© 2019 Normand Laperle, Line St-Pierre, Khatabe Ndiaye, Gilles Bertrand, Alain Cyr, André Desjardins, Louise Renaud, Louis Prud'homme, Claude Flibotte, Michel de Lorimier
© 2019 Urantia Association of Quebec
¶ Best Wishes!
Normand Laperle
Editor of Réflectivité
The members of the AUQ Board of Directors join me in offering you their best wishes for the year 2019.
May this new year inspire you with love, brotherhood and the essential values in life.
To serve…is to love,
¶ Word from the President
Line St-Pierre
president@urantiaqc.org
The Urantia Association of Quebec could not serve you without the commitment and dedication of the members of the Council, the volunteers of the various committees and all those who send articles to Normand Laperle for publication in the Réflectivité. As the African proverb says so well: If you want to go fast, walk alone, but if you want to go far, let’s walk together.
This is the mission that the AUQ has been pursuing for over twenty years and we are counting on your enthusiasm and talents to join our team in this adventure and go further!
The year 2018 ended on a high note, during a holiday lunch meeting at the Best Western in St-Jérôme, where Robert Cadieux and his musician accomplice Gilles Brien had prepared a festive Quebec repertoire for us as well as a humorous “quiz” on our knowledge of the book. We had a lot of fun, since Gilles had a surprise gift for the winner, a pink morontia Cadillac!
In November, the calendar of activities was planned for 2019 and following a suggestion received at the general meeting last February, the Board of Directors opted for April 27 as the date of the Annual General Meeting in order to facilitate the travel of the greatest number of readers in Quebec and attend this meeting in Drummondville.
By consulting this calendar, on the Urantia-Québec site, you will find the dates of the themes as well as the mini congress which will take place from August 9 to 11 at the Villa St-Martin, Pierrefonds in the suburbs of Montreal.
Also, on the site, a new TAB has been added: “STUDY GROUPS”; comprising 5 sections, including 2 new ones: “Documents for study groups” and “Help videos for study groups”.
May the year 2019 be a continued source of health, love, sharing and spiritual progression.
“The fruits of the spirit are the substance of the Supreme as he is realizable in human experience.” (UB 117:6.17)
¶ THE SUPREME AND THE SERVICE
Khatabe Ndiaye
Senegal
The Supreme and loving service are inextricably linked. The Supreme grows in our universe through the sincere service of all beings and Paradise deities. In return, the Supreme provides the environment for the spiritual growth of all evolutionary beings in the universe.
God the Supreme has always posed a problem for humanity. His name is pronounced with God the Father in mind, while these are two very different deity realities.
Because of Lucifer’s sin, humanity has been diverted from its philosophical axis of perception of the man-God relationship. The entire morontia stage of evolution has been erased in our mother religions.
Man is directly glued to the paradisiacal realities from the moment of his death. Although the appearance of life and its development is very revealing of the reality of evolution, even in embryonic development and the different stages from the fetus to the baby and up to the adult… as soon as it is about God the relationship becomes very magical childish.
The Urantia revelation puts us back on the true axis of our evolution by relating us to the true God of our creation of space and time, God the Supreme. A God who has carried resemblance so far as to personify himself in the image of his creatures. God personifies himself through man by the eternal fusion of their two natures. Paradise Deity also personifies himself in the seven Superuniverses under the aspect of the Supreme Being. Just as evolutionary beings are made up of personalities and energy realities, both unified in life by mind, so is the Supreme Being made up of Personality realities—GOD THE Supreme, who in Havona is almost imperceptible—and of the power of the Almighty unified by the Supreme Mind. The whole produces a Deity architecture in our image.
Understanding this resemblance has definitely put me back on the real axis of evolution. It has also allowed me to know that our Deity is a Deity of totalization because his Personality comes from the Trinity of Paradise. The Supreme Being knows us only in our activity with others, which must push us to develop a relationship of fraternity with other men. We discover the Universal Father in our hearts through adoration, but we only discover the Supreme in the hearts of others through fraternal activity.
Jesus said, “You shall love God the Father with all your soul and with all your strength… You shall love your neighbor with all your soul and with all your strength…”. (Read UB 174:4.2 and UB 163:4.8). In reality, it is the same God that we love in two different frameworks of action. We must strive to love men and all beings of the brotherhood in all possible ways, without any prejudice and without differentiation, from our planet of birth to Paradise. This is what enriches us and elevates us in our movement of ascension.
The Universal Father cannot directly contact evolutionary beings in a physical way. But through fusion with our morontia soul, He actually becomes a being in the image of the evolutionary beings—men, angels, Melchizedeks, …—and in this way can contact them, fraternize and compensate for their limitations, in short, serve them and love them divinely. This is truly very, very high wisdom.
Jesus said that “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed… it is the smallest of all grains… but when it has grown it is the greatest of all trees, and the birds of the air come and nest under its shadow.” (Matthew 13:31-32, Mark 4:30-32 and Luke 13:18-19) Man is the smallest of all beings, but the soul that comes from him is a true value representing the manifestation of God in space and time and in addition it is a living part of the Supreme Being.
The presence of the Father, the Supreme, and a creature will all in a being as personal as a mortal ascender is hardly surpassed in unifying wisdom, capacity for service, and enlightened manifestation of progressive divine love.
This leads me, through my human experience of brotherhood, to always seek to give the truth in a progressive manner, in a way that allows for an experiential and balanced maturation of the person who receives. This explains the title of our activities of “PROGRESSIVE DIVINE WISDOM” which is an attempt to proceed in the image and likeness of the Deities of the Paternal Father and the Supreme Maternal — who flood us with love as our human parents did.
Peace be upon you and upon all the earth.
“Worship is the technique of looking to the One for the inspiration of service to the many. Worship is the yardstick which measures the extent of the soul’s detachment from the material universe and its simultaneous and secure attachment to the spiritual realities of all creation.” (UB 143:7.6)
¶ The transformative power of revelation in our lives.
[Testimonials from students who attended a UBIS (Urantia Book Internet School) training]
Question :
In your own words, why is revelation evolutionary man’s only hope for bridging the morontia chasm? How do you feel about this as you study “The Urantia Book” and even more so as you put its incomparable teachings into practice?
By Agnes
This revelation contains the exact information that helps to clarify my thinking; which greatly facilitates the work of the Adjuster in my mind. Through these revealed truths, I have the good soil from which and upon which the spiritual helpers can operate: the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, the Thought Adjuster. These truths act as “scrapers” on my erroneous beliefs and prejudices from which I cannot but be in error.
The more I read the book, the more I give good food to my Inner Guide, the more I feel the increasing freedom to think in a high framework, and the more the actions that result are in accordance with service to others.
By Assane
As a thinking being, man always seeks, in a philosophical effort to find the unity of the universe. He discovers the material energetic reality through science. By observing himself, he recognizes his individualized nature, conscious of life and desiring to live.
Religion is born from his recourse to God for his salvation. He thus discovers the Spirit. How is this spiritual God of salvation also the “God” of science, why did he create? How did he create? How does he manifest himself in his creation and conduct his work? For what purpose? So many questions that cannot fail to arise in the consciousness of the thinker seeking the unity of the universe of things and beings.
This questioning is due to the absence of the unifying wisdom of the morontia level, which links spirit and energy-matter. Revelation compensates for this absence and provides answers to this philosophical quest for unity. The morontia soul is the revelation of the Adjuster to man, while outer revelation such as “The Urantia Book” provides the information which, in the presence of and in relation to the soul, enables one to grasp the unity of reality.
For this, one must, through worship, meditation, prayer and service, nourish one’s soul and become increasingly aware of it. Cosmic wisdom sets in, soothes the conscience and gives the certainty of the achievement of the finality, the manifestation of the Supreme.
By Aurore
If I look back on the path of my spiritual life, science has only brought me a few facts that have never reassured me and even less answered the questions that lived within me.
The Catholic religion of my upbringing didn’t help me either, in the sense that there were many things that were illogical for me. For example, having to be baptized to be accepted by God. When I was very young, I would say to myself: And the children who aren’t baptized… do they go to hell? It was horrible. I actually baptized Théo out of fear, not doing it was for me to enter into a great sense of guilt, to be almost unworthy as parents not to go through this phase.
I was not aware of the truth that lives within me now with the revelation that God is me, it has saved me from all doubt and fear.
In fact, I had a new outlook on life. I really like the phrase: “From outward, looking within, the universe may appear to be material; from within, looking out, the same universe appears to be wholly spiritual.” UB 103:7.6
With the revelation, I finally opened my eyes to this beautiful truth. God is in everyone and we can interact with Him now and forever.
This revelation, however it came to me, truly saved me.
By Claire
The intellect of man has difficulty in harmonizing science and religion in the face of the immense gulf between the material and the spiritual. Revelations, here we are studying the 5th revelation, are “revealed” to supply the lack of knowledge necessary for human logic to understand the purposes of existence. On the mansion world, revelations are unnecessary because the Morontia Mota bridges the gap between mind and spirit.
With the study of “The Urantia Book” I had all the answers to the questions I asked myself before and I still find answers to the questions I ask myself today (thanks among others to the participants of the course on UBIS).
So I discovered how God is Good, True and Beautiful. I knew Jesus in a completely different way. I “understood” in part, the mechanisms of the Universe and I do not feel this fear so widespread, that of living in a chaotic universe. I have full confidence in God’s plan. I feel truly privileged to have come across this Book or… that the Book found me.
By Claude
According to the revelation of the wonderful “Urantia Book”, there is a domain to which we do not have access, it is the intermediate domain of the morontia world of beings and things. There are supposedly three degrees of manifestation of reality: matter, morontia and spirit. We are told:
“Mota is a supermaterial reality sensitivity which is beginning to compensate incomplete growth, having for its substance knowledge-reason and for its essence faith-insight. Mota is a superphilosophical reconciliation of divergent reality perception.” UB 103:6.7
So, to have a slightly more complete vision of the mota, it is found in the essence of faith-clairvoyance. By drawing closer to the Spirit of Truth through prayer, this clairvoyance of the spirit within us becomes deeper and deeper and allows us more heightened perceptions of reality. There exists within us an inner voice “true and authentic” a true light that illuminates every man coming into our world.
It is about our being that is one with God at our birth and that we lose little by little during our evolution with the relationships with our fellow men. It is therefore about reappropriating this primordial essence which is the faith-clairvoyance that we have lost and that we can find again in connection with the Spirit of Truth that is in us.
By David
Revelation is evolutionary man’s only hope for bridging the morontia chasm because revelation is for all who wish to best fulfill their personal destiny, to help more effectively those entrusted to their care, and to lead humanity little by little toward a… planetary awareness.
I feel within me an inner force that propels me forward that makes me want to speak openly and enjoy the freedom to think freely by worshiping the living GOD, who validates the brotherhood of men. I feel “Free”, I am no longer a slave, because spiritual growth reaches its maximum when all external constraints are reduced to a minimum. “Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” UB 103:5.11
Fraternally David
By Gilles
The emergence of the spirit from the animal level, spiritual revelation is necessary to pull upwards, the counterbalance to the animal nature which pulls downwards. There is also the fact of our limitation with our evolutionary mind anchored in the physical brain.
As Jesus said: “The Kingdom of God is not of this world, but is at hand.” Revelation is the impulse and energy that allows us to cross this spiritual threshold, without it we are completely conditioned by the material world.
I feel it in my inexplicable faith, for example in the concepts of perfection and infinity. I observe it in the progress in the production of the “fruits of the spirit.”
When I read The Urantia Book, the interpretation of the words from the perspective of their typical human definition does not make much sense. These words and teachings (e.g. values and meaning) make sense when I make the effort to attach a more intuitive meaning to these words based on the definitions in the book. For example, “value” is associated with the spiritual level which is alive, dynamic, while “meaning” is associated with the mental interpretation on the life plane of the moment, which allows me to understand that “meaning” evolves and also to intuitively connect this to life experiences. It is a whole program that ennobles purely material life which would be very boring without it!
By Jean-Luc
Revelation is for me the only hope to evolve and also a great proof of God’s love to allow us to do so; in any case, we have the means to do so through study and research. We can indeed say to fill the morontia chasm since the most fashionable religions show the way, but I felt a great lack and a multitude of questions without satisfactory and complete answers.
This is what I felt when I read The Urantia Book; finally explanations with lots of details that allowed me to understand that I had found a treasure. For practice, it is less obvious; but when our heart is touched, it is easier to rectify our behavior even if it takes a little time especially if our environment is not favorable. I say this because I work in Paris.
By Khatabe
The evolutionary Cosmos, the field of activity of morontia energy, the progressive path of effort and transformation that leads to Paradise has been virtually unknown to us since the Lucifer rebellion. Since those distant times, men have conceived their relationship with God in an almost magical way. We die in the flesh and land in Paradise. The effort of evolutionary transformation is totally hidden, as Lucifer wanted in a certain way. Never since then, despite the efforts of many men of God and up to Jesus, has humanity been able to access the expanded understanding of an evolutionary Cosmos.
Revelation remained, in fact, the only way to give humanity this missing link; revisiting history and showing the path more acceptable to religious human philosophy, more logical and reasonable to scientific consciousness, showing us the image of an Infinitely intelligent Creator, Organizer, Universal Thinker, a Loving and Merciful Father. Only revelation could have brought light into the darkness of human thought so encrusted in error and evil.
Living the truths of this Urantia revelation allows us to place ourselves within this authentic evolutionary framework, as our entire ego becomes more and more unified and attuned to the Father’s Presence within us.
When the human mind perceives the loftiness and authority of the revelatory beings, confidence sets in, and the mind becomes inspired by these truths and transformed by the Adjuster.
By Michelle
Without divine revelation given to man, how can we answer the great existential questions that cross our minds?
What place does man occupy precisely in this universe, regulated to perfection so that life can appear? What is the meaning of this life? What is the plan of the creator? Metaphysics answers confusedly, philosophy is skeptical, science remains silent on these questions: why intelligence, love, goodness, truth and beauty?
The revelation clarifies the inconsistencies and the multiple physical and metaphysical hypotheses and theories developed by the reasoning of men who live on a darkened planet.
Personally, it has enlightened me on many historical and scientific events that the simplistic biblical account distorted and obscured.
Thanks to this revelation, I feel and live deeply in my soul a spiritual coherence. I take a clear path that allows me to live the living faith, because I occupy a precious and programmed place in the divine plan. I act and live loyally and sincerely as close as possible to the will of the creator Father who desires my spiritual elevation.
I anchor my living faith in the certainty of eternity.
“The personality of the mortal creature may eternalize by self-identification with the indwelling spirit through the technique of choosing to do the will of the Father. Such a consecration of will is tantamount to the realization of eternity-reality of purpose.” (UB 118:1.2)
By Moustapha
Man can never progress except by revelation. Our adjutant mind reveals to us the meaning of matter and scientific laws, but it cannot go beyond this, and it is the error of men, in asking more of it, which causes us much worry.
The level of our potential being, that of our soul (the morontia level) will also be perceived by another type of revelation, emanating directly from our Thought Adjuster. Men having strayed too far from this basic truth, which Adamic blood would have facilitated for us, there remains only revelation as a support to reactivate what has always been there, but which we no longer know how to see for the majority of men, because of the thick fog of false concepts born of excessive materialism, the influences of the planetary rebellion, and the confusions of institutional or non-institutional religious traditions.
Personally, the teachings of “The Urantia Book” have allowed me to clarify the gigantic esoteric tradition of human religious literature, and the fragments of essential truths of institutional religions, through the works that I have read, to expurgate the essence of the weak glimmers of truth that they contain, and which, in my opinion, could never have served as light, however weak, without the masterful clarifications of the UB.
“When brotherhood is universal, it reveals not the relationships of each but the relationships of all.” UB 12:7.10
¶ International fraternity
Gilles Bertrand
Quebec
On September 30 (2018), along with several Urantia Book study group hosts, I participated in a day of exploration and training for these groups. At Gaétan and Line’s (President of the A.U.Q.) we explored, among other things, a practical and effective tool that responds well to the mission and dissemination of the book and its teachings. It involves using the “Zoom” application on our phones, computers or tablets and this media makes available a meeting of readers in remote areas or with reduced mobility. It is a simple system to use via the Internet for audio and video in real time.
Inspired by previous and simultaneous meetings between Quebec, Belgium and Senegal, I didn’t need more to want to take advantage of the opportunity and experience it personally. Gaétan Charland, the initiator of this great project, has repeatedly initiated “Zoom” meetings with people from Africa, Europe and North America.
Here are some examples of the exchanges made possible by these Zoom-type meetings.
On prayer
- Praying to God is an act of faith.
- Develop good habits in all areas of our lives.
- To pray is to cooperate with the adjuster as a son of God.
- Praying helps us to make ourselves better.
- Prayer is the most important link between God and us…(worship).
- It is a technique to change the world, society and above all ourselves.
- There are two (2) essential elements to remember in order to reach God.
- Prayer (…worship)
- The Supreme (…with the Supreme)
- The Supreme is dominated by the Paradise Trinity.
- God speaks to us through the Supreme
- God the Supreme knows only the globality, the totality. For the moment we cannot communicate directly with him.
- We are limited as individuals, but God is there to help us, to make us evolve.
- We can contribute to any evolutionary movement and do this while doing His will.
- Life was designed by God. Don’t be afraid to venture into these areas of expertise. He is professional in everything.
- With obligatory sincerity, do not hesitate to make your requests to him like a small child.
- Prayer is answered or not, in time, but take the time it takes.
- The adjuster needs our permission, our personal authorization when making our requests.
- One can pray effectively for problems related to moral, spiritual aspirations, etc., in a simple and open way.
- The ego takes, the soul gives everything.
- One can easily become an agent of God, of the Supreme, of Jesus.
Africa
Some Africans from Senegal intend to unify the Urantia movement across Africa.
There you go. For some time now I have been actively participating in a Urantian activity different from those already practiced. No longer do you need to have large (financial) means to join the global and even local Urantian community, because the Zoom application can work at all these levels.
But to return to the main subject, which is that of universal brotherhood, it is by this technical means that I had the opportunity to take my first steps in this new adventure, I would say.
Through these honest and constructive exchanges, I have put aside some mental movements of prejudice, intolerance, pride and others.
The Urantia Book informs us that “To become acquainted with one’s brothers and sisters, to know their problems, and to learn to love them, is the supreme experience of life.” UB 130:2.6
I feel like with this new experience I am stepping out of my comfort zone, but I have the ultimate conviction that it will be more than profitable for me.
I don’t find it trivial to communicate and converse with people from different cultures and learn new ways of thinking, opinions, reasoning, reflections or new ideas.
It’s exciting to have all this at your fingertips and I want to take advantage of it to expand this circle which is not reserved, by the way, for an exclusive elite. You can start right now to initiate in your entourage a study group of 2 then 3 individuals and so on, with or without the use of the Zoom application.
One day we will have to get down to it, as a friend told me, because from the first lessons in the morontia world, we are taught to socialize. There is no love without some kind of relationship. The Supreme calls us and invites us primarily to this.
It is as if my prayer to evolve my consciousness to know more finely my brothers and sisters in The Supreme, had been heard. And what is more, these friends from West Africa mainly, will come to visit us next summer. Yes, in Montreal and probably also in Quebec.
And the AUQ is currently working on this project of an international visit including known Haitian friends. Information on this subject will be updated and we will communicate it to you later.
The planetary Urantia movement is expanding by small steps, mine, yours. The Supreme evolves by the actions of each of its parts and vice versa. We can pray to the heavenly Father in the silent withdrawal of our being, but another duty towards the Universe is asked of us, that of loving and welcoming our brothers and sisters in the best possible way, but for that we must meet.
I leave you with this good news and the pleasure of meeting very soon to perhaps express together this maxim which fits well with these objectives and which I discovered this morning; “To love is to know how to enter the other’s garden to remove the brambles and make flowers grow there.” (Source: Anonymous)
“The same loyalty which makes possible the evolution of the tribe, makes difficult the evolution of the supertribe—the territorial state. And the same loyalty (patriotism) which makes possible the evolution of the territorial state, vastly complicates the evolutionary development of the government of all mankind.” (UB 134:5.8)
¶ Toronto “Parliament of the World’s Religions”
Alain Cyr
City of Lemoyne
Dear friends,
You may have heard about the “Parliament of the World’s Religions” which took place from November 1st to 7th at the “Metro Toronto Convention Center”.
What an event! This immense convention centre, where the organisers welcomed people from all over the world under the theme “The Promise of Inclusion: The Power of Love”, is spread over two multi-storey buildings, connected by a long corridor located high up and overlooking the rail network of downtown Toronto. With windows on both sides with half walls, its transparent walls offer us an immediate and splendid view of the CN Tower which, in the evening, lets us glimpse a continually changing spectacle of colours; while during the day, its abundant stained glass windows filter the rays of the sun, projecting on the carpeted floor a marvellous mosaic of colours and geometric shapes which allows us, during this nevertheless long walk between the two buildings, to soak up the magic and the invigorating energy of the event.
In the exhibition hall of the building on the south side, there are two stages for shows, about ten workshops for young people, a few kiosks to get a light lunch and more than 100 kiosks for exhibitors. The large room on the north side was used for the welcoming and closing ceremonies. It was grandiose in both cases. It must be said that more than 7,500 visitors passed through the doors of Parliament. In the Parliament catalogue, I counted, all activities combined (workshops, plenary sessions, conferences, prayer sessions, shows and games), less than 900 activities… Impossible to attend them all. There were plenty of rooms available for presenters and hosts, and the 220 or so religious denominations present provided the audience with ample details of their traditions, including the First Nations of Canada who, for the occasion, had erected a TeePee outside the building near the main entrance where they (symbolically) kept a campfire burning 24 hours a day throughout the event.
That said, what really impressed me was the unifying intent demonstrated among all these religious groups. I learned that here and there throughout the world—and this has been the case for many years—projects jointly sponsored by different faiths and cultures are underway to improve the living conditions of the poor. The “interfaith” movement is growing, and this trend toward unification brings the true notion that all, despite differences in the paths taken, come from the same Father; we are working for the same cause, world peace.
“The highest happiness is indissolubly linked with spiritual progress.” (UB 100:4.3)
¶ A sketch on personality
André Desjardins
St-Alexis des Monts
It can be difficult to understand the complexity of personality as described in The Urantia Book (UB). From a human perspective, there may be many ways to interpret personality as a political, sports, or media personality, but this does not necessarily indicate that they are spiritual. There may be many interpretations of personality based on our personal interpretation or perspective of the idea and ideal we have of a personality.
Personality is potential in all creatures who possess a mind endowment ranging from the minimum of self-consciousness to the maximum of God-consciousness. But mind endowment alone is not personality, neither is spirit nor physical energy. Personality is that quality and value in cosmic reality which is exclusively bestowed by God the Father upon these living systems of the associated and co-ordinated energies of matter, mind, and spirit. Neither is personality a progressive achievement. Personality may be material or spiritual, but there either is personality or there is no personality. The other-than-personal never attains the level of the personal except by the direct act of the Paradise Father. (UB 5:6.3)
This undoubtedly means that personality is a gift from God but although it is of spiritual origin and nature, here in space-time; it takes the material form so that each personality can make a personal choice in order to ensure the survival of its personality. If God had endowed us with a spiritual personality from birth, we would have no prerogative of choice, it would be like an imposed choice and God does not impose anything on anyone. As mentioned in the last reference: “personality can be material or spiritual” and there does not seem to be any nuance in this statement; it is one or the other and it is up to us to elevate the material nature of our personality in order to elevate ourselves to a spiritual personality with all the potential for survival. Thus, in bestowing upon us personality, God at the same time gave us all the prerogatives of personality, namely, self-determination, self-evolution, and self-identification with a spirit of Deity (the Adjuster) capable of fusion with us according to our own free will and by our own will.
All humans possess within themselves the attributes of personality; that is to say: “The higher concepts of personality in the universe involve: identity, self-consciousness, self-will and the possibility of self-revelation.” UB 1:7.6. Four characteristics emerge from this last paragraph, namely:
- Identity.
- Self-awareness.
- Own will.
- Possibility of self-revelation.
These characteristics are a basic possession of every personality. By dissecting these four elements we see:
1. Identity:
Every human being has within himself a material identity whether at the social, human, family or governmental level.
2. Self-awareness:
The majority of every human being can express “I am”, it is a manifestation of personality without necessarily having spiritual attributes or attitudes.
3. Own will:
Every human being has the ability to make personal choices in everyday life according to his or her own will. God has chosen non-intervention as stated in this paragraph: “No other being, force, creator, or agency in all the wide universe of universes can interfere to any degree with the absolute sovereignty of the mortal free will, as it operates within the realms of choice, regarding the eternal destiny of the personality of the choosing mortal. As pertains to eternal survival, God has decreed the sovereignty of the material and mortal will, and that decree is absolute.” UB 5:6.8
4. Possibility of revealing oneself:
This last level of this concept is probably the most important in the life of a human being. Whatever type of personality each individual possesses, he or she always has the privilege of choosing his or her destiny because personal choice always depends on the personality itself. These four levels, although a gift from God, are a possession of the most common of humans.
This 4th level enables us to attain our life goals, whether material or spiritual, and coincides with the level of the Adjutant of Wisdom, enabling the creature to attain the practical level of a spiritual personality and attain eternal survival. Thus: “The spirit of wisdom — […] This spirit is the secret of that inborn urge of mind creatures which initiates and maintains the practical and effective program of the ascending scale of existence; that gift of living things which accounts for their inexplicable ability to survivee […]” UB 36:5.12.
The Spirit of Wisdom is the highest wisdom and is the essential link in order to reach the higher level of a spiritual personality. It is during a moral decision that the whole process of the evolution of a spiritual personality is triggered. The UB demonstrates this: “The relative free will that characterizes the self-consciousness of the human personality is engaged in the following cases:
- Moral decision, the highest wisdom.
- Spiritual choice, the discernment of truth.
- Selfless love, brotherly service.
- Intentional cooperation, group loyalty.
- Cosmic insight, the understanding of universal meanings.
- Consecration of personality, devotion to doing the will of the Father with all one’s heart.
- Worship, when one sincerely pursues divine values and loves with all one’s heart the divine Giver of Values. ” UB 16:8.7-14
By coordinating these seven elements it is perfectly possible to reach the higher level of a spiritual personality by having a personal relationship with God Himself. This relationship is always intimate and personal and always depends on the choices of the personality. The sovereignty of the personality is absolute and no one can interfere in this choice, not even God can interfere in the choice of the personality.
This gift of personality is unquestionably the most precious gift bestowed upon all mortals endowed with free will and will. This free gift of God is given to us personally, and it is up to us to choose or not our eternal destiny. Without this gift of personality, it would be impossible to establish contact with the Adjuster, for it is always through the personality, and it is through our personality that he can thus express himself. The UB thus speaks to us of personality: “Personality is a unique endowment of original nature whose existence is independent of, and antecedent to, the bestowal of the Thought Adjuster.” UB 16:8.3
This means that technically and existentially the personality has “precedence” over the Thought Adjuster. It was through the manifestation of his personality that God bestowed his prepersonal Fragments of his divine nature, and it is through the agency of our personality freewill that we receive these Pure Fragments. Even though the Adjuster indwells our mind, it is always through our personality that he manifests himself, for he is not a personality as the UB describes him: “The divine spirit that indwells the mind of man—the Thought Adjuster. This immortal spirit is prepersonal—not a personality, though destined to become a part of the personality of the surviving mortal creature.” UB 0:5.9
Although the Adjusters are of the highest spiritual source, “technically” we could argue that the human personality has priority over the prepersonal Fragments of God. If we were to sequence this hypothetical time, it would seem to indicate that the personality circuit was put into operation before the advent of these Spiritual Entities, hence their designation “prepersonal,” and the bestowal of personality by God upon man is prior to the bestowal of these Divine Presences. The UB tells us: “The human member was the first to enjoy personality and, therefore, outranks the Adjuster in all matters concerned with the recognition of personality.” UB 112:7.12. This partly explains the handicap of the Thought Adjusters in being “born” without a personality proper even though they are endowed with will and the capacity for self-revelation. Consequently, they are thus deprived of the indispensable mechanism by which they can attain self-expression; They lack that personal aspect to express themselves and manifest themselves.
God created his personality circuit before the bestowal of the Thought Adjusters; it was through the will of his personality to act alone and without intermediaries that he reserved for himself the privilege of having a personal and exclusive relationship with every will being; he shared everything except this intimate, personal, and exclusive contact. God has thought of everything, and it is through his personality circuit that direct contact with him can be made. It is like building a telephone line before you can use the telephone. The telephone line is the personality circuit, and our personality is the receiver, and this intimate contact with God requires no long distance. It is for this reason that these Divine Spirits must unite with a human personality, for man possesses within himself the requisite quality of this personality mechanism for self-expression. In conclusion, the Thought Adjusters depend upon our personality for expression and manifestation.
“The Father . . . the universality of his love brings into being a relationship of the whole, the universal brotherhood.” (UB 12:7.8)
¶ The divine dance
Louise Renaud
Quebec
In early December I received an invitation from Line St-Pierre to participate in a workshop and discussion on the Zoom platform; without knowing it, this meeting was necessary for me. The workshop was entitled: “Divine Dance — A Challenge and a Joy!”
A breeze of freshness. Yes, truly this virtual meeting was a breeze of freshness coming from all over the globe and this wind came from four continents. I felt luminous people who came to illuminate me. I introduced myself very briefly, because there were many of us, more than twenty participants, from North America, South America, Africa and Europe.
This meeting lasted almost two hours. Several people spoke and talked about what this divine dance with God represented in their lives. I was more in listening mode, and I can say that this event was a blessing for each of us, but for me personally it was a balm at this point in my life. The synchronicity of this wonderful encounter came at an opportune time in my life.
When I retired, almost two years ago, I was very physically tired. This situation seemed abnormal to me, because my activities were not that numerous. My energy level was so low that by early afternoon I had no energy left, it did not seem normal to me. I had a good diet, a good sleep and a normal activity rate. My suspicion turned to the only medication I had been taking for a few years. I knew that it had become the subject of a medical controversy to the point that some American, European and English doctors had begun to choose to no longer prescribe this medication. So, I undertook an almost exhaustive search on each of the families of this same medication. I became an armchair.
Every evening, sitting comfortably, I did my research on the NET and after many hours, I got the answers I needed to make an informed and judicious choice. So I decided to stop this medication with complete confidence. But it took me a lot of information to be convinced to make this personal choice. It’s strange, but what spoke to me loud and clear was especially seeing all these meetings, conferences, presentations and seminars that doctors and researchers were doing all over the United States, Europe and England. So through all these videos made by impartial researchers and doctors who are in no way related to pharmaceutical companies, I made the choice to protect my health as it should be.
After some time, I felt much better. All the harmful side effects of the medication faded away. No more muscle cramps and recurring lack of concentration. In addition, my energy level returned to normal. My cognitive functions finally stabilized. My body was getting better, but in response to all these hours of research invested, it brutally led me to make a deplorable observation, that of the lack of morality and ethics on our planet. I was strongly affected emotionally and I felt destabilized in the face of this generalized system to the point that I had lost my joy of living. A few people around me were well aware of my psychological distress.
From despair to hope; seeing your faces, hearing your voices and comments, seeing how each one personally experiences the “divine dance”, was for me at this moment in my life as if the gates of heaven were opening. Each of you, by your very presence at this meeting, has greatly inspired me. This oasis of exchange has enhanced my entire being.
What touched me deeply were the testimonies of these participants. Here are some pearls that come back to me like an echo: “after having experienced a new birth, everything changed in my life, the Line that I was is no longer the same.”, “everyone needs to be inspired, so we inspire others.”, “to dance with God, you have to take the first step!”, “while passing, like Jesus, do the right things.”, “the key is really inspiration.”, “grow, grow to be able to love like God,” “stay in touch, write your spiritual journal, write your thoughts, give yourself prayer techniques, sharpen your spiritual receptivity, feel the presence of God.”, “do not be afraid of what life has in store for you, there is no spiritual growth without effort.” Another participant testifies that after a worshipful meditation, he opens his eyes and at the sight of a beautiful landscape, he cannot help but say to God “I offer you everything I see Father, look how beautiful it is.”
Thank you for your divine dance steps. Thank you all, thank you to the Spirit of Truth that surrounds this planet, thank you to the Thought Adjuster who works hard in me and in each of us, thank you to those who thought and organized this extraordinary meeting.
The Spirit of Truth now blows on the sails of my little boat, I see a lighthouse in the distance…
¶ Taxibarman Chronicle
Louis Prud’homme
Laval
The other night I had a rather lively conversation with an old friend. While discussing education and personal social engagement, we came to realize that the only areas of human interaction that were still not monetizable were those concerning home, friends and family (at least those with whom we still get along!)
Transposing one’s immediate personal interest to the benefit of a future “improved” collective interest is not spontaneously practiced by everyone. Especially not towards complete strangers!
Most often, a few “likes” (for the cause of your choice) and a respectful attitude towards the little staff and the various minorities, visible or not, are enough to give yourself a good conscience. And, by Jove, that’s already not bad: there are so many sordid materialists who only think about exploiting their fellow men by abusing their privileges.
If me and mine are fine… the others… well… I have nothing against them, but let them sort it out for themselves after all!
I committed my friend to the path of human fraternity and the duty of solidarity towards our brothers and sisters, especially the less fortunate. This is the only solution to the inequities which, among other malfeasance, lead to the conflicts that afflict our dear planet.
Judging by the reaction of my old friend, who is no more right-wing than the average bear, it’s not going to happen any time soon! The notion of fraternity extended to all of humanity is a notion that is far too idealistic and theoretical to motivate most people.
And yet, to face the challenges of immigration, the inclusion of minorities and, more generally, “living better together”, the notion of fraternity is essential to inspire our actions and transcend the ordinary law of immediate personal interest.
For a person motivated by a living faith in the adventure of Life in the inescapable divine filiation which unites all humans among themselves, as much to facilitate their own ascension as to create a harmonious civilization ultimately capable of uniting with the cosmos, the spirit of human fraternity can be taken for granted.
But not even all “believers,” especially bigots, are capable of loving the Lord enough to serve His great plan. Many are still stuck in archaic, fatalistic, or outdated traditions; many demand personal benefits from God, often unreasonable ones, rather than praying for the courage to face the situation they have to face!
So imagine an ordinary materialist, concerned only with his immediate selfish well-being. His level of empathy towards ordinary mortals can only be awakened by an extraordinary dramatic event: a catastrophe for humanity, a school shooting, a small child washed up on Turkish beaches three years ago, such as little Aylan Kurdi.
For a moment, frightened and shocked, he will make a donation or some symbolic action, which he will brag about extensively to his friends, before scolding his new housekeeper for moving his dusty trophies!
How then can we promote human fraternity without falling into preaching, angelism or good feelings?
How can we renew the broken link between modern man, scientist and skeptic, and the universal soul that inspired our ancestors? This intuitive relationship, scientifically unprovable, is a link whose recognition is the best guarantee of success in getting through the inevitable trials of life.
Reconnecting the connection between the initial being that lives in each of us and the spirit that surrounds us remains the only way to be happy by giving a cosmic dimension to one’s existence. Rich, poor, beautiful, or ugly, each person can entrust their destiny to the wise inspiration of love that rises within oneself when one acts in full awareness and in good faith. As the poet Khalil Gibran wrote: “God lives in my heart and I live in the heart of God.”
Transforming stardust into creatures that can recognize their creator. Isn’t that a great challenge?
¶ Mind and body
Claude Flibotte,
Sainte-Julie
Hello dear readers.
In order to follow up on the question I posed during our Zoom study group, namely that it is the mind that shapes the body, I did a little research.
Here are the quotes on which my hypothesis is based:
“Mind is always creative. The mind endowment of an individual animal, mortal, morontian, spirit ascender, or finality attainer is always competent to produce a suitable and serviceable body for the living creature identity. But the presence phenomenon of a personality or the pattern of an identity, as such, is not a manifestation of energy, either physical, mindal, or spiritual. The personality form is the pattern aspect of a living being; it connotes the arrangement of energies, and this, plus life and motion, is the mechanism of creature existence.” (UB 42:12.9)
“The liaison of the cosmic mind and the ministry of the adjutant mind-spirits evolve a suitable physical tabernacle for the evolving human being. Likewise does the morontia mind individualize the morontia form for all mortal survivors. As the mortal body is personal and characteristic for every human being, so will the morontia form be highly individual and adequately characteristic of the creative mind which dominates it. No two morontia forms are any more alike than any two human bodies. The Morontia Power Supervisors sponsor, and the attending seraphim provide, the undifferentiated morontia material wherewith the morontia life can begin to work. And after the morontia life it will be found that spirit forms are equally diverse, personal, and characteristic of their respective spirit-mind indwellers.” (UB 42:12.11)
Well, let’s try to understand this through an analogy of my own!
Let us imagine the universe of Nebadon in space. This universe exists through the spirit presence of the Divine Minister who delineates its dimensions. We know that it is the Divine Minister of Nebadon who distributes mind in her universe to all living creatures.
Imagine this mind as a light mist uniformly diffused throughout Nebadon. Now imagine that for each human individual, a portion of this mist is concentrated into a point of light. This focal point is the material mind of a human. In the conception of a new living being, the condensation of this mist forms the mind of the being in the making.
The quote from UB 42:12.11 teaches us that it is the connection between the cosmic mind (for us the seventh Master Spirit) and the adjutant mental spirits that gives birth to the physical body. The first five adjutants for animals and the seven for man. This core of mind seems to act on matter as the core of matter of a protoplanet in formation attracts towards it by gravitation the matter of the surrounding space to form itself. Imagine this as a small core of matter that grows with each crash of meteorites on its surface to become a planet similar to Urantia. It would be the same for the formation of the material body attracted by the gravitation of this mental core which would attract the constituent matter of this body.
You will say to me: “yes, that’s all well and good, but what do you do with parental heredity?” Precisely, it is necessary for the production of a body with a very particular identity. Otherwise, the mind would always reproduce the same model of life. It is as if the mind is the chief operator who triggers production according to the plans provided by the mold of parental heredity.
If my hypothesis is valid, the Life Carriers originally provided the initial materials and patterns of life; the Divine Minister provided the spark of life.
All life forms that have appeared on earth are the result of the vital formulas implanted by the Life Carriers in the original plasma. Evolutionary adaptation contributed to the progressive developments of all these life forms until the emergence of man.
The conductor of all these life forms being mind, whether it be the cosmic mind, the Divine Minister or the adjutants, it is always the mind ultimately distributed by the Infinite Spirit of Paradise through its descending manifestations in the material universes.
Now, what will happen when I die? How will I build a morontia body since I will no longer have the adjutants or the material mind to do so?
To this I would reply that I shall have as my new mind a direct connection with the cosmic mind adapted in its Nebadon variant. My soul will furnish the pattern, the mold after which the Morontia Power Supervisors will furnish the morontia materials for its elaboration. Ultimately, this new body, uniting my soul and my returning Adjuster, will constitute the awakening of my new consciousness and the reactivation of my personality.
What do you say?
Good thinking!
¶ THE WORLD OF THE CROSS
Michel de Lorimier
Montreal
Five trillion (that is, five times a thousand billion), three hundred and forty-two billion, four hundred and eighty-two million, three hundred and thirty-seven thousand, six hundred and sixty-six: such is the number which the planet Urantia bears in the Paradise catalogue of inhabited worlds out of a possibility of about seven trillion habitable worlds in the Grand Universe (read: UB 15:2.14).
If I wrote this astronomical number (no pun intended!) in letters rather than in numbers (5 342482337666), it is to make it easier to grasp its inconceivable nature for us: the infinity of creation. And we are only talking about inhabited worlds!
Meanwhile, our astronomers, researchers, scientists and scholars of this world are still wondering if we are not alone in the universe, if there is life in the cosmos, outside the earth. They end up finding exoplanets about the size of Urantia: one of the closest recently discovered is called “Proxima Centauri b” and is “only” 4.2 light years from us (the suburbs, what!).
Michael of Nebadon alone is the Creator of a possibility of ten million habitable worlds. Imagine that this sublime Son of God chose our miserable and insignificant world for his final bestowal!
His coming to our sphere as Jesus of Nazareth is an extraordinary event which constitutes the fourth part of the Urantia Book and whose significance can be gauged from the Master’s own words:
“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (the three V’s of spiritual victory).
“Be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
“He who has seen me has seen the Father.”
“The Father and I are ONE.”
“Love one another.”
“Blessed are those who have believed without having seen.”
“Get up and walk!”
“The last shall be first.”
“Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Added to this are the Our Father, the words of Christ on the Cross and many other divine and essential words coming from Jesus.
But our world is still extremely far from the “seventh stage of light and life” where advanced humans "have learned that love is the greatest thing in the universe — and they know that God is love.
Love is the desire to do good to others." (UB 56:10.20-21).
P.S.: Thought: The nails of the Cross died of rust from crying too much.
¶ Study groups and the Urantia Association of Quebec (AUQ)
AUQ
Do you want to publish your study group on the association website or in this newsletter “Réflectivité”? Certain criteria must meet this requirement.
Study “The Urantia Book” in its entirety and not just one of its parts. Other books can also be used in parallel to support the study, but “The Urantia Book” should be the main object of discussion and in-depth study.
The groups are apolitical and therefore are not recruiting places for any association or organization.
Channeling — the idea of being able to communicate with celestial beings through any channels — is not endorsed by the association.
Participation in a study group is free of charge.
If your group is published on the AUQ website and you observe a deviation from these criteria, you can inform the association’s study group manager.
¶ Upcoming AUQ activities
New Year 2019 Meeting in Quebec City
It’s a tradition in Quebec. Every year we invite readers of “The Urantia Book” to a sharing brunch to start the new year.
This year, it’s happening at Tomas Tam, 5233 boul. Wilfrid-Hamel Ouest, G2E 2H1, on **Sunday, January 20, 2019, 9:30 a.m. (See Google maps)
Reserve with Guy Le Blanc at i3blanc94@gmail.com or 418-886-2366 (home: 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.).
¶ HAVE YOU PURCHASED YOUR FUNDSCRIP CARDS? THIS MONTH?
Every time you buy Fundscrip cards, a percentage of your purchase is donated by the company to the Urantia Association of Quebec. A smart way to support the AUQ for the price of a stamp.
If you would like more information, go to the website of the Urantia Association of Quebec and click on the “Contribution” link, or you can read the excellent article written by Marc Belleau in the Réflectivité of April 2017.
You can also register immediately on the FundScrip website, by clicking on the following image.
¶ Urantia-Association-of-Quebec — 2019 Calendar of Activities
| Sunday, January 13 | Board of Directors | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday March 10 | Board of Directors | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Saturday, April 27 | Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Drummondville | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday May 5 | Board of Directors | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, May 26 | Theme Day | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, June 16 | Board of Directors | 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. |
| August 9, 10 and 11 | AUQ Regional Congress | |
| Sunday, August 25 | Picnic for the Feast of Jesus — Mount Royal Park | 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, September 8 | Board of Directors | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| **Sunday, September 29 | Presentation of The Urantia Book | |
| Thursday, November 14 | Board of Directors — (online with Zoom) | 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, December 8th | Holiday Brunch | 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. |
¶ The Urantia Association of Quebec
The Urantia Association of Quebec (U.U.Q.) is affiliated with the Urantia Association International (U.U.I.) and supports the Urantia Foundation in its mandate as described in the Urantia Foundation Declaration of Trust and assists it in the dissemination of the teachings revealed in the Urantia Book. The Association is governed by a Board of Directors composed of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary and a Treasurer. All are elected for a two-year term at the Annual General Meeting. Membership in the Association may be as a regular member or as a friends member, according to eligibility criteria specific to each.
The Urantia Association of Quebec reserves the right to revoke or refuse any application for membership if the applicant does not meet its requirements and regulations or those of the International Urantia Association.
REGULAR MEMBER
Eligibility criteria:
- **Have read the entire Urantia Book.
- Accept and adopt the teachings of The Urantia Book in your daily life.
- Read and accept the regulations of the A.U.I. of the A.U.Q., and the declaration of Trust (DOT)
- Pay your contribution before February 29 preferably.
Benefits of being a regular member:
- A. May hold a position in the management of the Association or one of its committees.
- B. Has the right to vote in elections.
- C. Takes part in decisions regarding the direction of the Association, when required.
- D. Is invited to regular meetings.
- E. Subscribes for free to the monthly Réflectivité.
- F. Subscribes free of charge to the UAI Journal.
- G. Opportunity to render service.
FRIEND MEMBER
Eligibility criteria:
- Have begun reading The Urantia Book with the intention of completing it.
- Have undertaken the acceptance of the teachings of The Urantia Book.
- Pay your contribution before February 28 preferably.
Benefits of being a friend member:
- A. May take part in one of the committees.
- B. Is invited to regular meetings.
- C. Subscribes for free to the monthly Réflectivité.
- D. Subscribes free of charge to the UAI Journal.
- E. Opportunity to be of service.
URANTIA ASSOCIATION OF QUEBEC MEMBERSHIP FORM
MEMBERSHIP FORM
You can also join (or renew) directly through the AUQ website by clicking HERE.
Possibility to pay by PayPal directly on the AUQ website.
NAME : _____
FIRST NAME: _____
ADDRESS : _____
CITY : _____
PROVINCE: _____ POSTAL CODE: _____
TEL. RES.: ( ) _____
OFFICE TEL.: ( )
Signature : _____
E-MAIL : _____
Date : _____
I request membership as: regular member friend member
I want the monthly Réflectivité: digital (PDF file) paper (by post)
Attached is a check in the amount of $50.00 made payable to the Urantia Association of Quebec.
Ship to: Urantia Association of Quebec, P.O. Box 304, St-Jérôme QC, J7Z 5L0
In this document, gender is restricted to the masculine only for the purpose of lightening the text.
¶ 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 : “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: “Uni-Terre”
Region: Joliette
Sundays at 10:00 am
Contact: Eric Martel (450) 756-9387
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
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
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
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
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
Potential Study Groups Seeking Participants
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
To see the official list of study groups, click directly on the following link: http://urantia-quebec.ca/activites_liste_des_groupes.php
¶ Réflectivité
Responsible: (418) 835-1809 (Normand Laperle)
Assistant: (418) 871-4564 (Gilles Bertrand)
Publication (monthly)
Last week of the previous month.
To submit your articles:
Send them to: reflectivite.auq@gmail.com
Add: Your name and city of residence.