Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/2429

2429 Graces of the work of redemption.... living faith in it....

July 31, 1942: Book 33

Faith in Christ's work of redemption is only a living faith when every doubt in a person disappears that Jesus Christ died on the cross for humanity out of love for it.... As soon as Christ's death on the cross is only seen as the execution of a judgement on a human being, i.e. only taken note of in purely historical terms, the human being only acknowledges a fact without realizing the meaning of the word 'redemption'. In order to understand the meaning of this word, he must first be convinced that the man Jesus possessed great power which enabled Him to avert the painful death on the cross from Himself. Furthermore, he must be in no doubt that Jesus was full of love and that He wanted to make a sacrifice to His fellow human beings in love.... that He therefore did not use His strength, which He could dispose of at any time, in order to offer humanity a sacrifice of love.... that He wanted to suffer for humanity in order to spare it unspeakable suffering.... that He therefore wanted to 'redeem' it from its suffering through His death on the cross.... and that He therefore switched off His divine strength and power and suffered and died in human weakness.... When a person clearly realizes this, faith in the work of redemption comes alive and the desire to belong to those for whom Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross awakens in him. And in his heart he calls upon the divine saviour to have mercy on him and to take care of his weakness. The man Jesus had become knowledgeable through His profound love, while humanity was in spiritual night through its great lack of love, and Jesus knew about people's spiritual low and its effect, and it took pity on Him.... He tried to help humanity, He tried to bring it light and therefore taught it love, which alone could lead people to the light.... But He found little favour with them and they therefore remained in their darkness. Jesus, however, foresaw their terrible suffering and He knew about their lack of will, which made it impossible to change their way of life.... He wanted to help them, He wanted to strengthen their will and give them power. And so He offered Himself to God as a sacrifice of atonement in order to transfer the power that was fully at His disposal to the people who now wanted to receive this power from His hands. Thus He acquired the blessings of the act of salvation for humanity, which can now be received by anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and His act of salvation.... who is therefore aware of the great significance of Jesus' death on the cross and wants to share in the blessings Jesus Christ acquired for people, for he has a living faith in the divine saviour and entrusts himself and his soul to His divine love....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers