How Many Will Be Saved?

Here’s my next bulletin article on the new translations

Appreciating the New Translations

In each Eucharistic Prayer we hear the words over the “chalice”, Take this all of you and drink from it, this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant.  It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.  Do this in memory of me.  As was discussed previously, the word “cup” will become “chalice.”  The other significant change is from “all” to “many.”  Does this mean Heaven used to be open for “all” and now will be restricted to “many”?  No.  Heaven remains open to all, but not all will accept God but many will.  The prophet Isaiah speaks of how the Lord will justify many (Isaiah 53:11b-12).  Both Matthew and Mark record Jesus’ words of Jesus at the Last Supper as “for many” (Matthew 26:27-28, Mark 14:23-24).  In the Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph 605), we read. “The Church, following the apostles, teaches that Christ died for all men without exception: “There is not, never has been, and never will be single human being for whom Christ did not suffer.”  So, we use the word “many” according to Jesus’ own words but we know the gift is offered to all.