Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/8852

8852 Can man suffer vicariously?....

September 13, 1964: Book 93

The power of intercession is enormous.... You can avert much suffering from fellowman; you can supply them with the power, which those lack, who let them remain in complete powerlessness, until you send a power current to them through your intercession, that you therefore help them, and that not directly, but through Me, because I recognize your love, which you feel in such intercession for the neighbour. This influx of power however does not force their will, which is free, but the resistance decreases by itself, and the soul feels the power beneficently. Therefore you can always only ask Me for supply of power for those men, who are not able to this request themselves. And because your love is determining, I gladly fulfil the request for you, because you desire nothing for yourselves; you seek no own advantage, but worry about the salvation of the neighbour's soul. But you now must make a difference between a prayer for these men and your devotion to Me Myself, by you giving Me all your love. And this degree of love can grow in you and finally also extend to your fellow human beings that you embrace all with your love, because this is not otherwise possible when you are filled with love. And I want to reach this degree that you are completely absorbed in love for Me and your neighbour, so that you want to take the suffering upon yourselves, that you want to take the punishment upon yourselves which those have deserved.... But this would contradict My justice, since everyone is responsible for himself and also everyone has to atone for what he has caused. Admittedly, this contradicts Jesus Christ's act of salvation, Who, as a truly blameless human being, burdened Himself with all of humanity's sins out of love for it, Who therefore atoned for a guilt of sin in a representative manner, which was so great that only an angelic spirit, in Whom I Myself could embody Myself, could make this atonement, that I therefore redeemed the guilt Myself through My death on the cross. But this act was unique, and it will also remain so.... But a man's guilt can be redeemed through Jesus' work of redemption when he acknowledges Him, and then it belongs to the burden of sin, which man carries under the cross.... But this is every man's free matter of will and cannot be forced. Therefore it also has to be carried off still on earth or in the hereafter when man opposes the work of redemption. Intercession can be made for such people that they recognize their guilt and find their way to Jesus.... and this intercession has a great effect of strength. Then man comes of his own accord to the right recognition of his guilt, and he will make amends for it to the best of his ability or else call upon the one Who secures forgiveness for him. But it is impossible that the guilt can be remitted to him on the basis of the love of a man who wants to atone for it. This would not be justice, although love is prepared for it, because only one can cancel it, and this one wants to be called. (9/13/1964) But the love of a man, who is prepared to make atonement for his fellowman, is looked upon exceedingly favourably by Me. This is a love, which is completely free of I-love, which not only demands nothing for itself, but is prepared to take suffering upon itself, which therefore means a great plus for the soul, which also has an effect as power for fellowman, because it cannot remain without a spiritual success, both for him himself as well as for the soul, which comes into possession of a favour, which as it were must touch it with as strong will for improvement. It will itself recognize its defective state and also be willing to make a debt of atonement, but it will still have to bear it off itself.... It cannot be taken from it for the sake of justice.... You must always bear in mind that you cannot be spared the way to Jesus Christ, that in Him I demand My acknowledgment, *(added by a foreign hand: that I then also forgive every sin, that I have redeemed every atonement to be made by you through My blood on the cross.... that therefore every person himself must also take the path to Me*) that therefore every person himself must also take the path to Me, that therefore a guilt redeemed 'out of love for you' would release the human being from it, especially since many beings of light are embodied on earth whose love is so strong that they would gladly take upon themselves the suffering of others.... But your love has a favourable effect on those whom you would like to protect from the atonement for their guilt. And that is why no loving stirring of your hearts can remain without effect, because love is a power, which will always send out its rays.... because no loving thought vanishes and remains without effect. But every excess of love benefits man himself, because his body spiritualizes itself at the same time with his soul, and this spiritualization, which also causes great bodily suffering, you are all to strive for, to once help an original spirit, whose particles form your body, to mature faster...._>Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers