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It is important to maintain a state of grace. Christ reminds us that the soul is a holy place, because of the Divine indwelling. We can withdraw into that place whenever the clamour 'outside' is too loud, as we work for Christ's Kingdom; and we shall find peace, comfort and refreshment, even when we are in the public eye.

The Godhead is like a bright cloud which loving people can enter, in prayer. For those who yearn for entry, but who fail to care for their neighbour in earthly life, there seems to be no way 'in': no possibility of union in contemplation, unless they first learn how to love.

Our Father in Heaven denies to no-one the opportunity to know Christ, and to receive the gift of Heaven. Whether in earthly life, or at the moment of death, each person in our village hears the truth; but many say: 'To join the Church would be inconvenient', or 'To serve God will cause me trouble', or 'Life is too short to make sacrifices'. They forget the purpose of life - and our destination, which will be, eventually, Heaven or Hell.

By turning to Christ our God, in prayer, it is as if we can touch, in His Godhead, as in a great cloud, each of the events of His earthly life, including all the sufferings of His Passion.

Everyone who really loves Christ can set aside some time for prayer, even if it means having less sleep, or dealing with an unsympathetic family. Catholics who don't pray are usually either faithless, or lukewarm, or idle, or badly-organised - and lacking awareness of the importance of prayer for holiness and salvation.

Just as, in an art gallery, it is tragic if pictures have been cut from their frames, and visitors can only gaze at empty spaces, so it is also tragic, the Lord showed me, when the Catholic faithful must look at empty spaces in their churches where once they found beautiful and expressive imagery, to inspire them.

Some Catholic churches have neither a crucifix in them, nor a statue of Our Lady. Just as an art-lover would see it as a tragedy if all the pictures in a gallery were to have been cut out of their frames, so faithful Catholics are not wrong to call it a 'tragedy' when a new church is built - or an old one stripped - and those who pray there must face bare walls, without reminders of Gospel scenes, or Heavenly realities.

If we enter a little door labelled 'The Past' we enter a world where Catholic churches were adorned with glorious images, to the glory of God and to inspire and educate the faithful. There is no reason why good Catholics today cannot commission and install powerful reminders of the Creation, of Christ and His Mother Mary, of the Last Judgement, and Heaven and Hell, and other subjects.

As the Lord gazes upon our world, it is His wish that the faithful can find, in their churches, visual reminders of what has really happened in history: for example, the infancy of Jesus Christ, and His Crucifixion. Why should Catholics look at bare walls, in Church, when they could have reminders of the foundation of the Faith?

The Lord pictured the contents of a sacristy, and asked: How would a priest feel, were treasured possessions to be ripped from the sacristy: photos of his silver jubilee Mass, his mother's crucifix, his favourite statue of Our Lady, his ordination photos, and special gifts? Why should his parishioners be expected to look on, calmly, as their favourite 'mementos', of statues and pictures, are condemned as so much rubbish?

No-one can understand the Mind of God - or understand the whole of His Creation. But He created the world and everything on it, in His wisdom and power. He created the first man and woman, though some dispute this. He asks: Why should He not have made animals - including ape-like creatures of high intelligence - whilst making, in another part of the world, human beings with immortal souls? Truly, as the Church says, God created a man, then a woman.

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.

We are right to pray for people in need, and to pray that they will achieve union with God. Yet there are souls who have not yet found the 'Way' which leads to God's heart. Whether through ignorance or sin they cannot yet enter the 'bright cloud'.

It is as if there is a volcano on earth, from the mouth of which erupts - as if from the mouth of Hell - a thick blanket of smoke, of sin and corruption. It covers most of the town, obscuring the view, keeping people trapped in sin. Further away, there are quiet villages of good people who nevertheless are ignorant of how to reach God.

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.

We are right to want to avoid judging the motives and attitudes of other people; but we are not wrong to judge some of their acts, and to try to steer them away from physical or moral danger - or to rescue them. If we see a man about to leap of a cliff, we do not say, "I must not judge him". We act, to save his life. So we should at times warn people.

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.

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.

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.