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Bishops as well as lay-persons sometimes sadden Christ by their behaviour. Christ said that many Bishops are disobedient to His wishes when they ignore the Pope's instructions, or fail to hand on the Faith in its fullness - and then make excuses for themselves.
Christ in His Passion was cheered on by millions of watching Angels; and we who follow Him in our own work and sufferings can be certain that we have Saints as well as Angels cheering us on, encouraging us to persevere.
Right from the beginning of His earthly life, Christ was aware of His origin, His Divine nature and His human nature - and His utterly free and purposeful movement forwards as He fulfilled His Heavenly Father's wishes. He knew this would mean complete self-sacrifice, and a great triumph.
There are professional people who agree amongst themselves that acts always known by Christians to be sinful are not sinful, but, rather, are admirable, and to be recommended. These people spread their views, contradicting the Lord, even as sorrowing individuals try to set themselves free from their sins. And for their disobedience to God, and their leading others astray, those confident people will suffer. "They too will be judged".
The Lord asked me to look at the time when Rome and Constantinople were united in loving and serving God in Three Persons, under the guidance of the successors of St. Peter and the Apostles - until an exchange of insults damaged this. That earlier happier state can be re-gained. But re-union is not possible with other Christians who do not accept the Pope's prominent role and who imagine that woman can be priests.
A priest deserves honour in the Church. It is the Will of Christ that we treat with special devotion and respect those 'other Christs' in our midst, who remain worthy of honour even if sick, disabled or old. Christ has chosen them for their elevated state, which is recognised even by the Angels.
The visible Catholic Church is like a castle and Cathedral which towers over the landscape where sinful people hide beneath a blanket of sin, like smoke from a volcano. From the top of the Church there is a little bridge to Heaven. Church and bridge were built by Christ, Who Himself now waits to greet those who have followed His Way to Heaven.
Over the course of ten or fifteen minutes, the Lord led my soul on a journey, showing me the people who search but have not yet found the Way to Heaven, the volcano of sin which corrupts the people nearby, the far villages where people have no knowledge of Christ, the castle which represents the Catholic Church - and the little bridge to Heaven, which each of us must find and cross in order to be welcomed into the company of the Saints, forever.
Do you live in an 'ordinary street', in an ordinary town? Whether we come from poor and humble backgrounds, or rich families, from terraced houses or mud huts or palaces, we are all called to be Saints. We can achieve this by loving Jesus Christ and doing His Will. The Church tells us what is His Will; and she gives us all we need to be obedient and faithful.
Far fewer persons would commit adultery - or any mortal sin - if they really believed the truths proclaimed by Christ through His Church, that He lavishes rewards in Heaven upon the Saints in Heaven, but that people who commit mortal sin and die unrepentant fall into Hell, and experience the loss of God, with all the damned.
There are people apparently respectable who look lustfully at other people and so sin against God and break their marriage vows. All who commit adultery, and who persevere in it, without repenting before they die, will be in danger of hell-fire - as Christ told us.
Christ looks on with sadness as many sinners ignore all His warnings and reminders about the fate of those who refuse to repent and to abandon their sins. Everyone alive on Earth right now is making his or her way towards Heaven, or towards Hell, by free and determined choices.
All who persist in mortal sin until they die will fall immediately into the fires of Hell, as Christ Himself has warned us. Through their own fault, they will suffer for all Eternity, having abandoned God, preferring the pleasure they found in adultery, pornography, or other serious sins.
The Church has for centuries inspired, employed, or admired painters, who keep before the eyes of the faithful, in graphic form, those truths of the Faith on which we should act, if we are to be saved by the grace of Christ. We can be helped by images of Heaven or Hell, even if angels or demons, for example, are portrayed in semi-human form, or in ways stemming from a particular culture.
Those who repent of their sins, make Heaven their goal, and humbly ask for the grace of Christ and the prayers of His Virgin Mother, and who persevere to the end, will receive a great welcome in Heaven. People who love Christ and Our Lady are led straight up to the summit, to meet the Father of Light Who sent His Son to save us.
Just as I scan my desk each day to attend first to the most urgent project, so, Christ said, He and His Mother Mary scan the earth, to see who most urgently needs her prayers and His graces - or even, from time to time (amidst particular difficulties of a nation or the Church) who needs a visit from Our Lady.
Those who have freely turned away from Christ in earthly life, refusing His friendship and ignoring His laws, will suffer the 'loss of God' for all Eternity. They have condemned themselves, and will never look upon His lovely face, or know joy.
There are large numbers of Catholics who imagine that they are active members of the Church but who have put themselves out of Communion by their dissent, rebelliousness and disobedience. In this precarious state, many are likely to fall into Hell when they die, unless they repent, and begin to love Christ and His Church
Christ showed me Hell, where poor sinners go, at death, if they have refused to love Him, refused to take the safe road to Heaven. By their own choice they shut themselves away from Him, and endure the torment of regret, the darkness and flames of Hell, and loss of hope, forever.
Christ is true God, as well as true man. The bright cloud represented the Godhead, and Heaven; and as it split open, Christ emerged, willing to descend to earth to live as a sinless man in a sinful world, to save us from Hell. The Angels looked on in awe and wonder, seeing His love for us all.
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