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A child who has a mother and a father who are married to one another, in a stable marriage, has an admirable start in life. There is 'imprinted' in the child the idea of family life, as God Wills it; and it is therefore easier for the child to appreciate the Will of God for society - and related teachings of the Church.
How can a man 'lose' God after death, by being in Hell, separated from God, when it is God Who holds everyone in existence? It is as if a man were living in a bright, beautiful home, but insisted on building concrete walls of sinfulness around Himself, which he refused to destroy. He would have 'lost' the company of His family and friends, while his suffering would be entirely due to his own actions.
Christ will say, to some of the Christians who come to Him to be judged: "You say you loved Me, though you ignored My Mother?" Then that person will see how grievously He has offended Christ, who told us to honour our mothers and fathers and Who now lives in Heaven with His Virgin Mother beside Him.
Christ invites those Catholics who pay little honour to His ever-Virgin Mother Mary to imitate, in this matter, the Orthodox, who have not grown cold in their love for the Blessed Virgin nor lessened their devotion.
Just as Christ is no longer a poor carpenter, but our Radiant Saviour, and King of Heaven, so His ever-Virgin Mother, Mary most holy, is no longer a lowly peasant woman but is the Queen of Heaven. There, everyone praises the Father not only for Christ's love and compassion, but also for the amazing purity-of-soul of Christ's Virgin Mother, and for her humility and courage.
In no other way can I fulfil the will of God for me except by following in Christ's footsteps in obedience and patience. But Christ and His mother look with sympathy on us in our sufferings.
The power given to us in Baptism can draw us up to holiness and Heaven; but we can be hampered from 'flight' by these attachments: timidity in sharing our Faith, worrying about what people think our about particular vocation, concern for physical comfort, or neglect of everyday duties. The last 'string' to be cut is death.
Some people chat loudly in church about worldly matters, as other people try to pray. It is necessary to speak gently about this. If priests will not ask for reverent behaviour in church, then brave members of the laity must speak about it - all for the honour of Christ, Who is Really Present.
It is a tragedy that two generations of Catholics have not learned, in their homes or schools or churches, the importance of kneeling for prayer and of showing reverence to Christ by genuflection and by attendance at Benediction. It is also sad that many have never seen or taken part in a Eucharistic Procession.
As Christ looks down from Heaven upon the world He sees a great light shining out. That is the Catholic Church which He founded. It is like a great light which will never go out, even if that light is sometimes dimmed. All truths that others preach are facets of the whole Body of truths (the Deposit of Faith) that the Church holds and preaches.
The Deposit of Faith is handed on in the Catholic Church from age to age. Some other Christians teach some of the truths which the Church proclaims - but the Church has no need to go to other Christians to learn what she should teach. Her teachings stem from Christ and the Apostles. Yet individual Catholics can learn from the virtuous example of charity, patience, etc. given by other individual Christians.
Although some people preach different versions of the Faith, even within the Church, we can be sure that if we listen to the constant teaching of the Pope and the other Catholic Bishops we are hearing what Christ is teaching us through them - even if we are labelled 'fundamentalist' or 'over-dogmatic' by fellow-Catholics.
If someone searches the whole earth, wondering where he can find the true version of the Catholic Faith, not a distorted, diluted or truncated version, he can look at Rome. What is taught by the Pope and the other Catholic Bishops is truly the 'deposit of Faith' handed on by Christ and His Apostles.
The Lord asked me to speak boldly about Christ's Real Presence in the Most Holy Eucharist. I should tell everyone: "The Person of Whom I speak, as I show you a painting of Jesus Christ, is a real Person: A Divine Person, the God-man, still alive, and Present amongst us, deserving of the greatest respect, reverence and love."
Everyone who discovers the Catholic Church can study, and ask questions, to learn more about the gift of faith. Some people shut their hearts and minds, to that free gift. They do not want to believe, because it would bring them the suffering of abandoning sinful habits. Yet the worst suffering of all is experienced at the loss of God, for unrepentant sinners.
There is no greater way of showing love and honour towards God than by sincerely saying to Him: "What would you like me to do?" meaning "Here I am Lord; I come to do Your Will, not to fulfil my ambitions". God's Will includes the fulfilment of the duties of our state of life - out of love for Him and for His for our Saviour.
A child needs to learn that the body and soul make one unique person. The body is made alive by the soul. The soul can never die; but when it leaves the body, the body dies. Until that time, a person should feed his body with food and drink, and feed his soul with spiritual food and drink, which is Jesus Himself, 'Hidden' in the Sacred Host or chalice.
We can explain to a child that just as a car has parts, which makes it what it is, and has a purpose - to convey people along a road - and needs special fuel such as petrol, so a human being us composed of a body with a living soul or 'spirit' to make it alive. The spirit and body together are a person, whose purpose is to love God and become like Him, and whose 'fuel' is food for the body. and Holy Communion - Jesus Himself - for the soul.
As God the Father looks down upon the whole world, He sees that only a few of His children today have guarded the Kingdom of their souls. Many have let in the smoke and stench of worldly influences, and even Satan himself, the enemy.
How many souls have guarded the walls of God's kingdom within their souls? How many have not only let in the smoke and stench of worldly attitudes but even the enemy himself, the evil one, who now sits enthroned in that soul, gleefully surveying each unholy life and its activities? Very many have done so.