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Christ wants us to reflect on what He sees, from Heaven. Christ sees a strange sight, today. In every century, people have accepted instruction in order to enter the Church and lead holy lives. Today, many are badly instructed; many continue with sinful practices; and in arguing with the Clergy about morals some make themselves unavailable for great work for Christ. How can they help Him in great things, if they will not obey in moral issues?

The Clergy sometimes, individually, make mistakes. We are right to respect the man and his office, and to accede to his wishes in the service of God, the Church and our neighbour. We should act with truth and charity towards him; but we are not obliged to believe the personal opinions he expresses if he is in error or offends against charity. A bishop in error confuses us by confusing two contradictory messages: his own, and also the one that he should embody as our Shepherd who guides, teaches and governs in the place of Christ.

Only by the grace of God can we persevere in grace. We should give thanks to God, and take no pride in our success, whenever we manage to endure a distressing or painful episode, or a time of persecution, without becoming resentful, envious, or full of self-pity or gloom. It is as though we have forded a dangerous river, with our soul held high above our head.

God wants us all to help one another, yet there are souls in the depths of Purgatory who have never been prayed for by their Protestant relations who do not believe either in Purgatory or in prayer for the deceased. But when we pray for the dead it's as if we let down a rope, to help people to rise up towards Heaven. We need to share reminders about the importance of such prayer.

Just as skiers might find themselves on a dangerous slope, so, we can find ourselves in spiritual danger through, for example, current wrong ideas about morality, or through worship with pagans, or through unholy behaviour in the home such as neglect of prayer, or self-indulgence or pornographic television viewing.

The priest is the man at the heart of the process of conversion. He brings good news about God's love, and the forgiveness given to repentant sinners. He brings Jesus to us: in His Word, in the Real Presence of Christ at Mass and in the tabernacle. He organises Catechesis; and he preaches, offers the Holy Sacrifice, prepares us for death, guides and helps the bereaved - and the faithful priest will be marvelously rewarded, even in this life. His greatest friend is Jesus Christ.

Celibacy is about love: Love wants to give up everything for the Beloved; and, for the priest, the Beloved is the Father Who has called him and asked him to act as His Son.

None of us should think that a Baptism is merely an excuse for a ceremonial gathering. A real change is effected by the sacrament of Baptism, by which a person is freed from sin, made a child of God and a member of the Church, and receives the very life of God within his or her soul. The indwelling Trinity makes the soul glorious with Divine Glory; this is a light that can only be extinguished by serious sin.

How carefully we should preserve the grace of God within us. Just as the brilliant surface of a polished table can be damaged, or ruined, by ill-treatment, through hot objects, or corrosive liquids, or savage blows, so the glory within the soul of a baptised person can be diminished or banished by the corrosive effect upon the soul of sin.

We can rightly picture ourselves as very small and weak, unable by our own power to life ourselves up to share God's life, and unworthy of union, without the forgiveness and purification that he can give. Yet the Holy Spirit can raise us up.

What marvels stem from our Baptism, and the life of grace! And Who is it that raises us up - if we are willing - so that we can speak to our all-holy Father, Who sent Jesus to save us, and with Whom Jesus now lives in Heaven? It is the Holy Spirit: the Spirit of Jesus: the Divine Person Who resembles Jesus but is distinct from Him.

Where there is a good relationship, and a man in a garden is confident that his neighbour steps onto his balcony every day, he calls out with confidence, and knows that he will engage in conversation, even if the balcony from which the neighbour speaks is entwined with foliage, blocking the view. We can be confident that Christ is close to us, glad to be in conversation, even if we can not see Him.

It is when we are most fervent that Satan tries to make us despondent, or tries to bring us to despair. Satan is a thief. As a thief might steal valuable shirts, pennants, autographs and souvenirs from devoted fans at a football match, so Satan tries to 'steal' our faith, our convictions, our graces, and our peace of mind, if we are not vigilant. We must be vigilant and prayerful if we are going to persevere.

Imagine the sadness of a king who arranged a special event, sent out special invitations to special guests, with special food prepared, and special proclamations to be made, who then found his event disrupted, and himself insulted, by guests who ate and drank uproariously, and threw bread rolls, for fun, chatting, and ignoring the king; that is how it seems to Christ, Really Present with us, when our behaviour at Mass is irreverent or unholy, unworthy of our God.

Christ wants priests to be identifiable as priests by their clerical wear, all around the world, so that people everywhere have a means of knowing that Christ is caring for them in a special way by placing these 'other Christs' amongst them. This need not mean that priests should be confrontational - and there are exceptional circumstances where visibility is imprudent.

In one picture is here encapsulated what God the Father has done for us by sending His Son to be out Redeemer. Christ came amongst us, as man, to rescue people stricken by sin, who cannot, by our own power, raise ourselves up to health and holiness and Heaven. He said: Repent; Be baptised: then He conquered sin and death by His death and Resurrection.

We are not trapped in darkness, far from Heaven. When we pray in a state of grace, in the name of Christ, it's as though, by the power of Christ, we hold up before the Father in Heaven the needy people in our hearts. Each is lifted closer to holiness and Heaven through our prayer - by the grace of Christ - unless he or she deliberately refuses the graces brought in this way, and acts as if to sever the cord that unites that person with our loving intention and with God.

We are not trapped in darkness, far from Heaven. When we pray in a state of grace, in the name of Christ, it's as though, by the power of Christ, we hold up before the Father in Heaven the needy people in our hearts. Each is lifted closer to holiness and Heaven through our prayer - by the grace of Christ - unless he or she deliberately refuses the graces brought in this way, and acts as if to sever the cord that unites that person with our loving intention and with God.

We are not trapped in darkness, far from Heaven. When we pray in a state of grace, in the name of Christ, it's as though, by the power of Christ, we hold up before the Father in Heaven the needy people in our hearts. Each is lifted closer to holiness and Heaven through our prayer - by the grace of Christ - unless he or she deliberately refuses the graces brought in this way, and acts as if to sever the cord that unites that person with our loving intention and with God.

We are not trapped in darkness, far from Heaven. When we pray in a state of grace, in the name of Christ, it's as though, by the power of Christ, we hold up before the Father in Heaven the needy people in our hearts. Each is lifted closer to holiness and Heaven through our prayer - by the grace of Christ - unless he or she deliberately refuses the graces brought in this way, and acts as if to sever the cord that unites that person with our loving intention and with God.