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) 6/12

            Part 7 God the Father the First Person of the Trinity
                      Section 1 Descriptions of God the Father    

141          The messengers of In God’s Love begin with “Blessed saints, start your prayers in the Blessed Trinity.  In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.  Start each message in the same manner.”(384)  We, as Catholics, begin all prayers “In the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit”.  The Father is the first person of the Trinity.  The Catechism states that “God reveals his fatherly omnipotence by the way he takes care of our needs; by the filial adoption that he gives us (‘I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty’).”(385)   The messengers simply state that “He is your Father who loves you, real and true.”(386)  “God is a wise Father.”(387)   Demonstrating His filial adoption they state that “This is a good Father.  His Spirit wants the best for each little child who calls Him, “Father.”(388)   The Father is righteous(389)   and sacred.(390)   The messengers say, “He (God) is a strong, beautiful Father.  He will never grow weak, nor will His beauty fade.”(391)
 
                      Section 2  Feelings of God the Father

142           God the Father has feelings.  The messengers write that this is a loving Father who cares about our needs.(392)   The Father understands us and our needs.(393)   They say that “God is a kind, merciful Father.  His mercy and love endure forever.”(394)   As already mentioned, God is a merciful, forgiving Father who forgives repentant sinners,(395)  and is generous with His gifts.(396)   This Father is gentle: “In God’s Spirit is gentleness.  So gentle is your Father in all ways.”(397)

                      Section 3 Actions of God the Father

143           God the Father acts.  The messengers write that “Your Father calls your name.”(398)   The Father listens to us: “Very small children, in this, understand: your Father loves you and listens with such tenderness.”(399)   “God is your Father who is listening to your song.  His Spirit is always listening to His dear children.”(400)   They share that this is a Father who likes to play:  “You have such a playful Father.  His Spirit skips with small children in the meadow.  Is He the creator of small children?  This is so.”(401)  

144           We have seen, in the actions, feelings and descriptions of God the Father, many of the same things we have when we describe “God”.  This should not surprise us, for they are one in the same. Also note, in the writing about the God the Father, the messengers cannot help but write about the Spirit of God, too,(402)  for God truly is three persons in one God.

            Part 8 God the Son, Jesus the Second Person of the Trinity
                      Section 1 Titles of Jesus

145           Before starting this part on Jesus, it might be beneficial for the reader to reread Passage   # 506 “Go Out Among the Needy and Be One in Spirit as Jesus Did” which is one of the most powerful passages about Jesus.  Jesus is called the Son of God.  The Catechism states, “The Gospels report that at two solemn moments, the Baptism and the Transfiguration of Christ, the voice of the Father designates Jesus his "beloved Son".<53> Jesus calls himself the "only Son of God", and by this title affirms his eternal pre-existence.<54> He asks for faith in "the name of the only Son of God". <55>”(403)   The messengers, in speaking about Jesus, state, “Earth people, live as Jesus taught you to live. In all the Earth, no one was ever so great as the Son of God.”(404)   In speaking of Jesus’ return on Judgment Day the messengers write, “This call is inscribed: most Sacred Heart of Jesus.  God the Son, come bring these saints in this time of times.”(405)

146           Jesus is the Christ.  The messengers of the Gospel of Luke announced to the Shepherds, "To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."(406)   The messengers of In God’s Love, when writing about brave Christians who are martyrs, write, “They were are not afraid to die for love of the Lamb, who is Christ Jesus, God the Son.”(407)

147           Jesus is King.  At the conclusion of the liturgical year, the Church has the feast of Christ the King celebrating His rule over all.  That Christ is King over all: The Catechism states that “since the Father has through generation given to the only-begotten Son everything that belongs to the Father, except being Father."(408)   The messengers describe the kingship and ownership of Christ: “King is Christ, our God.  In this Spirit are all spirits inscribed.”(409)  

148           Jesus is Lord. The Catechism states that “By attributing to Jesus the divine title "Lord", the first confessions of the Church's faith affirm from the beginning that the power, honour and glory due to God the Father are due also to Jesus, because "he was in the form of God",<65> and the Father manifested the sovereignty of Jesus by raising him from the dead and exalting him into his glory.<66>”(410)   The messengers proclaim that “Christ, our Lord, is one in the Father and the Holy Spirit.”(411)  

                      Section 2 God Became Man

149           “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….  And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory,  the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.”(412)   The authors of the Catechism write, “The unique and altogether singular event of the Incarnation of the Son of God does not mean that Jesus Christ is part God and part man, nor does it imply that he is the result of a confused mixture of the divine and the human. He became truly man while remaining truly God. Jesus Christ is true God and true man.”(413)   Furthermore, “The Church thus confesses that Jesus is inseparably true God and true man. He is truly the Son of God who, without ceasing to be God and Lord, became a man and our brother.”(414) 

150           The Holy Spirit has guided the Church through many heresies, and the Church has developed a Christology.  I cannot try to present a developed Christology on the basis of only a few statements, but I believe that as a whole, the Christological statements the messengers make do not contradict what the Church proclaims.  It is possible that if we took just an isolated statement, then perhaps we could come up with a conflict.  However, this could be done of scripture, too.  Indeed in the early church the phrase, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” Colossians 1:15 caused a problem when asserting that the Word is eternal, but in the end the whole of scripture and the movement of the Holy Spirit won out as they always do. Indeed, Colossians Chapter 1:15-29 as a whole, present a tremendous richness of truth about Christ not expressed quite the same way anywhere else in the Bible.   We do not reject the Bible because one phrase appears out of tune with the developed theology of the Church, which originates with the complete Holy Scriptures, along with the gifts of wisdom and time given to the Church by the guiding Holy Spirit.  Likewise, if there is some concern expressed with any one phrase of In God’s Love, concerning the reality of Jesus being true God and true Man, we should cast our gaze on all the phrases concerning the incarnation and also upon the work as a whole, and pause, reflect, and pray upon the great mystery in which we mere children of an almighty God are attempting to dabble. 

151           The messengers assert that Jesus is “God in the very flesh of man.”(415)   Jesus is the “Son of God, mighty one, both God and man.”(416)   “His Spirit came in the body of a man.”(417)  “Jesus became man.  He became man in spirit.  His Spirit was God, yet He chose to take the spirit of the poor, blind, crippled and the leper.”(418)  

152           Why did God become man?  The messengers of In God’s Love assert that one reason why God became man is that He wanted to know how it felt to be human: “He became man because He wanted to know the feelings of mankind.  He wanted to know what it was like to feel pain, go hungry, feel the cold wind, suffer and die.  Jesus went out among the homeless.  He became like a thief hanging on a cross.  He became a meek and humble man, yet He is God.  After Jesus did all of this, He was complete.  God knows everything.  He knew everything from the beginning of forever.  Yet He was perfectly happy, free from pain, free from Satan’s power.  He had to be a man, to feel as a man in His flesh and blood, to suffer and die as a man suffers and dies.  Then, God was fulfilled.  He was something beyond Himself.  His children had to do it, so He sang the sad song of humanity.  He sang in His creation.  It was a beautiful song He sang.  People of Earth could no longer look up and say, ‘You are God. You don’t know what we are going through.’ What a God we have.  He is kind and loyal to His Creation.”(419)

153           This desire of God to experience humanity may not be as odd as it might first appear.  In the book of Hebrews we have this comforting thought: “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin.  So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.”(420)   The writer of Hebrews is confident because Jesus has “been there, done that”. Jesus not only understands because He is the all-knowing God, but He understands in a uniquely deeper way because He became one of us and lived as one of us.  This God and Man understanding was gained by experiencing our weak nature (yet never sinning) and God wanted to do it.  This gives us confidence in approaching the great High priest with human and divine experience.  How loyal God is to us that He would experience what we experience, so that He could be fulfilled as the perfect High Priest.

                      Section 3 The Life, Suffering, Death and Resurrection of Jesus

154           As mentioned above, “Jesus went out among the homeless.  He became like a thief hanging on a cross.  He became a meek and humble man, yet He is God. … His children had to do it, so He sang the sad song of humanity.  He sang in His creation.  It was a beautiful song He sang.”(421)    The Catechism lists four reasons why God became Man.  One of them is to give us an example.  (Another one, which we will deal with latter, is our redemption). (422)  The Catechism states  that “The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness: ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.’ ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.’<74> On the mountain of the Transfiguration, the Father commands: ‘Listen to him!’<75>”(423)   The messengers simply state, “Earth people, live as Jesus taught you to live.”(424)

155           The cross is the central cornerstone of our faith.  The Apostle Paul asserts, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God….For since in the wisdom of God the world did not come to know God through wisdom, it was the will of God through foolishness of the proclamation to save those who have faith.  For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews, and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greek alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (425)
 
156           The messengers of In God’s Love take us back to the cross in a way only they can.(426)   It is written in scripture, “When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle (the crucifixion of Jesus) saw what had happened they returned home beating their breasts; but all his acquaintances stood at a distance, including the women who had followed him from Galilee and saw these events.”(427)   The messengers write that not only were friends and acquaintances observing the site, but all of creation observed the sad event.  “Righteous ones, it was a sad day here when the Lamb was slain.  In this time, any one of His creation would have taken His place.  Our spirits understood His love for mankind.  Such love in a mighty God.  Kindness could not be expressed.”(428)
 
157           It is written in scripture, “So Pilate wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them and after he had Jesus scourged handed him over to be crucified.”(429)   The messengers point out that the God of all died for another person: “Look into His eyes today. Let one spark of your compassion ignite with compassion for a God who would come to Earth as a man and die a most horrible death for another person.”(430)

158           They share that while dying on the Cross Jesus is comforted by the love of martyrs: “Such love is in these spirits who have mingled their blood with Christ’s on the Earth.  In such love, Christ’s suffering was comforted while He bled and died on the cross.”(431)

159           It is written in scripture, “Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus saying, ‘ Are you not the Messiah?  Save yourself and us.’  The other however, rebuking him, said in reply, ‘Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation?’ And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.’  Then he said, ‘Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.’  He replied to him, ‘Amen I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’”(432)   The messengers write that this is a God who “would die along with a person who has committed the most hideous crimes, a human being, who in His last breath cried out, ‘Forgive me.’  And God-in-man whose arms are stretched out, in such agony, dying on a cross, forgives him as He forgives all mankind.  Those who cry out,  ‘Forgive me, Father. I am so sorry.  I want to be where you are.’  That’s so inviting, so welcome, and the worst of sinners, even those most in need of His mercy, are given that chance.”(433)
 
160           It is written in scripture: “Even the soldiers jeered at him.  As they approached to offer him wine they called out, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.’  Above him there was an inscription that read, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’…Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit’ and when he had said this he breathed his last. The centurion who witnessed what had happened glorified God and said,’ This man was innocent beyond doubt.’”(434)  

161           The experience of Jesus changed the soldiers.   The messengers write, “Such a God who bled and died for small Earth creatures.  Such love is only found in our God.  This is the spirit in saints.  It is the King’s love for His subjects.  That kind, blessed God let His subjects nail Him to a cross, yet He kept right on being King and, in His love, saved His executioners from the fires of hell.”(435)   According to the messengers, Jesus not only changed the soldiers, but changed their eternal fate as well.  Perhaps this salvation can be alluded to in the lead soldier seeing the innocence of Christ.  I think St. Gregory the Great would also agree for he writes, "Paul speaks of the sprinkled blood that calls out more eloquently than Abel's.  Of Abel's Scripture had written,'The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the earth.'  The blood of Jesus calls out more eloquently than Abel's for the blood of Abel asked for the death of Cain the fraticide, while the blood of the Lord has asked for, and obtained, life for his persecutors." (436). 

162           The messengers have this to say about the Son of God’s resurrection: “Son of God, mighty one, both God and man who was rejected and put to death.  That was a time when all people thought the end had come.  However, it was only the beginning.  He arose from the dead, and all people accepted Him.  Sometimes, people feel like it is the end.  So wise are the ones who trust Him.  Sometimes, the end of things means new beginnings.”(437)

                      Section 4 Jesus Came for Our Redemption

163           Jesus came for our redemption and He redeemed us by being slain like an innocent lamb to be an expiation for our sins.  As the Catechism puts it, “After agreeing to baptize him along with the sinners, John the Baptist looked at Jesus and pointed him out as the ‘Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’.<422> By doing so, he reveals that Jesus is at the same time the suffering Servant who silently allows himself to be led to the slaughter and who bears the sin of the multitudes, and also the Paschal Lamb, the symbol of Israel's redemption at the first Passover.<423> Christ's whole life expresses his mission: ‘to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’<424>”(438)   As the messengers put it, “O sacred is the Lamb that bled and died for man.”(439)   “In God’s Spirit, Christ Jesus is the victim of sacrifice for your sins.  In this sweet Lamb is our God.”(440)   “His Spirit came in the body of a man.  Blessed was His coming.  Such a race, they killed Him.  His body bled and died on the Earth, and He redeemed man in His own blood.”(441)

                      Section 5 The Sacred Heart of Jesus
 
164           The Catechism writes about the Sacred Heart of Jesus: “He has loved us all with a human heart. For this reason, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by our sins and for our salvation,<117> ‘is quite rightly considered the chief sign and symbol of that. . . love with which the divine Redeemer continually loves the eternal Father and all human beings’ without exception.<118>”(442)   The messengers write, “Oh sacred heart of Jesus, Oh, pure are the scars.  Sacred is the blood shed of such very sweetness as God in the very flesh of man.  He came to satisfy for the sins of man.  Saints of Earth, in your spirits, bless such a God.  Such love is in His heart.  In this, rise up, come.  With such love, God died in such agony for man.”(443)    “O sacred heart who was pierced with a lance and bled for man, such love is in such sacred music.”(444)   “O sacred heart.  Sweet Lamb who bled and died in Earth’s toil.  Such a God.  This is so sacred.  In God is the wound of wounds that rests many spirits.”(445)

165           There are other things related to the Sacred Heart of Jesus other than His redemptive death.  Jesus’ love and kindness comes from His heart, but so do His wisdom and His virtues.  The messengers write, “Rise, saints of God.  Come to Christ’s most sacred heart.  There is inspired music born.  Such sweet melodies as man has never heard, filled with His wisdom and His kindness, Heavenly songs of such beauty, reach man and touch his spirit.  Sweet vessels of God, filled with His love, bring His spirit into all the Earth.”(446)   “Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, teach Your blessed virtues to many who seek your spiritual inspirations.”(447)   The Sacred Heart of Jesus is also mentioned in connection with the call in the last times: “Each call takes many in such wisdom.  This call is inscribed: most Sacred Heart of Jesus.  God the Son, come bring these saints in this time of times.”(448)   The comforting Sacred Heart of Jesus is also mentioned in the “Prayer of the Saints”(449)  and several other places.(450)   This view of the Sacred Heart takes what we already profess and expands it to things that we normally would not think about, but when we do think about them, it does not cause a conflict, but only a deeper appreciation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

                      Section 6  Jesus is with Us
 
166           At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus proclaims, “I am with you always, until the end of the age.”(451)   The messengers proclaim the same: “In God’s Spirit, Christ Jesus is the victim of sacrifice for your sins.  In this sweet Lamb is our God.  His Spirit is ever with you, small ones of Earth.”(452)   As Christ is with us until the end of the age, the blessings He has for us are also available: “Come, drink from this fountain, all you who desire Christ’s blessings.  Come, drink. Free are the waters of life.”(453)
 
167           All of these things, Jesus being the Son of God, being True God and True Man, Jesus coming as an example and as our Savior,  Redeemer, to be our High Priest, the Lamb of God who takes away our sins, the centrality of the crucifixion and the Paschal mystery to our faith,  the Sacred Heart as the chief symbol of God’s saving love, and Christ Jesus remaining with us are at the heart of what we as Catholics believe.  The messengers believe them, too.  They, too, are followers of Christ.

  Next section in Part One   Chapter 2 : 7/12