Chapter 152

Prisoners of matter; how shall these be saved?

The Franciscan’s recommendations

[2.152.1] Say I: “Behold, your life’s own feelings shall clarify this, having been provided with equal measures of rest and motion! Walking and standing, sitting and lying down are natural to you. When you have walked for a long time, getting rather tired, what will your life feel the need of? Answer: rest. Well then, say I, you then seek rest and also take it. Once fully rested however, and when seeing happy motion around you – like for instance a flock of lambs, or birds hopping between branches, or a brook whooshing down, and similar things – say unto Me: what kind of desire does your rest invigorated life manifest? (answer – the desire for more and more motion).

[2.152.2] Well then, again! In that case you shall from this inscription realize that rest as well as motion basically are nothing but alternating needs of every type of existence and life. Things under essential judgment have of course to find themselves either in uninterrupted rest or constant movement. But beings harbouring free life within them have both rest and motion, at their free disposal under one roof; wherefore the request: Lord, give true rest to rest and true motion to motion says nothing other than: Lord, give us free rest and free motion, not holding us under judgment! Or, to make it clearer still: ‘lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil of judgment. Tell me whether you have understood this now?”

[2.152.3] Say the Franciscan: “Yes, Lord and Father, it is now clear to me; but who are those resting down there, on whose account this inscription offers itself visibly to our eyes? Who are they who here thirst after salvation?”

[2.152.4] Say I: “Hearken. Beneath these gravestones rest all who are captives to matter, set over them as a reminder of my primordially godly wisdom, might and power, which sets judgement over all matter.

[2.152.5] Your soul too went forth from such grave, and was laid into another grave prepared of blood and flesh; within this it spun itself another, lighter self-developing material – one capable of natural life, which it developed after its own form. Succeeding in that, it felt greater pleasure in the form than in itself, merging itself completely with the dead form of the flesh.

[2.152.6] But flesh in itself is dead, like all matter. If however the soul becomes one with matter, how will it remain unjudged, if all matter within it must fall victim to unavoidable judgment of matter? A new spirit is indeed placed into the soul, and the soul should actually make every endeavour to become one with same. Yet if the soul does everything to become one with its matter – how should spirit in the soul become lord of its house?

[2.152.7] I say unto you: here the spirit shall itself be buried within matter! And such spirits you see here, in great numbers. Each grave harbours its own, and it is this one’s words that you have read upon the black tablet and upon countless others. But the still living spirit groans and sighs after salvation from its grave. So tell me what we ought to do about it?”

[2.152.8] Says the Franciscan: “Lord, here no one with a spark of love in his heart will be short of the right answer. Let them be helped where possible and desired! They shall go forth from their graves. We shall let the matter dissolve as if through some chemical concoction, letting the purely spiritual be freed!

[2.152.9] My heart is not able to charge them with sin, if today people in the world are mostly evil and crudely material. For one need only look at their terrestrially physical position, their involuntary poverty, after that their total lack of moral education, usually due to general economic impoverishment, which in turn is the result of iron hearted, rich misers; one is then to judge a poor man exposed to all want and despair. Here there can be no talk of any moral or spiritual education. Nothing is undertaken for the poor one’s spiritual education other than being required on Sundays and holidays to attend so-called Latin divine service, not infrequently having their feet and hands frost-bitten in winter.

[2.152.10] If most people of this type then become evil in every respect, incensed by every law, even becoming God deniers – who can blame them considering those and many other circumstances?! Not me, verily not in your holiest name! Hence it truly means to help – first physically and only afterwards morally – then things shall soon look better upon Earth than right now.

[2.152.11] For mankind, the Earth right now is barest hell. Make it by at least one quarter Paradise, and people shall once again recognize God! For it will under no circumstances any longer do to study highest morality, in hell; of that I am certain. Hence let there be help where at all possible; whereupon out of their graves, for all who languish in them! This shall be my most living principle eternally.”