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There are worse tragedies than illness. There was once an advert that portrayed the pain of a family who lost a beloved member through sudden death. How terrible it is, if a member is lost forever, through not having prepared for death by repentance, holy living, prayer, and trust in God. Some people rule themselves out of Heaven by their sins or disbelief.

It is a wise thing to do, to keep some shoes or boots by the garden door, to wear when stepping out onto some wet grass or a muddy terrace. It is an even wiser thing, to make preparations for the time when we shall step out into Eternity. Have we repented and led holy lives? Are we ready to meet our Creator?

Just as it is too late for a miner to search for his lamp, his sandwiches and his handkerchief when his carriage has moved into the darkness of the mine, so it is too late for us to repent and make amends, if we do not do this before we die. By our carelessness or pride, we can go into that apparent darkness with little hope of finding our way to Heaven.

The new Covenant which Christ made between Heaven and earth was sealed by His own Precious Blood: poured out on Calvary, on the Cross. That very same Covenant is renewed as that same Sacrifice is re-presented before us at every Mass.

Christ was not content just to heal a twelve year old girl, and so help her, and give joy to her family. He asked them to give her something to eat - knowing she would be weak after lying in bed, ill. He wants us to follow His example of practical charity, with attentiveness to the real needs of other people.

Christ was willing to end his prayer, when people were in need. As we follow the rocky path to Heaven as disciples of Christ, we have two great Commandments to keep: to love God with all our being, and to love our neighbour for God's sake, with the love of Christ's Spirit within us. That is why we must offer practical love to those in need, not in showy gestures, but in the course of everyday life, and determined to be as kind as Christ.

Our spiritual lives should be balanced, as we follow Christ. There are people who love to be busy with works of practical charity, yet who sit in judgement on people who show devotion to Christ and His Mother, and label them as 'Holy Joes'. The First Commandment is to love God, so a busy person who is kind but does not pray is failing in love; however, every prayerful person should desire, out of love for God, to keep the Second Commandment, and to love his neighbour. It is wrong to neglect prayer, or works of charity.

It sometimes seems as though the family which is the Church is subject to so much opposition and criticism that she is alone, like a home after a snow-storm: snowed-in, apparently uncomfortable; yet the truth is that life goes on within her. In her light and warmth, which are the light and warmth of God and His Son, the members of the family are still being nurtured, fed, trained, consoled and encouraged. The Holy Spirit is at work, unceasingly.

An atheist who resolutely, freely refuses to believe in God, to love Him, or to believe in and follow His wishes, shuts his eyes to God, so that, at death, he remains blinded. He does not see the Creator Who has tried to save him, but passes along his freely-chosen route, with others like himself, who all go down to Hell.

There are atheists who freely, resolutely refuse to believe in God, or to love or obey Him, and when they die, it's as if some are puzzled not to see the God Whom others have spoken about; yet they shrug as if it matters little, before realising the direction of their self-chosen route. They have put themselves on the path away from God, into Hell.

Christ invites each priest to renew his trust in Him. Even when a priest approaches the altar with heavy footsteps and a leaden heart, and feels so lacking in love or fervour that it's as if he is offering the Holy Sacrifice in a frozen waste, surrounded by snow drifts and icy winds, Christ never fails to come to the altar at the Consecration, as if leaning down from the Cross to say to the priest: Yes, I am here! I love you. You are doing My work, offering My Sacrifice. Persevere, and you will become joyful.

Whenever we pray for the Church, aware that she is attacked by her enemies both within the Church as well as outside, we must remember that whenever she has entered a period of apparent darkness - like a train entering a tunnel - she has always come out of it again, into a new era of fulfilment and joy. This has happened time and time again, for two thousand years.

Just as, in a cold, snowy street, the people are encouraged to be cheerful because of the unseen work of electrical engineers, gas suppliers and other who provide background services, so in the 'winter' of the Church in recent times, people who love Christ and the Church have helped to keep others cheerful, and hopeful, through fervent and sustained evangelisation and declarations of faith.

When an evil spirit has been welcomed into a wounded soul, and made at home, it will not leave, unless the person wishes to be delivered from it, for example, from a spirit of unkindness. It lurks in some souls, as a trap-door spider lurks underground, ever ready to leap out to hurt an unsuspecting victim.

We need to examine our souls, and repent of our bad habits; for example, if we have a spirit of unkindness within our souls, always ready to spring up to say or do something offensive or hurtful, we act like that trap-door spider, in Australia, which waits until the next victim is heard approaching, just a little way above.

God does not force anyone to love or serve Him; and some people even choose sinful ways of life, and freely walk along, refusing to repent and change, even though the path leads to Hell. This is as foolish as walking along a snowy street in a well-lit town, then choosing to follow a narrow track into a snow-covered field, where it is so cold that people there will inevitably die of exposure.

Even if a man were to walk barefoot round the whole world, on hot coals, to prove himself worthy of union with the Divine, he would not be successful. No-one can make himself pleasing to God by his own efforts, although it pleases the Father when people try to do what is right. Union with God is achieved through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in a living faith, which leads believers to reproduce in their lives the good works that Jesus did.

If a person imagines that he can achieve union with God by his own strenuous efforts, he is mistaken. Christ, God and man, has told us so, and invites us to have faith in Him and to share His Divine life through Baptism. We can do penance for sin; but no-one achieves union by building a tower to be closer to Heaven, or by walking painfully, barefoot, round the world, or by walking on hot coals or by any other efforts.

Whether abortion clinics or certain types of nightclub, some attractive buildings hide dreadfully sinful behaviour. It can happen that a woman who is unexpectantly pregnant panics, thinks only of her own worries, and not about the life of her tiny child. In her icy desert of despair - a 'winter' of isolation - she might look upon an abortion clinic as a place of safety, help, and support which is warm, well-lit, and staffed by non-judgemental people who promise relief from her problem. She deserves compassion, but the truth is that the clinic is organised for the routine killing of tiny babies in the womb.

Some people believe God rewards them with riches; but the one God, the God of love, does not promise to reward people with great wealth, or honours, does not inspire them to undertake self-glorifying buildings, and does not look on gladly as the poor and neglected are blamed for their plight or totally ignored.