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A person who recognises the Catholic Church as the One Body founded by God Himself to lead us on the Way to Heaven is wise to come in. Christ, the Son of God, has given us authoritive teachings, and Divine power, so that faithful followers can persevere in the Faith, and lead holy lives, and spend Eternity at the heart of the Blessed Trinity, in Heaven.

The Saints in Heaven are overjoyed that we love and serve God, and that we believe what the Church teaches about the Communion of Saints, and ask them to intercede for us. The Saints, who all love Christ and His Mother, are also full of joy on seeing us, too, honour the Blessed Virgin Mary, who gave us our Saviour, and who has appeared at Lourdes, to Saint Bernadette, asking us to pray and do penance.

If we do not repent of our sins before we die, death will result in the sudden appearance of the brilliant light of the Godhead shining down upon our lives, piercing and dividing the great cloud in which we have tried to hide away from God, hoping He doesn't see our sins. All our misdeeds will be revealed to our gaze.

A surgeon takes tremendous care in his preparations for his work, just as a good mother takes great care, in cleanliness and nutrition, as she prepares food for a little child; and even greater care is necessary when everyone prepares for an event that is not only important, but sacred: receiving Christ in Holy Communion, or taking part in any of the Sacraments, in which our all-holy, glorious God is at work.

A Mass is valid, even if a man in valid Orders is in a state of mortal sin; yet any priest who believes that he is not worthy, because of sin, to offer the Holy Sacrifice, should seek another priest and make his confession, and be washed clean of his sins, by the Precious Blood of Christ Who chose and called him.

Just as a tiny model of a dancer or a Princess turns around on top of a musical jewel box, Our Blessed Lady, Queen of Heaven, looks around her in awe and wonder, as she gazes, first at the men who generously come forward to accept her son's call to the Priesthood, and then, as she gazes at the priests who have persevered for love of Christ and are about to enter Heaven. She admires them all, but rejoices to see the second group receive the reward they deserve.

There is a distorted or truncated version of the Catholic Faith which is widely taught today. It is the evil one who wants people to hear that they can disregard the sure teachings of the Church on sexual morality, neglect her devotions, down-play reverence towards the Holy Eucharist, ignore Christ's ever-Virgin Mother, and look upon the Pope as having no authority unless each of his acts delights all of the Bishops.

There is no easy way of being a Christian. The Lord asks each of us to sacrifice whatever impedes our particular vocation. Traditionally, He has asked priests to sacrifice hopes of marriage and parenthood. Religious make sacrifices to live the evangelical counsels: poverty, chastity and obedience. Married people too must be chaste, and faithful to each other, open to life, and making sacrifices to care for their families.

Children are in moral and spiritual danger - as if near the edge of the Abyss - wherever educationalists and catechists work harder to boost self-esteem than to teach the true Faith, and where they leave out talk of sin and repentance, Heaven and Hell. They should give firm warnings against immorality, drunkenness, pornography and violence.

There are scientists at work who are careless about human life, and who think nothing of creating embryos in their laboratories, for experimentation; or they freeze embryos, or destroy them, as surplus to requirements. They forget, or do not care, or do not believe that God gives the gift of life. In rejecting His gift they insult and disobey their Creator. In overstepping His laws, they break the fence which would have saved them from the Abyss.

The Church was badly damaged by changes, events, opinions and foolish decisions that followed the Second Vatican Council, and by misinterpretations of Council documents on catechesis, evangelisation, the Sacred Liturgy and Ecumenism. The Lord has acted, for example through some of the New Movements, to mend the damage, and to restore faith in the constant teachings of the Church.

Some of the Clergy have become dispirited by the state of the Catholic Church, which is damaged by dissent, rebellion, disobedient laity, and some Bishops too timid to teach the Faith in its fullness. The great temptation is to walk away, to enjoy the world's pleasures. But Christ asks them to turn to Him, for the power to bring about renewal.

A priest who is dispirited about the state of the Church should resist temptations to leave and to enjoy earthly pleasures. By the altar, he can receive power from God, to help him to renew the Church, and to encourage people towards obedience to God, sound Catechesis, profound reverence in prayer, and respect for the Pope, as well as love for the needy.

In difficult times, of increased dissent and disobedience, Christ asks dispirited priests not to give up, or to leave a damaged Church, but to work hard to build it up, as hard as any effort with nails and hammer to mend a broken piece of furniture. He was once a carpenter, He says - and knows how to be hopeful, and to set out to repair what was broken.

Some Catholics wonder why other Catholics look so light-hearted and joyful. There can be several reasons; but a main reason is because those who have had their sins forgiven have a peaceful conscience, and look forward to the joys of Heaven. Those who cannot be bothered to go to Confession, or who persuade themselves that they do not sin, do not receive such happiness and peace.

Like a mountaineer in a dangerous place, someone who is trying to escape from a sinful way of life needs the intercessions of other people. He also needs trust in God's power, and the virtue of hope, by which he will persevere in the belief that God can change him, save him, make him holy and happy, and bring him in the end to Heaven.

We can save souls, by the grace of Christ, through our prayers and sacrifices. No matter how sick we are, nor how feeble our efforts, if we offer up our prayers, and our pains as penances for people trapped in sin and in danger of falling into the Abyss (into Hell), and if we offer everything in union with Christ's Sacrifice, we join in His work of salvation.

When a person has come close to spiritual disaster, and has lived as if in an icy wilderness of isolation, cold, pain and hardship, it can seem impossible to believe that another 'world' exists, of joy, peace, warmth and fruitfulness. With faith in God's love, trust in His power, and prayer, we can allow God to change our inner landscape from cold to warm, and change even the pattern of our ordinary days.

In the life of the Spirit, interiorly, God can bring about astonishing changes in the lives of ourselves, or of people we know, as great as if some slum-dwellers were to become famous in Hollywood. But just as those people would never have become actors if they had refused to speak to the film director, we and our friends cannot hope to enjoy great spiritual progress if we refuse to speak to God, or to follow His directions.

Even if we were to avoid sports or obvious dangers there is no time in life, no matter how happy, when an accident can't happen - just as a skier might suddenly fall, or hit a hidden tree-stump. What counts in ordinary life is faith in God. If we trust in God, He gives us strength and patience in our troubles, and also allows them to purify us so that we are worthy of Heaven: His free gift to His friends.