ON PIETY

Many people believe that a spiritual life, a life which leads to heaven, consists in piety, keeping a holy external appearance and renouncing the world. But piety without charity, and a holy external without a holy internal, and the renunciation of the world without living like this in the world do not make up a spiritual life. What do make it up are piety inspired by charity, a holy external inspired by a holy internal, and the renunciation of the world combined with living like this in the world.