Theological Foundations new file

190 Theological Foundations together with those with whom we associated. It is possible that we will be counted among the sinners at this tribunal if we gave in to their influ- ence. This is why we must avoid their company even now and refuse to participate in their crimes. 52 We must renounce all evil and transform ourselves into true Christians. A true Christian should be devoted to fast- ing, vigil and prayer. He should be totally dedicated to the fulfillment of God’s will. He should keep daily vigil at the door of his heart waiting for God’s will, which will be expressed by the inspirations from above or other signs. Happy is this servant of God who keeps vigil and is at peace with regard to his fate. The Lord tells him to rest, sit at the table and He will serve him. This is already a path to contemplation and to attaining great spiritual peace. 53 No one will rise to heaven if he does not die to earthly things. “For just as the bird trapped in the snares cannot fly up into the air, so also the human spirit lured by pleasures, ensnared by the worldly attractions, immersed in sins, cannot rise up to heaven. The Heavenly Teacher instructs: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (Jn 12, 24). Similarly, the man who loves what is temporal will not have eternal life.” 54 And again, keeping vigil is very helpful here. For just as we do not know when the lightning will strike during a storm, but we see the light that precedes the strike, so also no one knows the time when Christ will come to judge, yet we do know that the judgment will be preceded by a severe verdict striking the sinner. Therefore, we must conduct ourselves in such a man- ner as if we were being judged every day. We must live in such a way as to be ready to give an account of our lives before the Divine Judge with- out fear and at any given moment. 55 In Father Papczynski’s opinion, the method of keeping vigil that is most beneficial to our spiritual life is prayer, which he calls interior silence. It consists in acknowledging, worshiping and blessing God pre- sent everywhere, walking in His sight modestly, faithfully and piously, as it is proper for servants to behave in the presence of the Master. We should contemplate Him in all creatures, not only in ourselves, because