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Those who turn to the Lord in their sufferings receive graces and blessings, and even new hope, unlike those who neither ask for His help nor thank Him for what is good - some of whom fall into despair.

In a seaside town, we can gaze at the busy streets and harbour, or turn to admire the sky and the calm sea. So, in our souls, we can gaze at our problems, in gloom and confusion, or we can choose to 'turn' to look towards God, to rest in Him, and to gain wisdom and peace.

The great 'height' to which a saintly soul reaches still falls far shot of the infinite 'heights' of the holiness of God, from whom we receive life, and faith and hope.

The light of the Holy Spirit shines in the soul of someone who prays in Jesus' name; and those earnest prayers are heard in Heaven. It took decades of prayer before Communism fell in Russia. We must not lose hope that, with persevering prayer, the evil of abortion can be overcome.

Each of us must 'climb' to Heaven in faith, hope and love, if we wish to reach glory, and avoid the smoke of Hell which lies below. With humility we can hope to persevere to the end, and to avoid lukewarmness, despair or self-satisfaction.

A soul who is absorbed in itself, devoid of warmth towards its fellow creatures, is in a dangerous state. It resembles the frozen wastes of the Arctic, where there is little life or joy or hope.

Only in Heaven is everybody perfect. When we look upon other people in earthly life who seem to be without faith or hope we must look with patience and kindness. Perhaps they need time, as they consider entrusting their lives to God.

The Lord grants the graces of repentance and conversion in different ways, to different souls. This is not only to assist different personalities, but also to show out His own power, His patience, His generosity, and His wisdom. We must persevere in prayer for others, even when there seems to be little hope.

The Lord wants us to keep alive the hope of Heaven. We are not all meant to be busy campaigning about great causes. He is grateful when faithful people love Him and remain faithful to their ordinary duties and to prayer, and are kind to their families and friends.

People who live aimlessly without clear goals or commitment to what is good are like petals which fall into a river, are tossed about on the current and eventually swept over a waterfall to be seen no more - unlike those who, in obedience and service before God, have a sure hope of rising up to be with Him forever.

Our Blessed Lady had to cope with the apparent burial of all her hopes, as her beloved son was placed in the tomb. But we, like her, must trust in God's promises, that good will eventually, definitively, defeat evil.

It is important that when we pray for other people, we pray with confidence and hope. God has foreseen everything that will ever happen. He has already taken account of our prayers, in His plans for souls, and our world. We should trust that when we ask, He helps.

Just as Our Blessed Lady persevered in hope, in the worst of all times, when her beloved son was dead, so must we all persevere in trust in God, even when our lives seem to be heading for disaster.

Truly, each priest can turn to Our Lady for help, confident that she has a special interest in his hopes, joys, fears and sorrows. She keeps very close to her Immaculate Heart all who are configured to her son.

Truly, each priest can turn to Our Lady for help, confident that she has a special interest in his hopes, joys, fears and sorrows. She keeps very close to her Immaculate Heart all who are configured to her son.

We can picture Heaven as being like a big party, where everyone is related, and, where people live together in mutual delight, love and care, in God's presence; yet careless or lukewarm friends of God are held and purified below, until they are ready to take part. Those who refuse God's friendship utterly, however, descend to Hell, where there is no hope of joy.

Baptism is the normal means by which we are made adopted children of God our King, Who then gives us special helps, blessings, intimacy, joys - and the promise of inheriting His Kingdom. Onlookers can hope to benefit from the King's generosity, in some way, but the wisest go to the King's representatives to ask for adoption.

The souls of those who live in serious sin, without following God's laws and the Church's teachings, are like a sea of melting ice, in which there is no hope of life; the souls of those in a 'state of grace', however, are like a land of fruit trees, cornfields, rivers and blue skies, far above the icy wastes, close to a mountain whose top lies in heaven.

Every follower of Jesus is on a journey to Heaven, with ravines to cross and mountains to climb; yet Jesus' true friends persevere in faith, hope and love, and set an example for other people who long to reach Heaven.

The Lord showed me St. Bernadette, who is blissfully happy in Heaven now, with the other Saints, after her short and painful life. All who love God and sincerely try to live as children of God as she did can hope to spend eternity in bliss, with the Holy Trinity.