith, and love, and sanctification, with sobriety.
 

Psalm 126 -  Behold the inheritance of the Lord are children: the reward, the fruit of the womb.  As arrows in the hand of

the mighty, so the children of them that have been shaken.  Blessed is the man that hath filled the desire with them; he

shall not be confounded when he shall speak to his enemies in the gate.

 

Tobias 6:16-22 - Then the angel Raphael said to him: Hear me, and I will shew thee who they are, over whom the devil can prevail.

For they who in such manner receive matrimony, as to shut out God from themselves, and from their mind, and to give themselves to

their lust, as the horse and mule, which have not understanding, over them the devil hath power.  But thou when thou shalt take her,

go into the chamber, and for three days keep thyself continent from her, and give thyself to nothing else but to prayers with her.  And

on that night lay the liver of the fish on the fire, and the devil shall be driven away.  But the second night thou shalt be admitted into

the society of the holy Patriarchs. And the third night thou shalt obtain a blessing that sound children may be born of you.  And when

the third night is past, thou shalt take the virgin with the fear of the Lord, moved rather for love of children than for lust, that in the seed

of Abraham thou mayst obtain a blessing in children.

 

Pope Pius XI, Casti Connubii: And now, Venerable Brethren, We shall explain in detail the evils opposed to each of the

benefits of matrimony. First consideration is due the offspring, which many have the audacity to call the disagreeable burden

of matrimony and which they say is to be carefully avoided by married people not through virtuous continence (which

Christian law permits in matrimony when both parties consent) but by frustrating the marriage act. …No reason, however

grave, may be put forward by anything intrinsically against nature may become conformable to nature and morally good.

Since, therefore, the conjugal act is destined primarily by nature for the begetting of children, those who in exercising it

deliberately frustrate its natural power and purpose, sin against nature, and commit a deed which is shameful and intrinsically

vicious … any use whatsoever of matrimony exercised in such a way that the act is deliberately frustrated in its natural

power to generate life is an offense against the law of God.

 

Pope Pius XI, Casti Connubii, 1930: Small wonder, therefore, if Holy Writ bears witness that the Divine Majesty regards

with greatest detestation this horrible crime, and at times has punished it with death. As St. Augustine notes, "Intercourse even

with one's legitimate wife is unlawful and wicked where the conception of the offspring is prevented. Onan, the son of Judah,

did this and the Lord killed him for it". Since, therefore, openly departing from the uninterrupted Christian tradition, some recently

have adjudged it possible solemnly to declare another doctrine regarding this question, the Catholic Church, to whom God has

entrusted the defense of the integrity and the purity of morals, standing erect in the midst of the moral ruin which surrounds her,

in order that she may preserve the chastity of the nuptial union from being defiled by this foul stain, raises her voice in token of her

divine ambassadorship and through Our mouth proclaims anew: any use whatsoever of matrimony exercised in such a way that

the act is deliberately frustrated in its natural power to generate life is an offense against the law of God and of nature, and those

who indulge in such are branded with the guilt of a grave sin.

 

 

4) Most importantly one must strive to live his life from serious sin whether in thought, word, or deed.  Even if one entertains

    sin in his heart it is just as though he would have committed it in deed.

    Matt 5:28 But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery

    with her in his heart.

 

5) Jesus established the sacrament of confession to rid ourselves of serious sin.  This is an obligation only if there are valid

    priests to administer the sacraments.  In these days of apostasy there are few valid priests left since the ordination rite

    was changed in 1969.   If one cannot find a valid priest that is not infected with one or more heresies (denial of Catholic

   truths) then one should exercise true contrition and sorrow for one sins.  A good examination of conscience can be found

   in the book Confession It's Fruitful Practice or in the file here Confession Guide.   If you are a convert or are thinking of

   converting to the Catholic Faith be aware that there are most likely no Catholic priests left.  If you seek out a priest he is

   probably either invalid or a heretic or both.

 

6)  Pray the rosary daily with true devotion.  To truly meditate on the mysteries contained in the rosary one should not

     "shotgun" the prayers but slowly formulate the words.  A good goal to strive for is to complete a rosary no sooner

     than 25 minutes. As a family we also include the long form of the St. Michael the Archangel Prayer after the rosary.

 

7) Marriage is for life.   Divorce is never allowed.  Separation is only allowed in extreme cases such as adultery but remarriage is

    forbidden.

 

Matt 5:31-32   "And it hath been said, whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you, that

whosoever shall put away his wife, excepting for the cause of fornication, maketh her to commit adultery: and he that shall marry

her that is put away, committeth adultery."

 

The Catholic Church has recognized those rare cases where marriage was invalid such as a man unknowingly marrying a married woman.

These "annulments" were extremely rare (only a few hundred per year granted worldwide).  Now even the those claiming to be traditional

Catholics (such as the SSPX) grant annulments for many reasons thereby causing scandal and adultery between the man and wife.

 

Mark 10:6-9  "But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female.  For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother;

and shall cleave to his wife. 8 And they two shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God hath

joined together, let not man put asunder."

 

When a man and wife take a vow before God in marriage they become one person.  Divorce tries to rend in two that which God has joined as one.

Such an action kills the souls of all those who have purposely given themselves over to divorce.

 

8) Finally one should exercise humility in all things.  We should realize that but for the grace of God we would fall into sin

    very easily.  A good book on humility is Humility of Heart

    Phillipians 2:3 Let nothing be done through contention, neither by vain glory: but in humility, let each esteem others better

                         than themselves: