Father Philip Writes...

November

​Jesus said, “There are many rooms in my Father’s house.”
By his Father’s House, Jesus meant heaven. The Jews held a belief that in heaven there are different grades of blessedness – stages upon the way to glory. The hymn “Love Divine” expresses stages in these words, “Changed from glory into glory, ‘til in heaven we take our place….” ​

Speaking in earthly terms we sometimes feel we would be too dazzled with too much splendour if, immediately on our death we were ushered into the very presence of God, and that we need to be cleansed and purified until we can face greater glory.

An earthly house can be overcrowded; an earthly inn must turn away a traveller if the accommodation is exhausted. In God’s house there is room for all, because heaven is as wide as the heart of God.

Many harbours are very difficult to approach. When great ships come in, a little pilot boat is sent out to guide them in. It goes before them and they follow it as it leads them through the channel into safe waters. That is an illustration of what Jesus did. He showed the way to heaven for us to follow.

St Thomas found this difficult to understand. Jesus said, “I AM THE WAY.” What did he mean? Just imagine you are in a strange town and ask for directions. 

A person may say: “1st right, 2nd left, go past the church and then 3rd left and 4th right.” I imagine most of us would be lost before we got half way. 
​​But if that person were to say, “Come with me, I’ll take you there,” we can’t go wrong. That is what Jesus does, as he walks with us. He does not tell us which way to go, but is there alongside us, for he IS the way.

​This month is dedicated as a month of prayer for the dead on their journey. They need purification; they need to grow and hence we sprinkle their graves with holy water as a sign of cleansing and growth. They need prayer; hence we use incense, which is a sign of prayer: many grains burning together to form a single vapour. The vestments at Mass are black, which symbolises sin. We pray that the departed may receive complete healing of body, mind and spirit in God’s kingdom.

 I am often asked about people who seemed to have little or no faith in God.
It is not for us to judge or jump to the conclusion that God has rejected them. I have often found more faith in the most unexpected people. Jesus spoke of faith “like a grain of mustard seed.” (Matt 17 v 20)

 It might be tiny at present but is capable of tremendous growth. 

I believe we should be positive and optimistic rather than negative and defeatist, for God is just and merciful.
​
“God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3 v 17)

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