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Although the Saints are all different in personal aptitudes, circumstances, physical appearance and skills, they have all been totally committed to Christ's Way of love and sanctity, in a spirit of humility and trust, as each - perhaps after a bad start - has led a chaste life, spoken the truth, and been gentle and forgiving towards enemies.

Just as Christ is no longer a poor carpenter, but our Radiant Saviour, and King of Heaven, so His ever-Virgin Mother, Mary most holy, is no longer a lowly peasant woman but is the Queen of Heaven. There, everyone praises the Father not only for Christ's love and compassion, but also for the amazing purity-of-soul of Christ's Virgin Mother, and for her humility and courage.

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.

A good, humble priest, shows no distaste for the gestures of reverence by which devout people honour him, as 'Another Christ' - whose sacred minister he is.

Christ came down from Heaven to earth, as if through many miles of mist and obscurity, until He was born of Mary, in an obscure little stable, with only His Mother and St. Joseph to protect Him. Jesus is only 'found' today by people who approach Him in simplicity and humility.

The little child who was born of Mary is the Divine Saviour Who is worthy of all the glory we can offer Him today in our churches. In crossing the threshold we are in a sacred space, consecrated for the praise of the Blessed Trinity. What God always wants to see in our hearts is the simplicity and humility which were in the heart of the infant Jesus.

A person who had power or influence over other people and who uses his power to feed his own vanity is not worthy of his position - whether he is governing a country, a company, a movement, a small group or a family.

If we are tempted to be proud or self-satisfied, seeing the good work we achieve for God, we need only remember Christ's Passion, by which He won for us all the graces we enjoy, and the blessings of the spiritual life, and we shall be able to serve Him as He deserves, in humility and gratitude.

We must remove from ourselves and our lives whatever prevents us from entering the small 'doorway' to a life of humility, joy, spiritual beauty; that is, remove our sins and foolish attachments.

No-one can enter Heaven by beating on the great doors, and demanding to be let in. Those who love God are willing to trust, to adore, and to wait in humility and repentance; then He lifts the patient soul over the gates, in prayer, to see the beauty of God's glory, and to prepare him for permanent union.

There are times in life when a person who had been mired for a long time in habitual sin sees clearly the consequences of those sins, if he fails to conquer them. It's as if a war-zone lies in front of Him with destruction in every direction. Yet he has only to call out to God in humility, to find that God swoops to rescue him, and bring him to safety.

There is no doubt about it. By uniting ourselves with Christ, in prayer, and in patient acceptance of our sufferings and humiliations, for love of Him, and by our intercessions for people in need, we are saving many from committing mortal sin, or from dying unrepentant and falling into Hell.

The Lord wants us to remember, when we speak to God to thank Him for the Saints, or when we ask them for their prayers, that they are real people, alive in Heaven, close by. We can count on their help. They love us, and delight in our devotion, and in our humble requests for their prayers.

Whenever someone makes a good confession, she should be confident that she has done something which is not only important and useful for herself and her own spiritual life. She delights the Three Divine Persons of the Blessed Trinity, who gaze upon her with delight, admiring her humility and simplicity.

The Church teaches the truth, in every age of our history, yet each of the mystics experiences it - for example, St Paul, St Teresa of Avila, St Thomas Aquinas. It is the Christian mystic who prays with trust, reverence and humility, who knows God better than anyone, through union with Christ in prayer. The mystics have produced the most lyrical and intellectually-coherent accounts of what they have learned of God - which knowledge echoes and confirms the truths taught by the Church, and illumines them.

Christ showed me that the person who knows God best is the Christian mystic. She who has been drawn up to the heights of mystical union, in prayer, after her trial and purification, comes to know the Father and Christ, and the Holy Spirit; and she is able to inspire and encourage others to follow Christ's way of love and humility.

God is loving, pure and wise; therefore God chooses, for intimate friendship, a person who loves Him and is reverent, prayerful, humble and obedient. That obedience includes loving his neighbour, and the Church. God cannot bring into close union with Himself those who hate fellow creatures, or believe Jesus was a liar, or hide away in sin, or despise the Church, or are self-important, or pray with little reverence, or despise popular devotions that lead people closer to Heaven, including honour to the Blessed Sacrament, and to the Virgin Mary and other Saints.

The Lord wants us to remember that our Catholic churches have been built for the glory of God and not the glorification or parishioners or Clergy. That is why it is not appropriate to have self-assertive, frivolous or irreverent behaviour taking place within.

In a hotel lobby, when an important person is surrounded by admirers, an onlooker must either push through them, to see him closely, or climb nearby stairs for a better view. Likewise, someone who wants to be closer to God must push forward to meet Him, in humility and trust, or take a careful look at His attributes, and see how he can please Him.

A Priest who prides himself on being different from his brothers in the Presbyterate, more tolerant of sin, more fun to be with, and more imaginative, is usually a person who likes attention, and is not of one mind with the Church. If he does not rejoin his brothers in peace and humility he will risk straying far from the narrow road which leads to Heaven and might take some holy persons with him.