© 2023 Line St-Pierre, Jean-Pierre Cadieux, Gilles Bertrand, Jean Annet
© 2023 Urantia Association of Quebec
¶ Word from the President
Line St-Pierre
president@urantiaqc.org
In a little while, you will receive an email inviting you to visit our new website. Many changes have been made to improve communications and the ergonomics of the site, making it easier to navigate and explore.
You will be able to access your profile, view it and modify your information as well as pay your membership fee and make donations.
This year due to the pandemic, the association’s activity calendar has been somewhat disrupted. All of our planned theme meetings and the Annual General Meeting were held through virtual meetings. Our two social activities including the picnic have been cancelled and the holiday brunch will not take place. The board meetings were also held virtually. What is expected for next year is still very uncertain and therefore we will continue to plan meetings on ZOOM and you will be informed in order to participate.
If you would like to contribute to the activities of the association, elevate the spiritual conversation, lend a hand and share your thoughts on expanding concepts among students of the Book, contact me at president@urantiaqc.org and we will discuss the date and time of your presentation.
In this same vein, Sunday October 25, Hélène Boisvenue will present her thoughts on the subject of her conference: “A divine partnership: the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Truth.”
This meeting is intended to be interactive and for those who are not used to this type of virtual format, I invite you to click on the link 10 minutes before the time. For details of this meeting, see the announcement in this letter.
Looking forward to meeting you there!
“Belief has attained the level of faith when it motivates life and shapes the mode of living.” (UB 101:8.1)
¶ When illness strikes
Jean-Pierre Cadieux
St-Jerome
We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, do we?
As long as things remain the same, human nature tends to take these things for granted. Our loved ones, our friends, our job, our health, as long as nothing changes we continue to move forward with minimal effort and often put off certain things that we know very well need to be done, changed or improved. Procrastination is an insidious evil, just like illness! It often comes to us without warning and brings us back down to earth brutally most of the time.
I know something about it, one day you have a little discomfort, you act as if nothing had happened, time passes and you tell yourself that it will pass too. Finally, no, the discomfort persists, gets worse, great discomfort when ingesting food, pain, significant weight loss (27 lbs), loss not only of appetite, but also of eating, of cooking. You start looking here and there for what it could be, you talk about it to friends, relatives, you get an idea of what it could be, again you don’t look for the disorder, you tell yourself that it must be this or that, time passes, finally you make an appointment with your family doctor.
She looks at you with a look that is not at all amused, but with a small smile hidden at the corner of her lips when you tell her about your research and your exchanges with others, when you suggest a banal lead to her, naturally.
She is professional and objective, she does not give any suggestions following the description of the symptoms, she thinks, not about what it could be, but rather what direction to take, one step at a time? OK, ingestion problem, let’s go for the simplest and fastest, x-ray and ultrasound… no discovery on that side, let’s see further, closer! Another request, this time, to a specialist, gastroenterologist, and GO for a gastroscopy. OOPS, there, there is something, following the examination, we (Lyne and I) are summoned to her office, subito presto, sitting in front of her expectantly with our teeth almost clenched, we wait for her words to come out of her mouth. Just like my doctor, she doesn’t get lost in hasty diagnoses, she has seen others, many others, she recognizes very well what she sees and photographs, but her professionalism prevents her from revealing the extent of what she has seen, on the other hand, she escapes a little by telling us that… I must gain weight, consume a lot of proteins to gain strength and face what awaits me. Ding ding ding, bells ring in us. She explains to us that we must go even further, closer! First a scan, this time a surgeon-oncologist, OOPS, oops, oops! We hold our jaws and this time clench our teeth while looking at each other with wide open eyes. It is clear now, but not confirmed at this precise moment.
We are leaving completely disoriented, can you imagine!? Life, as we knew it, has just been turned upside down, but there is no precise diagnosis, not yet.
After the scan, another specialist will see us and this time the dice are cast, but the hand is not winning. After several detours, it is now clear, very clear: stage IV cancer. The only treatments to consider are PALLIATIVE. What a horror, a nightmare. Someone, wake us up!
And here we go with the treatment planning. First, radiotherapy, five consecutive treatments. Then two weeks of recovery before chemotherapy. Treatments every two weeks with a week of recovery between each treatment for a first block of three months. After, a second scan to see how my body reacts to the treatments and the relevance of continuing.
¶ A second chance
No more procrastination - as I said earlier, it’s easy as long as everything is going well - of not worrying about tomorrow, of telling yourself why change these old habits even if you know they are bad.
There is no one like me, I thought I had good eating habits, I have been fasting for over 40 years, twice a year for a period of ten consecutive days. If we count correctly, I have fasted over 800 days in my life! I thought I was healthy, even though I called these fasts old age insurance!! an exercise of willpower (that also certainly helped me on many levels), a reminder to take care of myself between these fasts. Well NO, it did not work. We can always do better.
Of course, I did what I thought was right, but if I had known what I know now (easy to say) I would have improved my diet between my fasts.
Today I know that almost all human beings carry microscopic cancer cells. Some develop them and others do not. Diet and lifestyle habits are not always a guarantee of our health, but there are now very advanced and relevant scientific studies on the link between diet and the development of cancer. There really are anti-cancer foods, antioxidants literally slow down the development of cancer cells. They say it is never too late to do good and here I am! Thanks to Richard Béliveau Ph.D. and his associate Denis Gingras Ph.D. for their books “Foods against cancer” and “Cooking with foods against cancer”. All homes should have these books and follow their wise advice and recipes. According to them, it would reduce cancer deaths by half.
¶ To live or not to live, that is the question
The nourishment of the body is essential to our survival, but when conventional medicine tells us that there is no way out, that physical death is imminent, that there is nothing more it can do to heal us, how do we react? Well there are several ways to react, I am one of those strong heads, optimistic, very optimistic and idealistic by nature, but above all I have an unwavering faith. I want it alive — ALIVE.
We, the privileged, truth seekers and readers of The Urantia Book, know full well that the health of the body is connected to much more than its physical elements, in fact, the three levels, the physical, the mental and the spiritual are interconnected. In God and through God, all things are possible. Faith can move mountains so I fully intend to eliminate these cancer cells from my body by my faith, my prayers, the faith and prayers of all these people, friends, brothers and sisters who pray for me in all corners of this magnificent planet thanks to this wonderful technology that allows us, now, to be together and to feel so close to each other despite the distance that separates us.
I choose to live. My time has not come, at least not the time of my departure from this world. I have boundless trust in my creator, in his Father and in the entire Universe. I still have much to do here below to realize what the Father has planned for me. For a long time, too long, I put off this work for the Father, I told myself that when I retired I would dedicate my life to the Father, here is my retirement, early. OK, life has twisted my arm a little, not to say my esophagus, finally, the time is given to me I left my two jobs — to take care of my Father’s business … his ways are inscrutable, it is true, but here I am. I do not ask myself the questions what, how, where. I simply say YES. Yes to healing, yes to Love, to Goodness, to Beauty and Truth, yes to the Gift of self, yes to Service, YES to LIFE.
Work, much work awaits me. Now and forever, my life will be devoted to doing the will of God. It is easy to say, to write, but not so easy to do consistently. You can change your nature, you can change it, can’t you? Most of us have been reading The Urantia Book for years, and to speak in “I” terms, I have always wanted to dedicate my life to God… but I was so busy… with work, family, ifs and buts that I was always putting it off until later—until retirement. It was far from being bad will, perhaps one of the failings of human nature—procrastination is insidious as I mentioned at the beginning of this text, putting it off is so easy, almost natural!
I feel like God has backed me into a corner (or maybe it’s just me) and told me to “do it or die.” It’s a bit crude, but explicit in how I see things.
Oddly enough, I feel good about all this, very serene and at peace with myself, no pressure or tension, no blame, just an obvious sign of finally doing what I have been dreaming of for moons — nights. An incredible chance despite appearances…
Thy will be done and not mine.
“Knowledge is possessed only by sharing; it is safeguarded by wisdom and socialized by love.” (UB 48:7.28)
¶ This “Prayer of Serenity” is intriguing
Gilles Bertrand
Quebec
Why is the “Serenity Prayer” so universally known and recited by so many people?
I perceive that this simple and non-sectarian supplication appeals to human common sense by naturally involving faculties deeply inscribed in one’s being. This prayer has all the assets necessary to succeed if the person who uses it is frankly honest and sincere in his approach.
Before going any further - for those who are not familiar with it - let me present this supplication to you in this version that is well known to all the world:
“My God, give me
the serenity of accepting
the things i can't
change,
the courage to change
the things I can,
and the wisdom of
know the difference.”
As a reader of the Urantia Book, we have been informed that the human being that we are is endowed with a consciousness (Intelligence or reason). This consciousness or intelligence is also made of dynamic and effective faculties. (Attention, memory, reflection, affectivity…) All these faculties are alive and constitute its state.
Here are the seven (7) perceptions of consciousness:
- Intuition-orientation
- Courage
- Action
- Advice
- Association, committee
- Understanding
- Logic, reasoning
- Knowledge
- Adventure, curiosity
- Adoration
- Wonder, imagination, gratitude, hope…
- Wisdom
- Love, sensitivity, brotherhood, unity, experience, balance, progress…
Called adjutants, these spirits emanate from our personality and appear very early in our life. They take their place quickly and naturally in our daily activities and all this in a lively, creative and more than instinctive way.
But let us return to our main subject, the “serenity prayer”. Let us find its true foundations.
On one side we have the seven (7) faculties of consciousness (listed above), they are well installed in our mind. On the other side, we have a personal approach (Serenity Prayer) that we address to a higher Power.
Let us analyze point by point the character of this very popular prayer.
- The word PRAYER in the very title “PRAYER OF SERENITY” leads us to look at several things. And this first observation clearly indicates to us that there is a supplicant and a supplicant, a petitioner and a giver. There is therefore a relationship between personalities. This relationship determines the fact that there is an association.
- Advisory Adjuvant.
- This acquit (Adjuvat of advice) continues in the presence of the word SERENITY. Serenity is an objective, a goal or an ideal to be achieved. It is not part of the animal vocabulary and is located in the category: Adoration-wonder, in this phase where the human encounters unifying divine qualities. Serenity definitely enters into these high values. We have therefore added another element to our research.
- Adjutant of adoration.
- After finding two functional adjutants we continue reading the prayer and we arrive at: “THE COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN” there, textually, it is obvious that the word courage is directly mentioned. So we have found a third adjutant.
- Adjutant of courage.
- As a fourth point and taking up the same process, we can discover the adjutant of wisdom in the following line: “THE WISDOM OF KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE”. No need to insist further on this faculty ennobling man so that he becomes wise, qualifying him and thus further benefiting him.
- Adjutant of wisdom.
- In this same section: “THE WISDOM OF KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE”, we also find the word know. This fifth discovery leads us directly to the adjutant of knowledge well described in the natural faculties that we all possess.
- Adjutant of knowledge.
- By analyzing and then synthesizing the last sentence: “THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE”, it forces us to think, and therefore finally to understand the entire prayer. Understand and admit that a sixth adjutant has clearly just surfaced there.
- Adjutant of comprehension.
- The vision-direction of this prayer leads us to choose (to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can), to decide personally (with God’s help) our destiny. In my head, I have therefore found this seventh adjutant that I was looking for, to conclude my personal analysis of the serenity prayer.
- Orientation adjuvant.
The popularity of this prayer is conditioned not only by the fact that it does not offend our human and divine nature, but because it respects in every way the natural functioning of our being. Moreover, it appeals to the divine Creator as we conceive Him—to humbly receive His help. It therefore incorporates into it the fundamental respect for our personal being.
What liberating inspiration in this prayer that suits me well. I personally find this prayer constructive, humble, guiding, voluntary, joyful, universal, respectful, down-to-earth, visionary, realistic, generous, optimistic, courageous, precise, just, exact, creative, progressive, eternal, philosophical, religious and wisely spiritual.
I opened a Pandora’s box this September morning by imagining all these relationships that actually coordinate and I leave you with these new thoughts in this:
The Urantia Book also reveals to us that our will-personality can act freely in seven (7) distinct powers, here they are listed. (Researchers will easily be able to find these revealing passages):
- The power of emergence
- The power of judgment
- The power of choice
- The power of execution
- The effective power of action
- The power of evaluation
- The power of love
It would be exciting to know if these powers of manifestation potentially active in our being would function just as well as the seven faculties of consciousness that have been so harmoniously coordinated in connection with the Serenity Prayer. By doing this exercise, you will prove for yourself that the Serenity Prayer is gracefully grounded in these actions of movement that we all possess.
Finally the Serenity Prayer needs faith to complete its balanced cycle, this trio of divine grace consciousness power — faith in the willing personality of the praying person. I believe that with this divine basis, this prayer will remain eternally in its place on the progressive path of the human on earth. From my own point of view, at least, I see it that way.
I wish everyone this daily serenity, because it is the attitude of the happy soul before the obstacles of life and like many other human brothers I will seek it when needed. Do not be afraid to use it at all costs or at all times, generous it boldly and truly keeps all its promises.
Sincere greetings
¶ Belgian group meeting for Jesus’ birthday
Jean Annet
From Belgium
This September 27, a little over a month after August 21 — COVID requires — we gathered in a small group to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. Since the health situation did not allow large groups to meet, we took the opportunity to strengthen more fraternal ties. The meeting began with a friendly meal where we shared the dishes that each had brought.
It was also an opportunity to see the new generation grow and develop. Young Marion — 12 years old — participated almost every year in the Belgian association group and the two little ones Solène and Nola are growing up with parents who are fervent readers of The Urantia Book.
In the afternoon, we started a spontaneous study group led by Agnès Lazar and our friend Guy Perron from Quebec.
It was extremely enriching, especially since one participant was the wife of a long-time reader, but not a reader of the book herself. She showed us how we can sometimes gargle with big words and beautiful theories about the book, but that reality does not always follow the words. It was an opportunity for a frank exchange on the theory and practice of the book. We can have read it several times without putting it into practice and we remembered how much better it is to act and develop the fruits of the spirit without necessarily having a great knowledge of the book than the opposite.
Then we took a photo in Jean and Isabelle’s new indoor garden and the day ended with another meal, everyone wanting to make the most of this fraternal reunion.
The Belgian Francophone Urantia Association (ABFU) has existed since 2004 when Gaëtan Charland and Garry Rawlling came to Belgium to formalize the existence of the association with the UAI. In nearly 15 years, it has developed several reading groups, given numerous conferences on the Urantia Book, participated in fairs, organized study days on themes from the book and offered festive meetings almost every year around August 21 for the feast of Jesus. It currently has about thirty members, even if some are no longer very active. And we can estimate that around a hundred people have participated in one or other of the proposed activities.
“All strive, personally strive, in the achievement; all participate, personally participate, in the destiny.” (UB 116:6.8)
¶ CONFERENCE WORKSHOP
“A divine partnership: the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Truth.”
Ms. Hélène Boisvenue, Sunday October 25 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
This activity will be part of a series of virtual meetings aimed at bringing people closer together, sharing and encouraging each other in this unprecedented period of our lives.
The Urantia Association of Quebec invites you to a scheduled Zoom meeting
To participate click
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4165497535
Meeting ID: 4165497535
¶ 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
Group: “Uni-Terre”
Region: Joliette
Sundays from 9:00 am to 11:00 am, (virtual Zoom)
Contact :
Eric Martel (450) 756-9387
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
Group: “The United Family of Urantia”
Region: Montreal — City center
Thursdays, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Mrs. Diane Labrecque (514) 277-2308
Group : “Le Pont”
Region: Montérégie
(Sainte-Julie, south of Montreal)
Tuesdays, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Claude Flibotte (438) 404-6399
Group: “The Chapel”
Region: Quebec
Every 2 weeks: Sundays, from 1:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Normand Laperle (418) 835-1809
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)
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
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
¶ Potential study groups seeking participants
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: Normand Laperle
Assisted by: Gilles Bertrand.
(418) 835-1809 (Normand Laperle)
(418) 871-4564 (Gilles Bertrand)
Publication (monthly)
In the second week of the previous month.
To submit your articles:
Send them to: reflectivite.auq@gmail.com
Add: Your name And city of residence
Warning:
All submissions of articles or otherwise become the property of the journal and none will be returned.
We do not guarantee that all articles in our possession will be published in the next Réflectivité.