Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/4039

4039 Weakness of people.... sin.... love....

May 14, 1947: Book 49

Protect yourselves from impure thoughts, words and actions, and you will walk rightly before God. No commandment is given to you but only admonitions and warnings which are placed in your heart as the voice of conscience. You are in possession of free will and can therefore do whatever you want, and thus you can also disregard the commandment of love for God and your neighbour, even though it is a commandment. But in the same way you can also lead your way of life more or less in accordance with divine will, for this divine will sets the perfection of the soul as the final aim, and in order to achieve this the human being has to work on himself and discard everything which characterizes his imperfection. The soul must become master over the body, it must adapt its desire to its own, it must strive upwards, thus it must value spiritual goods more highly than earthly ones, it must overcome the world and strive for the spiritual kingdom. The simplest way to do this is love.... A loving person will always have more desire for spiritual good than for earthly pleasures and earthly possessions. Nevertheless, he will not completely overcome the world as long as he still lives in the midst of it. And this will not be counted as a sin, only as an obstacle to climbing the last rung of the ladder to heaven. And man himself must cope with this obstacle. God does not condemn him, but He helps him to free himself from desires and vices. He knows about people's weaknesses and takes them into account because He loves people and a loving father grants his children what will not harm their souls. And so the human being will also have weak hours and God will forgive him, He will not condemn him for his weakness. He does not sin, he just does not strive for the height if he pays too much tribute to earth, and the soul's work afterwards has to start the more intensively the more he belonged to the world, i.e. gave fulfilment to his body. But now the measure also speaks, for as soon as earthly desire outweighs spiritual activity the human being deprives himself of God's blessing, and then he lacks the strength to ascend....

(14.5.1947) But anyone who remains united with God in the midst of the whirlpool of the world, who does not miss any opportunity and is constantly intent on appealing for God's grace and help, who comes to Him for advice with every request, God will not abandon him in hours of adversity of body and soul. And His aid is love.... Where love is there is no sin, but where love is missing the human being will have to watch himself and his thoughts. He should constantly control himself, he should not make himself a slave to his urges, he should educate himself to love, for everything that testifies to love is noble and good, and what lacks love can easily become sin. But God sees people's hearts and always guides the thoughts of His own, He will not allow them to fall into sin.... but He will also be a lenient judge for the weak who love Him....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers