© 2023 Olga López
© 2023 Urantia Association of Spain
Newsletter of the Urantia Association of Spain
Light and Life — March 2023
¶ In this number
- Editorial – March 2023
- Works – our recommendations of the month
- History and teachings: Chronicle of the life of Jesus
- A Children’s Guide to The Urantia Book: Jesus at Twelve Years
- Other spiritual growth books
- Navigating through life – Life resolutions
- My favorite paragraph
- Urantia Reflections: Awakening to a New Consciousness (Part Two)
- Urantia Questionnaire: Martín Guzmán
- UBIS “In Focus” Presentation Series
- About the Light and Life newsletter
¶ Editorial – March 2023
M. José Sánchez Santamaría
Be like children
A new month begins, and with it spring appears to us once again, splendid in its energy and renewal (at least in the hemisphere in which we find ourselves). A new month and a new issue of our monthly newsletter, with which we want to start releasing seeds in a somewhat more conscious way of seeing and acting, always inspired by the blue book, but also seeking to find real pearls wherever they appear to us.
Do you dare to reflect on different aspects that The Urantia Book shows us and that allows us to expand our cosmic consciousness, allows us to elevate our spiritual perception? Those are the objectives of The Urantia Book (as we read about them in the Prologue) and, saving the distance, also ours.
Dear readers, if these are also your objectives, we encourage you to continue reading our March 2023 issue. We offer you our hand, take it and come with us to continue exploring, imagining, growing… in an endless adventure.
. . . Jesus, hearing the tumult, came out and indignantly reproved them, saying: “Suffer little children to come to me; forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Verily, verily, I say to you, whosoever receives not the kingdom of God as a little child shall hardly enter therein to grow up to the full stature of spiritual manhood.” (UB 167:6.1)
And so does the sacred oftentimes appear to be the common, as on this day these children and their mothers little realized that the onlooking intelligences of Nebadon beheld the children of Jericho playing with the Creator of a universe. (UB 167:6.3)
Boys and girls lacked any type of social consideration at the time when Jesus of Nazareth lived. Therefore, it is not surprising that the disciples scolded them when they made a fuss near the teacher. To everyone’s surprise, however, Jesus exalts them and makes it clear that smallness, simplicity, is the ultimate criterion of the kingdom.
¶ Works – our recommendations of the month
The Supreme Being (Demetrio Gómez)
This work is more than a collection of quotes about the Supreme Being, a Deity that does not appear in any known religion or worldview, and to which The Urantia Book dedicates several third part papers. In it, the author tries to make us understand what the Supreme Being is by clarifying and relating basic concepts that appear in the book, and also using similes, of which we would highlight the following: “Something like the unification of the WWW of the global Internet with power of action and personal decision, as if it were a single intelligence. Millions of individuals use this system to communicate and obtain information. Actually the sum and synthesis of the knowledge of the computer planet.”
What actually survives? (Ken Glasziou)
The author begins his article with a reflection and a question, which is precisely the one in the title: «Most readers of the Urantia Papers experience a feeling of exhilaration and relief when they learn that even those Urantians on whom the faintest glimmer of light flickers faith will have the opportunity to continue to the mansion worlds after physical death. We may even get the impression that, except for a better body and mind, we pick up our way on the first mansion world exactly where we left off here on Urantia. But what really survives of our life on Urantia?" He then provides us with a series of useful concepts and quotes from the book to respond to what is spiritual; which is, after all, what has eternal and survival value.
The Twelve Apostles (Javier Martínez)
This presentation by the author begins by making a “file” of each one of the apostles (outlining what The Urantia Book presents us written in a systematic and exhaustive manner), in which all the information provided by document 139 appears. By the way, a document in which Dr. Sadler, as a psychiatrist, was certain that the Urantia documents were authentic, given their richness in the description of each one of those human types so different and at the same time so united in a spiritual goal common. In this work you will even find a graph with the ages of the apostles when they began their ministry with Jesus.
Science, philosophy, religion and revelation (Jean Royer)
In this article, its author makes a systematic analysis of all these concepts because, in order to better understand what each of them deals with and what their differences are, "it is good to define what is understood by basic terms, and that is what we are going to do prior to your exam: 1) Fundamentals, 2) Method, 3) Object and 4) Field of action”. Finally, the author compares the way in which each one can face the problem of God. All this supported by quotes from the book, which so magnificently expresses the scope of application of all of them and the importance of not confusing these areas to avoid falling into materialism or the most flagrant pantheism.
¶ History and teachings: Chronicle of the life of Jesus
JOURNALISTIC ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF JESUS ACCORDING TO THE URANTIA BOOK
We present the following installment of the chronicles of the life of Jesus, which on this occasion contains what the revelators tell us in paper 142 (Passover in Jerusalem). Inside the PDF you will see a button from where you can access the text of the paper from the Urantia Foundation website.
¶ Children’s Guide to The Urantia Book: Jesus at Twelve Years
We continue to review the secondary work A Children’s Guide to The Urantia Book, by Mary Livingston. This is the next chapter, dedicated to the time when Jesus was twelve years old, and it begins like this:
«When Jesus was twelve years old, he knew and did various things. Santiago, who was eight years old, was at school. Jesus was still studying at school, but he also taught his brothers. Five-year-old Joseph and four-year-old Simon learned the alphabet and other things from Jesus.”
Download the entire chapter in PDF format
¶ Other spiritual growth books
Reinvent yourself: Your second chance (Dr. Mario Alonso Puig)
Dr. Mario Alonso Puig has dedicated a large part of his life to studying the impact that mental processes have on the deployment of our talents and on the levels of health, energy and well-being that we experience. In this book, the author invites us to walk through a process of self-discovery, so that we realize that “much of the anguish and suffering we experience in life is optional and that our fundamental nature is a source of Energy, Wisdom , Serenity, Joy, Creativity and Love”. The reference he makes to Jesus of Nazareth at the end of the book, which begins like this, is very interesting: “No one in history has exemplified in such a surprising and beautiful way what it is to have a human existence and at the same time move on another plane. of reality like Jesus of Nazareth”.
¶ Navigating through life – Life resolutions
We have become accustomed to having a life full of goals, which have become our incentive and motor of life. So much so that, for many people, it is inconceivable not to have them, to the point that they ask themselves: if I no longer have goals, what do I do? Because I live?
The truth is that goals constrain, that is, they limit all the potential that we have within us and end up generating what is known as “tunnel vision”, which refers to the inability to see what is around us, to Consider other options and possibilities.
Some of you will think that this is good because it is to be focused, but it is not like that, because we are “focused” on one thing that will not lead us to peace; it will simply give us temporary satisfaction and in many cases (not all), at the end of the day, when we sit down to take stock, the energy we invest in achieving this goal is greater than the gain. So what we do is uselessly waste our internal resources in something that does not generate the equivalent compensation and thus we lose harmony, a void is created within us that we believe we are going to fill with another goal and thus, without realizing it, we fall into a tailspin and we begin to live from goal to goal, with our eyes well set on the next path, living between anxiety, frustration and excitement. That is why goals are so dangerous.
So why do we change the goals? For a purpose. But what are the purposes? How many purposes are there in life?
The purposes are action guides where we direct our energy; we realize that there are only two purposes: either we have the purpose of offering the best of ourselves, or we have the purpose of hoping that something or someone will make us happy (this is where goals appear).
In order to have the purpose of offering the best, we need to have developed the ability to fully take charge of our lives and have developed a deep commitment to ourselves. So, in order to have a life with purpose, we need to wisely use these two props:
- The understanding of life.
- The ability to learn from our results, which we verify before the lessons that life gives us.
When we live from the purpose of offering the best of ourselves, life immediately becomes easy.
(Assumpció Salat Bertrán)
¶ My favorite paragraph
Francisco Segura Berenguel
The cross is that high symbol of sacred service, the devotion of one’s life to the welfare and salvation of one’s fellows. The cross is not the symbol of the sacrifice of the innocent Son of God in the place of guilty sinners and in order to appease the wrath of an offended God, but it does stand forever, on earth and throughout a vast universe, as a sacred symbol of the good bestowing themselves upon the evil and thereby saving them by this very devotion of love. The cross does stand as the token of the highest form of unselfish service, the supreme devotion of the full bestowal of a righteous life in the service of wholehearted ministry, even in death, the death of the cross. And the very sight of this great symbol of the bestowal life of Jesus truly inspires all of us to want to go and do likewise. (UB 188:5.9)
This part of Paper 188:4 and section 5 have helped me to better understand and from another more real point of view the meaning of the symbol of the cross. In another time, when he belonged as a member of an evangelical church, he considered grotesque the simple fact of observing Jesus of Nazareth hanging on the cross, remembering the suffering inflicted by his attackers and the meekness of his attitude towards them.
I was taught during my membership that this sign was like seeing someone who, in a different circumstance at death, had the murder weapon used as an image and sign on their own body. Therefore, I understood in this way that I had to get rid of the crosses that I had in my possession, some of them gifts from my parents and others acquired by me. And so I did when I saw it and understood it in those moments in that primitive and even barbaric way:
Make sure, then, that when you view the cross as a revelation of God, you do not look with the eyes of the primitive man nor with the viewpoint of the later barbarian, . . . (UB 188:5.11)
Since it came into my hands The Urantia Book has transformed my life and changed my previous perspective on life, the original message of Jesus of Nazareth and, above all, the sign and meaning of the cross.
Talking about these things with a good friend of the family who is many years ahead of me in age, neither short nor lazy, the next day she diligently gave me a rosary that is fifty years old and a Dalí Christ that, of course, also has his years, which I have been wearing since that day and the rosary hanging in the vehicle. A detail of affection on his part and I am very grateful to him.
It is not my intention to modify or change, in any of you, your personal perspective on the matter. It only seemed good to tell you, to convey to you something very mine and personal about this.
Also in these same documents, since I read this section, I keep in mind this other paragraph in my day to day that I share with you and surely you have remembered on occasions:
. . . Jesus loves men so much that his love awakens the response of love in the human heart. Love is truly contagious and eternally creative. (UB 188:5.2)
I personally would not understand the world without the love referred to in The Urantia Book. That love that makes us live for and for someone, our children, siblings, parents, relatives and friends. Live and show the rest of our loved ones the way we lead and show that we are all children of the same Father and therefore the fraternal and spiritual brotherhood that the Master taught us.
Today I thank God for meeting this large and growing family of fifth revelation readers.
Receive with all affection a super hug.
Francisco Segura Berenguel
¶ Urantia Reflections: Awakening to a New Consciousness (Part Two)
Eduardo Altuzarra
We all have a genetic heritage, a biology that has been with us since birth. In it, creeds are disguised from which unfortunate behaviors occur, so many of them carry our misfortunes. To this we have to add the education received and the social environment in which we have developed. All this has made it possible to sow, throughout our lives, in a field where the plant that has sprouted has not given the ideal fruits that represent happiness, coherence, altruism, responsibility, humility, understanding, empathy etc
We have to keep in mind that if we do not modify the seed, which is something like the content of our thoughts, we will not be able to obtain good fruits, good words, sincere dialogues, etc., much less will we vary our actions and their results. If we don’t try to change, our life will not change.
“Who sows winds, reaps storms.” (popular saying)
Living in error means not benefiting from the gifts that the Father grants to all those who make an effort to face life within the established plan. Practicing false beliefs make us experience tribulations, afflictions, conflicts, calamities, etc. These behaviors can be temporary if we decide to start reading the corresponding manual, if we follow the sign, if we do the will of the Father, if we accept that we finally want to wake up and get out of the error. Those desires will bring us new winds of freedom, willpower and availability to exercise brotherhood and altruism. To sincerely and humbly recognize the missteps and mistakes made is to take the first step towards liberation, towards change, towards a new life.
It must be considered that when we enter the crystal clear water, dirty with the mud of errors, we will surely dirty the clean waters and never finish cleaning ourselves. It’s not easy to get rid of that mud, it’s hard to get clean before bathing clean of mud in the transparent pool. Getting out of our mistakes is difficult to recognize, because we have lived for a more or less long time in confusion, between conflicts and that way of life that has become comfortable living with us. It is so and it is something established in our lives. It is very important to gradually change the way of thinking, the way of expressing ourselves and the actions of our daily lives.
Take care of your thoughts, because they will become your words.
Take care of your words, because they will become your actions.
Take care of your actions, because they will become your habits.
Take care of your habits, because they will become your destiny.
(M.Gandhi)
¶ Urantia Questionnaire: Martín Guzmán
I am Mexican, I live in Mexico City. I work as a manager in a warehouse. I am married, I have a daughter and two grandchildren. I was president of Urantia Association Mexico and currently participate in various reading and study groups of The Urantia Book.
- How did you get to The Urantia Book and why do you think you found it?
To understand how I came to The Urantia Book, I’ll start by telling you that I was an atheist. I did not believe in the existence of a superior divine being, until my life changed the day my newborn daughter died in my arms.
I remember that, when I got back from the cemetery, I locked myself in my bedroom, went to the wall, closed my eyes and said: «God, if you exist, help me, I can’t take it anymore. If you exist, I thank you for allowing me to meet my daughter, take care of her. Help me to know the truth, I feel very confused. Fifteen days after that event, something very strange happened to me that led me to discover The Urantia Book.
One day, while at my business, I suddenly began to feel a great concern about going outside. I don’t know how to explain it, I just followed the impulse and went out. I didn’t know where to go. I remember that I walked until I reached a traffic light and I approached a used magazine stand that was there. I began to look at them and took two, one was about UFOs and the other was a Spanish magazine that contained a report by a person who was dedicated to exposing charlatans. The article mentioned the content of The Urantia Book. What struck me was that the reporter was a skeptic who wanted to expose The Urantia Book, but unable to do so due to the veracity of the book, ended up recommending it. That caught my eye and I decided to buy it. Before starting to read it, I said to myself: “This book has to be like all of them, I’m going to catch it in some lie.” More than 30 years have passed and to date I have not been able to find any falsehood in it, rather the book caught me.
Thanks to the message of The Urantia Book, now I have faith in God and I know that He is my Father, if I persist in living faith, doing his will with all my heart, I know that one day I will meet him and see my daughter again.
- What was your first impression when reading it?
When I started reading the book, I experienced many conflicts, as its content clashed with my beliefs. That made me very sick for several days, I even thought about burning it. But something inside me told me that this was the answer to my request to “know the truth.”
¶ UBIS “In Spotlight” Presentation Series
The Urantia Book International School (UBIS) begins this year a cycle of “In the Spotlight” webinars related to The Urantia Book or community of readers topics.
In Spanish, the sessions will last between 60 and 90 minutes, and will be held one Saturday a month at 6 pm (Madrid, Paris, Rome time). The presenter will give an introductory presentation on the topic in question, after which there will be an opportunity for attendees to participate in a discussion.
You can see the video of the previous session at this link.
This is the presentation scheduled for the month of March:
Day: Saturday March 4
Time: 6:00 p.m. CET (Madrid, Paris, Rome)
Title: The prayer and faith of Jesus
Presents: Dario Franco Cuartas
Zoom Room: https://urantia-org.zoom.us/j/4457962840
¶ About the Light and Life newsletter
Light and Life is the newsletter of the Urantia Association of Spain. From 2005 to 2016 it was published in PDF format and distributed by mail and email to the association’s reader list, but it is currently distributed in newsletter format from content in HTML format.
If you want to receive the newsletter in your email, contact the association to subscribe to the mailing list.
All papers and news from readers and study groups are welcome, so if you want to share any side work, writing, outline, image, etc., you can send it to the association and we will publish it previous evaluation of its suitability. Likewise, the Communication commission of the board of directors of the Urantia Association of Spain reserves the right to edit it so that it meets minimum spelling quality.
¶ References
- Article of the Magazine Light and Life Online: https://aue.urantia-association.org/newsletter/luz-y-vida-marzo-2023/