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The Godhead is like a bright cloud which loving people can enter, in prayer. For those who yearn for entry, but who fail to care for their neighbour in earthly life, there seems to be no way 'in': no possibility of union in contemplation, unless they first learn how to love.

Our Father in Heaven denies to no-one the opportunity to know Christ, and to receive the gift of Heaven. Whether in earthly life, or at the moment of death, each person in our village hears the truth; but many say: 'To join the Church would be inconvenient', or 'To serve God will cause me trouble', or 'Life is too short to make sacrifices'. They forget the purpose of life - and our destination, which will be, eventually, Heaven or Hell.

By turning to Christ our God, in prayer, it is as if we can touch, in His Godhead, as in a great cloud, each of the events of His earthly life, including all the sufferings of His Passion.

Everyone who really loves Christ can set aside some time for prayer, even if it means having less sleep, or dealing with an unsympathetic family. Catholics who don't pray are usually either faithless, or lukewarm, or idle, or badly-organised - and lacking awareness of the importance of prayer for holiness and salvation.

Right from the beginning of His earthly life, Christ was aware of His origin, His Divine nature and His human nature - and His utterly free and purposeful movement forwards as He fulfilled His Heavenly Father's wishes. He knew this would mean complete self-sacrifice, and a great triumph.

It is as if there is a volcano on earth, from the mouth of which erupts - as if from the mouth of Hell - a thick blanket of smoke, of sin and corruption. It covers most of the town, obscuring the view, keeping people trapped in sin. Further away, there are quiet villages of good people who nevertheless are ignorant of how to reach God.

Do you live in an 'ordinary street', in an ordinary town? Whether we come from poor and humble backgrounds, or rich families, from terraced houses or mud huts or palaces, we are all called to be Saints. We can achieve this by loving Jesus Christ and doing His Will. The Church tells us what is His Will; and she gives us all we need to be obedient and faithful.

We are right to want to avoid judging the motives and attitudes of other people; but we are not wrong to judge some of their acts, and to try to steer them away from physical or moral danger - or to rescue them. If we see a man about to leap of a cliff, we do not say, "I must not judge him". We act, to save his life. So we should at times warn people.

Christ looks on with sadness as many sinners ignore all His warnings and reminders about the fate of those who refuse to repent and to abandon their sins. Everyone alive on Earth right now is making his or her way towards Heaven, or towards Hell, by free and determined choices.

Just as I scan my desk each day to attend first to the most urgent project, so, Christ said, He and His Mother Mary scan the earth, to see who most urgently needs her prayers and His graces - or even, from time to time (amidst particular difficulties of a nation or the Church) who needs a visit from Our Lady.

Those who have freely turned away from Christ in earthly life, refusing His friendship and ignoring His laws, will suffer the 'loss of God' for all Eternity. They have condemned themselves, and will never look upon His lovely face, or know joy.

Christ is true God, as well as true man. The bright cloud represented the Godhead, and Heaven; and as it split open, Christ emerged, willing to descend to earth to live as a sinless man in a sinful world, to save us from Hell. The Angels looked on in awe and wonder, seeing His love for us all.

God looks upon the world as the Christ-figure looks down from the mountain-top to see Rio and Brazil spread beneath Him; and He sees the fate of all those who refuse to allow him to lift them up to glory. Those who will not obey His instructions must fall, when they die, into the Abyss nearby, into the Eternal Fire of the damned.

We must not become disheartened if we struggle to be dutiful and kind towards our relations or companions. In His own earthly life-time, Christ had to be patient with people whose ideas repelled Him, or whose good hearts He admired but whose lack of understanding was hard to bear.

There is only one Way to Heaven, made by Christ, Who had come down from Heaven; so if we picture life on earth, we should picture Christ on the Cross, on Calvary - with a ladder nearby, which reaches as far as Heaven. Christ made that Way, by His suffering and death and Resurrection. We are heirs and heiresses to life in Heaven if we have passed through the water of Baptism - like a cleansing river - and live for love of Christ until we die. That is 'salvation'.

The Lord showed me the heights of Heaven, and the depths of Space. He said that if we were to search for a million miles in each direction away from the Earth we would find no more truth about Him and salvation than we already know. The truth is that the Son of God became man, died and rose to life, for us. His Way is the only Way to Heaven.

Jesus once said that, "The measure you give will be the measure you get". If we want Him to act towards us with a merciful and gentle judgement, we must act with mercy and gentleness towards those who displease or annoy us.

Once Christ had become a man, we learned how precious is humanity to God. We are all brothers and sisters to Christ and to one another; and each of us should treat others with respect, as Christ treated people in His earthly life-time.

Christ came down from Heaven to earth, as if through many miles of mist and obscurity, until He was born of Mary, in an obscure little stable, with only His Mother and St. Joseph to protect Him. Jesus is only 'found' today by people who approach Him in simplicity and humility.

Despite their pain and remorse, the Holy Souls in Purgatory are happy to know of the great feasts of the Church, such as Christmas. They know that their present safety is due to the life of Christ, born on earth to die for our sins. They pray with us at every Mass, in and through Christ their Saviour.