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The Presentation in the Temple

By representations, in our sanctuaries, of Heavenly realities, people find it easier to pray: hearts and minds are raised to God.

I was shown a representation of the Godhead: a mountain of fire, the top of which moved towards me.

I was shown a representation of the Godhead: a mountain of fire, the top of which moved towards me and touched me with Divine sweetness

The Meaning of Christmas: The Lord pictured before me a gigantic foliage wreath, and then a silhouetted representation of Santa Claus in a Sleigh, driving his reindeer. These are not what Christmas is 'about' - though our customary symbols or decorations are not wrong.

In explaining His humility, Christ appeared to me, after the consecration, as the High Priest, robed as in ancient times. It was the feast of the Presentation, when He whose Temple it was allowed Himself to be taken within as an infant.

It is a serious matter to miss Mass carelessly or deliberately, and so to miss being present at the re-presentation of Christ's Sacrifice of Calvary. We could not be there, at Calvary; but we show how little love we have for Christ, and how little concern about our sin and weaknesses, if we cannot be bothered to attend Mass, as Christ prays there for us to be forgiven our wrong-doing.

Truly, the Mass is the re-presentation of the unique, saving Sacrifice which Christ offered on Calvary. Here, He prays for us to His Father in Heaven, that we will be forgiven and made holy.

The Mass is a solemn and sacred representation of the once-for-all Sacrifice of Jesus Christ: God-made-man. Yet there are people who come to Mass and Holy Communion who are still in their sins: their grave sins. It is not fitting to receive Christ, unless a person has been purified by contrition, Reconciliation, and acts of penance.

When I prayed, on the coach to London, Christ said: "Picture me on the coach with you". This would be a representation of the truth, since He is everywhere as our God, and He is with me, in my soul, since my Baptism; and He wanted this knowledge to make me joyful, now and always.

When we pray at Mass, as the wine is consecrated, and is changed into the Precious Blood of Christ, we can be certain that the very Saviour Who once shed His Blood for our sakes on Calvary, is with us now, in our church, in a re-presentation of His Saving Work. He prays for us now (here at Douai Abbey), just as He once prayed for sinners from the Cross.

People who develop a fascination with what is evil, or with representations of what is evil, can endanger their souls. When they avidly seek out portrayals of monsters, or of sadism, or love to watch horror movies, or delve into Satanism or magic in any of their forms, or associated activities like fortune-telling, it can be as if they are facing a great pit in which there is neither light nor beauty - like a black hole in space: in reality, Hell.

Some Catholics foolishly ignore the evidence; that the evil one has been especially active in the Church for four decades, determined to strike at Christ and Catholics by striking at the Mass. The evil one uses all sorts of people and methods to increase ignorance of the Real Presence, to confuse the laity, to discourage priests, to bring about a distorted or truncated presentation of the Faith in catechesis. It's as if he is lurking beneath a procession of the Blessed Sacrament, planning how to lessen our love for Christ and to diminish our fervour.