The Presentation of Question 27 Chapter 13 : 4/4

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

  Chapter 13 We Pray  (continued) 4/4

        Part 4 The Our Father 

644        The messengers do not give a commentary on the Lord’s Prayer, but they do assert that we are to call God, “Father”, and that His name is “holy”.  They often use the phrase “on Earth as it is in heaven”, clearly referencing the Lord ’s Prayer.  These three elements will be our focus here.  Other elements of the Lord’s Prayer, providing for our daily needs, forgiveness of sins and avoiding temptation have been discussed elsewhere in “The Presentation.”

645           “Our Father….”  God is our “Father” The Catechism explains that “Humility makes us recognize that "no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him," that is, "to little children.’<30>”(147)   It also states that “For it is the glory of God that we should recognize him as ‘Father,’ the true God. We give him thanks for having revealed his name to us, for the gift of believing in it, and for the indwelling of his Presence in us.”(148)   What an honor and privilege it is to be able to call God, “Father.” Yet I wonder how often it is, in my own prayer, that I call God very impersonally by the name, “God.”  In my prayer, when I call God, “Father”, my heart is awakened, for now I am speaking to the one whom I love and am not addressing Him with a theological title or a job description.  I think this is some of what Augustine is getting at as the Catechism quotes, “’Our Father: at this name love is aroused in us . . . and the confidence of obtaining what we are about to ask.... What would he not give to his children who ask, since he has already granted them the gift of being his children?’<44>”(149)   The messengers seem amused that we would call our Father, “God”, and encourage us to call Him by the name, “Father.” The messengers write, “Father, they call God….. Call blessed God your Father.  This pleases Him.  In children who wait in God’s love, the Father blesses you all with many kind blessings.  How special you are who call blessed God, ‘Father.’”(150)

646           “Holy is your name.” The messengers encourage us to “Bless His Holy name.”(151)   They elaborate on the blessedness of God’s name: “So blessed is the name of God.  His name keeps you and provides for you on the Earth and in Heaven.  Bless His name on the Earth as angels and saints bless His name in Heaven.”(152)
 
647           “Your Kingdom come Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”  The Catechism comments on the connection between doing God’s will and being in God’s Kingdom, for the Church writes, “By prayer we can discern ‘what is the will of God’ and obtain the endurance to do it. <108> Jesus teaches us that one enters the kingdom of heaven not by speaking words, but by doing ‘the will of my Father in heaven.’<109>”(153)   The messengers assert, “Those who are selecting good are praying always that God’s will be done by all people.”(154) 

648           The messengers proclaim that the phrase “on Earth as it is in heaven” is a miraculous goal to attain.   God’s will is that everyone be kind.  The messengers write, “What a world it would be if all of the people on the Earth were very kind, loving and generous.  That would be God’s Kingdom on Earth.  Beloved, keep on praying for this miracle.  It will happen if all of God’s saints and angels sing together in God’s Spirit.  Small Earth people, sing with the angels.  Small ones, it is done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”(155)

649           The messengers say the phrase contains much wisdom, for they write, “‘On Earth as it is in Heaven,’ is a bit of wisdom.  Suppose everyone who lives on the Earth became God’s spiritual inspiration.  Everyone who lives on the Earth turned his/her heart and soul to God.  This would be seen.  Very Earth would become a paradise.  Earth would be as Heaven is.  This is exactly what Jesus told you.  Each spirit who is in God’s love has a spirit as the angels and saints in Heaven do.  Yet, in Heaven, your soul will be so much more in love.  So much more heavenly.  So much more in Heaven than on Earth.  ‘His will be done on Earth as in Heaven.’”(156)

650           The messengers proclaim that the phrase is a promise, for they write “‘On Earth as it is in Heaven.’  This is a very wondrous mystery.  How can it be possible for people to do His will on Earth as it is in Heaven?  Why are you always praying for His Kingdom to come on the Earth?...Everyone has a free will.  Everyone can turn his life over to God.  When that day comes, Earth will be a Heavenly place where all people will share, and there will be no fighting and peace and joy will be found everywhere.  Then the Earth will be as Heaven is, and the prayers of the faithful will be answered……This is our prayer.  It is our dream, and it is possible.  All things are possible in God.  This is our promise, dear souls.  ‘On Earth as it is in Heaven.’”(157)   Our Father, whose name is holy, whose name protects and guides us, will have His Kingdom come and His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. 

             Part 5 Summary

651           As in the previous chapters, a vast number of the theological and moral statements are the same as the Catholic Church and even expressed in the same manner.   God made us for prayer and He listens and longs for our prayers.  The Father answers all of our prayers with wisdom and compassion, especially for the poor.  Therefore we should ask the Lord for help in our needs, no matter how small and express our love for Him.  In prayer, God gives us peace, life, blessings, healing, and, instructions.  Sometimes our prayers are answered differently than what we expect.  We should pray unceasingly, bringing all our needs to God, while making special times for prayer.  We should pray in the name of the Trinity, calling for the Holy Spirit, and asking God to increase His presence in us.  We should ask saints in heaven to pray for us, and pray in groups, with prayer lines, on battlefields, with prayers of petition, thanksgiving, adoration and praise.  We should pray for our suffering to be for the remission of sins.  It does not matter how we pray or when we pray, all prayers are good and all prayers are heard.  If we ask and trust, we will receive.  We should pray for the conversion of souls, for God to expel Satan from our prayers, for God to be with us, for understanding, for comfort, for forgiveness of sin, for healing, for our friends, family, and people we know.  We need to pray with a clean heart and pray hard.  We need to listen to God in prayer.  More good is done through prayer than we know, and much suffering is relieved.  God  is our Father and His name is Holy.  We are to pray that His Kingdom come and His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven

652           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.  Talking to God, reaching God, is easy and it pleases God when we pray to Him and address Him as “Father”.  The morning is the best time to pray.   In prayer our Father returns our love, shares our feelings, makes us young, and God’s Spirit gives us true beauty.  God does not condemn us for how we pray.  Our prayers fill the heavens and are answered when they are most needed, which is sometimes the hour of death.  We are to live with God, not around Him.  While some things may be phrased differently, I do not see where anything presented in this Chapter contradicts the Catholic faith.

  The next section in Part Two   Chapter 14
   The Messengers" Observations About In God's Love
   and the Writer Janet Hurlow   1/2