© 2021 Gaétan Charland, Claude Flibotte, Jean Annet, Line St-Pierre
© 2021 Urantia Association of Quebec
¶ Word from the President September 2021
Gaetan Charland
president@urantiaqc.org
Hello readers and friends of the Urantia Book,
Summer is already coming to an end and with it we were hoping to find some semblance of normal life and return to our usual activities. It seems that the current situation with the pandemic is challenging our hopes for a normal life. This situation, even if it seems restrictive, can prove to be a source of opportunities and amazing spiritual growth for students of the fifth revelation.
Let us take the example of all these new virtual meeting activities of various associations of the Urantia movement to bring together readers and offer them multiple opportunities for sharing and fraternal meetings. There are also all these activities that normally took place in person such as study groups, conferences or other training activities that have been able to organize themselves differently and offer their services via virtual platforms such as Zoom, Team, Messenger or other means.
This pandemic situation has created many opportunities for many readers to showcase their organizational skills and offer their service for the well-being of the Urantia community and brotherhood. This time of confusion and uncertainty has been for many an opportunity to make choices, an opportunity to serve, an opportunity to grow spiritually despite the adversity that is still present on social media, in our families, and in our circles of friends. Most of us, if not all, have chosen our place in the truth that we believe we have perceived in all this confusion caused by the pandemic.
What does The Urantia Book say about the confusion and all these conspiracy theories that are circulating everywhere in the media and the public space? What position should we adopt in the face of this troubling situation where the freedom of oneself seems to dominate over the freedom of others? Here are some topics that could promote a more in-depth study of their origins and their harmful consequences on today’s society. I could direct you to certain booklets of The Urantia Book that deal with these subjects in direct and indirect ways, but that would deprive you of the pleasure of discovery.
The purpose of this word from the president is not to give you the solutions or even to decide what is true or false, but rather to invite and encourage you to seek the truth found in the teachings of The Urantia Book. Ask yourself; who benefits from all this confusion, doubt, chaos, lack of faith and trust in our heavenly overseers and Michael’s plan? The answers are found in The Urantia Book.
Come discover these truths and live according to Michael’s plan.
To love is to serve!
¶ History of the Réflectivité Newsletter (Part 1)
Claude Flibotte
Sainte-Julie
They say that the nature of memory is to forget! In my case, this is probably true, because I vaguely remember the beginning of our Réflectivité newsletter.
To write this article, I had to refer to the text “Chronology of the Urantian Movement in Quebec 1962-2017” that you will find on our AUQ website. My goal in producing this paper is to remember when this publication began, who was part of it over time and what was its purpose?
There was a time, I believe, when an archive of our monthly could be found on the internet from the very first issue. It seems to have disappeared, and today on the AUQ website, the oldest issue, number 233, dates from January/February 2010. In short, the first publication dates back to the fall of 1982. This bulletin succeeded “The Ambassador of the Future” which appeared in January 1980 producing six issues, and ending in April 1981. It was presented in an 8 ½“ x 11” format published three times a year. An excerpt from the text on the frontispiece page read as follows: “_It will serve to exchange information, ideas and reflections related in one way or another to the teachings of the fifth revelation on our planet. Later, it will be possible to broaden the use of this bulletin so as to make it from time to time a more elaborate journal. This will involve bringing together in a single ”special issue“ several articles by readers of the Urantia Book, with or without a central theme.” This first publication, dated fall 1981, was under the aegis of Guy Hévey. It will continue in this format until June 1985.
In February 1986, Jacques Tétrault called a meeting of eleven groups of readers to inform them of the difficulties of maintaining the Réflectivité newsletter in its original form. Thus, in March 1986, under the responsibility of Pierre Routhier, his wife Lise and a few resource people, our publication was presented in printed form on 8 ½“ x 14” paper, folded into four panels called “accordion” folding in bookbinder’s jargon. Réflectivité was then published at a rate of ten issues per year.
At that time, I had helped Jacques Tétrault by printing the cover page (blue and black ink) through my friend Jean-Claude Ferron, a pressman. Later, if my memory serves me right, when Pierre Routhier decided to produce our monthly in the form of a leaflet, I at one point provided him with a folder to do the work mechanically.
On page 157 of the document cited at the beginning of this text, Pierre Routhier explains the work to produce the Réflectivité bulletin: “my wife, Lise, a shadow worker, was a great help to me by typing the handwritten letters that we received. She helped me with the mailing and took care of all the accounting aspects of donations and expenses”.
The publication of the newsletter Réflectivité continued until September 2006, marking the last issue in its leaflet form. Indeed, it was in December of the same year that the Tidings newspaper incorporated our beloved newsletter into its publication for the last time until July-August 2010. For the rest, our Réflectivité regained its usual autonomy.
It was in May 2007 that the responsibility for producing the Réflectivité newsletter was passed from Pierre and Lise Routhier to Line St-Pierre. It was also at this time that the legal address of the Urantia Association of Quebec moved from 4071, rue Edna in Verdun, home of Pierre and Lise, to 569, rue Francine, Sainte-Sophie, home of Line St-Pierre and Gaétan Charland. Line assumed this task until February 2015 to pass the torch to Normand Laperle who maintained this service until January 2021.
For my part, I took the reins of our newsletter from that date. Thanks to Normand’s good advice, our excellent production team and no doubt my many years of experience in the printing field, we were able to meet the challenge!
¶ Sunday September 26th noon to 2:00 p.m.
The Urantia Association of Quebec invites you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. To join the Zoom meeting, click on the following link 5 minutes before noon.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82293998729
Title of the Presentation: Human Philosophy and Meaning
Moustapha Ndiaye, Senegal
Brief description
“You should understand that the morontia life of an ascending mortal is really initiated on the inhabited worlds at the conception of the soul, at that moment when the creature mind of moral status is indwelt by the spirit Adjuster. And from that moment on, the mortal soul has potential capacity for supermortal function, even for recognition on the higher levels of the morontia spheres of the local universe.” (UB 48:6.2)
“You cannot perceive spiritual truth until you feelingly experience it, and many truths are not really felt except in adversity.” (UB 48:7.18)
What can we do now for this? We invite you to exchange, in the form of sharing within the framework of Progressive Divine Wisdom, on the subject of human philosophy.
Spiritual friendships and see you soon Moustapha
¶ Meeting of the French-speaking Belgian group for the birth of Jesus
Jean Annet
Belgium
This August 22, there were about twenty of us celebrating the birth of Jesus.
As usual, everyone brought food and we shared everything together.
Then after the meal, we discussed ‘The Faith of Jesus’ (booklet 196) where everyone was able to say what Jesus represented in their life.
It was an opportunity to deepen our faith, our friendship with one another and also to welcome the newcomers (over ⅓ ) who regularly participate in a new study group.
This warm meeting made us want to see each other more often, and we decided to meet again in January.
The photo was taken in the interior garden where following some work we were able to install this mandala with Michael’s banner.
Religion may permeate all four levels of the realization of values and the enjoyment of universe fellowship: the physical or material level of self-preservation; the social or emotional level of fellowship; the moral or duty level of reason; the spiritual level of the consciousness of universe fellowship through divine worship. (UB 5:5.2)
¶ Online conferences by Zoom
Line St-Pierre
Sainte-Sophie
Communications Committee Manager communication@urantiaqc.org
As the spiritual progression activities promoted by the association in Quebec will soon resume, and after having asked students to present an online conference, which today replaces our many in-person themes, I invite you to mark your calendar and plan your participation in these events.
These enriching activities via ZOOM encourage the meeting of unique people who, through their interpretation of the teachings, contribute to sharing and increasing our understanding of the subject.
The Zoom link for each of these conferences will be published as time progresses.
Looking forward to meeting you there.
Sunday September 26th noon
Title of the Presentation: Human Philosophy and Meaning
Moustapha Ndiaye, Senegal
Sunday October 17th 1 p.m.
Title of the Presentation: The Beatitudes or how to obtain a cosmic identity.
Helene Boisvenue, Quebec
Sunday November 7th at noon
Title of the Presentation: The spiritual quest: God in question(s)
Mamadou Doudou Diagne, Senegal
Sunday December 12th 1 p.m.
Presentation Title: Biological Elevators
Marc Belleau, Quebec
¶ 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 — Downtown
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
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: “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
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: | Claude Flibotte |
| Assisted by: | Robert Cadieux Gilles Bertrand |
(438) 404-6399 Claude Flibotte
(514) 237-3616 Robert Cadieux
(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, city of residence, ideally a photo of you.
Warning:
Any submission of articles or otherwise becomes the property of Réflectivité and none will be returned.
We do not guarantee that all articles in our possession will be published in the next Réflectivité.