Search Page

There are Christians in other countries whose lives seem to be as desolate and hopeless as an icy, snow-covered field. Yet we can bring hope to them, open doors in their lives, and ease heavy burdens, by the intercessions we offer with confidence, to God our Father, in the name of Christ, His beloved Son.

Thousands of people flocked to see Jesus in Galilee, not only because He healed people; it was also because He was such a lovable person: wonderful to be near: helpful, kind and encouraging, as we can read in so many Gospel stories.

How ungrateful many Catholics are, for Christ's saving Work. If we ever fail to go to Mass because we can't be bothered to plan our travel, or organise our meals or our children, we would do well to reflect on the sufferings of our fellow-Catholics in far-off countries, who would walk miles to attend Mass, if they could, but who are often kept away, or imprisoned, or worse, by their enemies.

When a person convinces herself that she is justified in a course of action, freely deciding to disobey God's laws - especially His laws about married love, it's as if she slides away downhill, in a snowy landscape, so slippery as to be like a ski-slope. It is very hard for her to return to the heights of a state of grace after such a lapse in faith and morals. Indeed, it is impossible, without God's grace, and without a willingness to change.

St Paul was full of fervour, and ideas about how to spread the Gospel; yet Christ guided Saint Paul in specific ways, showing him what places to go to and which to avoid, with marvellous results. Yet Christ cannot guide Catholics today, to do great works, if they are not willing to obey Him in everyday matters, including morals, and if they ignore or argue about the Church's teachings.

We must take care not to halt the action of God in our lives. When a person refuses to do the plain Will of God, shown out in the constant teaching of the Church, it's as though she places a cloth on the ground, saying to God: 'This little enclave is yours. Don't come into my life any more. The rest of this area is mine". It is impossible for God to use people for great works who refuse to do the ordinary works.

Pornography is like a thick, poisonous cloud emerging from our world, and which is enveloping the globe, as people hide within it, and commit all sorts of sins and types of indecency, including drunkenness and multiple sexual partners. Brave politicians and brave people involved in televisual and other communications are needed, to halt this cloud of filth.

Our prayers 'in Christ' are very powerful! When we turn to a Blessed or a Saint in Heaven, asking for their intercessions, to help ourselves or other people, we can be sure that the Father hears their prayers whether we pray for a Bishop, a priest, a lay-person, or for departed souls. Grace is poured out upon souls, because of God's goodness, the merits of Christ, and our Faith.

God knows all our needs, fears, hopes and joys. God asks us to live in a beautiful relationship with Him, now that we have been reconciled. He asks us to entrust ourselves to Jesus as comfortably as a tiny child entrusts itself to a good mother, never doubting that she is there to feed, console, hold and nurture him.

God's entire nature is Love. He is never unloving. The Father wants us to entrust ourselves to His care as confidently as a tiny child who entrusts himself to the care of his good mother. He knows of our sufferings and problems; yet He can bring good out of evil, make the weak strong, and make us joyful, ready for the joy of Heaven.

We must not give up when trials come. We sometimes meet what seems like an earthquake on our 'road to glory', as we follow Christ's way to Heaven. Whether it is caused by opposition, or assaults, or natural disasters, or weakness springing from our own nature, we can still move forward, even amidst our difficulties. It was said of Christ, 'for the sake of the glory that lay ahead, he bore the shame of the Cross'. So it can be with us.

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.

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.

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.

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.