© 2018 Line St-Pierre, Robert Cadieux, Paul-Yvan Deléglise,
© 2018 Urantia Association of Quebec
¶ Word from the President
Line St-Pierre
president@urantiaqc.org
This text came to me after some thought, following the presentation by Hélène Boisvenue, “My career in the knowledge of God” which she gave during the theme on May 27 in Drummondville.
Being a student of the 5th epoch revelation has made me aware of establishing a spiritual itinerary for my life. I know where I am going, but in this journey I am sometimes confronted with blockages, obstacles and adversity, but I am also encouraged by small successes, intuitions and of course by travel companions who find themselves on my path.
Being all registered in this eternal expedition and subject to the little demons and limitations of the self and the ego, how can we fully live this earthly adventure with the greatest possible confidence?
God has set up everything in us to know Him and live Him; faith, personality, the Thought Adjuster, the adjutant mind spirits, all these divine gifts enable us to arrive at our destination, His destination. Motivation and sincerity in doing God’s will are the keys that testify to this.
As the plan for our lives takes shape, the spiritual driving force leads us from one beautiful discovery to another, here and beyond.
May all consciences be inspired by the light of the truth of the Spirit and let us share the discovery and experience of living the love of God.
“Strong characters are not derived from not doing wrong but rather from actually doing right.” (UB 140:4.6)
¶ Amsterdam, UAI International Congress 2018 April 12-15, 2018
Robert Cadieux
Montreal
It is a rewarding feeling to be attending an international conference of Urantia Book readers.
What I like is the atmosphere I experience at these congresses.
The dynamism of the Urantia movement is growing on our world and when you participate in an international congress, you feel it.
You can feel the enthusiasm. Meeting all kinds of people, from many countries. People you know and only meet on rare occasions like this and others you start to know with discussions on the topics discussed at the congress and on other levels too.
This is what happened to me at the Amsterdam congress from April 12 to 15, I met several people for the first time and had enriching discussions.
I met the president of the French association of readers of the Urantia Book (AFLUB) with whom I had good discussions, as well as other French-speaking people from France, Belgium, Switzerland and Senegal.
I had enriching discussions with Khatabe Ndiaye of Dakar, one of Moussa’s sons, whom many know. I realized how advanced the study of the Book in study groups in Senegal is. They have integrated the teachings to a level that impresses me. I describe here the content of a conversation we had that enlightened me on the levels of consciousness in our human experience. I have added quotes from the Book.
Our physical body, the vehicle with which we evolve, with which we have our experiences in mortal flesh, is given to us for the time of a life. It is fragile.
It is with this vehicle that our life begins and our awakening to consciousness takes shape. With this physical body, our personality comes to life.
We go through three stages of consciousness reality.
First, through the physical stage of understanding matter and our environment.
The child is born and becomes aware of things in his environment. He touches, he smells, he tastes.
At the same time, he becomes aware of his mother, his father, his family, the community in which he lives and then the society in which he will evolve and develop his character. This is the stage of human relationships; the struggles for power, money and balance that he will have to acquire.
Along with human relationships, the level of feelings and emotions overlaps. This is the second level where the personality becomes aware of the moral sense; of meanings and values that have the potential for survival.
This is when our Thought Adjuster comes in to work with our mind.
When we perceive the values of altruism and brotherly relationships, we begin to perceive that we can give in addition to receiving. We instinctively perceive what love is: the desire to do good to others.
This is when we begin to become aware of the third level. That of mind consciousness.
We are slowly discovering the soul consciousness which has survival value.
It is the Spirit that inhabits us, in relation to our human mind that gives birth to the soul.
Indeed, we can realize that there is a spiritual presence that coordinates our mind and pushes us to make the right moral decisions.
At the same time, our personality has its free will which means that we have the choice to do the good that is proposed to us by the spirit that inhabits us or to go with our human self which can decide to act differently. This is freedom of choice, free will.
When we end our mortal life, our life in the flesh; our personality is transferred to a higher level of continuity.
This reality is absolutely true and it was revealed to us by Jesus who demonstrated it to us during his apparitions which followed his physical death. This is a human and spiritual reality on which we can rely.
When we move from the moral level to that of spiritual values, we rise to the third level of consciousness.
When someone dies, we can anticipate the survival of their personality.
Jesus said: (in a discussion with Nabon, one of the leaders of the main mystery cult in Rome, the Mithraic cult.)
“Human life continues—survives—because it has a universe function, the task of finding God. The faith-activated soul of man cannot stop short of the attainment of this goal of destiny; and when it does once achieve this divine goal, it can never end because it has become like God—eternal.” (UB 132:3.7)
What qualifies the personality for the potential for eternal survival?
His free will. The personality is free to make the choice of survival values.
Survival is a gift from heaven, it is offered to us by our Thought Adjuster who represents the Father in us; but we still have to want it. We have to decide it.
We can believe in the survival of human life; and the mechanism to be used to raise ourselves into the reality of eternal life is our faith. And what is faith?
It is our spiritual tool, it is a gift from the Universal Father that allows us to attain the personal certainty of eternal life.
“Faith is a living attribute of genuine personal religious experience.” (UB 101:8.1)
And we here are fortunate to have been instructed in this by revelation. We are told:
“You will long use faith and be dependent on revelation if you hope to progress quickly and safely.” (UB 19:5.12)
It is these three levels of human consciousness that prepare us for survival, that enable us to continue our career from the human stage to the next stage of progression into spiritual reality.
After physical death and resurrection, we rise to successive levels of personal progression.
If we push the opening into more advanced reflection, we discover that our mind discerns the presence of the spirit within us.
Sometimes we call it the conscience or the impulse to do the right thing. The feeling of doing what is true; the real right decision, the real right thing to do.
And this Spirit, this consciousness, this consciousness of the Spirit, it is this which directs us and pushes us to do good.
Jesus said that to enter the kingdom of heaven we must be born of the spirit. To understand and accept the potentially guiding presence of the Spirit within us.
We are not talking about conscience here. Conscience can motivate us to do good:
“. . .for conscience is really the criticism of oneself by one’s own value-habits, personal ideals.” (UB 100:1.5)
Whereas, the Spirit that lives in us shows us the way and the Spirit of Truth gives us conviction, lets us know that this is true.
When I ask myself this question: “What gives me the real impulse of vitality and enthusiasm?” It is my faith.
My faith, this is the beginning of my authentic spiritual awareness.
It is she who gives me the certainty of survival, the certainty of life after physical death.
This is the content of an enriching conversation with this luminous personality.
This is to tell you how much I enjoyed participating in this congress through the experiences I had there and the enrichment they brought me.
I also want to say a word about the entertainment of the congress. Our entertainers were the reggae singer Pato Banton and his wife Antoinette Hall. A joyful and very effective memory. They supported us from beginning to end. On Saturday, April 14, they gave us a joyful and stimulating show even from the point of view of musical spirituality because Pato and Antoinette have now dedicated and consecrated the future of their international artistic career to the teachings of The Urantia Book. It was musical magic.
I must mention that on Thursday, April 12th there was a piano and vocal performance by Bob Solone who gave us a very warm musical pleasure. He sang us ‘Smile’ by Charlie Chaplin, songs by the Beatles and many endearing musical memories from ‘Simon and Garfunkel’.
This is the atmosphere of a congress that I will remember forever.
There were 5 of us from Quebec who participated in this congress and I would have liked more of us to be there.
At the end of the congress, on Sunday at noon, when it was announced that the next international congress would be held in 2021 and that it would take place in Cusco, Peru, I said to myself WOW! I projected myself forward and I can already see myself there. I like to imagine that there could be several of us Quebecers participating. It’s in three years and it could be a project! Saving money and deciding to go to Cusco to attend the UAI congress at the foot of Machu Picchu is a project that can be achieved.
Can this project stimulate you?
So, it’s a meeting in three years in Peru!
¶ Thomas and Nathanael meet Rodan, the philosopher, during spring break
Paul-Yvan Deléglise
Quebec
This Sunday morning, September 15, in the year 29, the apostle Andrew announced a week of rest, a cessation of all apostolic activity. This applied to all the apostles, except for two of them. A Greek philosopher had come to verify with the Master the accuracy of his evangelical knowledge acquired in Alexandria.
Jesus received him kindly and asked Thomas and Nathanael to meet with the Greek philosopher “to listen to all that Rodan had to say and, in return, to speak to him about the gospel”. UB 160:0.1
Rodan’s presentations UB 160:0.1
The Revelators tell us in Urantia that Rodan gave ten papers containing a very large number of subjects for reflection. Such as the Art of Living; the ideal marriage, solitary worship in the manner of Jesus; the maturity required for work… (These documents presented in the “Urantia Book” were presented to us: CONDENSED, CONJUGATED and RETRANSCRIPTED in modern language). Rodan wanted to submit them to the judgment of Jesus or his apostles. He very much wanted his religious philosophy to be totally sanctioned by the Gospel of the Master!
At the end of the first week of discussions, there was unanimity on all the proposed topics. Rodan then exclaimed: “My brothers, I am a believer, I have launched myself, I am on the road with you in this eternal adventure” UB 160:5.8
Continuing discussions
On Sunday evening, September 26, Jesus announced that he was leaving for Jerusalem with the apostles. Still in discussion with Rodan, Thomas and Nathanael obtained permission to stay a few more days with the Greek philosopher.
Rodan then argued that it was impossible for him to assert that God was a person, in the sense in which we use the word… For to do so it would be necessary for God “to have symbols of spiritual communication allowing him to be fully understood” and that as far as he is concerned, “God is alone in the universe. No one is equal to him” UB 161:1.2
This intervention of Rodan greatly troubled the two apostles! They consulted Jesus who refused to get involved in the discussion. The reflection he made to Thomas remained sibylline to the apostle.
On Monday evening, Thomas gave up trying to convince Rodan. But on Tuesday, Nathanael managed to satisfy the philosopher completely. The starting point of the reasoning was the reminder of the existence of the TRINITY and of the FATHER OF PARADISE, the latter enjoying an equality of communication with the Son and the infinite Spirit of the Trinity of Paradise. A tight, elaborate reasoning, in five points, followed. [Voir : UB 161:1.6-10]
The most amazing thing about all this is that neither Nathanael nor Rodan hesitated to use the concept of the Trinity! While the religious teaching in Israel at the time was monotheistic. “Jesus taught his apostles the truth about the persons of the Paradise Trinity” UB 104:1.10-11 [Therefore, he had already taught it]. This information was not really grasped. The apostles never questioned Jesus about these cosmic concepts.
By choosing these two apostles, was the Master providing us with an answer to our question? In his short biography, Nathanael is presented as one of the most learned among the apostles, and it is emphasized that he is attracted to philosophy. Thomas, for his part, is recognized as the most rigorous and the most skeptical. The concept of the Trinity may have resurfaced in such memories grappling with an unforeseen objection… UB 139:6.1 - UB 139:8.1
As for Rodan, his association with a disciple of Abner may have made him familiar with the concept of the Trinity…
The fact that Jesus gave such a task to two of His apostles who had not yet received His Spirit of truth shows us how His teaching and His words could and can produce amazing results!
Your explanation is probably better…
IMPORTANT
The date for the feast of Jesus at Mount Royal Park has been moved from August 19 to 26, 2018
¶ Details of upcoming activities
Michael’s Day 2018
Come and fraternize…
Sunday, August 26 2018, 11am-3pm you are all invited to Michael’s party on Mont-Royal — near Lac des Castors, between the Restaurant and the paid parking lot (around $8 in 2017).
As usual you will just have to follow the directions with the concentric circles from the parking lot.
Bring your own food, chairs and musical instruments.
Bertin Perron and Julien Audet.
¶ Urantia-Association-of-Quebec — 2018 Calendar of Activities
| Sunday, January 14 | Board of Directors — in-person meeting | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Saturday, February 10 | Annual General Meeting in Drummondville | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, March 4 | Board of Directors — in-person meeting | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, May 6 | Board of Directors — in-person meeting | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, May 27 | Theme day - (Life after death) | 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, June 10 | Board of Directors — in-person meeting | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday August 26 | Picnic for the Feast of Jesus — Mount Royal Park | 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, September 9 | Board of Directors — in-person meeting | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, September 30 | Presentation for Study Group Hosts | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, October 14 | Presentation of the Urantia Book in Montreal (General Public) | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Thursday, November 15 | Board of Directors — online meeting with Zoom | 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, December 9 | Holiday Brunch | 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
¶ Study groups
This activity allows several 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 of 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.
Outaouais Group
Region: Gatineau
Wednesday, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Maurice Migneault (613) 789-6833
Group: “The Artisans of Progress”
Region: Montreal — Center of the island
Wednesdays, during the day
Robert Cadieux (514) 237-3616
Group: “At Maisonia”
Region: Quebec
Every 2 weeks: Sundays, from 1:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Gilles Bertrand & Louise Renaud (418) 871-4564
Group: “Découverte”
Region: Laurentides — St-Jérôme
Mondays, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Gaétan Charland and Line St-Pierre
Tel.: (450) 565-3323
Group : “Le Pont”
Region: South Shore of Montreal — Brossard
Thursdays, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Guy Vachon (450) 465-7049
Group: “The United Family of Urantia”
Region: Montreal — Downtown
Wednesdays, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Mrs. Diane Labrecque (514) 277-2308
Sherbrooke Group
Region: Sherbrooke
Every 2 weeks: Tuesday or Wednesday, (to be confirmed) from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Hélène Boisvenue and Denis Gravelle Tel.: (819) 569-6416
Virtual Study Group, French
Every Monday from 2pm to 4pm Eastern Time
Via Zoom: https://www.zoom.us/j/9084766734
Responsible: Guy Perron (438) 495-7747
To see the official list of study groups, visit AUQ website.
- Go to: “Activity, Study Groups, (on the left bar): List of study groups”
- Or click directly on the following link: http://urantia-quebec.ca/activites_liste_des_groupes.php
Potential Study Groups Seeking Participants
Group: “Uni-Terre”
Region : Joliette
Sundays at 10:00 am
Contact: Eric Martel (450) 756-9387
Group : “Le portail du bercail”
Region: Sorel
Mrs. Eva & Ernest Asselin
(450) 517-0136
Group: “Saguenay”
Region: Saguenay
Contact: Jean-Guillaume Tremblay (418) 693-2049