© 2024 Gaétan G. Charland, Claude Flibotte, Francine Fortin, Alain Tremblay, François Audet, Line St-Pierre, Jean Lapierre, Samuel Heïne, Marc Belleau
© 2024 Urantia Association of Quebec
¶ Summary
- Departure of a great man by Claude Flibotte
- My experience of forgiveness by Francine Fortin
- Fraternal meeting to celebrate the holidays by Alain Tremblay
- The median of the apostle Andrew by François Audet
- The wisdom of Camille by Line St-Pierre
- The ideal state by Claude Flibotte
- Consciousness of the Supreme by Jean Lapierre
- Let’s not underestimate… by Samuel Heïne
- Reminder by Marc Belleau
- Happy New Year 2024 from the newspaper team
- Study groups by region
¶ A word from the president January 2024
Gaetan G. Charland
president@urantiaqc.org
Dear Members and Friends of the Association, As we begin this new year, I take this opportunity to extend my sincere wishes for a 2024 rich in service opportunities. May these opportunities nourish your spiritual growth and offer you multiple ways to share the teachings of The Urantia Book.
In this new period, why not consider joining an existing study group or creating your own? If this prospect does not inspire you, many course possibilities are offered in the various schools, available on the association’s website under the EDUCATION section.
I would also like to announce some sad news. Pierre Routhier, one of the pillars and founders of the Urantia movement in Quebec, left us peacefully in his sleep on December 15, at the age of 85. I had the privilege of meeting Pierre in 1988 during his visit to Roxanne Proulx’s study group, Les Pré-Morontiens. This meeting was the beginning of a sincere friendship with this remarkable man, with whom I later had the honor of serving as president of the Urantia Association of Quebec.
¶ Free courses from the Urantia Book International School (UBIS)
Dear friends and students,
For more than twenty years, UBIS has offered free online courses designed to provide readers with first-hand experience with the teachings of The Urantia Book.
Our approach is simple. You study the recommended readings based on your chosen course topic, answer the suggested questions, and then share your answers with each other. Classes are led by trained volunteers. You can participate in the class at any time of the day or week, on your own schedule. Plan on approximately three to five hours per week as a minimum.
Courses and calendar for the January term.
Registration begins Monday, January 8.
Classes begin on January 15 and last six, eight, or ten weeks.
Join us!
¶ Conference-testimony
Sunday January 28, 2024 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
The blessings of my afficions
Francine Fortin
To participate in the meeting, click on the link below ten minutes before the 1 p.m. meeting.
Zoom Link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86014314366
In her testimony, the speaker will tell how by living the teachings of the Urantia Book, the Thought Adjuster always sees to the well-being of his subject.
¶ The Christian Experiment’s — The School of Ambassadors
The Ambassadors School is in its second year introducing the course The Ministry of the Master. It offers new perspectives on sharing the knowledge of the book, in a natural way and without offending people who want to know more about divine reality.
Here is the testimony of students;
It is a very powerful course which reminded me of all the riches of divine teachings and particularly those of the Master! My inner life has gained in intimacy with the Father and with the son and my will to do the will of God has been consolidated!
It is a step forward towards the responsibility of brotherhood among us through the example of Jesus and thanks to the love that the Father gives us.
This course is transformative. It gives us a taste for serving in brotherhood and in the love of the Father who is the supreme reality. It is transformative, but at the same time it leads us to want to do the will of God.
Click on the “S S” link and make a difference in your approach to others.
¶ Spotlight Series
The Urantia Book contains many fascinating teachings that deserve closer examination. Our speakers will highlight one of these interesting topics. This will be followed by a discussion with the audience.
Join Jean Annet who will explore the following topic
The universal language
DATE: Sunday January 21
TIME: 4 p.m. in Paris and 10 a.m. in Quebec
ZOOM LINK: https://urantia-org.zoom.us/j/7735253319?omn=84912951877
Please log in ten minutes before your scheduled time.
The Urantia Book tells us that: “No evolutionary world can hope to progress beyond the first stage of anchoring in the light without having rallied to a single language, a single religion, a single philosophy. [UB 55:3.22]”. Our planet is therefore heading towards a single language. Lucifer’s rebellion has very seriously slowed down this possibility, but we are going there!
Jean has been studying The Urantia Book since the 2000s. In 2006, he founded the “Association Belge Francophone d’Urantia (ABFU)” of which he became the president. This association is recognized by the UAI as a local association. For 15 years, he created reading groups, gave conferences, was present at various fairs, took courses and study weeks, organized seminars to deepen the book and informal meetings of readers of the book.
In 2003, he took the first French-speaking UBIS course, given by a Quebecer: Guy Viau. During this course, he corresponded with a Frenchman, JeanMarie Chaise, who had just finished translating the Urantia Book into Esperanto. JeanMarie sent him his translation before dying. Jean Annet tried to finish and correct this translation, but taken up with his professional activity, he was unable to complete his project. It was only 20 years later that he took up this heavy task again, but this time within an international team.
¶ Warning!
There will be no paper version of Réflectivité for the month of January 2024. The closure of the printing house for the holiday season is indirectly the cause! Only the electronic version will be available.
Happy Holidays!
The editorial staff
¶ Tribute — Departure of a great man!
Claude Flibotte
Sainte-Julie
On the night of December 15, 2023, without fanfare, Pierre Routhier, a great among the great, left us for the world of mansions. In collaboration with my colleagues from the study group focused on The Urantia Book and the two books written by William S. Sadler Jr., of which Pierre Routhier has been a part since its beginnings, we would like to pay a final tribute to the one who was, for all of us, an example to follow!
Indeed, it was in the year 2008 that Pierre Routhier joined us for an in-depth study of William S. Sadler Jr.'s books entitled “A Study of the Master Universe” and “Appendices to a Study of the Master Universe”. We devoted more than ten years to this project and Pierre was of great help to the group with his in-depth knowledge of the fifth epochal revelation and his most endearing personality. Although Pierre is no longer present among us, following a relapse of cancer in 2019 and weakened by treatments, he was always present almost until the end of the study and since then in our minds. Although having gone through these works, the group still pursues the deep understanding of the concepts bequeathed by the revelators.
¶ Testimony — My experience of forgiveness!
Francine Fortin
Quebec
I am sharing with you today one of my life stories, related to forgiveness.
Despite a dramatic start in life, stemming from a violent, incestuous and loveless childhood, I had decided, even before knowing God, that this past would not determine the nature of the Woman that I wanted to become and that I became.
I have lived my entire life without ever taking on the role of victim. When I look back on my life as a whole, I consider that I have lived it happily. At a very young age, I learned to use the wonderful adjunct of courage which has been very useful to me in facing the challenges of my adult life.
¶ Report — Fraternal meeting to celebrate the holidays
Alain Tremblay
Montreal
Dear friends, It is with great pleasure that I write to you about a friendly and fraternal meeting experienced recently as the holidays approach. Indeed, on December 15, a festive dinner was held at the Harmonie Resource Center in Les Laurentides, bringing together 16 people. Among them were some members of the AUQ executive, the “Discovery” study group as well as readers of the Urantia Book and their spouses. In a setting offering a panoramic view of the forest and the gentle atmosphere of a fireplace, a succulent Quebec-style meal was served to us. This warm and welcoming context was conducive to many captivating exchanges as well as meeting new readers.
¶ Theme — The midwayer of the apostle Andrew
Francois Audet
Gatineau
Following a question from a member of our study group that I had impulsively, and I apologize, deemed inappropriate, I produced the short text below that I sent the day after our meeting by email to the members of our group. Subsequently, Gilles Bertrand suggested that this might interest other readers and was worth sharing in our Réflectivité. This text therefore has no claim to be exhaustive, however the experience was rich in lessons, which I may have the chance to clarify in the future.
Our group began studying Booklet 121 on the life of Jesus and we were told that “the basis for this account was provided by a secondary midwayer who was once charged with the superhuman supervision of the Apostle Andrew” (Introduction to Part IV).
Here is the text of the email, with slight corrections, sent on December 18, 2023:
¶ Book — The wisdom of Camille
Line St-Pierre
Boucherville
During her presentation on Zoom on December 11, 2022, Sophie Malicot introduced us to “The Wisdom of Camille”, a conference organized by the AUQ. Thanks to the deep and endearing story of this child, candidly illustrated with simple illustrations, we are immersed in Camille’s world of reflections.
After the conference and following the participants’ comments, Sophie told us that she wanted to make a book so that “The Wisdom of Camille” would end up in the hands of more people.
¶ Theme — The ideal state!
Claude Flibotte
Sainte-Julie
Among the many subjects covered in The Urantia Book, that of an ideal State advanced in issue 71 should greatly challenge us given the state of our world and all the events currently taking place there. A sneaky war is taking place before our astonished eyes between true democracy and all forms of authoritarian and selfish regime put in place by certain men greedy for power and wealth!
Portrait of the world in 2021 and still today.
According to the video broadcast by ARTE and entitled “Democracy in the world on trial?”, only 21 countries have a true democracy including Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland. 53 countries have a defective democracy such as Portugal with its low participation rate in elections or Hungary imposing a strengthening of the state and a reduction in freedoms. 34 countries have a hybrid regime where the rule of law and individual freedoms are flouted. Finally, 59 countries have an authoritarian regime represented by Russia where all forms of opposition are severely repressed or China with its cameras present everywhere tracking the slightest gesture of its citizens. This portrait shows that more than half of the humans on Urantia, or live in a country under an authoritarian or hybrid regime.
¶ Theme — Consciousness of the Supreme
Jean Lapierre
Bromont
In our study group, we realized that no sophisticated teaching was necessary to realize a certain awareness of the Supreme in our minds. This awareness emerges naturally to any sincere truth seeker asking existential questions. Our thinking goes that these meanings he will have of God will contain many characteristics more akin to the finite God we are given to study in The Urantia Book. So why study these revelations if the personal religion of a sincere and motivated truth seeker naturally leads him to faith and living truth because of the presence of his Thought Adjuster and the bestowal of the Spirit of Truth upon all flesh?
It is that in the revelations of Urantia we can deduce several reasons to justify the epochal revelations:
¶ Theme — Let’s not underestimate the transformative power of prayer
Samuel Heine
Reunion Island
Let us not underestimate the transformative power of prayer, because it can also allow us to unhinder ourselves, free ourselves or liberate ourselves from all our psychological and emotional limitations in order to be much more fulfilled, happy, filled with love and gratitude day after day.
We must not be afraid to ask God intensely and regularly for help.
There is also the regular practice of spiritual communion of silent worship and the conscious practice of making “all our activities” a Service to our neighbor and to God, for the realization of the program that God has developed for us (smile).
We can probably add balance in all things (intellectual, spiritual and physical).
¶ Reminder — Happy New Year!
Marc Belleau
Treasurer
treasurer@urantiaqc.org
2024 has just begun and I would like to wish you a year full of peace. With all these wars in Ukraine, Palestine, Sudan, Congo and elsewhere in the world, this is the most desirable thing there is right now. I pray every night that the leaders of our planet will show goodwill and come to a solution to end the suffering that people are going through right now. I want to continue to believe that this is possible. This is what I wish for all of us this year.
¶ 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 approach allows us to keep a broad point of view on the 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.
The team of your opinion journal Réflectivité would like to give you a voice, so please send us your texts and photos!
Group: “The United Family of Urantia”
Region: Montreal
Mondays, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Diane Labrecque (514) 774-7733
Group: “Découverte”
Region: Montérégie (Boucherville)
Mondays, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Gaétan Charland and Line St-Pierre Tel.: (450) 565-3323
Zoom virtual group. (Find out more)
Group: “Uni-Earth”
Region: Joliette
Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Eric Martel (450) 756-9387
Zoom virtual group. (Find out more)
Group : “Le Pont”
Region: Montérégie (Sainte-Julie)
Wednesdays, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Claude Flibotte (438) 404-6399
Zoom virtual group. (Find out more)
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
Study and sharing group: “La chapelle-Maisonnia”
Region: Quebec
Sundays, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Gilles Bertrand & Louise Renaud
(418) 871-4564
Zoom virtual group. (Find out more)
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. (Find out more)
We would like to get to know you! Study group facilitator, do not hesitate to send us your text and a photo of the group!
To see the official list of study groups in Quebec and elsewhere in the world:
Click directly on the following link: http://urantia-quebec.ca/activites_liste_des_groupes.php
For even more Urantian reading in French, you can follow this link: http://lien.urantia.fr
¶ Journal Réflectivité
| Responsible: | Claude Flibotte, editor-in-chief |
| Assisted by: | Robert Cadieux, proofreader Gilles Bertrand, printing and shipping |
(438) 404-6399 Claude Flibotte
(514) 237-3616 Robert Cadieux
(418) 871-4564 Gilles Bertrand
Monthly publication:
Published on the first day of each month.
To submit your articles:
Send them to: c_flibotte@videotron.ca
Add: your name, city of residence, a photo of you, thank you!
Warning :
Any submission of articles or other becomes the property of the Journal Réflectivité and none will be returned.
We do not guarantee that all articles in our possession will be published in the next Réflectivité Journal.
The opinions expressed by the various participants and presenters are personal and do not reflect any policy or ideology of the Journal Réflectivité.