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In Christ's sight, a person is in a pitiable state who does not believe in the existence of God, or Heaven - or Jesus Christ, or Judgement. This means that such a person is ignorant of, or opposed to, the main purpose of life, which is union with God, in His service, both in this life and in the next.

In a New Covenantal Sacrifice, Jesus Christ poured out His Precious Blood on the Cross, Victim of sinners yet praying for sinners; and that same Sacrifice is re-presented, at every Mass, yet in a Real but sacramental manner: an un-bloody offering.

We who belong to Christ must not imagine that we go 'away' from Him when we leave the church building, or when we finish our prayers at home. Christ is very close to us, wherever we are, whether at work, or in leisure-time, or in our trips to the hospital or the shops.

People forget that the vows or promises they have made in church, in either marriage or religious life or Priesthood, are vows made to almighty God. To break those vows selfishly is to act against God. A special vocation cannot be treated as a merry-go-round, on which people enjoy themselves for a while, but leave when they are bored, or dislike the music or the same views at each turn.

When a man or woman selfishly deserts the vocation to which he or she had freely consented, that person turns away from Christ, Who had called that person, and Who was willing to help that person through every difficulty. It is a dreadful matter to desert a spouse or to abandon one's own children.

To greet Christ in Holy Communion with sincere contrition for weaknesses, and with reverence, humility and love, is deeply consoling for Him. It is as if we had rolled out a red carpet for Jesus Christ, our beloved Savior and King

When we greet Christ carelessly in Holy Communion we treat Him, our God, with a dreadful lack of respect, even worse than when people show disrespect towards a Monarch in earthly life by casual or rude behaviour. Our God, coming to our hearts, deserves to be greeted with humility, reverence, joy and gratitude.

We are right to honour the Ever-Virgin Mother of God. Christ is delighted when we remember that the Blessed Virgin Mary is a real, warm-hearted, living person, the Mother of Jesus, now beside Him in Heaven. She loves us and prays for us, as our Mother. We should not treat her merely as a symbol of good values, or as a type, or an emblem, mascot or figurehead or object. We should honour her for her person, her faithfulness and her exalted role.

It is an outrage, in God's sight, and it saddens the Heart of Christ, whenever Catholics behave badly in church as if at closing time in a pub - even when they should be waiting in reverent silence for the start of a First Communion Mass for a member of the family. They show no reverence towards God, and set a poor example to the child, when prayer is necessary.

We do not always realise how powerfully we affect others, for good, when we witness unashamedly about the kindness and goodness of Christ. We can powerfully encourage and help individuals; and we should be aware that it's as if we warm Christ's heart by our love, and our desire to see Him loved.

God looks on with joy when people treasure their families, and treasure their heritage - which means their good traditions, memories, artefacts, cultural specialities and stories, though excluding what is evil, scandalous, or unwise, and not revering family practices to the point of idolatry.

It is a shock to some kind souls, to realise, after death, that, for Heaven, it is not enough to have been kind to one's neighbour. Love of neighbour is essential for Heaven, but cannot make unnecessary the need of love for God, too, in people who are also chaste, humble and obedient.

It is part of God's plan that we respect what is worthwhile in our culture and heritage, that we treasure our families, and worthwhile traditions, stories, and means of enriching everyday life in ways pleasing to God. Even cookery recipes, handed on through the generations, can cement bonds in family life, preserve customs, and bring joy in shared meals.

From Heaven, it is as if a great cloud of sin covers those areas of the country and the world where there is mostly ignorance of Christ, indifference to God's laws, determination to fulfil personal desires and ambitions, and no thought about duty, or death and judgement. Faith in Christ is the 'Door' by which those people can reach freedom.

There is an open doorway which we are able to pass through, to leave a God-less and violent way of life and to achieve peace of soul and transformation, and Heaven. It is the only door, and consists of faith in Christ, and willingness to follow His Way.

There was a time, long ago in Paradise, when our first parents loved to serve God, and were, for a short while, prompt to fulfil all His wishes as soon as He had made them known. Then came the Fall. But now, even God's children today often hide from Him.

Saint Paul advises Christ's followers to remember that Christ is with His friends all the time; and we should revere the Lord Jesus in our hearts at any time of day as well as being prepared to explain our Faith to enquirers.

An honourable man is patient and compassionate. A person of honour is one who is kind, steadfast in doing good, with a love of justice and mercy, and a horror of violence, wrong doing and vengeful acts and attitudes. In the house of an honourable man there is no thought of acts of revenge being waged upon people judged to have brought disrepute upon the household.

A man with a spirit of violence is rarely still, but rushes here and there, seeking pleasure in his greed, and his lust for revenge. Yet unless he repents before he dies he will one day slide down into Hell, calling out to God, in terror, but too late. That man will experience, at last, what he had mercilessly inflicted upon his victims, and will suffer with those cruel demons forever, in Hell.

When we pray at Mass, as the wine is consecrated, and is changed into the Precious Blood of Christ, we can be certain that the very Saviour Who once shed His Blood for our sakes on Calvary, is with us now, in our church, in a re-presentation of His Saving Work. He prays for us now (here at Douai Abbey), just as He once prayed for sinners from the Cross.