Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/4458

4458 Danger of flattening (cath.).... duty.... free will....

October 11, 1948: Book 52

An unspeakable number of people are in danger of falling spiritually flat because they have adopted an erroneous view which makes serious reflection on the most important things seem unnecessary. What God demands of people is merely work on the soul and the fulfilment of the human being's duties for earthly life. But the work on the soul is the most important thing and can only be done from within, i.e. an attitude which corresponds to God's will must determine every thought, will and action, the human being, driven from within, must lead the way of life which pleases God. And this way of life is merely a life of unselfish loving activity towards his fellow human being. Then his soul will mature, then he will do the work on his soul which is the purpose and aim of his earthly life.... But how many people understand by a God-pleasing way of life an outwardly recognizable attitude towards a certain denomination....? How many people are of the erroneous opinion that God has prescribed certain outward appearances for them, and they make an effort to fulfil these conscientiously without, however, furthering the maturity of their soul. Now they do not live contrary to God per se but they do not progress either, they do not sin but do not gather spiritual goods either; they are not contrary to God but not God-connected either; they do nothing bad but nothing particularly good either, they are not cold but not hot either, and they therefore always remain on the same level, they do not ascend but their path is even and therefore does not lead to the aim which requires an ascent otherwise it will never be reached. It is not only a few people who are in this danger, but a large number belong to those who cannot be taught because they are firmly convinced that they walk the right path and have the right knowledge. But these people lack one thing: the awareness of their own weakness and the resulting need to lean on the one to Whom they belong.... This awareness would make them request advice and help which God will not deny them but which also consists of guiding them into the right realization. People who do not correctly recognize divine will must first be correctly instructed and thus realize their ignorance and try to remedy it. This is a deeply humble admission of one's imperfection, which, however, is seldom made. Instead of humility, self-conceit is far more common, and this does not accept any teachings, but is convinced of the truth and the infallibility of one's own thinking. So the truth does not find its way in, because man thinks he is already in possession of the truth, which, however, would first have to be presented to him.

(12.10.1948) And thus countless people do not focus their attention on the transformation of their nature as it should be, instead they are content with adhering to laws which appear to be the most important to them because they are not properly instructed by those who call themselves My representatives on earth. However, it is only important how the individual person leads his daily life with regard to the spiritual life of the soul, i.e. how his conduct is in spiritual terms, whether it corresponds to God's will, i.e. whether it represents a fulfilment of His commandments of love. The commandment of love, however, predominantly extends to dealings with fellow human beings, with the neighbour, to whom the same measure of love should be given if the human being wants to fulfil the divine commandments. Activities which have nothing to do with neighbourly love, which in case of omission mean no harm to the fellow human being, are therefore also completely meaningless for the increase of soul maturity, they then fall into the category of worldly activities, which therefore serve some worldly purpose and therefore as purely worldly service cannot be evaluated for the degree of soul maturity. Laws which have been added to the fundamental law of love for God and neighbour are likely to make this fundamental law appear less important and therefore a danger to the human soul, so that precisely the commandments of love cannot be preached insistently enough, on the fulfilment of which the soul's salvation and thus its whole life in eternity depends. And again and again it has to be pointed out to people that they use their will wrongly if they use it to carry out humanly decreed commandments and believe that they have now fulfilled their duty, whereas they do not work on the transformation of their nature and therefore remain at the stage of their spiritual development, thus they make no progress during their earthly life. Only loving activity is required, for this fulfils the commandment of love which is the only one God has given to people so that they will become blissfully happy....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers