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The teaching of the Catholic Church cannot be likened to the proposals put forward in a party-political manifesto, which can simply be discarded if the voters don't like them.
God, the King of Kings, lives in Heaven, yet has an 'outpost' in a foreign country, Earth, where His ambassadors keep a special residence, with a throne-room, which He can visit. Hence the reverent silence appropriate for that place: a Catholic church.
The Catholic Church teaches the glorious truth that, in the past, God reached out to human beings in various ways; in the future, He will reward all who have remained faithful; and in the present moment He remains with His Church, guides us through the Pope and other Catholic Bishops, and is Present with us through Jesus's sacramental Presence.
Christ told me of the message He offers to all who dissent from the teaching of the Catholic Church: "Imagine, if you can, that the Church's teachings are all true, that her discipline is wise, her customs admirable, her Saints active and the holy Angels powerful. There things are true; and I invite you to believe Me".
Wherever there is a Catholic church, with the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle, it is as if there is a stairway that connects that 'house of God' with Heaven. Jesus, Who is God and man, is substantially Present in the Mass, and remains with us in the tabernacle.
The image of Jacob's Ladder, seen in a vision, is helpful when we want to explain the importance of being in a Catholic church, where Jesus our God is Really, substantially Present in the tabernacle. Through Jesus, we have access to our Father in Heaven. Jesus is like a 'ladder' by which we can ascend, in prayer.
For a life that is truly worthwhile we need faith in God, trust in His goodness and power, and in the merits of Jesus' Passion and death. Even a person stranded on a desert island, with no-one in sight, is connected to God the Father, through Jesus, and to the Saints and Angels of Heaven, and to the Catholic Church throughout the world, as long as he has faith. We must do all we can to make that faith grow.
No other body, amongst Christian groups, is One and Holy and Catholic and Apostolic, as is the Catholic Church, and with Christ Himself Present within her in the sacraments, particularly the Blessed Sacrament. Some Christians have sacraments but not complete unity. Others seem united but have few sacraments and are not Catholic.
Christ asked me to say to other people: "If you could see Jesus in the sanctuary, watching you, as you come in, would you make better genuflections?" Christ is Present in every Catholic church, surrounded by His holy Angels, as people who say they love Him ignore His Presence and even chatter at length.
Christ was standing in the sanctuary; but He said that He was gazing around the whole Catholic Church on earth, saying: 'Here I am, your Divine Saviour, Really Present amongst you. But where are the Processions? Where are the banners? Where are the beautiful monstrances to honour me and to show out My Presence in the Blessed Sacrament? Years have gone past, with little Adoration or Benediction.
When a man and a woman are about to make their marriage vows in a Catholic church, Christ is there with all His Saints, to witness the marriage, which is a sacrament of the Church. The saints will celebrate the union, and after the vows, will pray to the Father for the couple; and the Angels also pray.
It is God's wish that our Catholic churches be recognisably houses of prayer. We enter, on the threshold of Heaven; and it is right that we should see reminders of our fellow-worshippers, the Saints and Angels - and of the Saviour Who welcomes us from the tabernacle - and not see merely a bare plaster wall.
It is the Catholic Church which keeps asunder the cloud of ignorance and hopelessness which once covered the world. In every age, despite the sins of her members, she does what Jesus did in His earthly life. By His Spirit's guidance and power, she teaches truth, forgives, heals, prays, offers the Holy Sacrifice, helps the poor, and makes people holy.
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.
The Catholic Church is like an ark, which at times is thrown about in stormy waters and suffers all sorts of turmoil. Yet there are times provided by God when her people enjoy tremendous calm and joy, such as will follow soon.
It is no small matter that many Christian bodies do not have the 'fullness of the means of salvation' which the Catholic Church has, as the 'one true Church'. In a matter of life and death, in bodily care, people take the tablets which are of known origin, proven efficiency, and correctly proportioned good ingredients. And so, for the spiritual life, for Eternity, we take 'medicine' from the Church of known origin - coming from Christ, known to have saints, and with valid sacraments.
As Christ looks down from Heaven upon the world He sees a great light shining out. That is the Catholic Church which He founded. It is like a great light which will never go out, even if that light is sometimes dimmed. All truths that others preach are facets of the whole Body of truths (the Deposit of Faith) that the Church holds and preaches.
The Deposit of Faith is handed on in the Catholic Church from age to age. Some other Christians teach some of the truths which the Church proclaims - but the Church has no need to go to other Christians to learn what she should teach. Her teachings stem from Christ and the Apostles. Yet individual Catholics can learn from the virtuous example of charity, patience, etc. given by other individual Christians.
Everyone who discovers the Catholic Church can study, and ask questions, to learn more about the gift of faith. Some people shut their hearts and minds, to that free gift. They do not want to believe, because it would bring them the suffering of abandoning sinful habits. Yet the worst suffering of all is experienced at the loss of God, for unrepentant sinners.
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