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Christ rejected Satan's offer to give Him the glory of the kingdoms of the world, if Christ would worship him - and then Christ gave a demonstration of humility, to help us, since He knows that the most common temptation of weak human beings is to pride, and self-sufficiency. Other weak people are tempted to despondency, thinking themselves unlovable. These too need Christ's powerful help.

God gives us all sorts of help, in earthly life. When we turn to a favourite saint, to ask for his or her prayers, it's as though we have turned towards an elder brother or other relation about building a home, for example, if he were an architect. Christians are wise if they turn to the great experts in the Faith: the heroes and heroines who remained faithful and reached Heaven.

We should try to do everything calmly, trusting in God. If we rush and fuss, as we go about our ordinary activities, we are likely to trip up and make mistakes; and so it is in the spiritual life. If we try to rush ahead, unwilling to do God's Will carefully, and with patience, we are liable to make mistakes, to trip up and make silly decisions.

There is more to voting that supporting an attractive person. Policies matter. The Lord invites us to reflect on this matter, as we try to decide whom to vote for, in elections for Government: Are these people, or those, the more likely to encourage in our country the sort of life and behaviour that pleases God? Do politicians who support family life also desire to help the weak and needy? Do politicians seeking power want to promote further abortion provision, and contraceptive provision to children, whilst not favouring marriage? We need to support those who do good.

Some people spend their lives in misguided loyalty. Some give their hearts' affection and loyalty to stuffed toys, and others, to the dogs which take up so much of their time. Others not only love but idolise one human being, but a person whom they desert, however, when the person no longer pleases them. But if we give our hearts to God, His love never ceases, betrays, grows weary, but is always tremendous, constant, tender, patient and healing.

Obstinate souls require firm 'treatment'. A soul that is well-cared for, in the sense of being pleasing to God because of its purity, humility and love, is like a beautiful lawn that is pleasant to walk upon; but a soul that neglects its spiritual health is like a place of dry grass broken up by patches of mud. It needs to be well-dug before new seed can be sown; and that 'digging' might take the form of an apparent catastrophe in ordinary life.

Some of us imagine that if we have set out on a sinful way of life we can never escape from it - as if we have entered a train that is carrying us away to our doom; but even trains have an emergency cord to pull, if we are brave. And in the spiritual life, we can decide, of our free will, to co-operate with Divine Grace, and to 'stop in our tracks', to change our way.

No-one can please God by a life that consists of an outward appearance of piety, combined with a hard heart and cruel actions. Those who treat other human beings as slaves, or beasts as burden, and have no intention of showing compassion, can only fall down into the pit, when they die, to be lost forever.

By our own freely-made choices, we alter our destiny. Those who persist in selfishness and sin, despite the help given by God to reflect upon their lives, and to turn to Him in contrition and trust, will find themselves led, at death, into total alienation and spiritual hopelessness, as if through a dark doorway, unlike those who have persevered in faith and love, and who are raised up in the glorious life of Heaven, to share the joy of the Saints, forever.

The Lord has a question for us. He invites us to look at a picture of the Saints who are gazing towards Christ in awe, love and adoration; and the Lord asks us: 'Are you ready to join them?' - by which He means: 'Have you been reconciled? Have you decided to lead a life of purity, holiness and charity?'

It is because we have free will that God allows people to ignore Him. Those who choose to ignore the light of truth about God, which shines out from the Catholic Church, are as if walking away into darkness, on a self-chosen route towards Eternal Life without God, unless they repent before they die; and that loss-of-God, known as Hell, is what Christ wants us to avoid; but many do not listen to Him.

If we are concerned about our salvation - or especially if we are not yet concerned - there is a question we should ask ourselves, as we are tempted to give first place in life to our own ambitions and our own opinions. We should ask ourselves: 'Am I pleasing God by the way I live my life today?' If I am not doing so, am I willing to change?

Some of the moulds that are grown by scientists are life-giving; but others are deadly, and should be isolated. A sort of 'deadly life' grown in the world is the life of a priest who abuses children in his care. That priest should be isolated, not allowed to conduct wicked assaults again.

Both forms of the Mass (Ordinary and Extraordinary) are a legitimate part of the life of the Church; both unite us with the same Sacrifice of Calvary; both give glory to Almighty God and allow the sanctification of his people.

At Pentecost, the Blessed Virgin Mary completely surrendered yet again to the light and power of the Holy Spirit as they poured down upon her from Heaven. She had followed the Spirit's guidance for the whole of her life, and that is what the Spirit asks us to do, and to do so by following all that He teaches and advises us through the Church, and in our individual vocations.

There are many leisure occupations that are not sinful, though some people are puzzled by modern art: abstract and conceptual art. Other people spend some spare time finding their way round a maze, in a country garden. Whether we are attracted to novelties or thought-provoking events, a question that needs to be asked is, 'What is life for?' After our ordinary duties, do we make fruitful use of our free time? Does everything we do, think and say give glory to God?

It takes courage to be faithful to Catholic teaching on marriage. What Christ wants to see are many more faithful Catholic women: women who accept God's plan for married life, for example, and who avoid all sinful practices so common in our culture, and who do not neglect their children; women who pursue a career only if their children are genuinely well cared for; women who do not see it as demeaning to serve the family, and to respect their husbands, yet with each spouse respecting the other.

Within the soul, as if in a bright interior chamber where the contemplative meets Christ in prayer, it's as if there is a secret chamber into which Christ can draw that person, to bring her to meet the Holy Spirit and the Father too, and to share Christ's secrets, about the life of God and the life of grace. Only those people who have sincerely tried to live in charity, humility and purity can enjoy such intimacy with God.

Each of us needs to remember that we shall one day die. Shall we go to the grave in the love of God, confident that He will rescue us, and bring us up to Heaven, or shall we die when we have, at some stage of life earlier, cut ourselves off from Him? By our decisions and our behaviour today, each of us is making our way towards Heaven or towards Hell.

We cannot see God, but we see signs of His action wherever we see acts of true charity. Love involves sacrifice, however. It should not be confused with sentimentality - or with merely human affection which can be blown away like a scrap of paper in a breeze, if hardships occur. Real love comes from God. His love, in our hearts, can help us to bear the sufferings that life can bring.