There is no excel spreadsheet in heaven of all the prayers or good works that you must do to be granted access to heaven. We can do no action that benefits God in any way, because He is God, He is eternal, already complete and if we could do an action that benefited Him, then in some way He would be found to be lacking in something. This is why the gift of the sacrifice of God's son, Jesus is completely, free and unmerited, because if all the human beings that have ever lived prayed constantly from their conception to their death could still not open the gates of Heaven and save us from the eternal suffering of hell they way that the blood of Jesus did.
Yet, God gives us an 'action' plan of salvation. We are not to just stay in our Churches and 'check the box' of Sunday Mass or Church service and think we are 'done' with God stuff for that week. Have we basically gone up to God after a week of living the way WE choose and not the way GOD chooses and saying, "So God, are we good?" These are the lukewarm most in danger of eternal fire because they seek only something for themselves and nothing for their brother or sister.
This action that God seeks of us is an action of love for another that is completely hidden, between you and God alone. If you are seeking notoriety, or to tell someone of the good works you do, then your audience is your God, not Jesus. In being hidden we communicate more effectively with God and He begins our path of purification. But what action are we to do if we can do nothing for God? What did God himself do? He went forth from the Temple (Church), and preached the word of salvation, healing the sick, not only for their healing and wholeness but to show the truth of God. But you would say that He was not hidden at these times, and you would be correct. However, there were far more times that Jesus was hidden and spoke the truth of God and healed the sick that are not written in scripture. Jesus wasn't doing anything for God, He is God, Jesus was showing the truth of God and how we are supposed to respond to His word by His love and action for another.
This is what Jesus is telling us...YOU ARE FOR THE OTHER, serve, pray, teach, heal, raise the dead. Yes...MIRACLES are possible, but you must be COMPLETELY FOR THE OTHER, seeking NOTHING for yourself but the salvation of the soul that God has put in your path.
There is a Jesus that you don't know, that can only be revealed through praying and studying the path of the Passion. Jesus felt the sins of those around Him, and this sin was painful. Jesus was fully God and His heart suffered feeling the sins of those around Him. He then offered this pain back to the Father for them. This was before the Passion. Jesus was hurting for those in sin long before the Passion, but it is not recorded in scripture. This is the hidden POURING OUT OF SELF FOR YOUR BRETHREN that Jesus is calling each of us to do.
It is in this pouring out of self for another in a hidden way that is between you and God alone that our hearts begin the path of purification. God shapes our hearts to be like either His Son's Sacred Heart, or the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Mother's especially are put on the path of purification toward the Immaculate Heart.
It is not what we do that merits us heaven, for what we do shall not be weighed on the scales of infinite justice, but WHAT WE DO WITH THE INTENTION IN OUR HEART AT THE TIME OF OUR ACTION, WORD OR THOUGHT.
The mystery of being hidden, is that right now, you have a hidden heart that only you know. If you think that God does not see, or know what is deep in your heart, think again. What is hidden on Earth will be revealed for all to see in Eternity.
Right now, your hidden heart is either striving for heaven, or striving for hell, you can't straddle the fence with God. So even if you donate to charity, or volunteer at a homeless shelter, but are in an adulterous relationship, God knows it all. Don't' think that you can commit adultery and then do 'something for God' to make up for it like charity. You are still on the road to hell. God remembers everything we do, say and our intention for our actions FOR ALL ETERNITY.. REPENT while there is still time and return back to God, completely, with thought, word, action...and in the secret of our hearts.
When you die and face the Judgement, it is your actions, WITH YOUR HEART that will be weighed against the Crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Will your heart be weighed against this eternal and perfect pouring out of the holy blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and found to be lacking? Does the devil have his finger on your side of the scale, pulling you to him?
This is also why those that lay their life down for another, the martyrs who offer their life for the reason of love alone go straight to heaven and do not suffer Purgatory because their offering of their very lives for love alone mirrors Christ's offering on the cross.
Time is short...turn your heart fully to God while there is time.
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