I Appeal to You
... through Bertha Dudde  - 08.04.1940 

1376   Ceremonies .... Childship to God ....

Thus God’s will was ignored and this resulted in a dire state of affairs which is seriously endangering the faith. Only few people understand the most important point, and these few certainly comply with the specified commandments but at the same time they are so in touch with the Lord that they are drawing strength from this bond which, however, is attributed by them to the fulfilment of those commandments. This misguided notion will not, in fact, harm their souls, but this strength can also flow to a person without outwardly recognisable ceremonies providing the heart seeks and initiates a union with God. Whereas ceremonies without a heartfelt union will not result in any kind of blessing.

It is also important to raise the question of childship to God. In accordance with dogma only a member of the Catholic Church can lay claim to calling himself a child of God. This is a completely wrong point of view which cannot be justified. Anyone who tirelessly works to improve himself and thus strives for perfection, anyone who is always strictly examining himself and his actions, who is always trying to fulfil divine will, takes the childship to God seriously and will be regarded by the Father as His child. But obligations and their fulfilment will never be as valuable as a voluntary joyful service to God. Coercion will never activate one’s own will.

Fulfilling the commandments in a state of duress is not particularly commendable before God, but the least voluntary surrender to his Creator is an extraordinary step forward for a person’s soul. And thus God has in fact always made His will known to humanity, but He has never commanded that His will should be fulfilled as a duty, because it is only of value to Him if the human being rises above himself and for the love of God accepts a certain amount. Because only then will the human will bend down and consciously strive to bond with the Father in heaven, only then will the child’s relationship with his Father be initiated. The human being, like a child, will endeavour to be obedient to his Father in heaven, the child will love its Father and try to please Him and shape himself in a manner that the Father will affectionately draw him close to His heart, and thus the person is consciously striving for childship to God ....

Amen