I want to begin with a question: If you were to die tonight and at the pearly gates of Heaven St. Peter asked you, "Why should I let you into heaven?," what would you say? Would you list all the good things you’ve done? Would you beg and hope for the best? What would you say? 

Growing up, my family went to mass every Sunday. I believed that God was real and that He loved me, but my faith was simple and centred around the activities we did as a family. In high school, my faith became more my own. I made friends who encouraged me in my walk with God, and by the time I entered university, I was committed to Jesus and to practising my Catholic Faith. But something was missing.

Around this time, I was asked the same question: If you were to die tonight and at the gates of Heaven, St. Peter asked you, "Why should I let you into heaven?," what would you say?" I couldn’t answer. My internal reaction was, “I’m a good person. I haven’t ever done anything really bad.” The truth was, I didn’t understand just how much my sin, any sin, separated me from God. I didn’t think I needed saving, so why would I need a saviour?

The Summer after my first year of university changed this for me. I still loved Jesus and went to mass and confession, but I wanted to be accepted by the new friends I had made so I started drinking and partying with them as well. I knew that my actions were a contradiction to the good life I had been trying to lead, and I felt ashamed. By the end of the Summer, I was tired of living a sinful lifestyle and eager to put that chapter of my life behind me.

      That Fall, during a time of adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament, I encountered the weight of my sin. I understood for the first time that I had separated myself from God eternally through my actions. In my mind, I was no longer the “good person” that I once was and I definitely couldn’t attain heaven now. I sat, consumed for a long time by the weight of that realisation. 

Then, while I was preparing to lead a Catholic faith study a couple weeks later, something shifted in my heart. In the leader’s notes, it emphasised the importance of knowing the difference between Jesus as, “Lord and Saviour,” and knowing that He was my “personal Lord and Saviour.” In that moment, I finally realised that I needed Jesus to save me from my sin. And that, no matter how good I was, without God’s grace and mercy to bridge the eternal gap of my sins, I could never get to heaven.

No longer was I tied to the conviction that “I hadn’t really ever done anything bad,” that “I was just a good person.” It was only through God’s unconditional love that I was ever going to get to heaven. At last, I knew in my heart that God wanted to know me, wanted to be in relationship with me so much, that He sent His only Son to die for me personally. Even if I were the only person who had sinned throughout all of history, He still would have died for me. Not because of anything good I had done, but because of how good God is. 

    My life changed radically after that moment. Whereas before I felt heavy and anxious from the effects of my sin, I now felt Joy and peace like I had heard others describe. In fact, I was so filled with Joy at having encountered God’s personal love for me, I shared my experience with anyone who would listen. I could not stop talking about God’s goodness!

Since then, my walk with God has not always been easy, but I no longer worry about whether I will get to heaven. I know Jesus has, is and will continue to save me from my sins - and He can for you, too. God’s Love can transform you if you let it. The only question is, will you? Inviting Jesus into your life is as simple as saying yes.