Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/2759

2759 Inner reflections and self-knowledge....

May 29, 1943: Book 34/35/36

A person pays too little attention to his inner life, otherwise he would recognize himself and his shortcomings better and try to remedy them. The work on his soul only begins when he recognizes his inadequacy, when he consciously strives for perfection, when he tries to ennoble himself by recognizing his faults and weaknesses. And he only realizes these when he deepens his inner self, i.e. when he subjects his life, actions and thoughts to serious criticism.... If he is a child of the world, then he only pays attention to outward appearances, he only sees his physical constitution, but not that of the soul, and all his thinking and willing is only directed towards the body and its needs, because the world constantly approaches man with its demands, which he now eagerly fulfils. And his inner life fades completely into the background. He will think little or not at all about his behaviour towards his fellow human beings, his attitude towards God and how he will stand up to himself if he is called to account for his thoughts and actions. And therefore he will not work on himself. Conscious soul work also includes recognizing his own.... man must criticize himself relentlessly, he must not overlook any faults and weaknesses, he must have the firm will to develop himself progressively, he must not be satisfied with himself but must always and constantly strive for perfection. And in order to want all this, he must be convinced of his unworthiness, of his inadequacy, but this is only the result of inner introspection. A person is usually honest with himself as soon as he subjects himself to an examination. And this inner, uninfluenced thinking first brings about a clear judgement of oneself, and this is then followed by work on oneself, because no human being is without faults. The more a person withdraws in order to dialogue with himself, with his vices and desires, the sooner he declares war on them, because the inner voice warns and admonishes him, if only he has the will to let this inner voice resound within him. Then it will draw his attention to every fault, it will spur him on to conscious soul work, it will urge him again and again to introspection, and he will become humble because he recognizes himself and his weaknesses and gives up all arrogance. And through such introspection he will mature inwardly, he will learn to understand the weaknesses of his fellow human beings because he finds them in himself, and he will ask for strength for his transformation, which he recognizes as necessary and therefore tackles seriously. The inner reflections have a very great ennobling value, because only now does the person learn to recognize himself and consciously work on himself....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers