Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/5647

5647 'Whoever is loved by God....'

April 9, 1953: Book 62

Whoever is loved by God often has to follow stony paths and carry burdens which almost crush him; but always only for his own good, for every burden of the cross can be a blessing for him if he has the right attitude towards Him Who directs his destiny. Whoever is loved by God.... He certainly loves all of His living creations but especially those who no longer have far to go in order to reach the final goal. He knows every human being's disposition and thus He also knows every individual person's attitude towards his God and Father of eternity, and He will often treat him accordingly in order to help him reach the goal. And only in this way should you explain the fact that God-devoted people who clearly fulfil His will have to suffer and often fight a difficult struggle for existence, which at times raises doubt about God's benevolence and love. God knows the purpose of everything, and if only people were convinced of His love and kindness they would also recognise everything as divine providence and not rebel against it, they would know themselves as being seized by God's love and patiently wait for their destiny to change again.

There is truly much suffering on earth, humanity is languishing under its weight, but it does not recognise itself in need of educating and therefore inwardly revolts against it when it should just humbly submit to it, so that all difficulties would be taken away again and God's help would manifest itself so clearly that He could be recognised as a loving Father by everyone who wants to recognise Him. Those who are loved by God are allowed to suffer.... These Words find little credence, for no-one considers that suffering is a truly effective method of upbringing in a world where people only ever strive to please their body, where God' love is not seen in situations of adversity and sorrow. And yet it is His love which manifests itself such that it is beneficial for the soul. For God knows the blessing of suffering and therefore He often uses such means in order to keep people back from the earthly world. He would rather see them suffer than plunge them into the mire of the world and its sin. He knows that disease and pain can result in a change, but that the world can never offer the soul spiritual success, so therefore the world has to be disregarded first, which God indirectly assists people in doing by keeping them back from the world and its dangers through means which seemingly lack God's love but are never harmful for the soul, unless the human being revolts against his destiny and invokes His adversary.

Then he will be helped indeed, but in a different way than the human being thinks.... he will certainly help but never without reward.... And this reward consists of handing the soul over to him. Therefore submit to God's will when you are affected by adversity and suffering, don't grumble and complain, bow down to His orders and lift your eyes up only to Him. And He will take the cross from you, He will make it easy for you as soon as you completely surrender yourselves to His merciful guidance. For you can always know yourselves loved by Him, Who through suffering and adversity only wants to win you for Himself, Who wants to purify your soul and time and again provides it with the opportunity to practise patience and gentleness, so that God's help will then visibly arrive, so that His love will visibly intervene and also heal all wounds when the time is right....

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna