The Presentation of Question 27 Chapter 12 : 2/3

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

  Chapter 12 We Live a Live of Wisdom or Foolishness   
                      (continued) 2/3

            Part 2 Some People are Wise  (Continued)
                      Section 2 Twenty-Two Characteristics of the Wise   
                                                                                                               (Continued)

546          Twelfth, the wise smile.  The messengers write, “Be kind, smile and bear all grudges patiently.”(47)  They also write, “We are so pleased with Earth saints who are singing with God’s Spirit.  Become so wise…. Each smile, each kind word, each small gesture of kindness is music reaching God’s very dear heart.”(48)

547           Thirteenth, the wise are joyful.  The messengers assert that if we are in God’s Spirit, we should be joyful like God is: “This is wrong to go about with sad faces in God’s Spirit.  In God is music and laughter.  In God is singing and dancing…. Saints, sing joyful songs on Earth.”(49)

548           Fourteenth, another quality of the wise is gentleness.  The authors of In God’s Love write, “In all your ways, be kind and gentle.  Speak softly.  Be of good heart even in the presence of those who are not kind.”(50)   Furthermore, “Be gentle with other ways of thinking.”(51)

549           Fifteenth, the wise have self-control, for they are careful with how they say things.  The messengers write, “Keep your thoughts under control.  Watch what you say to sensitive souls.”(52)   This is very important because you need to “keep a close watch on what you say, lest others become offended and curse you and you being unaware of offending them.”(53)

550           Sixteenth, the wise live in the present day. The messengers tell us we are to “rise and meet the new day.  Come, work in God’s love and play on God’s Earth.  Soon, this day is over and comes the dawning of the next.  Live this day in blessedness as God wills.  Live this day as it were the last.”(54)

551           Seventeenth, The wise are humble.(55)   The wise live humbly like God: “Here is a lesson to be learned: live a simple, humble life.  Very smart, little Earth people, only one is intelligent and wise, yet He is simple and humble in nature.”(56)   According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said, “Amen I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”(57)   We are to become humble, to be wise: “Wisdom is a spirit of God’s Spirit.  She is sent to the poor and lowly, such spirits who are small and humble.”(58)   Furthermore, they write, “To man, wisdom is a strange spirit.  She brings in small ones.  Those who are small and humble, she cherishes.  She plays in the spirits of children with songs of peace and virtue.  Become small so that you may become wise”(59)   For as a child who is weak, reaches to his parents, so we, in our weakness, reach for God.  The messengers write, “Reach sacredness in your weakness.  Small ones, God desires your smallness.”(60)

552           Eighteenth, the wise are simple and poor.  Jesus became one with the poor.  The Catechism states, “Jesus shares the life of the poor, from the cradle to the cross; he experiences hunger, thirst and privation. <256> Jesus identifies himself with the poor of every kind and makes active love toward them the condition for entering his kingdom. <257>”(61)  This aspect of Jesus’ life is discussed earlier in the Presentation.(62)

553           Not only are we to help the poor, but we, who follow Jesus, are to become poor.  Jesus’ challenge to the rich official who wants to follow Him is “sell all you have and distribute it to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven.”(63)   In the Lucan Beatitudes, Jesus proclaims, “Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours.”(64)   The messengers whole heartedly agree with Jesus’ challenging example and message.  They state it is the secret to be lived: “This is the way.  Mingle with the poor.  Mingle with the uneducated.  Teach the ignorant.  Clothe the naked.  Feed the hungry.  Here is the secret.  Become the ignorant.  Become the one in need of clothing.  Become the hungry and downtrodden.  Go out among the needy and be one in spirit as Jesus did.”(65)   We are to help the poor and become poor.  The challenge of Jesus to become simple and poor is echoed in the writings of the messengers.
 
554           Nineteenth, the wise person is virtuous.  In presenting the virtues, the Catechism presents the four human virtues called “cardinal” because “all the others are grouped around them. They are: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. ‘If anyone loves righteousness, [Wisdom's] labors are virtues; for she teaches temperance and prudence, justice, and courage.’ <64> These virtues are praised under other names in many passages of Scripture.”(66)  

555           The Catechism links the human virtues with the theological virtues and its origins in God: “The human virtues are rooted in the theological virtues, which adapt man's faculties for participation in the divine nature : <76> for the theological virtues relate directly to God. They dispose Christians to live in a relationship with the Holy Trinity. They have the One and Triune God for their origin, motive, and object.”(67)   The Catechism continues, “The theological virtues … are infused by God into the souls of the faithful to make them capable of acting as his children and of meriting eternal life. They are the pledge of the presence and action of the Holy Spirit in the faculties of the human being. There are three theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity.<77>”(68)

556            The messengers agree that the wise saints have virtue.  The messengers write, “In Earth saints, virtue sings her song.  Blessed is her spiritual wealth.  Righteous ways sing such lovely songs of virtue.  Virtue makes Earth spirits very kind.”(69)    The spirit of virtue is a spirit of God’s spirit.(70)   Virtue in the heart of the wise will lead to the God given virtues that are needed.  The messengers write, “All who are in God’s Spirit need only ask for His blessing.  Virtue in the heart takes your needs to God.  This is the key to God’s bounty. Seek her out.  It is wise to seek out virtues.”(71)  

557           Twentieth, it takes cardinal virtue of courage to follow God.  The messengers write, “Such courage is in songs of Earth.  God is pleased with each spirit in such music.  Very dear are you to His heart, O brave, little saints.”(72)   They observe that some people have this courage and wisdom and others do not: “Such spirits are filled with courage.  There is such beauty in God’s love.  Earth is a strange place.  Such courage and wisdom are in some, while others do not see.”(73)   They state that those people of Earth who are in heaven had courage in their song of life: “They come in such music; a song of sadness and inspiration, a song of courage, a brave, true song mingled with blood and tears.”(74) 

558           Twenty-first, the wise work.  The messengers write that work is pleasing to God: “God is pleased in all work.  Work is man’s blessing.  Come, bring your work.  In the sweat of your labor, bless God….. Earth children who work, God is pleased.  Work in God’s love.   Such is the beauty of your work.”(75)

559           Twenty-second, the wise saints bless people.  It has already been mentioned that to love others is to bless them.(76)  The messengers write, “Songs in spirits (us) rest and bless people.”(77)   This is God working through His saints: “Kind and blessed Father, bless the Earth in Your saints who wait in Earth’s toil in wisdom’s spirit.”(78)   Not only do the wise saints bless, but they are blessed, for the messengers write, “Blessed are the Earth saints.”(79)   The wise arrived blessed when they come to heaven: “Such peace and love are in each heart.  They arrive so blessed.”(80)      

                      Section 3 One More Characteristic of the Wise: 
                                           They Take Up Their Cross

560           The wise who follow God’s call take up their cross.  According to the Gospel of Mark, Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the sake of the gospel will save it.”(81)  

561           The messengers write eloquently on the importance of taking up our cross: “True believers in Christ Jesus, take up your cross and come.  Start your journey in a sad world filled with pain.  Become a symbol on Earth.  Take up your cross and follow Christ.  His cross is seen on Earth.  All who live on the Earth have a cross.  This cross is carried and cannot be avoided.  It is a real cross, and each person carries his own.  Some beings complain and fight the cross they must bear, while others accept the crosses given to them.  Some people accept the cross and carry it for the love of God.  Which way is best?  It is very sure that those who carry a cross for the love of God are wise.”(82) 

562           In another passage they write, “With wisdom, take up your cross.  With love, take up your cross.  Love bears all faults, all pain, all suffering, and all patience.  Remember, rest is at the end of a hard day’s work.  You trudge on and never look back….With patience and love, come and take up your cross and endure it until the end.  Take up your cross for the love of God….Every cross that is not accepted in God’s Spirit is a blessing wasted.  Your cross is a blessed channel to the true life that is to come.”(83)

563           For some people, the cross they bare may include persecution and suffering.  According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said, “’Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’”(84)  

564           The messengers also tell us to rejoice at persecution: “When people persecute you and say bad things about you; remember to look up and tell God you accept this injustice in His name.  Remember, all injustice offered up to God in His name is offered for His name’s sake because you are His children, and the evil one is trying to make you hurt…..Any persecution offered up to God’s name is suffered for His name sake.  This is well done….Remember, when others falsely accuse you, lift up your hands to God and praise His name.  This is the key to salvation.  These stones tossed at your heart are little keys to locks that open treasure chests in Heaven.”(85)   The messengers also write, “You have worked hard.  You have suffered much, yet you have kept this day in your sight, and you have been brave and true to what you believe in.”(86)

565           For some people, the cross they bare may include dying for Christ.  The messengers write, “Wise and valiant Christians start the march to God.  They were not afraid to die for love of the Lamb who is Christ Jesus, God the Son.  They were not afraid to give their lives because He gave His life for each of them.”(87) 

  The next section of Part Two   Chapter 12 3/3