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Christians live in the light, knowing that the prayers offered by the Church - and individual Christians - are worthy of being heard, because they are offered with and through Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Through our union with Christ, and the power of His saving Work, made present at every Mass, we can be confident that our praise is acceptable to the Father.

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.

At the Last Judgement, the Angels and Saints who have joined in the praises of Catholics at Mass will gaze upon those Catholics who used to pray with them but who stopped attending. They will look on with pity, as those unhappy souls realise how dreadful has been their carelessness in God's service - or as some souls finally turn away from God, to enter darkness.

The sacrificial prayer of Christ at Mass, to which we unite out prayers and praises, infallibly pierces the cloud between earth and Heaven and arrives at the throne of the Father, Who delights in pleasing His obedient Son.

It is sensible to prepare and plan before Sunday arrives. Christ asks us to remember that Sunday is a day of rest. We should remember that it is the Lord's Day: the Christian Sabbath. Praise and thanks should be foremost in our minds, but we are wise to have some leisure, refreshment, celebration, and rest, to show out our gratitude and to fulfil God's plans for our lives. He wants us to enjoy good things, as well as to be conscientious at work during the week.

It is a dreadful surprise, when a true follower of Christ approaches Him after death, only to discover that she had been fervent in prayer, but had neglected to help her neighbours and relations, or that she had been of service to the needy but had failed to praise and thank God for all His gifts. In Purgatory, the soul can be purified.

It is a sad truth today that some people attend Mass with unusual intentions. Instead of coming to church to praise God, they enter the church posing as ordinary worshipers, yet then interrupt the Mass - our most sacred rites - to promote sinful behaviour or to protest at the constant teaching of the Church.

We give great joy to Christ when we obey his wishes, whether His inspirations in prayer or the teachings of the Church; He even praises the Father for the good He sees in us. Christ knows that by our good thoughts, words and deeds we become more like Christ, and give glory to the Father.

In every age of Christian history, Christ makes Himself Present, under sacred signs, in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Christ prays for us, from our altar. He praises the Father, with praise worthy of Him: praise that we can offer as our own.

The living God is a 'Holy Fire', blazing with love in our sanctuary, it seems, as we gather to offer Him honour and praise in His house of prayer, through the Holy Mysteries. Christ is Present; with His Angels and Saints, enfolded in the glory of the Father: glory into which we hope to plunge at death, having been purified in the Sacred Liturgy. Our reverent attention should be drawn towards God, for Whose glory this Church was built.

Not speaking, here, of invincible ignorance, the Lord asks: Of what value is the praise of a woman who declares, "O God, I praise You, but I am determined to ignore your wishes, as I make myself sterile in marriage, or abort my baby, or sleep with a man who is not my husband".

The Lord asks: Of what value is the praise of a person who says: "O God, I love and praise You, but I insist on going ahead, performing abortions as usual, knowing that You don't want these tiny babies destroyed".

Not speaking, here, of invincible ignorance, The Lord asks: Of what value is the praise of someone who declares: "O God, I love and praise You, but I am determined to ignore Your chosen teachers in the Church and to work in Government to extend the provision of abortions".

Not speaking, here, of invincible ignorance, the Lord asks: Of what value is the praise of someone who declares: "Oh God, I love you, yet I am determined to ignore Your laws forbidding sexual relationships outside marriage."

Not speaking, here, of invincible ignorance, the Lord asks: of what value is the praise of a person who declares, "O God, I praise and adore You, but I refuse to enter the Catholic Church, founded by your Son, and refuse to accept the teachings of the Pope and the other Catholic Bishops, who, with one voice, explain Your wishes for the whole world".

From the monstrance on our altar where Christ is Really Present, Christ's praise rises up to the Father in Heaven. Christ offers our praises too, as His own. All who praise the Father through Christ, and who remain faithful to the end, will continue that praise, in bliss, in Eternity.

Just as an orchestra member steps forward to make music at a concert without any further practice, after years of training, so those souls whose sins have all been forgiven, and who have done penance, or have gained a Plenary indulgence, have no need for 'training' in Purgatory, before they join the great chorus of praise of God in Heaven, with all the Saints.

When we can no longer sit up to pray, in sickness or exhaustion, we can be sure that Christ is supporting us in His embrace, as we offer a few words of praise and thanks to our Heavenly Father.

When the Catholic Faith is taught in its fullness, and is practiced, there are plenty of vocations; and a great fire of praise soars up to Heaven. Where only half a gospel is preached, and where there is lukewarm faith, with much dissent, there are few vocations. Such an area is like a patch of gangrene on healthy tissue, and emits a bad smell before Heaven.

God invites us to kneel in adoration. The Pope is right to encourage us to offer reverent praise to God the Father, Who is Creator of the whole Universe, greater than the Universe, and awesome in His attributes, and in the beauty of His loving nature. We owe the same praise to Christ His Son, Who is Present in every Catholic Church, and yet often receives praise that is banal, vain, irreverent, frivolous or mundane.