How Does In God's Love relate to the Catholic Church?

How does In God's Love 
written by Janet Hurlow
relate to 
the Catholic Faith ?

  Chapter 2 We Believe in One Triune God : 
                       (continued) 2/12

   Part 2 Titles and Descriptions of God (continued)
             Section 3 Creator  (continued)

56           The Catechism states that “The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition.”(58)  The authors of  In God’s Love  assert that “This is wisdom sent by the angels to tell all Earth beings that we are real, and God is real.”(59)   “God has sent Angels to sing in His behalf.”(60)   The Catechism, citing the Bible notes that “it is the angels who "evangelize" by proclaiming the Good News of Christ's Incarnation and Resurrection.”(61)   Furthermore it states , “they will be present at Christ's return, which they will announce, to serve at his judgment.”(62)   Likewise the authors of In God’s Love state, “the great and glorious day, blessed day on Earth as it is in Heaven, when angels gather songs of Earth and place them in the Father’s presence.”(63) 

57           God creates and gives life to everything that exists, including Angels.  God’s spirit is in all things. As the book of Wisdom states, “And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?  But you spare all things, because they are yours, O LORD and lover of souls, for your imperishable spirit is in all things!”(64)  Or as the authors of In God’s Love state.  “In things created, His spirit is known.”(65)  “God of life, wise, gentle spirit, such singing, O very spirit of all life, very spirit of all things.”(66)   “God’s light shines in all that is made.”(67)  “God sings in His spirits.”(68)  This, of course, includes our own spirits: “God is in your spirit.”(69)  So, God’s Spirit is in all that God has created.  Indeed, this spirit holds things together as the Catechism, citing Colossians states, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”(70)  

58           Not only is the Spirit of God in everything created, but in the Holy Spirit rests other things which we tend to call the “gifts” and “fruits” of the Holy Spirit.  Later in this Chapter we will discuss each Person of the Trinity, including the Holy Spirit, but at this point we need to note that In God’s Love asserts the “Spirit of spirits is the Holy Spirit who is God.”(71)   The authors  will sometimes use “Spirit of spirits” as another name for the Holy Spirit.  In other words, all things of the spirit come from the Holy Spirit.  The messengers of In God’s Love assert, “Children, spirits of God, this is the very reason you are.  Every spirit is spirit of God’s sacred heart.  Wisdom is in God’s Spirit.  Wisdom, understanding and knowledge are spirits of God’s blessed Spirit.”(72)   This “Spirit of” language, rather than “gift” or “fruit” of the Holy Spirit, is very much in line with writing in Isaiah: “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord,”(73)   The previous quote from In God’s Love continues on and the next sentence states something that is new: “Earth’s spirit is God’s Spirit.”(74)   That the Earth has a spirit is a reoccurring theme in the book.  It is always clear that the Earth spirit comes from God and is obedient to God’s will.  The book does not stop there.  It also says that “This is inscribed: ‘God is pleased with the sun of Earth.’  In this, understand: His love is in sun’s spirit.”(75) 

59           So, how do we deal with this talk of “spirit of Earth” and “spirit of the Sun”?  This never approaches Pantheism because of their clear statements that God created everything and He is the author of all life.  This does, however, begin to approach the view of St. Francis of Assisi which is quoted in the Catechism, “Solidarity among all creatures arising from the fact that all have the same Creator and are all ordered to his glory: May you be praised, O Lord, in all your creatures, especially brother sun, by whom you give us light for the day; he is beautiful, radiating great splendour, and offering us a symbol of you, the Most High… May you be praised, my Lord, for sister water, who is very useful and humble, precious and chaste.  May you be praised, my Lord, for sister Earth, our mother, who bears and feeds us, and produces the variety of fruits and dappled flowers and grasses. . . Praise and bless my Lord, give thanks and serve him in all humility.”(76)

60           Is it against the faith to say that there is a spirit of Earth, or Spirit of the Sun?  St. Francis of Assisi would not think so.  It would be against the faith, however,  if we asserted that they are spirits that are independent from or not created by God, or are lesser gods, but In God’s Love does not state that.  It is very clear that just as the Spirit of wisdom, spirit of virtue and spirit of understanding come from God, so, too, does the spirit of Earth and the spirit of the Sun.  Once again, we come back to the assertion that God’s Spirit is in all that God has made.  That means all that God has made, both visible, which includes the Earth, sun and moon, and invisible, which would even include time itself, has God’s Spirit in it and is a spirit.

61           “Earth, Earth, God is your Creator.  O such a blessed Creator.  So very in order is our Earth creation.  Blessed is our God who fashioned her and molded her in His sacred image.”(77)   “This is God’s own hand that has fashioned the Earth.”(78)   “O Earth, in God’s Creation, you are God’s child.”(79) These statements leave no doubt that the authors of In God’s Love know that the Earth was lovingly created by God.  The Earth was perfect when God created her: “In a special way, God created a young spirit in such beauty and called her the Earth.  So perfect was she.  O very perfect was her beauty.  In the days of Earth’s childhood, she danced and sang.  In her glory, such sounds of blessed delight were in her song.  O sweet Earth, while you were young, wisdom called you her own.  She ran on your mountains and played in your valleys.  Your spirit was her delight.”(80)  Other times the authors of In God’s Love simply state, “What a beautiful world the Earth is, and God made it all.  He made it so beautiful,”(81)   Yet they state that beauty of the Earth is only a small sampling of the worlds of beauty.  “Earth people live in such a lovely place.  This wonderland of beauty is only a small pinch of God’s handiwork.”(82)  Both the Catechism and In God’s Love agree that, while the beauty of the Earth reflects her Creator, it cannot begin to compare to the beauty of God. The Catechism states, “Beauty of creation reflects the infinite beauty of the Creator .”(83)   In God’s Love states, “What a beautiful world the Earth is, and God made it all.  He made it so beautiful, yet the beauty of Earth is only a sample of God’s beauty and charm.”(84)   The authors also state this in a more outdoors manner: “Such things as God has created on the Earth are a small inspiration of His beauty.  Yet if you sit in the woods a short while, soon, you are resting in His beauty.  This is only a small song of such spiritual music in God’s love. Amen”(85)    Sitting in the presence of nature pales in comparison to sitting in the presence of God: “Never have you seen such a very beautiful person as our God.  Such very sacred music is in His presence.  Such sacred inspiration is in His being.  Sweet Earth, she cannot compare nor compete with even sitting one moment in such peace and kindness, such rest and beauty.”(86)

62           As mentioned earlier,(87)  Earth’s spirit is in God’s Spirit. More specifically, the book states that the, “Earth is the spirit of God’s creation.”(88)   All life comes from God’s Spirit, and so does life on Earth: “Sign of signs, most blessed is Earth’s spirit.  Her source of life in God’s Spirit….  God’s Earth is her spirit.”(89)   I believe the last phrase is getting at the name of this spirit.  Just as we have the Spirit of Wisdom and the Spirit of Virtue, so, too, we have the Spirit of God’s Earth.

63           The spirit of Earth was created in God’s wisdom.  One of the things the Church believes about the creation of the Earth is that “We believe that God created the world according to His wisdom.”(90)   The following quotes indicate the  authors of In God’s Love also agree with this assessment: “O Earth, righteous sister,… sign of life and nourishment for mankind, blessed jewel in the Father’s setting, wisdom’s delight, song of man, spirit of God’s Spirit, O sound of music, place in God’s Creation, symbol of sweetness, wisdom’s own, dear, blessed saint of inspirational music,”(91)   “She (wisdom) sang on Earth when Earth was created.  So delighted was wisdom.  She sang of her love in God’s Spirit.”(92)

64           In addition to the Earth being “spirit of God’s Earth” and being created in God’s wisdom, it is also called a saint.(93)   This is a new way of speaking about the Earth.  The authors use the word “saint” in a different way than we commonly use it.  We usually use it to depict some person who is in heaven.  Yet, the Church also calls those who are members of the Church still yet to die, saints.(94)  We also call other beings, like Michael, the Archangel, a Saint.  While the book never defines “saint”, I believe a thorough reading of In God’s Love will lead to the conclusion that any being, any spirit, anything created by God (which would include everything) and even God himself, when that “part of God”, a spirit of the Holy Spirit, does what God wants it to do, can be called a “saint”.  With this definition, the messengers are saints.(95)   Since the spirit of God’s Earth does what God wants it to do, it, too, is a saint.  Once again, if St. Francis of Assisi can address objects in the sky as “brother sun” and “sister moon”, (96) then brother sun and sister moon can also be saints.   Furthermore, if the Spirit of God’s Earth can be a saint, then so can spirit of wisdom(97)  spirit of virtue(98)  spirit of kindness(99)  spirit of justice(100)  and indeed, any spirit that comes from the Holy Spirit, the spirit of spirits, including the spirit of time.(101)   This may be stretching our normal use of the word, but it is how the messengers use the word “saint”.  It seems like just a different way of saying “they or it is doing God’s will,” and surely all the bodies of the universe, the messengers of God, and all the spirits of the Holy Spirit are doing God’s will.

65           The spirit of God’s Earth, that is a saint, “has been a mother to her children,… In days of old, she said, ‘Come, children, nourish your bodies, refresh at my springs.’”(102)  Like a mother, by the Spirit of God, she gives us peace: “The Spirit of God moves on the Earth. Spirit of God, O the Spirit of God, how awesome It is.  It is the most refreshing breath of life known to mankind.  When you sit in a cool, clean place surrounded by all of nature’s glory, the peace comes over you in such goodness.”(103)  

66           Detailed images are given to speak of nature’s glory: “Rise in nature’s soothing symbol.  Rise so gently on breezes cool and gentle.  See the sunshine after a rain.  Smell the freshness of the air.  Walk in green meadows.  Listen to the joys of life.  Be still.  God’s glory is in the sweet smell of a rose, the gentleness of a spring morning, the song of the turtle dove and the wild meadowlark call….This is the Spirit of God spread over the Earth, virtue’s song rising sweetly to God.”(104)

67           The Earth is God’s possession: “Earth, Earth, she belongs to God.  In God’s Spirit, she shall stay.”(105)  God rules the Earth, even though at times it may look like He does not: “Did you think God would give up this place He has created?....God’s Spirit is in charge of Earth affairs.  Right!”(106)  We need to remember that “order and harmony are from God’s Spirit.  In such a spirit is comfort on Earth.”(107)   God reveals himself and gives us laws to follow so that we can serve Him and help the world be a place of peace.  As the Catechism states, “He established with them the covenant of Mount Sinai and, through Moses, gave them his law so that they would recognize him and serve him as the one living and true God,”(108) 

68           The authors of In God’s Love also recognize that God gives us laws to be understood and followed for the benefit of man and Earth: “God has given rules for each time of such regulations as needed on the Earth. Adam was sent such orders until these rules were of less value.  Moses was sent such rules in his time.  And Christ brought His Church, blessed and true, in His time.  Blessed saints, such simple lives were seen on Earth.  In this time, Christ’s rules do not change.  Such is written: ‘Such rules must be understood.’”(109)  God also makes the animal to benefit mankind.(110)   In all these ways, God demonstrates His love, order and rule over the Earth.

69           At the core of our Catechesis on Creation is the truth that “God created man in his image; in the divine image.”(111)   With this the authors of In God’s Love wholeheartedly agree: “Under the sun of Earth, under this Spirit bathed in her light, is a creation created by God, created in His own, Blessed image.”(112)   God has a consciousness and is aware.  So, if we are created in God’s image, we also must have a consciousness.  They speak a little to the reality of us having a consciousness and awareness, and of how this is not an accidental development, but a gift of God: “What is this great mystery that gives you consciousness of the things around you? What wakes you up and keeps you awake to a reality of existence?  How do you know you are awake from a dream?  Is this possible?  God made mankind and gave him/her a mind, a consciousness. a reality.  God made mankind and woke His creation up.”(113)  Furthermore, “Earth people could have roamed the Earth as senseless as the wild boar.  On Earth, animals are made for mankind.  This is a God who honored you and made you human instead of being a wild dog that roams the forest in search of prey.  What a gift. He made you human.  He chose you to share in His delights forever.  This was one in a trillion chances, and you say, ‘I never won anything.’  All you get to do is recognize your Creator for the person He is.”(114)

70           The Catechism also states that, because we are created in God’s image, the human person “is a being at once corporeal and spiritual.  The biblical account expresses this reality in symbolic language when it affirms that ‘then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.’"(115)   In God’s Love  speaks to the “corporeal” with “Blessed are the hands that molded you out of the dust of the Earth.”(116)   The Catechism addresses the “spiritual” essence of man: “’soul’ also refers to the innermost aspect of man, that which is of greatest value in him,<footnote 231> that by which he is most especially in God's image: ‘soul’ signifies the spiritual principle in man.”(117)   The authors of In God’s Love simply explain that “Music is made by God.  It is made in the soul of Earth beings created.”(118)  The authors clarify that this music is God’s love: “His (God’s) love created man.  In this music is man created.”(119)   “The very heart and soul of mankind was made by God.”(120)   We have already affirmed that God creates in His wisdom and love.(121)   In speaking of the whole of mankind, both the Catechism and the authors of In God’s Love agree. In the language of the Catechism “Man, whole and entire, is therefore willed by God.”(122)  In the language of In God’s Love “Earth people are made in God’s inspirational song as His Spirit willed.”(123)  

71           Not only does God create us as a race, but God personally creates each person.  “The Church teaches that every spiritual soul is created immediately by God - it is not "produced" by the parents - and also that it is immortal”(124)   It is clear that the authors of In God’s Love are in harmony with the Church’s insight: “This is your gift of eternal life.  When you were conceived, this gift was given.”(125)  Furthermore, we have this very interesting passage: “Many were looked at as possibilities, but you were the one chosen.  Think about it.  A wonderful being like God chose you to be the one.  Someone loved you enough to pick you out of millions of possibilities.  He put you on the Earth and gave you all that beauty.  It was no accident that you were you.  It was a planned decision of make-up that made you who you are.  Then, He called you by name.”(126)   It has already been mentioned that God is present at conception, giving the gift of eternal life.  I believe that the preceding quote is alluding to the reality that, just as mankind is not an accident, also the conception of each individual person is not an accident, but an action and a choice of God.  I believe that it may be saying that God looks at and chooses which one of the millions of sperm will be called forth and be joined with a particular egg and become a new life endowed with eternal life.(127)  

72           “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.”(128)   The Catechism speaks in a very detailed and clear manner: “Man and woman have been created, which is to say, willed by God: on the one hand, in perfect equality as human persons; on the other, in their respective beings as man and woman. "Being man" or "being woman" is a reality which is good and willed by God: man and woman possess an inalienable dignity which comes to them immediately from God their Creator.  Man and woman are both with one and the same dignity "in the image of God". In their "being-man" and "being-woman", they reflect the Creator's wisdom and goodness.”(129)   In God’s Love simply, but profoundly states, “In the beginning, God made man, and He made woman.  And in the man, He put man’s nature.  And in the woman, He put the nature of a female.”(130)

73           “You are spirit of God’s Spirit, created for a purpose.”(131)   And what is that purpose?  The Baltimore Catechism asked, “Why did God make you?” and the answer was, “God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next.”(132)    God’s desire for all humanity to live with Him in His Kingdom is also expressed in  In God’s Love: “His creation is a gift of life given to you because He wanted you to be His own, dear children who will come to live with Him in His Kingdom forever.  Such a gift has been sent to every being who lives on the Earth. What a gift”(133)  This is expressed for each individual person with “This is why you were chosen.  You were chosen because God wanted you to be His own, dear child and share in His spiritual joy forever.  He chose you because you were what He wanted.  What He chose was so beautiful and right for Him.”(134) 

74           The Catechism states “‘the earth’ is the world of men,”(135)  and the authors of In God’s Love state that “Spirits of Earth, Earth is your home.”(136)   Scripture states that we, “Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the Earth."(137)   It is interesting that the authors also quote the Scripture “What does the great book of all books say?  It says, ‘Mankind has dominion over the animals and the elements of Earth.’”(138)   The addition of the “elements” is interesting, but I do not see where it causes any conflict.(139)  Earth is our home, we have dominion over it, and we are to enjoy it: “You are right to seek Earth’s pleasures.  It is in your spirits to seek such delights….Seek no pleasure above Him.”(140) 

75           Quoting the Bible the Catechism states, “‘Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.’"(141)   As noted earlier, the authors confirm that God has created man out of the dust of Earth,(142)  but they also see a deeper connection.  They do not see this linkage being dissolved or something to be freed from, but state in many places they see the Earth as part of the essence of our eternal being: “Earth is in your spirit.  Earth shall stay in her children forever.  This is the way man was created.”(143) 

76           Nowhere in the Catholic tradition do I recall that we simply state that Earth has been, is, and will always be a part of our being.   So, how do I reconcile this statement that Earth will always be in our essence with our faith?  First, our belief in the bodily resurrection alludes to it.  We profess that Jesus was raised from the dead, body and soul.  We profess the belief in our own resurrection of the body.  If our Earth essence was something we were to get rid of, then we would not speak of a bodily resurrection.  Secondly, our beliefs that we are created in God’s image and that God does not change(144)  also allude to it.  For, as the living word of God states, “God formed man of dust from the ground.” What God has created and formed He does not “un-form” as if something of the creation was merely a temporary shell.  If our Earthliness is merely a temporary thing, then how can Scripture also state that “we are created in God’s image,”(145) for there is nothing temporary about God.(146)    There is something comforting in the idea that our “Earthliness” is not something that is added on to give our spirit form, but is indeed a part of our essence.  I do not see any contradiction to our tradition, but perhaps it will take wiser theologians than myself to draw out the connections to our faith tradition.

  Next section of Part One Chapter 2 : 3/12