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No matter how much confusion or uncertainty we experience - even in sickness or danger - there is one, living God in control of the Universe, in Whose care we live. Whether we live or die, we live and die at times appointed by Him, even when we object.

No matter how much confusion or uncertainty we experience - even in sickness or danger - there is one, living God in control of the Universe, in Whose care we live. Whether we live or die, we live and die at times appointed by Him, even when we object.

Christ looks with great tenderness and love upon us all; yet He helps with especial care all who are too sick or weak to give much time to prayer. It is as if He gently lays them down, and invites them to rest in His presence, knowing that they are loved.

It is against the Will of God for people deliberately to kill sick persons, or to assist them in committing suicide. Only God can give life. Only God has the right to call someone from earthly life into eternity.

When people show true kindness and compassion towards the sick, disabled, injured or dying, and care for them tenderly until God choose to call the sick person away from earthly life, they show respect for life; and they show out God's love which is in their hearts.

A mother with a seriously-sick child keeps loving her. She would do nothing to harm her. She would not kill her, however - just as God does not kill the people He loves, even when they have freely chosen to abandon Him, hate Him, and then find themselves in Hell, suffering from the absence of light and love.

When God allows us to endure suffering, we must remember that He can bring good out of every evil, including sickness. We please Him if we refrain from complaining when things are painful or inconvenient. By patience we respect the Father's Will and imitate Christ in His obedience.

We live in a country which is apparently peaceful and civilised; but there are dreadful things happening which few individuals or groups are wiling to protest about. Some people laugh at the Church, as they laughed at Noah. Yet the Catholic Church in this country is like an ark, in which all human life can find defenders. She opposes embryo destruction, abortion, starvation of the sick and elderly, 'euthanasia' and many more anti-life practices.

We live in a country which is apparently peaceful and civilised; but there are dreadful things happening which few individuals or groups are wiling to protest about. Some people laugh at the Church, as they laughed at Noah. Yet the Catholic Church in this country is like an ark, in which all human life can find defenders. She opposes embryo destruction, abortion, starvation of the sick and elderly, 'euthanasia' and many more anti-life practices.

Lourdes is not just an example of care of the sick. In looking at the Domaine in Lourdes, we have a picture of the Church which is in the world but not of it. We have a place for the sacraments, and for Reconciliation, a place for Adoration of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, a place for devotion to Mary, a place where contemplatives pray for Church members - and much mutual help between pilgrims during our pilgrimage, including care of strangers.

The sick can exercise great spiritual power, with Christ. Those who resolve to be patient and to accept a special vocation can work for God and the Church, in and through their sufferings. By God's grace they can accept without resentment their pains and humiliations, as a penance for themselves and to help save other souls, in union with Christ Who won salvation for us by His patient love, in accepting the Cross.

The sick have great work to do for God! Christ asked me to speak the truth to the other sick and handicapped people I meet: I should say that we are all called to be Saints. We can accept our unavoidable sufferings and offer them up in union with Christ on the Cross, and pray with Him for sinners to repent and find forgiveness and peace.

Sick people have no special right to enter Heaven just because they have suffered much, no matter what sentimental onlookers say. The sick, too, are called to holiness. They need to believe, to think and act with charity, and to persevere, in order to be saved. Yet they have had greater than usual opportunities to do penance, by accepting their sufferings in patience.

A priest deserves honour in the Church. It is the Will of Christ that we treat with special devotion and respect those 'other Christs' in our midst, who remain worthy of honour even if sick, disabled or old. Christ has chosen them for their elevated state, which is recognised even by the Angels.

Whoever 'offers up' her suffering in union with Christ in His Passion, and prays for people in need, can be sure of bringing help to sinners, or the sick or lonely, and others. It's as if those needy souls are brought close to God, in a great procession, as His healing light shines upon them - even if the one praying has no idea who is being helped.

If we visit the sick, we please Christ. In the Gospel story, the King at the Last Judgement praised those who had visited the sick, visited people in prison, or had carried out other works of mercy.

In Christ's sight it is a praiseworthy thing, to visit the sick, or, first, to offer to do so, if we are not sure that a visit will be welcomed. A visit can bring comfort to those who feel abandoned or hopeless.

It is true that Jesus healed everyone. But we cannot accuse sick people who fail to improve, after prayer, of having little faith. The Lord permits some people to bear sufferings so that - just like Him, on the Cross - they might do penance for the sins of other people. Others are allowed, by the Lord, a time in which to reflect on their lives and to amend their sinful ways. Others, by patience in sickness, set a good example.

No matter how people die, whether of sickness, old age, or in what seem like accidents or freak storms or earthquakes, no-one leaves this life one second earlier or later than the time appointed by God the Father, Who governs all things and all people.

We are right to pray for people in need: for the poor, the sick, those in prison or held hostage, and many more; but there are people in need of prayer who are often well-fed and physically strong, but left in darkness by their atheism: their lack of belief in God. Large areas of the world are afflicted by this tragedy.