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The Lord showed me a town, in which I had attended a funeral. He wants everyone in the town to ask: "Where am I going to spend Eternity?" Everyone needs to reflect upon that question, whether old or young, of one religion or another, sick or healthy, rich or poor, and whatever their background, race or occupation.

Whenever we turn to Jesus with sincere hearts, He pours out His graces upon us: His power and His spiritual gifts; yet the greater the number of needy people we 'carry' to Him in our hearts, in prayer, the greater the number of graces.

As a river follows its course, downwards, so a person freely sets his own course. If he chooses - by the grace of Christ - to aim for sanctity and Heaven, in the love of Christ, he will move in that direction - if he chooses selfishness and sinful pleasures he will be choosing to move steadily towards Hell, unless he repents in time.

Even when family members are plainly affectionate and helpful to one another, they are capable of doing terrible things if they live in ignorance of God's laws, without the life of grace, in disbelief of God's existence, and with their minds unable to understand God's wishes or to carry them out. They need the grace of God, and conversion. People are not saved by good humour or optimism, if they lead utterly Godless lives.

It is tragic that so many people have not been baptised. A family which is affectionate but which ignores or disbelieves in God, and has no respect for the Commandments, cannot be saved by qualities of optimism or human warmth - but only by the grace of Christ accepted. They need the prayers of the faithful, that they will open their eyes to the truth which they have never encountered, or have half-heard, and dismissed.

The Mass is far more than a sacred meal. The Sacrifice which Christ once offered on the Cross, as He prayed for sinners to be forgiven, and gave up His life without complaint to conquer sin and death, is available for every generation. Christ has marvellously arranged that He is Really Present in every Mass, in every era, praying for sinners just as He prayed from the Cross, though He no longer suffers. It is the same Sacrifice, however, since the same Victim offers Himself, on the altar as on the Cross; and His true friends attend, and adore Him, and receive Him in Holy Communion, and receive the graces He won.

Whether we suffer from frail minds, or assaults from the evil one, if sad memories of past times keep on cruelly returning, we can freely choose with God's help to turn away, and to dwell on present-day gifts and grace. We can be like a sensible person who, instead of staying in a cinema to finish watching a horrifying film, for 'entertainment', goes through the exit, to enjoy sunlight, and real life.

Have we repented, and become children of God? The Father and His Son invite us to look at other people just as The Blessed Trinity look upon us, seeing us as we are now, in a state of grace, serving God and our neighbour. We should forget the behaviour and outlook of past times, which people have repented of, and left behind. If we are charitable, we resemble Christ, Who is transforming us.

Christ looks on with sadness when He sees people being received into the Church who have not been encouraged towards a radical conversion, but who enter the Church to receive the sacraments while persevering in behaviour which is, objectively speaking, gravely sinful, for example, co-habitation and contraceptive use.

It is easy to forget God's gifts, and to remember only our difficulties. Everyone on earth has suffering to bear, some much more than others. Yet we can freely choose whether to cope bravely with it, by God's grace, or to give in to self-pity. Some of those faithful people whose love for Christ was sincere but weak, and who were full of self-pity, or who even committed suicide, now languish in Purgatory, seeing at last how much they have sinned.

Mother Teresa, and Pope John Paul II, each suffered greatly in earthly life, but did so without grumbling; rather, they accepted and offered up their pains in union with Christ, to save souls and to help the Church; and, through their faith in Christ, and His grace, they are now being embraced by Him in Heaven. They are immensely joyful.

People in mortal sin are in great need of help, the help which can be brought to them through the prayers of other people. Divine grace can be brought to souls through intercession, just as dramatically as if a life-line were to be suddenly thrown to a person about to be swept over a huge waterfall, to her doom.

Many people have a poor understanding of the purpose of the Priesthood. It's as if they peer at these men through a great cloud of incomprehension, and yet expect Baptism, marriage services and burial. If more of the Clergy did what the Lord has called them to do - asking sinners to repent and to avoid Hell, and to accept the grace that leads to Heaven, people would understand them more clearly, and some would respect them for their courage.

If we accept unavoidable sufferings with patience, from love for Christ, and offer them as a penance for sinners' conversions, in union with Christ, like Christ, it's as if we help Him to carry His Cross. We give evidence that His Passion was not wasted on us, but that we have accepted His graces and long for salvation for ourselves and others.

Very few Catholics accept the truth: that it is Christ Who teaches us through His Church; and that she teaches the truth about faith and morals. It is with pride that many speak, when they say, in effect: "On the subject of contraception, I know better, what is right and wrong, than all these Patriarchs, Prophets, teachers, Popes, Bishops and Saints."

We are right to be confident when we ask the Saints of Heaven to pray for us or for people in need. Their prayers rise up like incense to the throne of God, and bring down upon us graces from Heaven. This is especially true when we pray at the shrine of a Saint: a shrine blessed by the Church.

We must never forget how much Christ has changed our lives, through His grace and guidance. Nor must we forget how great is the need for continued evangelisation, as whole communities seem to follow the world's way of selfishness rather than Christ's way of selfless love. People need firm teaching about how we cannot serve two masters. We choose, by our behaviour, to serve God or Satan.

God wants to save us. People who accept Christ's invitation to follow His Way to peace, forgiveness and joy can reach the bliss of Heaven, if they persevere until death, to enjoy the company of the saints at the heart of the Blessed Trinity; however, the caverns of Hell are full of terrified people who have refused the graces of Christ, refused to follow His Way, and instead have found themselves, after death, at the mercy of the demons who have long ago chosen to disobey God. These sinners freely chose to ignore Christ's love, and Christ's warnings.

God wants to save us. People who accept Christ's invitation to follow His Way to peace, forgiveness and joy can reach the bliss of Heaven, if they persevere until death, to enjoy the company of the saints at the heart of the Blessed Trinity; however, the caverns of Hell are full of terrified people who have refused the graces of Christ, refused to follow His Way, and instead have found themselves, after death, at the mercy of the demons who have long ago chosen to disobey God. These sinners freely chose to ignore Christ's love, and Christ's warnings.

When we have emerged from sinful ways, as if from underground, it is important to strive fervently to stay in the path which leads to the distant mountain of sanctity. Our aim is to reach - by God's grace - the glory of God in Heaven; so we should keep walking, pausing only to put right those things we have done wrong; and we must keep our minds on Heavenly things, not on past sins or temptations.