Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/4901

4901 Transcending matter....

May 21, 1950: Book 55

The goods of this world lose their value as soon as the spiritual kingdom has opened its horn of plenty and pours it out on people. Therefore you will always be able to recognize who is in contact with the spiritual kingdom, be it consciously or unconsciously through a God-pleasing way of life, for the world does not mean much to him. But there are only a few of them, the majority of people are held fast by matter and have no will of their own to detach themselves from it, which would also give them the strength to do so. Matter exerts an ever stronger attraction on the inhabitants of the earth the closer it gets to the end. Matter pulls the human being down, therefore he is in greatest danger, and if he is to be helped it is only possible that matter is taken from him through divine will. He must be forcibly released from matter in order to still be able to renounce it of his own free will or to desire matter again with all his senses and strive to regain it. Then he has rejected help, his striving obviously goes downwards.... matter becomes his ruin.... Then he is granted what his desire stands for, but in a different way.... He does not gain earthly goods, but he himself becomes what he desires.... (22.5.1950) to the hardest matter, which again requires endless times to overcome. But as long as he stays on earth he has the opportunity to free himself from it as soon as only his thoughts take the direction of will towards the spiritual kingdom. For once he is touched by its emanation then the love for matter begins to diminish, the soul feels the benefit of the spiritual rays and surrenders to them more and more. A touch from the spiritual kingdom already takes place when the human being listens to the divine word. Mere listening with the physical ear has no effect yet, the human being's heart has to open up to it and heart and intellect have to process what is heard; then the spiritual rays of light begin to have an effect and emerge as a counterweight to matter. The time until the end is only short and yet it is enough to change a person's will, for with good will the influence from the spiritual kingdom can bring about a change in thinking within a short time, which is evident in the reduced desire for the world and its pleasures, for earthly possessions and honour and glory. A spiritually striving person withdraws from the world, he begins to turn inwards, he certainly still lives in the material world but is little touched by it, and therefore the spiritual world can have a successful effect on him, for it distributes in the same measure what earthly goods are given away, only that it gives goods of everlasting value which help the soul to eternal life. The world has to be sacrificed in order to be able to receive spiritual good; but where the eyes are still focused on earthly matter, on the world with its pleasures, spiritual good can hardly be guided there.... But if you humans knew how short your earthly existence is and that you, who desire the world, would then lose everything you now strive for, you would gladly and joyfully gather wealth for yourselves which will last for eternity. But full knowledge cannot be granted to you, i.e., you will indeed be told that it is so but you will not be forced to believe it because you should freely decide to surrender matter in order to exchange spiritual possessions. You must stand in the midst of the world and learn to despise it, you must have everything at your disposal and voluntarily relinquish it, you must detach your heart from it even though you are earthly blessed with many goods, you must sacrifice what is dear to you to your fellow human being in need.... Then you will receive everything you give back in imperishable form; you will receive a treasure from the spiritual kingdom which will enrich you unspeakably and which you need never fear to lose. For you will take this treasure with you into the spiritual kingdom when the end has come or when you are prematurely called away into eternity. Detach yourselves from matter, give it up voluntarily and change your desire while there is still time so that you need not fear the end which will bring the ruin of everything that still surrounds you as matter.... Gather spiritual goods for yourselves which will not pass away even if the whole earth passes away in order to be shaped anew again....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers