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Someone who doubts the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament should ask himself: if a man can invent a means of downloading tremendous amounts of information and imagery onto hand-held computers and mobile phones, cannot God, Who is almighty, have used a means of 'downloading' Himself 'into' the small white disc (which is truly Christ Himself) which we call the 'Sacred Host', at Mass?
People who suffer persecution or martyrdom because of their faith in Christ can feel as though they are leaving a garden of earthly delights to enter an endless tunnel of suffering. They can be assured that that tunnel opens out onto an area: not an area like the Colisseum, but a place where Christ, His Mother and all the Saints wait to greet them, and lead them into a life of Eternal bliss.
The Catholic Church is a visible body on earth, that cannot be mistaken for any other. It is not possible for her to water down her teachings in order to placate Christians in other bodies; yet her Bishops and other clergy can speak, side by side with other Christians, about matters in secular society on which all Christians agree.
It is unwise for Catholic Clergy to suggest 'pulpit exchanges' with other Christian leaders. When Catholic lay-persons, quite rightly, are not allowed to preach during the Sacred Liturgy, it is hardly fitting for a Protestant to do so, who is not in full Communion with the Church and does not share all of her teachings - nor does he have valid orders.
We are wise to pray for God's help, and to ask for the prayers of Our Lady, so that we will use time well. Those who waste time, spending their lives in acting against God, will end up in Hell with the demons who also act against God - but who hideously mistreat all who are in their power. Christ died to save us. We are foolish if we do not turn to Him for forgiveness, and Divine power.
True intimacy with Christ can be achieved, by His grace. A person who genuinely loves Christ might begin with only an image of Him, as she prays; but if she perseveres in prayer and acts out of charity, throughout all difficulties, and remains full of faith, she will come to know the living Christ, as if through a door, behind the image; and she will move towards Heaven in His company, in peace and joy.
Real love for God is shown by offering Him the courtesies we offer to people on earth whom we respect. If in God's presence, in prayer, it is respectful to say: 'please exclude me, Lord' - if we have to rush away, suddenly, for example. We would not rush out of an earthly throne-room without a word to the King.
Christ asked me to draw a cartoon, to show out how cruel young people are, who act 'cool', like their friends, striving to appear independent, unemotional, sophisticated and tough, but ignoring the needs of others, and refusing the normal courtesies of normal conversation with adults, or young people outside their group.
Even when people persist in disbelief or grave sin, there is hope that a person can be saved - provided he repents before he dies. Christ continues, to the last moment of such a person's life, to encourage him to turn to Him. If someone has never heard of Christ, Christ will even appear to him as that person dies, to give him the opportunity to repent and believe - or else to fall away forever.
Christ assures us that we need not feel guilty about weeping occasionally, when we are saddened by incidents or circumstances - though He does ask us not to give in to discouragement but to turn to Him in trusting prayer to find new strength. He Himself was upset when His friend Lazarus died. He understands all our sorrows.
Almighty God wants us to honour Christ's Mother Mary. Our Blessed Lady's soul was adorned with such sublime virtues, at her Immaculate Conception, that only her son, later on, surpassed her in His soul's beauty. She deserves to be honoured by our adorning her statues, with decorations worthy of a Queen, and crowning them, and in other ways.
We should honour Our Lady, and have confidence in her prayers. No-one's prayers are more powerful - except her Son's - than those of the Immaculate Mother of God. What millions have believed is indeed true, that just as an earthly king refuses nothing to his beloved mother, so Christ our King can refuse nothing His Mother asks. We are not wrong to pray by statues of Our Lady, which help us to fix our minds on her who lives in Heaven.
In this earthy life, those who follow Christ must invite all people who feel helpless in their sins and fears to reach out to God, through Christ. Faith is like a rope. If we grasp it, we can count on the Lord's help to be drawn up towards sanctity and salvation. People who say, "I don't need God", or, "I want to be independent", are like people trapped in a pit who insist on their own strength but fail to climb out.
There is one great blessing received by many poor people in so-called 'third world' countries. They receive a full account of Catholic teaching, and embrace it with fervour and joy - unlike many European Christians who have been offered a distorted or truncated version of the Faith that can neither inspire nor hold them.
When politicians purposely allow no mention of God, and forget the Christian heritage of Europe, they inevitably pass foolish or wicked laws, increase immorality in society, and witness an associated decline in charity - which they deplore, but which they have helped to accelerate.
When politicians ignore Christianity, ignore God's laws and pass foolish or wicked laws, there is inevitably a decline in society; the real charity which befriends, helps, heals and saves is replaced by an atheistic utilitarianism, in which the self is idolised, and the weak sacrificed on the altar of personal choice.
The Scared Liturgy is prayer offered by Christ, in the power and light of the Holy Spirit to the Father Who reigns in Heaven. No other praise can surpass the praise which Christ offers from the heart of our Church - especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. To pray at Mass is to pray in Spirit and in truth. We pray in the power of Spirit, through Christ Who is the truth of God. God invites the whole world to prefer this sacrificial, sublime prayer to all of their own ideas, methods or idols.
Many Catholics like to appear strong, to fit in with the world. We must not do wrong, to please a secular or atheistic government. When there is confusion or near-panic amongst Catholics about dealing with the world and organising medical or surgical care, or schooling or Catechesis, in ways which fit in with the guidelines of a secular government, the Pope, and Christ Himself, serve as exemplars. If we do what is right, and do nothing wrong, willing to accept the consequences, we will please God and have peaceful consciences.
There are times in a person's life when he might not want to be separated from God, and so have opened the door of his soul by good thoughts, or prayer, but looking upwards, realises he has not yet gained the courage to make real changes in his behaviour. He can be powerfully helped by the prayers of people aware of his plight - by the grace of Christ.
Christ really cares about us; and He cares about our attitude to Him. If we picture Christ in Heaven, as He looks down upon the earth, we can understand how much it delights Him, and warms His heart, when He sees someone who really loves Him, loves the Mass, loves the Clergy, loves the Church, and also endures sufferings with patience, by the grace of Christ, and out of love for Christ.
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