Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/8508

8508 Bearing suffering for fellow human beings....

May 25, 1963: Book 89

I will also give you an explanation as to whether you can bear suffering for your fellow man or whether every person must bear the burden himself which was assigned to him for the salvation of his soul.... You humans must consider that your soul is supposed to mature fully during your earthly life, that all still immature substances should spiritualise themselves, which happens through love or suffering, for this dissolves the layers which still prevent the light of My love from radiating into the soul. And at the same time such substances of the body which are still immature are also a problem for the human being by causing him all kinds of diseases and thus, with patience, love and in submission to My will, they should be calmed and therefore spiritualised which is, after all, your real earthly task, to help your soul towards the greatest possible level of perfection. And this spiritualisation of soul and body must be accomplished by every person himself, this work can never be done by someone else on his behalf, and one day he will be grateful to Me that, by way of suffering and adversity, I helped him gain perfection. Consequently you can understand that you should not really try to avert anything which can benefit your fellow human being's soul.... If, however, love is impelling you to offer yourselves to Me asking to bear your fellow human being's suffering then I will not stop you in your love.... It will be temporarily taken from the person and placed upon you, and thus you raise your soul's maturity because you are willing to accept more suffering and are motivated by love to do so.

One has suffered for all of you in order to release you from the immense suffering you would have had to take upon yourselves as penance for your guilt of sin, which was the reason why earthly life is a valley of tears and suffering for you humans.... But now all you humans can turn to this One Who will also take your suffering upon His shoulders and help you carry it.... Whose substituted atonement was accepted by Me and to Whom you should go if your suffering weighs you down, and he will help you carry it or take it from you depending on what is best for you.

However, the love of a fellow human being who is willing to suffer on your behalf is very highly valued, and this love will also guarantee you a flow of strength, for love is strength which will noticeably affect the sufferer.... And if someone offers loving intercession for you who have to suffer, the strength of this love can so permeate you that you will no longer feel the degree of suffering.... that your pain and agonies temporarily disappear, and your souls benefit from the strength of this love.... and thus mature and become less sensitive to pain.... The degree of love always determines the benefit the sufferer derives from such a prayer of love for him. And since the maturing of the soul is the purpose of earthly life and there are many possibilities to achieve this, it should be recognised first and foremost and not be prevented. True love, however, knows why a person has to suffer and will help him endure and make it easy for him to accept God's will.... And then I will take the cross from him and his soul will have moved a step forwards again....

Love and suffering help the soul to reach the goal.... If a person still has a low degree of love then greater suffering often occurs in order to hasten his soul's purification.... But this purification of soul can never be achieved by another person's conscious suffering on behalf of the former. Every soul is responsible for itself, and every soul has to reach its own maturity, which happens through love and suffering.... And the degree of suffering depends on the degree of love. I will certainly answer the prayer of someone who offers himself to bear suffering on behalf of a fellow human being because he loves him.... I will let him partake in the pain which he then has to endure. Yet he endures it for the purification of his own soul.... he indeed relieves the other person of the suffering for the sake of love, yet it serves him for his own perfection, whilst his fellow human being must likewise take care of himself and his psychological state of maturity, even if he is temporarily released from his suffering. No labour of love remains without result, yet where and how it takes effect remains My decision, Who knows every person's state of maturity and whom I will always consider accordingly.... And I give to every person what he is able to bear, and it is enough that he calls upon Jesus, the bearer of the cross, if he deems his burden too heavy for him.... And as long as the human being lives on earth he has the option to reach the goal of perfecting himself through love and suffering.... through following Jesus....

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna