Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/7509

7509 Spiritual need of the neighbour....

January 27, 1960: Book 79

And this shall become a blessing for you yourselves if you take care of your neighbour in his spiritual hardship. To alleviate earthly hardship is indeed the commandment of neighbourly love, that you should do to him what you want to be done to you when you are in the same hardship. But you should also help him in spiritual hardship, and this will have an effect on his soul as well as on your soul. For spiritual hardship is far worse than earthly hardship, because the latter will end with the passing away of earthly life, but spiritual hardship will be taken over into the kingdom of the beyond and will have a dreadfully agonizing effect on the soul. And you can help your neighbour in spiritual adversity if you first help him to a living faith.... if you point him to Jesus Christ, without Whom no human being can become blessed. If your neighbour is still completely without faith then he is in great spiritual hardship and it will not be easy work for you to help him to faith. But you can encourage him to work with love, you can first influence him so that he practices love, and then it will already be easier for him to believe what you recite to him. And this is first of all the knowledge about Jesus Christ and His act of salvation which you should pass on to your neighbour who does not yet possess it.... And he will soon be able to believe it if he is of good will and therefore also lovingly active. But it also has to be conveyed to him in all truth so that it will not cause his rejection and then it will be very difficult to ever make him understand the act of salvation. Truth alone has the power to influence a well-meaning person, but he will immediately reject error and destroy all vineyard work on him. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is to know the truth yourselves before you can offer spiritual help to your neighbour.... but you, who are taught by Me directly, have much spiritual knowledge in your hands which you can impart to him, and your love will also ensure your success, for whatever you undertake with love for your neighbour will not be without success.... It will benefit his soul, just as you yourselves will receive more the more you give away of your spiritual wealth, for the need is great.... People try to remedy earthly hardship themselves, even if they approach you as their brothers for help.... But they don't think about spiritual hardship and therefore don't ask for help either. And therefore you should offer it to them yourselves; wherever you can you should direct your conversations to a spiritual basis, you should try to find out your neighbour's attitude in the spiritual sphere, and you should proclaim the gospel to them, i.e. stimulate them to be active in love.... And then you will also find the opportunity to speak of Jesus Christ and His act of salvation and notice the impression this makes on the people you thus teach.... And even if you only achieve a small success you will nevertheless have rendered an invaluable service to your neighbour, for the words you used to him will not be lost.... They will take root and one day the seed will sprout and a strong faith can develop from it, depending on the willingness of the person you show true neighbourly love towards. Therefore often think of your neighbour's spiritual hardship and try to help him. And it will truly be a blessing for him and for you, for I Myself will support you, I Myself will knock on the hearts of those, and blessed are those who open the door of their hearts to Me when I desire entrance....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers