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People who ignore road-signs about sharp bends, or speeding, are liable to crash when they suddenly arrive at a dip in the road, or roadworks. Just as they would be unlikely to finish their journey, so, people who ignore God's warnings about keeping the Commandments are unlikely to reach Heaven, unless they repent.

The Lord is pleased when we recognise and fulfil our ordinary duties, both towards the earthly life in which we participate, and towards God, by making time for daily prayer. He is also pleased when people who are advanced in prayer do not think themselves therefore brought 'low' by ordinary work and service.

Will the 'gates of Paradise' open for you and me? Each of us should ponder the question from time to time, in order to refocus on our priorities. If we are true to Christ, on a journey of love, obedient to the Father's Will and loving our neighbour, we shall continue at death on the very same journey, to the heart of the Blessed Trinity, even if we need some purification before we enter our Home.

God is at work, in His merciful love, in Purgatory. People who die, but who have not taken sufficient care in earthly life to conquer their faults, to be active in charity and reverent in prayer, need to be totally transformed before they can enter Heaven, to be as holy as the Saints. They are appalled at how luke-warm they have been, but grateful to God for His love, as He moves each one little by little towards the light, and prepares them for Eternal Life.

Wise people reflect, and actively prepare for Heaven. As we occupy ourselves with ordinary concerns, it's as if we are on a walkway which moves slowly towards the moment of our death. Then, the quality of our relationship with God will be revealed - or even the lack of one. Some people will see God and leap into His embrace. Others gladly surrender to purification, ashamed at not being ready for Heaven. Others continue to do what they did on earth, ignoring or despising God, and freely walking away on the steep road to Hell.

People who have really loved God have offered thanks and praise, even amidst difficulties. These, if they persevere, race towards Him when they die, impelled by love to enter His embrace. But those who have kept His laws, but have grumbled a lot, because of their worldly desires or preoccupations, must, after death, do penance for their luke-warmness before they can enter Heaven.

Only through our union with God, strengthened in prayer, can we become holy. It pleases God when we make time for prayer in our busy lives, making a deliberate plan about when we will pray, or how often, or for how long. This can be a flexible plan, but should be put in place no matter how many ordinary duties we must carry out, or social events, or special acts of charity.

It is not the Bishop's primary task to encourage people to 'save the planet' or merely to leave the world a better place - though we are trying to build God's Kingdom. The Bishop is a man who stands in front of the Abyss, his arms upraised, preaching, as he strives to lead his flock to repent of their sins while they can, to confess them, and to lead holy lives in preparation for Heaven.

We, in the Church, have a duty to share the truth about God's love for us all, shown out in Jesus; but if we are afraid, we cannot expect people to take an interest in what we say. We must choose whether to remain 'hidden', as if behind a huge hedge, urging others in a general way: "I know the truth", or "Jesus is God-made-man" - or we can step out to meet people face to face and speak joyfully about having learned about the Way to Heaven.

Bishops are called to do more than show out niceness. The Bishops of the Church should act, in their faithfulness and preaching, like a 'wall' of truth and care, to prevent any of their flock from falling into the Abyss. When Bishops neglect to preach about sin, but are mainly concerned to be nice to everyone, they will have to account to God for the souls of those whom they let through the gap in the 'wall', without a word of warning.

We should pray for people without faith. People who don't love God or keep the Commandments are as if floating along on the great river of life, mostly unconcerned about the future, but likely to be carried as if over a great waterfall to disaster, when they die, unless they seek help from Heaven. They cannot save themselves by mere will-power, or good works alone.

We cannot save ourselves; nor can we rescue ourselves from spiritual torments. Just as a child in a playpen can be more easily lifted out if he holds up his arms, and co-operates, so a person who is stuck in a pit of spiritual trouble - like a pit in the road - can be more easily helped if he co-operates, and holds up his arms to God, so to speak, in humility, trust, and prayer.

Friends of Christ ought not to grow despondent at the thought of growing old, and closer to Heaven, their destination. They are like people who are stiff and weary after a long coach journey but exhilarated by their first glimpse of the sea, as they turn into the sea front, and get ready to disembark. Our troubles today are only temporary. God awaits us in glory.

No little prayer or little act of devotion goes unnoticed by our Saviour. Christ looks on lovingly, for example, when we greet Him as soon as we awake, whenever that is. He delights in seeing our first thoughts turn to Him, as we begin a new day in His service, confident of His love.

If we could see into the womb of a pregnant woman, as if through a window, we would see a tiny infant, given life by God, and meant to receive love and education by its parents, in preparation for a good life on earth, and the eventual gift of Heaven. How blessed are those children who are welcomed as the fruit of their parent's union, as God intends.

We should not stroll through church as if through a market. Every Catholic church is a holy temple for God, sanctified by having being consecrated by a Bishop as a place for solemn worship, and sanctified by the Real Presence there of Jesus Christ, in sacramental form. All who enter, therefore, should show respect both for God and fellow worshippers, so neither offending God by irreverence or immodest attire, nor distracting others.

Christ is glad to see His people arrange for kingly greetings - processions, and trumpets - to be offered to the 'other Christs' He has called to look after His flocks, whether a Bishop or Archbishop. He is the King of Heaven, and these leaders in the Church are representatives of our Heavenly King, and so deserve our respect - including parish priests, also chosen by Christ to lead us.

If we were able to look over a huge hedge that surrounds Heaven, we would see gleaming squares and bright fountains where people can stroll in perfect companionship, if they are not busy praising God. Heaven is beautiful, and goes on forever; but everyone who enters must have a beautiful, holy soul. Wise people try, by God's grace, to get ready in good time.

An individual's soul can be pictured as being like a well-proportioned chamber, which that person can beautify even more by a holy life; and when he dies, the doors to Heaven, which open inwards, will be pushed open by God, Whose glory will pour into that beautiful place, as God invites the soul to come through the doors, to Heaven.

There are occasions when inter-religious co-operation is wise. It is not wise for Catholic Bishops to take part in inter-religious events that would confuse the Faithful; but when all persons who honour God find themselves in opposition to a series of Godless leaders in Europe, for example, who impose Godless programmes and even immoral plans, for citizens and even children, religious leaders should unite to speak about shared values. When people are in danger, it does not matter whose hands you hold, to remain upright.