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God receives the greatest honour when the priest's supreme desire at Mass is to give glory to Him through a reverent offering of the Holy Sacrifice. A good priest also wishes to edify the congregation, but he recognises that the Mass is God's act: infinitely powerful and effective no matter how well or badly the participants prepare and take part.

When priest and people all face in the same direction at Mass, they are all looking together, towards the Father, to praise Him through Christ.

When priest and people all face in the same direction at Mass, they are all looking together, towards the Father, to praise Him through Christ.

Bishops and priests should wake up each day burning with desire to spread the Catholic Faith, actively thinking of new ways to explain and spread it.

A person who is trapped in immorality, to satisfy his appetites, is like a man living deep in the earth, in a small cellar with a trap-door. For a Christian to live like that is shameful - and for a priest to do so is especially tragic - though even the most sinful people can be helped by the intercessions of others.

At the Consecration at Mass, at Blackfriars in Oxford, I saw Christ standing behind the altar, with the Dominican priests who were concelebrating. His glory shone all around, as I praised Him for His Real Presence and His love.

Someone whose faith is lukewarm, and whose practice of the Faith is careless and sporadic, is like the woman in the novel who grew old whilst dressed for her wedding, as the cobwebs and dust slowly covered her table and her life, trapping her in past dreams. Worst of all is a priest whose heart is dead and ministry fruitless.

It is true that the Lord sometimes sends special 'messengers' from amongst the laity to give praise or warnings from God, to priests and Bishops; the Lord also sends a 'special messenger' to the Bishops when He gives them a Pope of the quality of Benedict XVI, who is well-known for his orthodoxy and for his kindness to individuals.

Any priest who offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, yet rushes away to fulfil his own selfish plans, or to continue a sinful lifestyle, moves as if from Heaven to Hell in a few minutes, leaving the 'Heaven' which is Christ's Real Presence to the 'hell' which is human life when the 'door' has been shut to God.

Christ sees, as one of the sad mistakes in the Church today, the failure of some of the Clergy to speak necessary truths. Some are afraid to speak about marriage, or reverence, in case they 'drive people away'. Mutual flattery replaces the frank catechesis we need.

The mother of a priest should recognise her part in the development of his vocation. First, she was grateful for the gift of a child, when so many mothers choose to refuse that gift and arranged for their tiny babies to be destroyed in the womb. And most mothers of priests have provided encouragement in the Catholic Faith, and an example of trust in God.

The mother of a priest should recognise her part in the development of his vocation. First, she was grateful for the gift of a child, when so many mothers choose to refuse that gift and arranged for their tiny babies to be destroyed in the womb. And most mothers of priests have provided encouragement in the Catholic Faith, and an example of trust in God.

Christ looks on in horror, because many people today have refused to welcome into their lives the little people - the infants - to whom He had given life. In choosing to destroy those infants in the womb they have wiped out the adults they would have become: mothers, fathers, priests, nuns, pianists, politicians, drivers, and others - all created by God; but each has been denied by their parents an earthly life to treasure and enjoy.

Christ looks on in horror, because many people today have refused to welcome into their lives the little people - the infants - to whom He had given life. In choosing to destroy those infants in the womb they have wiped out the adults they would have become: mothers, fathers, priests, nuns, pianists, politicians, drivers, and others - all created by God; but each has been denied by their parents an earthly life to treasure and enjoy.

We hear about 'women's health' or 'reproductive rights'; yet by changing the vocabulary, some people hide repulsive acts. Instead of 'abortion' we hear about 'termination', just as in the French Revolution people said they brought 'liberty and fraternity' - even as they executed thousands of innocent priests and religious.

We hear about 'women's health' or 'reproductive rights'; yet by changing the vocabulary, some people hide repulsive acts. Instead of 'abortion' we hear about 'termination', just as in the French Revolution people said they brought 'liberty and fraternity' - even as they executed thousands of innocent priests and religious.

We who are members of the Church are on a 'journey' of pilgrimage together, from earth to Heaven. It is sometimes necessary to make comments or suggestions on the state of the vehicles used, or the management and care of the needy, but not to berate individual clergymen.

Christ showed me the place in Heaven amongst the Saints that He has reserved for one of the Shepherds of His flock on earth; yet there is more brave work to be done before that place is filled.

There are many vocations wherever a 'high' view of the Sacred Priesthood is held, and where priests are seen as 'other Christs', with authority to govern, guide, preach, bless and forgive and offer the Holy Sacrifice.

There are many vocations wherever a 'high' view of the Sacred Priesthood is held, and where priests are seen as 'other Christs', with authority to govern, guide, preach, bless and forgive and offer the Holy Sacrifice.