© 2021 Gaétan Charland, Judith Gagnon, Marc Belleau, Line St-Pierre
© 2021 Urantia Association of Quebec
¶ Word from the President December 2021
Gaetan Charland
president@urantiaqc.org
Hello readers and friends of the association,
We are already at the end of a year that has been filled with many uncertainties and challenges for us and many people in our society. In my November message, I invited us to meditate on the responsibility as a student of The Urantia Book and how to live and integrate its teachings. The past year may have significantly limited our ways of serving, but it has fostered new paths of learning.
During this period of limited social contact, new opportunities have presented themselves and continue to present themselves to us, to refine our knowledge and thus enable us to become more effective servants to our sisters and brothers in need. We now have the tools necessary to improve our knowledge and diversify our service; it is up to us to make choices and take action. There is an Arabic proverb that sums up my thinking and it is this: “He who wants to do something finds a way, he who does not want to do anything finds an excuse.”
Without wanting to be moralistic, I can tell you that on several occasions in my life this proverb has been of great use to me in 'extricating myself from my inertia, my indolence, my indifference and my fears. We often find excuses that prevent us from expressing our full potential and accepting our responsibilities as children of God. We cannot build a spiritually rich life with excuses, we must now find ways to put into practice what we have learned.
The Urantia Association of Quebec, through its website, offers us many ways to deepen our spiritual knowledge. There are virtual and face-to-face study groups, online conferences of inestimable richness, a library of articles and educational works rich in various subjects, videos of conferences and courses to satisfy our learning needs, local and international newsletters, a biannual journal of enlightening articles on the teachings of the Urantia Book, a daily spiritual meditation to subscribe to that keeps us on the right track and an education section that offers us courses to broaden our understanding.
So here are some means that are within our reach! It is up to us to take advantage of them and shine through service, because in the era of the Supreme not only must we be, but we must also do.
I wish you a very beautiful and happy holiday season!
To love is to serve.
¶ Tribute to Rolande Lévesque Martin
Judith Gagnon
Quebec
On October 10, 2021, Rolande Lévesque left this world after 91 years of fulfilling life. Rolande was a very good friend that I met almost 16 years ago. You will love this great lady as much as I do.
¶ Here is the story
In 2005, a friend, Jacqueline, told me about a new reading group that was starting at Rolande and Guy Martin’s. She told me that it was a spiritual reading and that it was about the Urantia Book. Funny coincidence, I already had this book in my hands since 10 years. I had never read it. I hesitated then told myself that I had nothing to lose by attending it a first time.
So I arrived one Sunday afternoon at Rolande and Guy Martin’s, who lived in a condo in Sainte-Foy. Rolande and Guy welcomed me and introduced me to several people, Urantia readers. We read and talked. What a surprise, after the reading: Rolande and Guy served us almost a meal. For them, everything was natural. They loved sharing their common passion for spirituality. This first meeting was the beginning of many others. The group was forming and we were all gathered together to share a reading that took us on a journey through the universe and time.
Rolande and I quickly exchanged on several subjects. Always lively and attentive to others, we frequently shared slices of daily life, our joys and our sorrows. Very often, I went to pick her up and we went to other Urantia readers or elsewhere too. We always had a lot of pleasure in exchanging and being together.
Then came a time when illness invited itself: at first, with Rolande and later with Guy. Rolande had certain health problems that forced her to take more time to rest. The meetings continued, but little by little they moved to other readers. Rolande and Guy were always present as much as possible. For many they were the soul of the group.
Finally, it was Guy’s turn to be less well. He who was the couple’s unwavering support had to be accommodated following a stroke and leave the condo where he lived with Rolande. If I remember correctly, it was in 2017 that he involuntarily left Rolande to receive more care.
At first, we all wondered how things would go for Rolande. As usual, she faced the situation and remained alone in the condo. I often went to visit her and help her with various daily things. A little later, her daughter Claudine came to live with her to help her stay in her home. Rolande never complained. Tirelessly, she resumed her reading of the Urantia Book and never complained about her fate. She was able to deal with reality and continue to live as serenely as possible.
There was a day in late 2018 or early 2019, when Rolande had to leave her condo to go live in a private residence for seniors, Les Jardins Champfleury. I often went to visit her, especially with other Urantia readers, Gervaise, Normand, Claudette and Louise. We had even started a new reading group in the chapel of the residence. We all went to read with Rolande. Depending on the number of people, we also went to read in her apartment.
On September 28, 2019, Guy died at CHSLD Jeffrey Hale. A great loss for Rolande who had walked with him almost all her life. She lived her great sorrow and courageously took her life in hand.
However, Rolande, who was ill, was hospitalized several times for various health reasons. She never complained. Courageous, she was able to live serenely despite increasingly failing health.
Until December 2019, I was able to visit Rolande from time to time. After that date, I stopped visiting due to health regulations. I also did not want to bring her contagion because of her physical vulnerability.
On March 13, 2020, plunged like many countries in the world into a COVID-19 pandemic, Quebec declared a state of health emergency. We could no longer visit Rolande because of health regulations. In addition, she called me several times. We kept each other informed of what was happening. As the Urantia readers group I joined had started readings on the web, via the ZOOM platform, Rolande, equipped with her tablet, received as a gift from her family, joined the reading for a while. We really enjoyed meeting her online, as she was always so interested in reading.
Around August 2021, Rolande fell and broke her hip. She ended up at the Hôpital de l’Enfant-Jésus. This period was very difficult for her. She was in a lot of pain. After this period, she was transferred to the CHSLD Christ-Roi en transition. She called me a few times. I could feel her suffering. She was not well and had difficulty coping with these many moves from one place to another.
The last call she made to me was in October 2021. She told me she was at the CHSLD Sacré-Cæur. Unfortunately, I was not able to take the message right away. When I took the message on November 2, 2021, I shared the phone number with Gervaise. After a call, we learned that she had died on October 10, 2021. The last call she made to me allowed me to track her down and learn of her death. Since she was part of my study group of readers of the Urantia Book, I shared this latest information with the group on November 3, 2021.
We later found his obituary and learned that his service would be held on November 21, 2021.
We all pray for Rolande who was our beacon and above all a great friend. She is an admirable, unique woman whom we will never forget.
This elderly woman has gone through many great trials especially at her advanced age. She has left a mark on my heart and memory. Reading The Urantia Book and being in a study group helped her a lot. Spirituality helped her to live.
Thanks to Rolande for crossing my life and those of many other people.
. . . With your consent, this faithful pilot will safely carry you across the barriers of time and the handicaps of space to the very source of the divine mind and on beyond, even to the Paradise Father of Adjusters. (UB 111:1.9)
¶ Virtual Conference — Biological Elevators
by Marc Belleau
Sunday, December 12, 2021 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82830368347
Among the unusual concepts in The Urantia Book, there is one that certainly deserves our attention. It is the very idea of the physical upliftment of the human races through the bestowal of the material Son and Daughter. The challenges that confronted Adam and Eve were enormous for beings who had been trained to function on normal spheres under near-optimal conditions. This was certainly not the case on our planet. Even today, we are negatively impacted by this tragedy and have reason to wonder how celestial beings experienced in universe affairs could have erred in this way. But as we read the fascinating account of their experience on our sphere, it is easy to understand how and why they failed in their mission. We can certainly learn something from their experience as we work today to lay the foundations upon which the revelation will rest.
This lecture will be divided into two parts. First, we will review certain details concerning the biological uplifters: their mission, their objectives, their experience on a normal sphere. Then we will explore what happened on Urantia: Who were our Adam and Eve? What were the conditions on our planet at that time? Why the mistake and how did it happen? We will also touch on the bright side of this whole tragic story, for there is one…there always is one.
In a second step, we will discuss the issue of the enhancement of races using questions that I will submit to you.
Looking forward to meeting you soon.
¶ Visit the AUQ website
Line St-Pierre
communication@urantiaqc.org
When was your last visit to the association’s website?
I invite you to watch on the main page the eleven minute video entitled A NEW REVELATION, made by my friends at The Christ Experiment, made to attract Bible readers to The Urantia Book.
On our site https://www.urantiaquebec.ca under the tab PUBLICATIONS / READERS’ TEXTS you will find excellent works, some illustrated, studies such as on cosmogony, on Jesus, the apostles, science, on God, religions and many other captivating subjects.
With their research, many students of the Book have made it possible for our understanding to expand complex concepts that are worth seeing and reading.
We are working to categorize these works to make searching simple and easy to use.
Under the EDUCATION tab are the schools from which readers can obtain the necessary information and make choices to continue their journey with The Urantia Book.
Jesus . . . In each case he would select the truth in what they taught and then proceed so to embellish and illuminate this truth in their minds that in a very short time this enhancement of the truth effectively crowded out the associated error; (UB 132:0.4)
Sunday January 9, 2022
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Dear readers of the Urantia Book.
Tigran Aivazian of London, assisted by Alexander Alyuev of Odessa, have provided you with an excellent search engine for The Urantia Book.
Just type wnw in the address bar and it will appear on your screen. This engine uses all 22 current translations of the Book.
It is easy to use while being very efficient, provided you respect certain rules, the learning of which will allow you to exploit its numerous possibilities.
I offer to share my experience. I will perform many exercises.
All you need is a pencil and a sheet of paper.
If you have difficulty connecting to the ZOOM link above, we recommend that you copy/paste the address into your internet browser window (address bar).
Tutorial to download the Zoom application and/or join a meeting
Andre Pominville (pominville@libero.it) will be the host and I will be your facilitator.
See you soon.
Fraternally,
Guy ANTEQUERA
Direct clickable link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87228606143?pwd=YXR5SFRMQWY5NkszK1RNZkduR3lqZz09
¶ 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
NEW
Group: “Urantian Universalists”
Every Monday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Eastern Time (Montreal)
Responsible:
Claude Flibotte (438) 404-6399
Subject: Appendices of W. S. Sadler Jr.
Zoom Virtual Group. (Get informed)
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
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(438) 404-6399 Claude Flibotte
(514) 237-3616 Robert Cadieux
(418) 871-4564 Gilles Bertrand
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