Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/2562

2562 Love of matter regression (spiritual)....

November 26, 1942: Book 33

Every material thought helps to increase matter and is therefore a hindrance to the soul's progress. For as soon as the human being desires matter, the soul is returned to a state which it has long since overcome. It therefore enters again into the bond with this material, it joins again the still immature spiritual in matter, and this always means a step backwards for the soul. Thus the human being must be able to detach his thoughts at any time, he must seek contact with the spiritual, which is on a higher level, and he is not allowed to sever the contact once it has been established by desiring that which is part of the adversary of God. He will always pressurize the human being's thoughts, he will present himself to him in the pleasures of the world, in earthly pleasures or earthly possessions, and he will want to tempt the human being to only pay homage to such pleasures in order to distance him from God. And it is up to the human being to decide in favour of or against God. And if he now leans more towards the world, he increases matter through his consent. It is the thought spiritual power, which is now used in the wrong way, when man occupies himself mentally with that, what he is to overcome. He certainly is to fulfil his earth task in the midst of matter, but always only in such a way that he helps to redeem matter, that he leads it to its actual purpose, i.e. causes it to serve, that he therefore uses all matter for the benefit of fellowman and he thereby likewise works serving. But as soon as he desires matter for himself in order to create a pleasant life for himself, his love is for the still immature spiritual, which he tries to chain to himself but does not want to redeem it. This is a false love, it is a greed for possessions which is never beneficial to the soul, for the human being strives downwards instead of upwards, he seeks union with that which he has long since overcome and thus shapes himself regressively. But if he helps the spiritual in matter by enabling it to be of service, he shortens its course of development considerably, he helps the spiritual to overcome its outer form.... Matter is then not increased but diminished, while the spiritual within is set free to begin the battle against matter again in a new material shell. If a person's love is for matter, i.e. the outer shell, then it must be fought.... however, if it applies to the spiritual in the shell then love will have a redeeming effect, it will help the spiritual to freedom, whereas love for matter banishes the spiritual far longer in the form because it does not want to renounce it and such love means long times of imprisonment for the spiritual, which cannot flee from matter because it is made impossible for it to overcome matter....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers