 Thornton refers to the smallest of the groups as the Remnant, likening it to the remnant of Isaiah in the Old Testament.These are ordinary people of extraordinary devotion, more proficient than spiritually gifted, whom it is vital for the parish priest to identify and nurture through spiritual direction, for they are the dependable, beating, praying heart of the parish.They truly live their Christianity and form the core not just of the parish but of the universal "Church Militant".