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People on a pilgrimage are a mixed group: sick and able-bodied, luke-warm or fervent souls, people of every ability and background; yet by being on pilgrimage with sincere hearts, as on a journey, all are brought closer to Heaven.

God is so great and good that He sometimes gives extraordinary gifts to people, in earthly life, so that they can do His Work in times of special difficulty, or undertake more swiftly a tremendous task. Just as an artist sees colours that others do not see, a person gifted by God can discern graces in souls, or evil forces, that others do not see.

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 pray for the living, and for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, we cast our minds over our families and towns, to pray for everyone; and when we do so by accepting our sufferings in patience, as penance for ourselves and for others, we do the powerful work that Christ did on the Cross, as He offered Himself, and prayed to the Father for sinners.

When we expand our prayers for people on Earth, and pray for people now in Purgatory, we can look upon the Holy Souls as blessed souls; for despite the sufferings of their purification they are glad to have avoided Hell - which has engulfed so many careless sinners.

We are right to pray for people in need: our neighbours, and the Holy Souls in Purgatory who have avoided Hell - and people all over the world, who live in the darkness of superstition, unbelief and atheism, and who are at risk of ending in Hell, unless they repent and change.

Every priest in the world has been called to be another Christ in the place where he serves. Whoever dissents from Church doctrine, however, and argues publicly about such things, endangers his own soul and endangers others by perhaps leading them astray. Teachers and preachers have a stricter judgement.

For peace of soul, the best means is to repent of all sin and to go to Confession. The Catholic Church offers this sacrament all over the world; furthermore, in order to reach Heaven it is necessary to be reconciled with God.

When a person is torn between serving God as any Catholic ought, and succumbing to wrong-doing, he will be fortunate if he hears a friend say to him: "God will give you real joy, and real peace-of-soul, when you stop trying to seize the pleasures of human life, and decide to aim for the joys of heaven."

When we speak up bravely, when appropriate, about sin, and when we offer up our pains and tribulations in union with Jesus, to help others in their trials, and to save souls, we do indeed help them, by the grace of God. It's as if, as we have helped people to avoid sin, we have helped them to avoid a great pit at the centre of their ordinary life, which represents the alienation from God that sinners risk, by their own actions.

When members of the Clergy, or theologians, or other people in the Church urge people to believe that behaviour once everywhere known as sinful is nowadays to be seen as reasonable or even good - such as contraceptive use, or sexual activity outside marriage - they endanger souls. To encourage people to sin is to help them on the way to Hell. The demons lie in wait for careless souls just as wild animals lie in wait for safari tourists who are foolish enough to leave the safety of the path.

When we are fervent in love for Christ, and have had all our sins forgiven, and have done sufficient penance, it is as though our souls are so bright that we are worthy to wear the white robe of the newly-baptised, and even to be worthy to enter Heaven straight away, should we die at that moment!

In the play called 'Pygmalion', a rich man gave lessons to a poor working girl, and transformed her speech and outlook, and clothing. Christ works an even more marvellous transformation, by His grace acting within a willing soul. He transforms the whole person, leading each to Him, to find security, joy, peace-of-soul and fulfilment in sharing His life, and also to grow in wisdom, purity, courage, hope and charity.

The Church prays for the soul of the deceased friend or relation at a Requiem Mass, and calls out, "Open the gates of Paradise" for that faithful servant. Let us remain hopeful of one day entering those gates, to live forever in the loving embrace of the Three Divine Persons, One God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Even when there are few mourners at a burial or a funeral, or when people cannot find the words to express their grief, or to comfort one another - or are tempted to despair about the fate of the departed soul - they can be certain that the Lord is near. He Himself has told us, in Sacred Scripture, 'The Lord is close to the broken-hearted'.

If we are tempted to give in to sadness or anger, but instead, take out the Rosary, and pray for people in great need, we grow in grace, and even save souls by our intercessions - through the grace of Christ and the prayers of His Holy Mother

God created good people. But those first human beings rebelled against God, and so turned a corner in the great 'road' of our salvation history. They left behind the joys of Eden; but God would choose a people to follow Him, and would promise a Saviour Who would help people to regain their lost innocence. He would restore the life of Divine grace to their souls.

God wants us to be at peace in our souls and minds. When our lists of things to do become so large that we seem to have a dark cloud over us, crushing our joy, it is time to shorten the list: to work out what is essential, and to do some of the rest when it is possible later on.

When a person deliberately commits an act offensive to God - whether by sexual immorality or uncharitable acts against a neighbour - it is as if he releases into the world some of the smoke of Hell, from underground, and is glad to have done so, hoping to be hidden with his misdeeds. But God can see everything, including that soul's desperate need of rescue, before he dies.

We can have a marvellous destiny, if we put our trust in Christ. He wants the whole world to hear about the powerful effect of holy Baptism, which brings about union between the Blessed Trinity and a sinful creature, with the result that a person's sins are forgiven, he receives God in his soul, sharing God's life as a member of the Church, and is made a child of God and an heir to Heaven.