© 2023 Line St-Pierre, Maurice Migneault, Normand Laperle
© 2023 Urantia Association of Quebec
¶ Best Wishes for the year 2020
The members of the board of the Urantia Association of Quebec wish you a 2020 filled with joy, happiness and love for all of you.
May the year ahead be filled with opportunities for spiritual growth and loving service to your loved ones, friends and all those who come your way.
May health, joy and love accompany each of your days.
To serve…is to love
¶ Word from the President
Line St-Pierre
president@urantiaqc.org
Another page of the Association’s calendar flies away, with all its 2019 activities, marked by study group meetings, thematic meetings, congresses, council meetings, social gatherings during the picnic and the Christmas meeting as well as monthly publications of Réflectivité.
And in this new page appearing in your calendar for the year 2020, to know that the Revelators have given us “The Urantia Book” to “expand cosmic consciousness and heighten spiritual perception,” and to understand that we hold in our hands the highest truth on the planet, that priceless treasure that transforms and ennobles, that makes us rich people, and that when this abundance is shared lovingly in service, how it uplifts and enriches others; is this not the goal sought, and thus to do the will of God?
Religious experience is that which connects us to God. To love and serve our contemporaries, to make the effort to help even the least lovable and when the occasion arises, to affirm our faith with conviction and authority can naturally strengthen our personality and delight the celestial beings who are in our presence during the service.
I wish that the new year that is coming will fill you with health, many opportunities for service and spiritual joy in your undertakings for the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of men.
“16. You cannot perceive spiritual truth until you feelingly experience it, and many truths are not really felt except in adversity.” (UB 48:7.18)
¶ READ BETWEEN THE LINES
Maurice Migneault
Ottawa
It is not only what is written in “The Urantia Book” that is revealing, there is also what is hidden between its lines. In order to add animation to our study group (Outaouais), we reserve a part of our meetings for speculations and theories that have arisen from this “creative” reading. The examples that follow are of course only a few among the potential thousands.
¶ What is left unsaid speaks volumes!
In Gabriel’s sixth advice to Michael before his incarnation we can read: “Abstain from all writing on durable materials; order your associates not to make images or other portraits of your physical body; be careful not to leave anything potentially idolatrous on the planet when you leave it.” UB 120:3.7 (A little nod to the Shroud of Turin!)
Why didn’t Jesus take a Gentile from among his apostles, a Sadducee, a tax collector, a Pharisee or a Roman? It seems to me that the message of universal brotherhood would have been all the more evident. And while we’re at it, his seven incarnations shared one thing in common: knowing his creatures. But how can one have a complete knowledge of the creature if one only sticks to its masculine expression? Could Michael have incarnated as a woman in order to experience feminine sensitivity? Among the many civilizations in our universe, there must surely be some that are governed in a matriarchal manner, where a feminine incarnation would have been more appropriate.
“Search for sinners, find the discouraged, and comfort the anxious.” UB 138:6.4 What is meant by sinners? This word is often used in the Book, but it is never defined. Why?
It is not said in the Book, but there were certainly celestial or medium beings assigned to the protection of the families of the apostles. Could Jesus, who loved children so much, have accepted to put their lives and those of their mother in danger because of him?
If we take into account the number seven, recurring in the story of creation, would it not be logical that Michael’s return to Urantia would be the seventh revelation? Which would mean that a sixth would be on the horizon. What form will it take? Will it be made up partly of what can be read between the lines of the fifth? Will it be done digitally, virtually? Will we witness the appearance throughout the world of a spontaneous wave of prophets who will speak with one voice? Will it arrive at a time when archaeologists and historians will have more credibility and importance than theologians?
“It was in the last days of June in the year 8 B.C., about three months after the marriage of Joseph and Mary, that Gabriel appeared to Elizabeth.” UB 122:2.2; “It was about mid-November that Gabriel appeared to Mary.” UB 122:2.6; “Gabriel’s announcement to Mary was made the day after Jesus was conceived.” UB 122:3.4. The conception of Jesus therefore occurred about eight and a half months after the marriage. Joseph and Mary were certainly not to wait for divine intervention. Is it possible that during this time celestial beings could have frustrated or prevented a conception prior to that of Jesus; a conception which would have resulted in the birth of a girl?
UB 122:4.1 Why did a powerful heavenly messenger appear to Joseph in a dream instead of a real visitation as happened to Mary? Is it because dreams leave more room for doubt, thus better respecting free will? If it worked for Joseph, could it have worked for us too? Could we also have received visitors in our dreams during important decisions?
“… at the time of the birth of Jesus, seraphim sang hymns of glory…”. UB 122:8.5 Does this mean that song is a universal language, and can it be a form of prayer?
“These priests from Mesopotamia had been told sometime before by a strange religious teacher of their country that he had had a dream in which he was informed that “the light of life” was about to appear on earth as a babe and among the Jews.” UB 122:8.6 This is where these three educators went in search of this “light of life”. “Herod decreed the killing of all male children under two years of age […] the night before the massacre, Joseph and Mary left Bethlehem with the child.” UB 122:10.3-4 Jesus narrowly escaped being killed!
What would have happened if these three wise men had stayed at home? Herod would not have been alerted, he would not have decreed the killing of these children, Joseph and Mary would not have fled to Egypt, etc. All this turbulence was caused by a single strange religious educator.
Let us suppose for a moment that this obscure character was Caligastia or someone he had given a dream to. What a “diabolical” plan that would have been to abort Michael’s seventh effusion, to kill Jesus!
It is strange how the preparation of the journey of the three wise men goes under the radar of history. These wise men from Ur, a city in Mesopotamia, must have been important and wealthy people in their country. Such a journey for people of this condition must have required a lot of logistics; many camels, servants, guards, tents, food, etc. In addition, they arrived in a city already saturated with visitors because of the census. Why does “The Urantia Book” not mention these complications? If it was indeed the work of Caligastia, not talking about it was surely the best thing to do in order to avoid giving him unnecessary importance by creating a false halo of power with all the urban legends that could have resulted from it.
“… in the course of the following years, he strengthened more and more his resolution to establish one day the celebration of a bloodless Easter”. UB 125:2.3 The famous communion by bread and wine in our churches, therefore, does not represent the body and blood of Christ, but is the symbol of the flesh and blood of the sacrificial animals. “Do this in memory of me”.
Of course, we should not take all these speculations too seriously, even if they can sometimes lift the veil on great hidden truths. When we know the direction to take, we can allow ourselves to explore the secondary roads without risking getting lost, to find new dance steps by following the right rhythm of the music, to use our creativity without falling into fabulation. Is it not permissible to add a little creativity to our readings and studies in order to avoid monotony? Are we not also creators in addition to being creatures? Are not spontaneous prayers preferable to repetitive ones?
I wish you all a little tender madness in your readings. They have done me a lot of good.
“Virtue is righteousness—conformity with the cosmos. To name virtues is not to define them, but to live them is to know them. Virtue is not mere knowledge nor yet wisdom but rather the reality of progressive experience in the attainment of ascending levels of cosmic achievement.” UB 16:7.6
¶ Definition of “Secular” vs “lay”
Normand Laperle
Lévis
The problem with the word “secular” is that when you compare its definition with the word “lay”, it’s the same definition and the same synonyms.
They bounce back at each other.
Here is this comparison — from the “Antidote” dictionary:
“Secular”:
Definition:
- Adjective
- Which belongs to secular life, to temporal justice. Secular tribunal. The secular authorities.
- Who lives in the world, who is not under the authority of any religious order. Priest, secular clergy
Synonyms:
- Secular, civil
- Temporal
“Secular” and “secular” (same definition)
Definition:
- Adjective (or noun)
- Who is not a member of the clergy. Volunteers, lay teachers.
- Which does not fall under the church or the clergy. Secular school.
- Relating to civil life (as opposed to religious life). Secular habit.
- Which is not of religious origin. Tradition, secular custom
Synonyms:
- Secular, civil
- Temporal
I can’t find anything that helps to know what distinguishes one word from another. No clear clues that would decide when to use (or not use) one or the other.
The two definitions that say neither more nor less the same thing and refer to each other. It gives the impression that the authors of the dictionary did not notice the impasse between these two words as defined.
The same impasse appears when going to Wikipedia and others — on the Internet.
Without this knowledge, when reading a text containing the word “secular,” confusion sets in. One cannot ignore this ambiguity. Am I missing what the author wants to express? Sometimes even the two words “secular” and “lay” appear in the same sentence.
After digging around, I finally figured out when to use one or the other. The trigger came when I read the definition of “secular” in the English dictionary — curiously enough, again from Antidote.
Here is this definition from the English dictionary (which I translated into French):
Secular
Definition:
- Without religious or spiritual character “a secular society; a secular educational system.”
Synonyms:
- Not related to religious life.
- Non religious or spiritual.
- Not sanctified, not spiritual, not sacred.
- Temporal, civil.
¶ My little parenthesis
What bothers me a little in this definition is the addition, in the definition, of “or spiritual”. For me, there is spiritual even in the “non-religious”.
By removing the spiritual, we remove the human soul, the essence of being. There is spiritual as soon as there is relational, personal, moral, ethical, humanistic, experiential, evolutionary.
For me, the only time the “non-spiritual” is possible is in a super technical, practically mathematical discussion.
But hey, the possibility of the “unspiritual”, where and when, might make a good topic of discussion… For now, let’s move on.
¶ My definition
In short, what emerges from this definition is that the word “secular” must be understood as a negation.
Just as the word “amoral” must be understood as an “absence of morality”; the word “secular” must be understood as an “absence of religious character” (not under the authority of any religious order).
¶ Let’s test this definition…
Some sentences in which the word “secular” — or its derivatives — appears:
- “As Europe becomes secularized it…” (Source: The Angel’s Part in Us, p.103).
- It must be understood: As Europe “loses its religious character” it…
- “Quebec has become secularized over the last 50 years.” (Source: Journal Le Soleil).
- It must be understood: Quebec has “lost its religious character” over the last 50 years.
- “Today, in secularized societies there are …” (Source: Beyond Religions)
- We must understand: Today, in societies that have “lost their religious characters” there are…
- “…punish secular crimes and misdeeds”
- It is necessary to understand: to punish crimes and misdeeds “without religious characteristics”.
- “Is there a conflict between secular law and divine law?” (Source: Le Soleil, October 2019)
- We must understand: Is there a conflict between “law without religious character” and divine law?
- “We began to read secular texts and no longer only religious ones.” (Source: La part d’ange en nous, p.239)
- It must be understood: We began to read texts “without religious character”.
In the next sentence, I increase the level of complexity slightly:
- “I agree with secularism. But I do not agree with wanting to secularize individuals.”
- You have to understand: I agree with secularism. But I do not agree with wanting to “remove the religious character” from individuals.
- “Is Turkey secular or religious?” [In fact, Turkey is 83% Muslim, with Islam NOT being the state religion]
- We must understand: Is the Turkish state religious or not religious?
The Antidote dictionary defines the expression “secular priests” as follows:
- “Who lives among ordinary people, rather than in a monastery or with other priests.”.
¶ Quick review of the word “secular”
Etymologically, the word “secular” is borrowed from the Christian Latin “laicus”, which means: “of the people”. It also derives from a Greek root, the ancient “laikos”, which means “ordinary”.
I think we have to be careful not to define “secular” as “a negation of the religious world” - as we do with the word “secular” - as if the religious world were the ordinary and the rest of the world was a negation of it.
Jacques Grand’Maison — sociologist, theologian and pastor — in his book “A Secular Spirituality in Everyday Life” mentions that we must distinguish between two kinds of secular people:
- The non-religious, agnostic or atheist
- The believer — in something.
The “secular” is both. It is the “ordinary people”.
¶ Upcoming AUQ activities
¶ AUQ Annual General Meeting
Mark your calendar for AUQ General Assembly, Saturday, April 4, 2020, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the “Le dauphin” hotel, 600 boul. St-Joseph, Drummondville, J2C 2C1.
Even if you are not a member, you can attend this meeting.
In the morning, you will hear, among other things, a report on the activities and projects that took place in 2019 and those planned for 2020.
In the afternoon, we will give you a presentation related to our activities, followed by a group discussion where you can share your ideas and impressions on the proposed directions.
¶ Study groups
This activity allows several readers of different levels of understanding to exchange 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 step 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
Sherbrooke Group
Region: Sherbrooke
Every 2 weeks: Tuesday or Wednesday, (to be confirmed) from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Helene Boisvenue and Denis Gravelle
Tel.: (819) 569-6416
Group: “Uni-Terre”
Region: Joliette
Sundays from 9:00 am to 11:00 am, (virtual Zoom)
Contact :
Eric Martel (450) 756-9387
Group: “Découverte”
Region: Laurentians — St-Jérôme
Mondays, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Gaétan Charland and Line St-Pierre Tel.: (450) 565-3323
Possibility to participate via Internet (Zoom)
Group: “At Maisonnia”
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 Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time (Montreal)
Via Zoom: https://www.zoom.us/j/9084766734
Responsible :
Guy Perron (438) 495-7747
Group: “The United Family of Urantia”
Region: Montreal — Downtown
Thursdays, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Mrs. Diane Labrecque (514) 277-2308
Group: “The Chapel”
Region: Quebec
Every 2 weeks: Sundays, from 1:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Normand Laperle (418) 835-1809
¶ Potential study groups seeking participants
Group: “The Portal of the Shelter”
Region: Sorel
Contact :
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