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 5  We Believe in Heaven, Hell and Purgatory    
                       (continued) 5/5

            Part 3 God Prepares and Cleanses
                             His Chosen to be with Him --- Purgatory?

365         The Sacred Scriptures do not use the word “trinity” and yet they definitely proclaim the theological truth of the Trinity which the Catholic Church proclaims.  The Sacred Scriptures do not use the word “purgatory”, but the Catholic Church asserts that the theological truth of purgatory are found on their pages.(184)   Likewise, the word “purgatory” is not used by the messengers, but I believe that the theological truth of purgatory may appear on the pages of In God’s Love.

366           The Catholic teaching on purgatory is “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation, but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.”(185)   Simply put, a broad definition of purgatory could be: a process that makes us holy enough and ready to enter the Kingdom of God and be in God’s presence.

367           In its theological proclamation, the Church does not include details of when, where, and how this preparation takes place other than to state that it occurs after death and before judgment day.(186)   The Church has two truths to proclaim, 1) that those who are chosen, but not ready to enter heaven can and will be prepared to meet God and 2) praying for the souls in purgatory is a good thing.  The former is our only concern here.

368           In God’s Love contains three passages which address being prepared to be with the Lord in the Kingdom of God, and these may be viewed as also addressing purgatory.  The first passage speaks of cleansing:  “O wise, little ones of Earth, in this, take comfort.  Earth is such a strange place.  Kind spirits who are in God’s blessings do not see the day of such sorrow.  God prepares a place for His beloved saints.  Some must stay and suffer.  Kind ones, such cleansing is so much needed.  Spirits of God’s Spirit, even among some of God’s children who do not sing in perfect harmony in the Holy Spirit, such cleansing is not in God’s wrath.  Each man is blessed in God’s Spirit.  Such time is reached.  Come, very clean children clothed in white garments.  God is pleased with your spirits.”(187)   There are several things to unwrap in this quote.  First, “Some must stay and suffer.” Given the context of the passage, it would appear that this cleansing happens on the Earth.  If we can experience heaven on Earth,(188)  could we not also experience purgatory? Second, this “cleansing is not in God’s wrath.”  God’s wrath is the removal of God’s protection for the purpose of chastisement to create an environment that is conducive to repentance and conversion.(189)  Third, “some of God’s children do not sing in perfect harmony in the Holy Spirit”.  This cleansing enables us to sing in perfect harmony with the Holy Spirit.  Fourth, “Come, very clean children clothed in white garments.  God is pleased with your spirits.”  For those who need cleansing, after cleansing they will be able to come before God in a clean white garment and that is important, for you would not want to come before our God in a garment that was not pure and virtuous.(190)

369           The second passage has a much different language, speaking of the truth of being prepared to meet God, not in terms of cleansing or white robes, but in a language of preparation of the body and soul: “Such is the beauty of God, and much more beauty is in God’s Spirit.  Such as of Earth would not withstand the Father’s beauty in his former state.  This is inscribed: ‘Man is weak on Earth.  Such beauty, man could not withstand until God prepares the eyes of the body and spirit for the King’s loveliness.(191)’”   In a crude, caveman-like comparison, today we employ all sorts of technological gadgets to help us see and hear things that are real, but beyond our normal ability to see and hear and to protect our eyes and our ears from light that is too bright or sounds that are too loud.  God is going to prepare our body and spirit to be able to withstand and see the beauty of God.

370           The third passage speaks of immediate preparation of the heart to love as one needs to love in the God’s Kingdom: “When you come to the door of God’s Kingdom, you will wonder why you ever had a grievance with another human being.  The happiness will rush into your heart and fill you with love and kindness.”(192)   Certainly all three quotes speak of being prepared to live with our God who made us, and, by that definition, we could say that In God’s Love supports the theological truth of purgatory. 

371           We might also look upon all three of the examples and assert that they are not what the Church asserts by purgatory if we use a “narrower” definition of purgatory.  A narrower definition might contain the following: that purgatory, in addition to preparing us to be with God, must be after death, is for the cleansing of sin, and is only for those who need to be purified.  There may be some humans who die in perfect holiness and do not need purgatory.  In the first, passage the purification occurs while still on Earth, before death.  The second example only speaks of preparing the human body and spirit and perhaps is a needed “operation” given to everyone, even if they are in perfect holiness.  The third example, like the second, may be something that happens to every saint as they prepare to step into heaven, that our capacity to love immediately increases before opening the doors of heaven.  If we were to use a “narrow” definition of purgatory, then none of these passages address purgatory.  I must remind the reader that in these three passages, it is never asserted that what is presented is purgatory.  Therefore, if they present something that is not what the Catholic Church believes about purgatory, that is OK because in these passages they never said this was purgatory.

372           Often, when teaching about purgatory, I will quote a passage from the Bible, not as a “proof” for purgatory, but as a “proof” that God can and does cleanse us of our sins and make us able to sit in His presence.  The passage I often use is from Isaiah: “Then I said, ‘Woe is me, I am doomed!  For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!’  Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar.  He touched my mouth with it, ‘See,’ he said, now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.’”(193)   There is the annoying “oops factor” with Isaiah, in that he sees God, and then is purged, but the truth that is asserted is the same.  The truth is that if Isaiah is not made clean, he is doomed, for nothing unclean can be in the presence of the LORD.

373           Some people, using a broad definition of purgatory, might say that in this passage, Isaiah experienced purgatory or something like purgatory.  Other people, using a narrow definition of purgatory, might say that Isaiah did not experience purgatory, because he had not died yet.  I would hope that everyone would hold that this passage asserts that God can and does prepare His chosen to be in His presence.   When the Church proclaims the truth of purgatory, using our, Tradition, and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as its resources, we can look at this passage to show that God does indeed cleanse and prepare His chosen ones to be in His presence, which is a necessary foundation for purgatory.  In like manner, whether In God’s Love asserts the truth of purgatory depends upon whether we are using a broad or narrow definition of purgatory.  We can assert that with In God’s Love the messengers state that God can and does purify and prepare the chosen to be in His presence and this is a necessary foundation for purgatory. Whether what is described in these three passages is “purgatory” or “like-purgatory” or not depends upon whether we us a “broad” or “narrow” definition of purgatory.  

            Part 4  Summary 

374           As in the previous Chapters a vast number of the theological statements are the same as the Catholic Church and even expressed in the same manner.  We can be in a heavenly state before death.  People who trusted in God, did God’s work, suffered for God, reached for God, were virtuous, wise, forgiving and who loved others after they die will receive the reward for saints which is heaven.  Those in heaven will experience things greater and more beautiful than the Earth.  They will see Angels and they will see God and experience joy, peace, and love forever.  Those Earthly saints in heaven are welcomed home with a feast.  In heaven, saints will be happy, joyful, and thankful that they chose God, for more cannot be had than to be with God.  God has prepared heaven for His own who have accepted His invitation.  Heaven is like a banquet, a garden, or music.  Those who are in heaven will have a wonderful life, full of peace, care, youth, understanding, treasures, singing, laughter, dance, deeper love for God and people, friendships, ecstasy, bliss, all the desire of one’s heart, and all reality will be theirs.  In heaven, there will not be death, pain, suffering, disease, sin, evil, temptation, sorrow, confusion, doubt, fear, hate, or bitterness.  Those who do not sing in perfect harmony with the Holy Spirit, but have chosen God will be purified and then go to heaven.

375           God does not send anyone to hell, but foolish people who go to hell chose to go there by rejecting God, by not loving others and by trusting in themselves and other things rather than God.  In hell, there is Satan and his hate.  Those who are in hell will be his slaves, and he will laugh at them.  God is not in hell.  Therefore, hell is eternal death.  In hell there is pain, darkness, heat, filth, smoke, foul odor, hate, disease, torture, struggle, violence, and everything that those in hell hate.  In hell, every scary thing will possess the damned, surrounding them with hate.  There is no love, or rest in hell and those who are in hell will desire to end the nightmare, but they will not be able to die.

376           One could perhaps argue that some of the above could go in this next list or vice versa.  The following are theological and moral statements that agree with the Tradition of the Catholic Church, but things are expressed differently or perhaps taken a little further than we have traveled with our doctrine.  If everyone turned their heart and soul to God, Earth would become heaven.  When those who go to heaven enter heaven they will be like excited little kids at Christmas.  They will be filled with God’s Spirit.  Love will rush into our heart to make us more loving, and Earth will fade away for them.  Those in heaven we will be forever young, they will only experience truth, (whereas on Earth we experience truth and what is untrue), God’s love will shine in their souls, they will see the messengers, and they will have thrills, adventure and never be bored.  Those who forgive are in heaven, and each person makes heaven more fulfilled.  Regarding hell, God does not go there because He does not want to.  Those people have rejected Him and He does not go where He is not wanted.  There will be rape in hell, but men will not get any pleasure from their attacks.

377           One could argue that some of the above paragraph could go into this list and vice versa.  This is a list of theological statements that stress a different emphasis of our tradition, or expand the horizon of our doctrine while walking on the same paths of truth as our doctrine.   First, people who love animals are in heaven, but animal lovers are usually kind to people too. Second, people will make decisions and mistakes in heaven.  While initially this may be shocking, there is nothing in our faith that says this could not be so.  Furthermore, in heaven, the Church has always held that we remain human, and what could be more human than to make mistakes.  Third, in heaven saints will become a part of heaven.  This is intriguing, but hardly something against the faith.  Fourth, after saints die, their body and soul need to be prepared to see God.  Our Earthly state is too weak to see God.  This statement does not say that we become a different being, which would be against the faith, but that we are prepared body and soul to see God.  Throughout the Bible, Moses and others have only seen God, the backside of God, or God in a vision, or in a cloud.  We, as we are on Earth, are just not ready to see Him face to face.  God will make us ready to appear before Him.  Finally, reading the passages carefully it may be ascertained that Heaven may be on a planet or planets.  Ever since fourth grade my mom and the Sisters have drummed into me heaven is not a place, but only a state of being.  Both may be true.  The Catechism never says that heaven could not be a place.  Once we have the new awareness that Satan and evil is confined to a small speck of the universe, then any place else in the universe could be, and perhaps is, heaven, for where God is, there is heaven.  Suddenly, the universe is not just something we experience in this life and then in the afterlife find ourselves somewhere else.  That would be such a waste of space from a creative God who has a purpose for everything.  Therefore we should entertain the idea that the universe and beyond is heaven.  As they said, we will possess all reality.  Furthermore, we proclaim that there will be a new heaven (sky) and a new Earth and there will be heaven on Earth.  The last time I checked, the Earth is a place in the universe as well.  (More on this in Chapter 7)  I do not believe that there is anything in the chapter that is against what is taught by the Church as part of our dogma of faith.     

  The next section in Part One    Chapter 6  We Believe in the
  Catholic Church and the Communion of Saints