Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/7495

7495 Carrying the cross.... Following Jesus....

January 6, 1960: Book 79

To live as My disciple also means to humbly carry the small cross that is imposed on you humans for the benefit of your soul.... Following Me is associated with taking the path to the cross as well which, however, will be bearable for each one of you because you can always call upon Me to help you carry your cross.... And you will not appeal in vain.... I will take your cross from you or ease your burden; I will not let you carry more than you are able to endure....

But you have to at least accept a small burden or you would not take up 'My discipleship' which, after all, is of utmost benefit for your soul....

To live as Jesus' disciple is a really great advantage for the soul, for then it will endure much suffering and thus improve itself while still living on earth, it will enter the kingdom of the beyond purged and thus will have already purged itself of much which would only be an obstacle to beatitude, for the soul has to be purified if it is to wear a garment of light, and thus enter into the kingdom of light. And one day it will be grateful to Me that it was allowed to rid itself of its impurities whilst still on earth, but this also entails travelling the path to the cross, carrying the small cross with which I burden every human being who wants to be My true disciple, who wants to accompany Me on My path to the cross and remove part of his guilt of sin himself while on earth. He will find forgiveness of his guilt, all sins will be remitted to him, for I died on his behalf on the cross, but his soul's state can vary in its degree of light, and in order to render the soul translucent all impurities have to be removed, it has to clear away what it is capable of removing itself, and thereby it will only increase its own degree of light which it otherwise has to acquire in the beyond through deeds of love for the souls who are in need of help....

The soul will indeed find forgiveness of sins through the Redemption of Jesus Christ, and that means that it will also enter the kingdom of light; but the varying abundance of light depends on the work the soul performs on itself, which happens through deeds of love and endurance of suffering. That is why every soul is burdened with carrying a cross and therefore it should not fail. It has to carry it patiently or appeal to Me for relief, and I will truly not leave it without help.... As soon as you turn to Me the burden will become perceptively less, for I want you to call Me since I, as the bearer of the cross, always want to walk by your side in order to support and strengthen you when the burden appears to become heavier for you.... Then, by all means, you may look for the One Who wants to take the weight off you, Who will place the burden upon His Own shoulders in order to release you from it.... Yet you should not dispose of the cross entirely if you want to be true followers of Jesus, for He carried the heaviest cross on your behalf because he had accepted all of humanity's guilt of sin and carried it until the end of His path.... It was often too much for his strength as a human being but He carried it for love of humanity, which He wanted to redeem from the consequences of all sins the human race languished in. And thus you, too, should carry your cross with love for Me in Jesus Christ until the end of your earthly life, and you will gratefully realise the advantage your soul has gained by 'following Jesus' when it enters the spiritual kingdom with an abundance of light and freedom, because it will have already removed all burden of sin during its path to the cross, because it enters purified through the gate of eternity into eternal life....

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna