Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/7458

7458 Think often about the hour of death....

November 18, 1959: Book 78

Let it be said to all of you that every day the time you have left until the end is getting shorter.... that the time of grace, in which you can work and create after your own will, will soon be over. All your work and activity should only just relate to the salvation of your souls, you should only consider your souls and put aside all worldly things, for when you take care of your soul's salvation everything else you require will be given to you, so that you would nevertheless be maintained without your own effort. But your soul's salvation is in great danger by living your earthly life as you do now.... by only paying attention to worldly things and forgetting that your lifetime will soon be over. You keep going with the wrong attitude and just consider your body, even if you want to present yourselves to the world as 'Christians'.... You do not live with Christ, Who is and wants to remain your eternal salvation, but Who can only be united with you if you live a life of love.... You still love yourselves too much, for all you think about is to improve your standard of life; you just try to please your body....

But do you consider your soul and what it needs to become blessed? After all, you know that you will not stay on earth forever, that you can be called away even tomorrow, and that then only the state of your soul will determine the fate that is awaiting it in the kingdom of the beyond. Then all the things the body had owned and the person will have to leave behind in this world will be worthless. Then all efforts for the sake of the body and its comfort will have been futile, but the soul stands poor and needy at the gate of eternity.... If only you humans would bear the soul's unhappy state in mind, if only you would seriously think more often about your hour of death, and if only you would believe that the short time of grace you were given as a reprieve in order to change will soon be over....

Every day can bring riches to your soul if you live fully in the right way, if you do kind deeds, if you radiate love and kindness to your fellow human beings and help where your help is required; if you make contact with your eternal Father in prayer, if you establish the right relationship with Him like a child with its father.... It need not be a sacrifice for you, you can truly lead a God-pleasing life, yet you have to think of Him more often, you should not exclusively spend your thoughts on the world and its demands, you must always realise that everything the world can offer you is transient, but that everything which comes from God will last forever.... And in order to receive something from God which you can keep as a spiritual treasure, you will have to establish a connection with Him and remain in contact through prayer and loving actions.... Not much is asked of you but without this heartfelt bond you will always remain poor, and at the time of death your soul will be very deprived and miserable....

And yet, it cannot be given anything that it has not acquired itself.... For this reasons you humans can only ever be warned and admonished not to walk through life irresponsibly but always think about the hour of your death, when you have to give account of how you have utilised your earthly life for the benefit of your souls.... Take stock of yourselves, think things over and strive towards the maturity of your soul, and you shall always receive help if only you verify to God your good will of coming closer to Him in order to one day being allowed to stay with Him completely once your soul has become worthy of it....

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna