Search Page

The souls in Purgatory are faithful people, some of whom are still marred by attitudes unworthy of Heaven - hence the need for the purification wrought in each person by the Holy Spirit. No-one can enter Heaven unless full of gratitude, joy and humility. No-one can go in, still thinking, about his health in earthly life, or other matters: "Why should I be treated like this? I deserve better".

It is the Will of God that religious icons or paintings in any medium show out the limits of the Catholic Faith, even the sad ones which warn us to avoid the tricks and temptation of Satan or risk falling into Hell, by our own freely-made choices.

People who suffer persecution or martyrdom because of their faith in Christ can feel as though they are leaving a garden of earthly delights to enter an endless tunnel of suffering. They can be assured that that tunnel opens out onto an area: not an area like the Colisseum, but a place where Christ, His Mother and all the Saints wait to greet them, and lead them into a life of Eternal bliss.

True intimacy with Christ can be achieved, by His grace. A person who genuinely loves Christ might begin with only an image of Him, as she prays; but if she perseveres in prayer and acts out of charity, throughout all difficulties, and remains full of faith, she will come to know the living Christ, as if through a door, behind the image; and she will move towards Heaven in His company, in peace and joy.

In this earthy life, those who follow Christ must invite all people who feel helpless in their sins and fears to reach out to God, through Christ. Faith is like a rope. If we grasp it, we can count on the Lord's help to be drawn up towards sanctity and salvation. People who say, "I don't need God", or, "I want to be independent", are like people trapped in a pit who insist on their own strength but fail to climb out.

Although the Pope hands on the truth, there is a cancer at the heart of Europe, which consists of disbelief in God and His laws, which leads to the promotion of wicked laws, and the encouragement of immoral acts and attitudes. It is not so elsewhere, in some societies called poor or primitive, but which live a vibrant, full-bodied Catholic Faith.

There is one great blessing received by many poor people in so-called 'third world' countries. They receive a full account of Catholic teaching, and embrace it with fervour and joy - unlike many European Christians who have been offered a distorted or truncated version of the Faith that can neither inspire nor hold them.

The Scared Liturgy is prayer offered by Christ, in the power and light of the Holy Spirit to the Father Who reigns in Heaven. No other praise can surpass the praise which Christ offers from the heart of our Church - especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. To pray at Mass is to pray in Spirit and in truth. We pray in the power of Spirit, through Christ Who is the truth of God. God invites the whole world to prefer this sacrificial, sublime prayer to all of their own ideas, methods or idols.

Many Catholics like to appear strong, to fit in with the world. We must not do wrong, to please a secular or atheistic government. When there is confusion or near-panic amongst Catholics about dealing with the world and organising medical or surgical care, or schooling or Catechesis, in ways which fit in with the guidelines of a secular government, the Pope, and Christ Himself, serve as exemplars. If we do what is right, and do nothing wrong, willing to accept the consequences, we will please God and have peaceful consciences.

The Church has approved the use of imagery, to help us grow in understanding of the Catholic Faith - and to help us in our prayer. Yet if we wish to know God, we must move in prayer beyond the image, aiming our hearts and wills, in fervent desire, towards the transcendent, invisible Father Who has revealed Himself in His Son.

People wonder why certain persons have been chosen to do certain wonderful works for Christ; yet He cannot call anyone to undertake special missions in life if he or she has already said "no" to Christ about obeying His instructions about everyday matters of faith and morals.

Whether we are lay-persons, or Clergy - even Cardinals - every committed Christian should examine his or her conscience, to see whether, in a time of indifferentism, each is leading people to surrender to Christ: not to a Christ of the imagination, but to the only Christ, the One guiding His Church, sharing His life in her sacraments and wanting us all to obey and love Him.

The Lord sees how tirelessly people search the streets for a suitable place in which to live; yet He wishes we would all expend as much time and energy on searching for the meaning of life - which He has revealed to us as being union with God in this life and in Eternity, through having our sins forgiven, through faith in Jesus Christ.

Our faith will increase, if we accept the truth taught by the Church: that the One Who suffered on the Cross on Calvary, shed His Blood for sinners, and died, is the very Son of God Who comes amongst us at every Mass, made Present at the Consecration, to pray with us, and for us, in the presence of His adoring Angels.

It is nice to be in a warm room, at Christmas, yet if we go out into the garden at night, we might wonder what someone might think of our world, if he had come down from a far-away star. For Christ, coming from Heaven was like coming from a star of light and grace to a world of sinful people, many of whom persecuted and killed Him - but could not prevent His Resurrection. All who believe that He came from Heaven to save us from sin can be transformed by His power, and have a sure hope of reaching Heaven.

It's as if God is like Three loving parents. Some people mock the simple requests of the faithful, and say that God is not a 'Sugar Daddy' or a Fairy Godmother. Christ wants us to know, however, that what He said in the Gospel is true. The nature of God is generosity and love. So when we ask God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - for something in prayer, believing that it will be ours, we shall receive it, if of course we have prayed properly, with trust and reverence, in the name of Jesus.

A person who is lonely at Christmas needs help; but the greatest help would be for him to believe that Christ was born into our world at Christmas not for mankind as a group, but in order to transform and make joyful each beloved individual - including that person who is sad, whether from loss of faith, or grievous sin, or bereavement, or other reasons.

A Catholic who ignores the Church's moral teachings, and the sacraments, is as much in danger as a person in the sanctuary at Lourdes, in winter, who decides to leave the town and stroll outwards, to go into the mountains, whilst not wearing sensible clothing. Just as the pilgrim might die of exposure, the unfaithful soul might die in mortal sin, and enter Hell.

There is a town which, to tourists, has a surface of appearance of prosperity, at its well-lit, well-paved centre. But the streets soon peter out, and the lighting ends, and the pavements disappears, as the ground slopes down to a dark, rubbish-strewn area where only the thieves and other lawbreakers feel safe. This is like the soul of someone who is well-mannered and pleasant but who, whilst having a duty to teach the Faith, disbelieves much of it and leads others astray by public declarations of disbelief.

For progress in prayer, and union with God, we ought to trust God, and be willing to be converted, again. People who don't want God don't pray much, or well, even if they believe in God. They don't want God's light to shine into their souls, encouraging them to give up their bad habits, unloving attitudes, selfish plans or uncharitable schemes. It's as though they keep the 'door' of their souls almost shut; alas, they themselves shut out God's graces in this way.