© 2011 Johanna Beukers and Max Masotti
© 2011 French-speaking Association of Readers of the Urantia Book
This year, we decided to celebrate Micaël’s birthday at our home in SolliesPont. Readers from three departments were gathered, Gard, Bouches du Rhône and Var, a total of 22 people. Our scholar Jean Royer informed us that August 21 of the year 29 was also a Sunday. Logically, we should have talked about the birth of Jesus, but this subject had been brought up many times and we decided to study the transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Hermon which, as everyone knows, took place on August 15 of the year 29.
This subject of the transfiguration is more complex than it seems since certain questions remain unanswered, such as: “Why then do Jesus and his apostles have to spend two days preparing themselves spiritually?” How can we also prepare ourselves spiritually?
The UB informs us that the three apostles chosen by Jesus could not reach the spiritual levels which would have justified the risk of putting them fully in the presence of the celestial beings whose appearance on earth was imminent. UB 158:0.2
What was also this risk of putting them fully in the presence of celestial beings? (quote from UB)
On the morning of Monday, August 15, Jesus and the three apostles began the ascent of Mount Hermon and they reached their destination, halfway to the summit, a little before noon. Following John’s instructions, “Halfway. Mount Hermon is 2814 m high, so around 1400 m.”
The UB also tells us “Jesus had been asked to go up the mountain alone to settle certain important matters concerning the unfolding of his incarnate outpouring”.(UB 158:1.2)
Who had asked Jesus to go up the mountain alone?
In short, many other questions still remain about what happened during the transfiguration.
Our meeting began with Ivan reading us the report of the symposium; then the study of the text of the transfiguration began. The entire meeting took place in a studious and fraternal atmosphere. Then, as every year, we shared a buffet in memory of our Creator Son.
This study, in a scorching temperature of 37º, also gave some readers the opportunity to get to know others.
Johanna Beukers and Max Masotti
