Often when we look at the lives of the saints, we can be intimidated by their stories. Many of them did such heroic deeds that it seems impossible for us to get to Heaven. There are stories of saints who never slept, always prayed through the night and constantly wore chains and hair shirts for penance.
Does that mean that I have to do the same if I want to get to Heaven?
[featured-image single_newwindow=”false”]Elijah in the wilderness, by Washington Allston[/featured-image]
To find the answer to this question, let’s return to The Way of a Pilgrim.
As the Pilgrim continues to wander about the countryside, he encounters what appears to be a very holy man. He goes on to explain to the Pilgrim how he lives a very devout life:
“I eat only bread and drink once a day. Every morning I rise at cockcrow and make prostrations till dawn. When I pray, I light seven candles before the icons. During the day…I wear heavy chains next to my skin. I do not use abusive language, do not quarrel with anyone, do not drink beer or wine, and I have never hand anything to do with women” (36).
At first glance this man appears to be a living saint. However, he relates to the Pilgrim his struggles to maintain peace of mind and heart. There is much anxiety in his life and he is beginning to doubt everything about God.
The Pilgrim sees through his many exterior acts and diagnoses the problem. The man has the wrong motivation. The Pilgrim explains:
“Abstaining from sinful actions and fear of suffering are not sufficient for spiritual life…inner freedom can be attained only through interior prayer and, I repeated, not through fear of the sufferings of hell or even the desire for the bliss of heaven…..the fear of suffering is the way of a slave and that desire for a reward is the way of a hireling….God wants us to come to Him on the path of a son; motivated by love and zeal for His glory, we should conduct ourselves with honor and enjoy His saving presence in our hearts and souls” (37, emphasis added).
This is the key to Eternal Life. It does not matter if we live on bread and water, pray on our knees all day long or spend our time trying to do something extraordinary. The only thing that matters is what is invisible.
God does not want slaves who pray 7 times a day out of fear. Jesus said:
“I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. (John 15:15).
Saint Paul affirmed the same thing and reminded us that we are sons and daughters of God:
“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:15-17).
God also does not want “heroic” men and women who believe that they can gain the rewards of Heaven if they do a series of prayers or novenas.
Heaven is not a prize to be won.
The Rich Young Man found that out when he told Jesus that he had kept all the commandments since his youth. Jesus challenged the Rich Young Man to go even further than an adherence to the 10 Commandments. The man still needed to give-up his earthly attachments and commit His life fully to God (see Matthew 19).
While there were many saints who did heroic deeds and extreme fasts, that was not why they entered into Eternal Life; it was their motivation that mattered.
So let us examine our own motives. Are we faithful Christians because we fear Hell? Do we pray every day because we believe what we do will get us to Heaven? Or do we follow Christ out of love?
God does not want slaves or hirelings. He wants sons and daughters.
Read the Entire Series
- Do You Need to Break Free From a Sinful Habit? Try this Powerful Remedy
- A Short and Simple Prayer That Can Transform Your Life
- Why We Must Never Stop Searching for the Truth
- My Spiritual Reading for Lent: “The Way of a Pilgrim”