Search Page

It is a cause for joy that there are greater signs of goodwill amongst leaders of various religions than in earlier centuries; yet when our Bishops know that Christ is the only Saviour, and that no other religion, in itself, is salvific, (though individuals may be saved, in them, for special reasons), it is unwise to confuse the Faithful by programmes and meetings that give the impression that it doesn't matter what religion we practice and that each is but another route to Heaven.

The love of God is like a great flame that encloses all who trust in Christ. By our Baptism, we are made members of the Church and children of God. We already share in the life of God, and can be confident that our prayers are heard, and confident that, if we do not leave that state of grace, we will be carried across the Abyss when we die, to be brought towards Heaven: carried in the love of God, with no fear of being lost.

Christ's invitation to us all is like the promise of a King, Who rides in a huge procession, that whoever follows Him to the palace can share His life there, as His friends, but only if they follow now, before the gates shut. It is a tragedy when some people say: "It's not convenient now", or, "It's too good to be true". The gates represent the death of each of us. People who are reluctant to follow the King might leave it too late, and find themselves excluded, which is to be in Hell.

St. John Vianney's burning desire was to share the Faith and to save souls. His first preparation for his priestly task was to pray to the Lord, at the tabernacle, pleading for his flock, and also making a worthy preparation for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which he would offer for his parish as well as the whole Church.

Out of love and concern for children, St. John Vianney founded an orphanage; but he did more than that. He visited, daily, and taught the children the Catechism, so that they would become holy children, holy adults, and then Saints in Heaven.

It can be hard for some priests as they grow old and frail, and step down from positions of influence, no longer able to preach and command a hearing. Some feel as though, in retirement, they are falling, helpless, towards oblivion; but they should believe that, underneath them, to hold them, are the 'everlasting arms' of God.

Just as a mathematician finds joys in his calculations, as he explores obscure aspects of his subject, so, some theologians like to make nuanced statements about obscure aspects of doctrine; yet theologians are unwise if they neglect basic principles of the Faith, or forget that, in essence, it is simple, consisting of truths about God's plan of salvation, and how we can be saved.

We are told by some critics that we use an old-fashioned phrase if we say we hope to save souls, by the grace of Christ. But that is what we do indeed achieve, by His grace, if we follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and guide people away from sinful ways of living that are like a cul-de-sac ending in the Abyss.

Some good souls cannot go straight to Heaven. It is common to hear people say, with a smile, that they will have to go to Purgatory, that they know they are not saints. Yet it is a tragedy, in their eyes, when they arrive, to be held captive there, as they see at last what lack of love for God, or laziness, kept them from achieving real holiness. What remorse they feel there, when they see that they could have become worthy to leap straight from earthly life into the embrace of their Saviour, Jesus.

God is all holiness, purity, goodness and radiance. When we die, shall we be sufficiently like Him to be able to reach out to Him with joy, or to do so after some preparation? If our immediate reaction will be complete rejection of God there will be no place to go except down, away from Him into the Abyss.

By deliberate misdeeds, whether acts of malice or immorality, it's as if a man places himself at a distance from Christ. He cannot hear Christ's good advice about repentance and salvation; indeed, he does not want to listen - yet there is no way into Heaven except through Christ. We must pray for all sinners.

It is a great tragedy, when someone walks away from God, whatever form that rebellion might take. Only God can bring people to Heaven. He is Heaven. All who love Him, and share His life fully when they die live in eternal bliss; but those who have lost God have lost everything worthwhile, unless they repent before they die.

A person who knowingly refuses Baptism and all that it means cannot be saved, because his refusal stems from a refusal to believe what God's only Son has said: that whoever repents and is Baptised will be saved, but that whoever refuses to believe is already condemned.

Are we handing on the Faith? Christ asks us to teach the Faith to our children. If we do that, we share a priceless gift, but also strengthen the family, which is precious. A family replicates the life of God. It is important for us to know how to live, and how to love with Divine charity, so that we will all be saved.

Christ wants us all to know that nothing matters more than this: to do good, in union with Christ, and to go to Heaven, by the grace of Christ, when our work on earth is done, and God calls us Home.

Those who adore the Lamb, on earth, in sincere devotion, will do so in Heaven, if they persevere to the end. But those who do not adore Christ, here on earth, will not adore Him, close by Him, in Heaven - unless they repent and are changed before they die.

God can work wonders through our perseverance. When a priest, or any sincere follower of Christ, finds it hard to believe in the saving power of the Cross, and sees life as a grim progress with little hope, he should reflect on this truth: whoever imitates Christ and accepts the Cross, in patience, finds that, little by little, it becomes a living thing, fruitful, putting out new branches and leaves, precisely because that person is reproducing Christ's life, and being fruitful in saving souls.

The Gospel brings joy, to those who repent and change. There are Catholics who believe that niceness is enough, and that mortal sins are unimportant. Jesus spoke the truth about sin and salvation when He said: "It is a narrow gate, and a hard road, that lead to life; and few there are that find it." It is important that we shun all temptations, and all 'occasions of sin'.

The people in the picture are on the way to Heaven because they have recognised the truth about Christ and have followed Him. He is unique, among the Founders of all religions, in that He was conceived of a virgin, claimed to be one with the Father, and proved His Origin and Divine Sonship by rising from the dead after enduring a cruel death.

The truth about salvation is that no unrepentant sinner can reach Heaven. Those who have freely chosen to refuse God's friendship and to continue in their sins are lost. Entry into Heaven is an amazing privilege: a gift given to the pure, not a right. Those who insist on enjoying forbidden pleasures, and never repent, shall fall into the pit, when they die.