© 2013 Claude Flibotte, Francine Fortin, Marc Belleau, Luciano Camellini
© 2013 Urantia Association of Quebec
Editor’s Note: The presentation of the article below by Claude Flibotte is a tribute to his partner Diane Rousseau who left this world on March 15th. In this text, we find the teachings of the book presented by a reader in relation to death. What a beautiful way to teach these truths to those who have ears to hear.
¶ Tribute to Diane Rousseau
WHEN I MET DIANE, WHAT immediately attracted me to her was her great listening skills. Rare are the people who know how to listen. Diane really took the time to understand people. She knew how to put me at ease with delicacy, tact and gentleness. I don’t think I’ve ever been so open to another person before. Finally, I fell madly in love with her.
Reserved, shy and somewhat solitary by nature, Diane made me a more sociable being and more open to others. Thanks to her, I became a better person. I will be eternally grateful to her. The interest of living as a couple is that one contributes to the advancement of the other. It is through sorrows, trials and successes that the character of a strong and balanced personality is forged. Diane knew how to do this well with me and our relationship, spread over a period of fifteen years, allowed us to nourish and develop each other.
Although illness was not a desirable fact in itself, it was beneficial to us. Knowing that time was running out, our relationship intensified. Abandoning the superficialities of material life, we communicated more and more soul to soul. I learned to become probably the most patient and devoted of men. In this area, Diane deserves all the credit. Working in the medical world, she knew perfectly well the ins and outs of her illness. She faced it with boundless calm and courage. In my eyes, she was the most extraordinary woman I have ever known.
Her departure leaves me with a great void as it does for all of you, I am convinced. Diane took flight without fear and confident in the reality of an existence beyond death. Otherwise, what is the point of being born, living, loving, working tirelessly to improve oneself and then, dying stupidly and falling into oblivion! What a waste that would be! God, supreme being of perfection and love cannot be so inconsistent with himself! He has a plan for his universe and we are all intimately part of it, if that is our desire. If Diane were allowed to be here among us today, as Jesus was among his apostles after his resurrection, here is probably what she would say to us:
“I understand that you feel pain because I am no longer among you. The relationship of love and friendship that is established between people is an eternal reality in the universe and has an inestimable value. However, do not be saddened for me. My suffering ended with my death. Today, I have a more perfect form and I walk again. I exist and live in a wonderful world where well-being and individual improvement are the ultimate goal sought. I fraternize with my angel who once watched over me. My days pass discovering and doing wonderful things beyond all hope. I have found the people I loved and who preceded me. They contribute pleasantly to my integration into this new environment. Be confident and keep hope, a divine spark, a gift of love from the Creator, lives and acts in your thought. It will guide you gently towards Him. Together, on Earth as elsewhere, we form a large family in the benevolence and love of a common father."
“I think of you and miss you too. I hope for you and I love you. I will be there for you when your time comes. Keep hope and courage, because the road is worth traveling! I do not leave you with a farewell, but rather a goodbye!”
Text by Claude Flibotte
¶ My experience in study groups
AT THE AGE OF 50, existential QUESTIONS hit me hard. “What am I doing here? What is the meaning of my life? Is there eternal life?” And for these fundamental questions, I turned to God. “Do you exist? If so, then show me the way that will lead me to you.”
Having always lived my life filled with good values, I have rarely turned to God in this way.
Never before had I questioned Him. But at that moment, on the cusp of my fifties, I prayed to Him to manifest Himself to me. And as the saying goes, “Be careful what you wish for,” God heard me and granted my sincere wish.
On my birthday, The Urantia Book was given to me by my great friend Line, who has my complete trust. Line’s dedication, which read as follows: “My dear Francine, the important thing is not who we are, but who we want to become. It is not where we are, but where we want to go. 50 years in life are only a blink of an eye in eternity” aroused my curiosity. This book that was so mysterious to me seemed to call me, because I firmly believed that it would answer all my questions.
God had heard me, I had no more doubts. Filled with expectations and haste, here I am, on a beautiful day in July, beginning to read it.
Horror! After a week of reading a hundred pages, I found myself lost. I didn’t understand anything. All these terms that were impossible to find in the dictionary and inexplicable concepts! I was disconcerted and especially very sad to see my lack of understanding. Worse, I found myself useless and embarrassed not to understand anything.
So I contacted Line for more clarification. That’s when she directed me by telling me about the study groups, made up of readers who meet every week to better understand and study the Book. She also advised me to read more about the Life of Jesus before starting with the study group that didn’t take place until the following fall. Which I did and which filled me with joy.
I joined the first Véritas study group with extraordinary hosts: Pierre and Lise Routhier. And so began one of the most wonderful experiences of my life, and for those who know me, that is saying something! After a few years, having moved, I joined the Le Pont group with a wonderful host: Guy Vachon. And recently the Le Phare de la Rive-Sud group with wonderful hosts: Lucianno Camellini and Dominique Marchessault.
After 9 years since I began reading The Urantia Book, along with my study groups, I see how much my thoughts have been clarified and how much my understanding has greatly expanded.
I know that I will not have enough time on Urantia to understand, experience and assimilate all the teachings of this magnificent revelation, because every time I reread a known passage, I learn more. But for what I understand of these teachings, I apply myself to living it here, on Urantia, the rest will be for my eternal Life. My Life has been transformed thanks to these teachings, not to mention my proximity to Our Father. Without the study groups, I now know that I would have been greatly delayed and that I would have deprived myself of the essential by leaving the book aside, because it is certain that I would have abandoned it and would have sought God elsewhere.
For me, the study group is really necessary for my understanding of the book. It is complementary and necessary to its reading. Thanks to the personal experience of all the readers of a study group, this Book, which at the beginning was revealed to be intellectual, has become an essential and enriching experience enhancing my spiritual progression.
What I see every week is the great respect of all readers. Especially at the beginning, illiterate as I was, I was never embarrassed to ask questions and I was always respected and they answered them well. I never felt that I was disturbing, quite the contrary, the experienced readers always answered my questions, whatever they were, and this, to their great pleasure.
What a joy, today, to finally be able to share my understanding with the readers of my group. To be able to benefit from their experiences and to share our different points of view through enriching exchanges. We are always happy to meet up, one evening a week, in calm and fraternity.
I consider study groups as a respite, an oasis of peace in our lives that are not always restful. A unique place to gather in spirituality, to pray and to talk and better understand God and his entire Universe.
Surrounded by readers with a common goal, in the home of warm and welcoming hosts, the time of an evening always passes too quickly. I would have a hard time doing without it and my wish for all of you who read me, is that you also have this great privilege of being part of a study group like mine.
Francine Fortin
¶ God, the great responsible
THERE IS A BELIEF, QUITE WIDESPREAD in many religious movements, that the tribulations we experience during our earthly life are sent by God in order to test us and make us progress in spirituality.
Humanity has always attributed to a few heavenly personalities the extraordinary events of life, especially those over which it has no control or for which it has no explanation. I often heard my grandmother say, when someone died, that God needed them on the other side. But let us ask ourselves this simple question: Would our Heavenly Father send a sickness to one of His children in order to make him acquire compassion or bankrupt a powerful man in order to make him understand what humility is? Imagine, for example, that an earthly father burns the fingers of one of his children to make him understand not to play with fire. No intelligent being would do such a thing and I believe that God does not. Never does the Heavenly Father intentionally send calamities to test and make His creation grow. God is not a despot!
It is our personal and collective decisions and the accidents of time that lead to the consequences we struggle with. Personal decisions are those over which we have the most control. For example, we can decide not to exercise regularly, but this greatly increases the risk of aging poorly. Collective decisions are the directions we take as a society and which influence the fate of each individual. We generally have less control over these decisions. For example, the power given to the oil industry by our governments leads to upheavals that are felt on a global scale; global warming is a good example. We can vote against political parties that favor these positions, but if they are elected by the majority, the entire planet will suffer the consequences and more specifically, the regions located at the equator. Finally, there are the accidents of time over which we have no control. My mother suffers from macular degeneration. With age, she has become partially sighted. She is not personally responsible for this situation. She was simply born with less efficient eyes; it is a question of genetics.
“The Father in heaven does not willingly afflict the children of men. Man suffers, first, from the accidents of time and the imperfections of the evil of an immature physical existence. Next, he suffers the inexorable consequences of sin—the transgression of the laws of life and light. And finally, man reaps the harvest of his own iniquitous persistence in rebellion against the righteous rule of heaven on earth. But man’s miseries are not a personal visitation of divine judgment.” (UB 148:6.11)
It is therefore not the will of the heavenly Father to torment his creation for any reason whatsoever. The preceding quote tells us a little more about the origin of our earthly tribulations. The consequences of our decisions come from three different causes:
- Our imperfection: immaturity, lack of judgment, knowledge and inexperience;
- The inexorable consequences of sin: it is the transgression of divine laws. We are aware of the things not to do, we have enough judgment to make the right decisions, but we still choose the wrong path whether it is through laziness, procrastination, cowardice or any other weakness;
- Rebellion against the sovereignty of heaven: this is the love of what is evil. When we repeatedly choose evil, we become accustomed to it and our view of reality becomes distorted. Instead of identifying with God—the source of all reality—we come to identify with evil, which is doomed to disappear in its time.
The trials of our lives are direct consequences of the transgression of divine laws. We all know the famous saying: “Actions are for men and the consequences are for God.” In order for the universe to function efficiently, rules must be established to which individuals must submit. Otherwise, there would be anarchy and chaos. These rules allow us to know the limits of the rights and freedoms of each member of the group, their function, the decision-making power they can exercise, etc. When we transgress these rules through lack of experience or voluntarily, we receive the consequences attached to these transgressions. It is the Trinity of Paradise that is responsible for managing the laws that govern the universe of universes.
All law takes origin in the First Source and Center; he is law. The administration of spiritual law inheres in the Second Source and Center. The revelation of law, the promulgation and interpretation of the divine statutes, is the function of the Third Source and Center. The application of law, justice, falls within the province of the Paradise Trinity and is carried out by certain Sons of the Trinity. (UB 10:6.1)
In Greco-Roman mythology, justice is personified by Themis, a woman holding a scale and whose eyes are covered by a blindfold, a symbol of impartiality. This representation says a lot about the nature of justice. Indeed, it deals with the facts brought to light without taking the individual into consideration. It does not seek to understand the motives of the person concerned; this role is rather devolved to mercy. Justice ensures that the rules are applied; it ensures the proper functioning of the whole by regulating the behavior of individuals. It is always administered by groups of personalities.
Justice is inherent in the universal sovereignty of the Paradise Trinity, but goodness, mercy, and truth are the universe ministry of the divine personalities, whose Deity union constitutes the Trinity. Justice is not the attitude of the Father, the Son, or the Spirit. Justice is the Trinity attitude of these personalities of love, mercy, and ministry. No one of the Paradise Deities fosters the administration of justice. Justice is never a personal attitude; it is always a plural function. (UB 10:6.2)
While justice is precise and effective, it is always tempered by divine mercy. In his personal dealings with each of his creatures, God as Father never judges his children. At our death, it is not the Adjusters who decree our survival but rather a group of three stationary Sons of the Trinity: a Universal Censor, a Perfector of wisdom, and a Divine Counselor; this juridical trio functions at the constellation level and constitutes the perfect judgment of the Paradise Trinity. While justice is a function administered by groups of personalities, mercy is always an individual and personal attitude.
“Mercy ministry is always the work of the individual, but justice punishment is the function of the social, governmental, or universe administrative groups. As an individual I am beholden to show mercy;” (UB 133:1.2)
The heavenly Father is merciful, for he knows personally and intimately the path of each of his children. This knowledge enables him to judge with fairness the various situations that occur in his universe. This same mercy is expressed in the attitude of the Thought Adjusters as they endure with us the consequences of our most foolish errors, and in reality they do more than that. By utilizing the consequences of our errors, and to the extent that we are willing to reflect upon our experience, they teach us the right way, the best course. In more mundane terms, we put our feet in it, and the Adjuster uses these experiences for the development of our character and personality; but in no case does the heavenly Father send any tests upon his offspring! In reality, he need not do so, since we are fully able to entangle ourselves in tight situations without any outside help. Do we really need God to send us additional challenges on top of all the mistakes we already make?
The Adjusters make wise and positive use of these life experiences which sometimes seem to us to be recurring. But is this not one of the most beautiful expressions of divine intelligence, a habit of God transforming the errors of his children into opportunities for learning and growth? Let us think of the rebellion which took place in our constellation. Our heavenly Father is now wisely utilizing the consequences (isolation of the planet, absence of the government of the planetary Prince and of the cultural headquarters of the planetary Adam and Eve) connected with the sins of the rebels involved in this apparent catastrophe by preparing and training creatures of unfailing faith, beings who will be able to function under conditions where sublime trust in divine providence is necessary for success. Our heavenly Father has the power to transform evil into something far greater, far nobler, and far more beautiful. In the image of God, we too can do the same. Choosing what to learn from the difficult experiences we go through allows us to grow and gives us a sense of control over our lives. We don’t have to suffer the consequences of our bad decisions, we can learn to use them.
To teach that disasters, illnesses, and all the tribulations we encounter in our lives are sent by the Heavenly Father for the purpose of strengthening our character is to make Him personally responsible for everything that happens to us. In doing so, we misrepresent the loving character of our Heavenly Father. God certainly uses our mistakes to help us grow, but He never sends trials to His children for any reason. Our imperfection, our immaturity, are more than enough to provide all the difficult situations we encounter in our lives. However, we can learn to use our mistakes as multiple stepping stones to higher levels of wisdom.
The tendency has too often prevailed to attribute to God the responsibility for everything that the ignorant have failed to understand. The Father is not personally responsible for everything you do not understand. Do not doubt the Father’s love simply because a just and wise law of His ordinances afflicts you for having unwittingly or deliberately transgressed a divine ordinance.
Marc Belleau
¶ Historical wink…
IN AUGUST 1994, SOME 70 readers traveled to Israel on a trip to mark the 2,000th anniversary of Michael’s bestowal.
While staying in a hotel on the Mount of Olives, they flew a banner bearing the emblem of Michael on that memorable day before the enclosure of the old part of Jerusalem. This was a historic moment, since this emblem had not appeared in that region since the time of the coming of Machiventa Melchizedek in the time of Abraham.
¶ Study group and family
WHEN ARE WE REALLY ready? This is the question I asked my wife Dominique the day we decided to make a lifelong commitment to having our Study Group (SG).
We read and studied all the documents received from the AUQ on this subject, plus those on the website. A long year to evaluate our future commitment. Even if Dominique had not completed his reading of the Urantia Book (UB), personally I was on my third reading; the first to read it like a novel, the second to understand it and the third to study it in depth.
The Revelators have told us that the book has been given to those who are ready, to train leaders and teachers, but when are we really ready for this? The UB is rooted in me and flows in my veins, the heart pumps the fascicles, the soul dissects them in the material being that I am, like many of you, who have lived more or less the same life experiences, but which have led us to discover what I call my dictionary of life.
Before meeting the UB, everything was written in my being and, by reading it the first time, I knew how to put words to my thoughts and my characters. I had this honor thanks to Dominique, who made me discover it and since that day, the UB is my life and Dominique has become my wife.
Together we decided to serve God, together we founded our GE, “The Lighthouse of the South Shore” and together we decided to read it in its entirety and study it in depth. Brothers and sisters joined our group, the family is growing in the same direction. We made the decision to study first the life of Michael, his teachings as a boy, a teenager, a man and God, and to prepare a future presentation for other study groups. A colossal task in the group, because we are not all at the same level of understanding, we are at the dawn of the GE experience, but with the love of the Father and thanks to the help of the celestial Beings, it solidifies us and makes us progress in the right direction.
Sometimes we find ourselves as a study couple, but our commitment is very serious and, even as a couple, we have our meeting. The table is prepared as usual, but we do not feel alone. We feel encouraged and guided on the right path, taking one step at a time. At the end of each meeting, we feel the unconditional love of the Father. We feel like a fully charged battery that only wants to give its power.
At each meeting, we have a special thought for our brother André who had to be absent for an operation, but we know that he is with us every Monday and his place is reserved at our table. With a list of questions, we always manage to find the answer that satisfies us. We have learned that reading alone is good, but not enough. Sharing our understanding of the UB is necessary for our evolution. We are unique in the superuniverse and this is due to the importance of each one. To grow, we need to learn, but also to share and teach what we have learned; if this does not happen, we crystallize on the spot without ever evolving. Hence the importance of sharing and study groups.
I remember, in the beginning, Line gave me a list of names, close to our home, to tell them about the new GE. To my great disappointment and surprise none of these people ever showed up and I respect their free will of their decision, but this confirmed to us that, “how many are ready to become leaders and teachers?” Fear, that is the number one enemy of the human being, fear of learning, fear of sharing, fear of being afraid. My only fear is not to live long enough to share what I have learned about material and spiritual life.
After my experience as treasurer at the AUQ, after having lived two fantastic, full and exciting years with the members of the Board of Directors, I am even more convinced of doing the will of the Father, of loving him and of serving for the rest of my days, and I feel ready to take on the new challenges that will be given to me.
I want to thank my wife Dominique for her support, her courage and especially for her patience. She is there to bring me back down to earth when my spirit has already gone far away in our universe.
Luciano Camellini
¶ Leather Cases for The Urantia Book
A FEW MONTHS AGO, the Foundation got rid of some 120 cases for the Little Urantia Books.
The AUQ only had to pay the shipping costs and therefore can sell them to you for $5 plus postage.
Let me know your interest, either by email at line.stpierre@gmail.com or by phone at 450-565-3323.
¶ STUDY GROUPS
THIS ACTIVITY ALLOWS MULTIPLE READERS OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING to share and study together the teachings of The Urantia Book. It promotes spiritual progress by allowing its participants to find practical applications to the teachings of The Urantia Book in their daily lives. This important practice helps to maintain a broad perspective on concepts of truth.
You wish to participate or form a study group; we will be happy to assist you. If you wish to have your study group appear in this list, contact the person in charge, via email association.urantia.quebec@gmail.com or at 450-565-3323.
Group: Découverte
Every Monday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Laurentians Region Gaétan Charland and Line St-Pierre
Tel.: 450-565-3323
Group: Étoile du Soir
Every Wednesday from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Laurentides region
Carmen Charland
Tel.: 450-553-3601
Group: Le Pont
Every Thursday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
South Shore of Montreal
Guy Vachon
Tel.: 450-465-7049
Group: Mauricie Readers
Every Monday from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Three Rivers Region
Madeleine Boisvert and
Tel: 819-376-8850
Roger Perigny
819-379-5768
Group: Veritas
Every Tuesday from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Montreal area, near the Church metro station
Lise and Pierre Routhier
Tel.: 514-761-2378
Sherbrooke Group
Every two weeks, Tuesday or Wednesday (to be confirmed)
From 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Helene Boisvenue or Denis Gravelle
Tel.: 819 569-6416
Group: The Ascendants
Every two weeks on Sunday from 13 h 00 to 3:30 p.m.
South Shore of Quebec
Guy LeBlanc
Tel: 418-835-1809
Group: The Agondontarians
Every two weeks on Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. North Shore of Quebec
Guy & Rolande L. Martin
Tel: 418-651-3851
Group: Les Débonnaires
Wednesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Montreal region
Julien Audet
Tel: 514-315-9871
Group: Urantia Fraternity
Wednesdays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Lanaudière region
Richard Landry & Gisèle Boisjoly
Tel: 450-589-6922
Group: Vers les Sommets
Friday from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Regions Ormstown & Valleyfield
Louise Sauve
Tel: 450-829-3631
Group: The United Urantia Family
Monday from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Montreal region
Mrs. Diane Labrecque
Tel: 514-277-2308
The Partners of the Supreme
Monday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Quebec region
Richard Lachance
Tel: (418) 614-2520 or (418) 933-0244 (cell)
At Maisonia
Every two weeks on Monday from 7:15 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Quebec region
Gilles Bertrand & Louise Renaud
Tel: 418-871-4564
Group: Uni-Terre
Every Sunday from 9:00 a.m.
Lanaudière region
Eric Martel
Tel: 450-756-9387
Group: Laurantia
Every Sunday from 9:00 a.m.
Petite Nation region in Outaouais
Denise Charron & Jean-Claude Lafreniere
Tel: 819-983-2113
Group: The Precursors of Divine Reality
Every two weeks on Tuesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Laurentides region
Mrs. Johanne Séguin
Tel: 819-327-3237
Group: Sans Frontiére
Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Hawkesbury region
Yvon and Irene Belle-Isle
Tel: 613-632-5706
Group: from Outaouais
Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Ottawa Region
Maurice Migneault
Tel: 613-789-6833
Group: The Alphée Brothers
Sunday
Thetford Mines region
Sylvère Marcoux
Tel: 418-332-3560
Group: The South Shore Lighthouse
Every Monday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
South Shore region of Montreal
Luciano Camellini and Dominique Marchessault
Disclaimer: Any interpretations, opinions, conclusions or artistic representations, stated or implied, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of Urantia Association International or local and national level associations.