Images » All Images

Although the Pope hands on the truth, there is a cancer at the heart of Europe, which consists of disbelief in God and His laws, which leads to the promotion of wicked laws, and the encouragement of immoral acts and attitudes. It is not so elsewhere, in some societies called poor or primitive, but which live a vibrant, full-bodied Catholic Faith.

There is one great blessing received by many poor people in so-called 'third world' countries. They receive a full account of Catholic teaching, and embrace it with fervour and joy - unlike many European Christians who have been offered a distorted or truncated version of the Faith that can neither inspire nor hold them.

In God's sight, without the Pope, civilization is lost. He is the 'Rock', the reminder for the world of the existence of God, and the importance of God's laws, as people in many council chambers in Governments or international organisations deliberately leave out all mention of God, and even enact wicked and immoral laws.

When politicians purposely allow no mention of God, and forget the Christian heritage of Europe, they inevitably pass foolish or wicked laws, increase immorality in society, and witness an associated decline in charity - which they deplore, but which they have helped to accelerate.

When politicians ignore Christianity, ignore God's laws and pass foolish or wicked laws, there is inevitably a decline in society; the real charity which befriends, helps, heals and saves is replaced by an atheistic utilitarianism, in which the self is idolised, and the weak sacrificed on the altar of personal choice.

We adore God, and honour Mary, at every Mass. Our Blessed Lady was conceived Immaculate by a special privilege; and after fulfilling God's arduous plan for her life on earth, she reigns as Immaculate Queen in Heaven, at the heart of the Most Blessed Trinity, close to her son, and with all the Company of the Blessed.

The Scared Liturgy is prayer offered by Christ, in the power and light of the Holy Spirit to the Father Who reigns in Heaven. No other praise can surpass the praise which Christ offers from the heart of our Church - especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. To pray at Mass is to pray in Spirit and in truth. We pray in the power of Spirit, through Christ Who is the truth of God. God invites the whole world to prefer this sacrificial, sublime prayer to all of their own ideas, methods or idols.

There is no room in a heart both for malice and charity. A person who acts with deliberate malice might be trying to be worldly or sophisticated, in imitation of some modern hero, but more often he is prompted by the evil one who delights in causing us to belittle, hurt, humiliate or terrify one another.

Many Catholics like to appear strong, to fit in with the world. We must not do wrong, to please a secular or atheistic government. When there is confusion or near-panic amongst Catholics about dealing with the world and organising medical or surgical care, or schooling or Catechesis, in ways which fit in with the guidelines of a secular government, the Pope, and Christ Himself, serve as exemplars. If we do what is right, and do nothing wrong, willing to accept the consequences, we will please God and have peaceful consciences.

God is good, and just; therefore everyone who dies receives a just judgement; and even people who commit suicide are judged by Him. He understands the pain and sorrow that cause some people almost to lose hope of finding joy; but it is wrong for anyone to reject the gift of life and to kill himself, or to ask other people to take his life because he is very sick or disabled.

No-one ought to suppose that a person who kills himself is wise. In every life, there is some suffering. The way in which we respond to it reveals our character. Whether sick or well, rich or poor, we have free will. We can respond with recognition of what is good in our lives, even in difficulties, or we can give in to self-pity and resentment. All people - including suicides - are judged by God, at death: by God Who is both merciful and just, but who gave life as a gift, not to be carelessly thrown away. Suicide is a sin.

Even sick, disabled and paralyzed people, like every conscious person above the age of reason, can exercise his or her free will, in order to choose to live with a loving and grateful heart and outlook, or to live in self-pity and even despair. Plainly, God lovingly makes allowances for the troubles people suffer, but each person can develop a soul radiant with Divine Light, or, refusing grace, have a soul which is shrivelled and lifeless.

Each human being is a body-with-a-soul. It's as if, by having free-will, we can choose to open the door of our heart or soul to let in God's light, or we can keep the door shut, ignore our consciences, and live in spiritual darkness.

Some people are so determined to enjoy independence from God - not realising the danger - that by deliberate sin it's as if they nail shut the 'door' of their souls, and so prevent the light or wisdom of God from entering. This self-imposed darkness will be theirs forever, unless they repent before they die.

There are times in a person's life when he might not want to be separated from God, and so have opened the door of his soul by good thoughts, or prayer, but looking upwards, realises he has not yet gained the courage to make real changes in his behaviour. He can be powerfully helped by the prayers of people aware of his plight - by the grace of Christ.

Christ really cares about us; and He cares about our attitude to Him. If we picture Christ in Heaven, as He looks down upon the earth, we can understand how much it delights Him, and warms His heart, when He sees someone who really loves Him, loves the Mass, loves the Clergy, loves the Church, and also endures sufferings with patience, by the grace of Christ, and out of love for Christ.

Just as a conifer develops good health, and fruit, if it is well-nourished and watered, but dies if it lacks nourishment, or is poisoned by a neighbour, so the person full of grace produces good works, if nourished on prayer and the sacraments, but suffers spiritual death if it fails to take necessary nourishment of the sacraments or accepts the 'poison' which is the devil's temptations to sin.

When we have shown our love for Christ by fulfilling our ordinary duties but want to offer Him further good deeds, we need not worry about doing one very good thing or another, as if He might be displeased by the deed. It's as if Christ is speaking to His friends in Heaven, at a banquet, saying, 'This friend on earth make me very happy. Every good deed she offers me, whatever it is, is like a bowl of delicious food'.

The Lord asks us to deal with some injustices in the manner of Saint Francis, who was reported as saying: if he were to trudge for miles through a snowy landscape, in darkness, and hungry, only to be met with insults, picked up and thrown aside - and yet be able to bear all this with patience, without food and warmth, that would be perfect joy, because then he would have been found worthy to be treated like Christ, and to be able to imitate Him.

A Catholic in a state of grace who wants to be helped to understand her union with the Blessed Trinity is not wrong to use imagery, of various kinds; yet rather than picturing herself as being in front of Three Divine Persons Who are, somehow, one God, she will be helped by seeing herself as if within a transparent globe, which is Their life of light and love.