All my life my study has been to avoid suffering as much as possible, to make my life a comfortable one. How unlike my Jesus I have been, who sought to suffer on every occasion for me, for me. I should be glad when pain comes and welcome it, because it makes me more like Jesus.

COMMENT: How we can all identify with Fr Doyle’s words today. Our entire modern society is arranged in such a way as to maximise our comforts. Much of the technological advancement of recent decades has been oriented towards our comfort, and it seems that everyone has gained from this.

At one level this is not inherently a bad thing. But we must also remember that we serve a crucified Lord. If we buy into a consumerist mentality whereby all of our effort and our thought is occupied with our comfort, our appetite, our leisure and our whims, then can we really say that we are following the Master who had nowhere to lay His head?

As St Thomas More said, we cannot get to Heaven on a feather bed.