joseph, Questions and Answers from 1951 to 1977

Prayer as a Comfort and a Balm

Joseph: I would once again like to explain the following about this: it is not necessarily the case that this spirit also goes to his grave in order to see the flowers. For he would then be bound to this location, but he is supposed to be free. And if it is the case that he did a lot of good in life, then he will certainly not be bound to the place where his body lies, and he will be unaware of these flowers.
It is a different situation if this sister lights a candle at home, perhaps also placing a bouquet of flowers alongside it in commemoration, and then says the Lord’s Prayer. In this way a connection can be better established. The angels of God and the spirits who are connected with particular human beings feel more attracted by such a prayer at home than they do by the cemetery, of all places. It will definitely mean a lot more to the homecomer to observe the person concerned in daily life and to see that he is remembered with love and that a certain remorse is shown.
But what is also possible: if someone once harmed a deceased person or had issues with them that resulted in conflicts, then it is possible that the spirit of the remorseful human being may occasionally, while their body sleeps, find themselves together with the deceased so that a discussion can occur. In this particular case, the deceased would then see that this sister has regrets, and a reconciliation could take place. There is a strong likelihood of this. And the deceased will be happy to see that he is remembered.
A human being can certainly go to the cemetery and lay flowers on the graves of their loved ones. But it should not become an everyday occurrence for them, they should not give their whole heart to it, all their yearning should not be directed toward that grave. After all, the spirit of the deceased is not in that grave.
It should also be mentioned at this point that there are unfortunate souls who are bound to their burial plots. This is not just because their body lies there, but rather because many people go there to pray, and this prayer means a lot to them.
Perhaps you can now let this sister know that it would be better to light a candle at home when praying, and, if it pleases her, she should also place some flowers alongside it. She could thus spare herself the journey to that place. (1957)
Dear Joseph, today I stood beside the coffin of a person who, after years of struggle, despaired of life and killed himself. Can I help this soul spiritually?
Joseph: Yes, dear friend, you can help him with many prayers, that is, with your daily prayer. This soul will experience your prayer as a comfort and a balm; the pain will no longer be so intense for him. So I especially recommend that you pray for this soul daily, because he will be around you, he will seek your company. You should speak with him, guide him in spirit. You should show him the way and first teach him how to pray, because you are good at this.
This soul will also approach you during the day, when you are at work. Send him a good thought then, say a prayer for him. But should you find that he is troubling you, turn him away with love and say that he should come at this time, to this place, in your home, where you will then pray for him. In this way, you can do something great. But I would like to mention here that human beings should never believe that they are given the power to free a soul from torment through prayer. The prayer of human beings is a balm for them, they can bear their situation more easily, but it does not change their situation. Such souls will not be led away from their sphere until an angel of God sees fit or until their time of purification has ended.
And so, all human beings could do so much for these poor souls by sending them their prayers, which are a comfort for them. I could make the following comparison: if a person is in a state of great sorrow and trouble, in real distress, and they no longer know which way to turn and are suffering in body and soul – if a good person comes and comforts them, they will already breathe a sigh of relief; it has a soothing effect on them. The circumstances in which they live are not changed by this, but they find comfort and are better able to bear their condition of suffering.
It is exactly the same with these poor souls when prayers are said for them. They are then much more able to bear their condition, because they are given hope, because they live in this hope of deliverance. So, in a certain sense, they are already freed from torment. But they must be prayed for again and again, just like a human being in a terrible condition must be comforted again and again. With human beings, comfort lasts for a short while; but when no one is there to lift them up, they sink back again. Exactly the same happens with these suffering spirits. So, dear friend, pray for him. You have a wonderful task in this. (1952)
Dear spirit Joseph, you permitted me to ask today about M.S., born on 10 December 1911, killed in action on 5 July 1943 in Russia.
Joseph: Yes, I need a little time … [a few seconds]. Yes, you know, dear soul, this spirit now has tasks to fulfill, and he asks for prayer – you should continue praying for him. I would like to give you a picture of him: he carries a large cross in his hands, and he lays his hands upon it. And this means that it does him a lot of good when prayers are spoken for him; for his situation could be more pleasant. You have it in you to work for him, and there is the possibility that he will be helped; for there are little helpers who constantly approach this soul and help him to carry his burden. But he still has a way to go, then he will be led into a more beautiful sphere. But this soul must walk this path, and this path will not be made difficult for him – little helpers are with him, they are always encouraging him to progress forward on this path.
My dear friends, you often ask me about your loved ones, and you would like it were I to always give you particularly beautiful pictures and explanations in response. What I have just explained is taking place in a sphere of purification, and if you think that in this case so much time has already passed since his death, then you must bear in mind: in the spiritual world time is not measured in the same way as it is by you, dear friends. And so I cannot always say – or I would be lying were I to say – “This spirit is with you or comes to you holding a blossoming branch or flowers in their hands,” and so on. No, I say that one should pray for this or that soul, and the prayer that has already been sent has its effect, in that messengers of God are sent to help the soul in question – be that as in this particular case, where there were only little helpers. But it could also be a beautiful angel who enlightens such a being and who is allowed to guide them into spiritual schools – but all in its proper time, entirely in accordance with the law. (1951)
Dear Joseph, my wife’s mother died quite suddenly nine days ago. We owe her a tremendous debt of gratitude. But a worry lingers with us: our family meant everything to my mother-in-law. We fear that, despite her spiritual insight, she is not integrating into the divine order and desires to remain with us, because my wife senses very strongly that she is frequently with us. It would be our greatest wish to be able to say to her, “We thank you for everything and implore you to follow the recommendations of your guiding spirit. Do not stay here with us, because even when you move on, we will remain united in love and harmony through prayer.”
Joseph: Yes, I can say these comforting words to you: you know, it is very often like this in the beginning. I mean, it is no exception that the spirit in question still feels drawn to you – you who lived together in this intimate and close union. This will last for a certain period of time. And, indeed, she also has her guiding spirits, and she will then be led by these guiding spirits into her plane. It will be made clear to her: “The time is now over.”
You may be surprised that I give such an answer, but I have long known about your question. This for your information.
With this I just want to say that she cannot be blamed, or should not be blamed, if she still appears for a certain time. She does not come alone; she brings her spiritual companions with her, and she is not with you all the time. She has a longing to be with you, because the separation came a little too quickly or too suddenly. But she is coming to terms with it. She allows herself to be taught. But at the moment she simply asks to be with you. And she herself says that it will last for a certain period of time, and then she will be able to very slowly detach herself from you. You should therefore not worry that she is now bound to you.
When you are together, when you pray, you can certainly express your wish, but she will still remain now and then; for she is especially attached to your children. And if you try to send her away – it will cause her more pain if you say this. You should much rather speak to her in a way that encourages her to place everything in God’s hands and under the guidance of God. She will still come for a while, and then she will stay away. (Board meeting of 12.10.1977)
Dear Joseph, we have gathered from your teachings that it is not only earthbound spirits who remain on earth for a long time but also good spirit beings, that is, the souls of good human beings who have died – not because they have to, but because they want to. Is this not a little strange?
Joseph: Yes, for you perhaps. But a good spirit being can also be assigned a task in this earthly realm for an extended period of time if they wish. A good spirit will never be idle or serve a cause without purpose; rather, they will always make themselves available wherever it is a matter of constructing something in God’s plan of salvation. Thus, it happens ever and again that good spirits return to the earthly realm for extended periods of time. But they will fulfill a task there – let us say, for example, that they make themselves felt by their loved ones in order to convince them that life goes on, or they exhort human beings, they come into contact with them because they have the possibility to instruct them on God’s plan of salvation. Good spirits will only devote themselves to a task that is willed by God. So it is not strange that good spirits also make themselves felt by human beings over longer periods of time. It is their assignment, and a high task may also be connected with it.
So, you can recognize that work in the earthly realm is done by spirits from various levels and that high spirits also fulfill high tasks in this way.
On this occasion I would again like to emphasize: when spirit beings make themselves felt by their loved ones, this can happen for various reasons. Some simply want to convince their loved ones that life goes on; they want to provide them with evidence of it, because they want their loved ones to bear in mind that life does not simply end with death. They can also make themselves felt out of gratitude or to reassure the bereaved that there will be a reunion. But they can also make themselves felt because something is not developing as it should, because they would like to express their wish that a matter is handled properly. In many cases, however, they desire the prayers of a human being to whom they have made themselves known. But it can also be the case that a spirit comes to a human being with admonishments in order to guide them into a better life. And so you can see how varied are the tasks of these spirits. (1953)
Dear Joseph, you told us that you in the spiritual world rejoice when one of our loved ones returns to you. But, as we are human beings, we still feel the pain of separation strongly when a beloved person leaves us.
Joseph: Of course, that is why we also comfort those who mourn their loved ones. We also feel for them and have words of comfort for them. Your pain is understandable. We, too, can mourn deeply – we mourn when we prepare a soul for reincarnation and are so unsure whether or not they will pass their tests in their new life on earth; because sometimes they are given hard, hard fates.
So you spirit beings also feel pain?
Joseph: Pain? Not in the way you do, because, after all, we are free of this body. Of course, the soul experiences pain, and we are also worried about the individuals being prepared for reincarnation. We lament many things, even though we know the laws. But we know that these spirit beings are given certain forces for their earthly life. Many of their wishes are fulfilled, and, depending on their previous life, they will be given so-and-so many talents. One has something special in mind for certain beings; and so, in special missions, the angels of God, guardian spirits, or guiding spirits then have to bless those human beings who show merit. On the other hand, these souls are also given guiding spirits in life who are always by their side, admonishing and also comforting – particularly when their spirit can free itself from the body [during sleep]. (1953)