The Lords Prayer, J..

06/ 08/ 2013

Theme: For where two or three : The gospel according to Spiritism, XXVIII: items, 4 to 6.

4. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew, 18: 20). 5. PREFACE - In order to be gathered together in the name of Jesus, our material presence alone is not enough, because it is indispensable to be assembled in the spiritual sense as well, by means of a communion of intentions and thoughts towards goodness. In this way Jesus will be found in your midst, that is to say either He or those pure Spirits who are His representatives. Spiritism enables us to understand the way the Spirits can be with us. This is by means of their fluidic or spiritual body, and if they should make themselves visible they do so with an appearance that allows us to recognize them. The more elevated in the spiritual hierarchy the greater is their power of radiation, so that on possessing the gift of ubiquity, they may be present in various places simultaneously. In order to achieve this it requires merely the emission of a thought. With these words Jesus wished to show the effect of union and fraternity. It is not the greater or lesser number of people which attract the Spirits, but the sentiment of charity which animates them reciprocally. If it depended on numbers, He would have said some ten or twenty instead of two or three people. Well, for this purpose two persons are enough. But if these two people pray separately, even if they direct themselves to Jesus, there will be no communion of thought between them, especially if they are not motivated by a mutual sentiment of benevolence. If they are animated by mutual prejudice, hate, jealousy or envy, then the fluidic currents of their thoughts will repel each other instead of uniting them in a harmonious impulse of sympathy. So then they will not be united in the Name of Jesus. In that case, Jesus will only be the pretext for that meeting and not the true motive (See chapter 27, item 9). This does not mean to say that Jesus will not listen to only one person. However, if He did not say: "I will attend anyone who calls Me." it is because He demands, above all else, the love of one's neighbor, far which it is possible to give greater proof in a group than in isolation, and because all personalized sentiment denies it. It follows then, that in a large meeting, f two or three people joined themselves through their hearts in a sentiment of true charity, while all the others remained isolated, concentrating their ideas on selfish and worldly things, Jesus would be with the first group and not with the rest. It is not then the simultaneity of the words, the songs or the exterior acts which constitute the gathering together in the name of Jesus, but rather the communion of thought according to the true spirit of charity, of which He is the personification (See chapters 10, items 7 & 8, and 27, items 2 & 4). This should be the character of all serious Spiritist meetings, in which the assistance of the good Spirits is earnestly desired. 6. PRAYER (For the commencement of a meeting): We beseech You, O Lord God, the All Powerful, to send us the good Spirits to help us and take away all those who may induce us towards error; give us the necessary light so that we may distinguish truth from falsity. Remove too, the maleficent Spirits, be they incarnate or discarnate, who may try to launch discord amongst us, and so turn us away from charity and love for our neighbors. If some of these Spirits try to enter our ambient, do not allow them access to any of our hearts. Good Spirits, you see fit to come and teach us, make us yielding to your counseling, turn us away from all thoughts of selfishness, pride, jealousy and envy. Inspire us to indulgence and benevolence towards our fellow beings, present or absent, friends or enemies; lastly, through the sentiments with which we are animated, make us recognize Your beneficial influence. To those Mediums You chose as transmitters of Your teaching, give awareness of their mandate and the seriousness of the act they are about to practice, so they may perform this act with the necessary fervor and meditation.

If at our meeting, there be any persons present driven by sentiments other than those of goodness, open their eyes to the light and forgive them Lord, as we forgive them, for any evil intentions they may harbor. We ask especially that the Spirit of X..., who is our spiritual Guide, assist us and watch over us.

******************************************************************* CONSIDERATIONS:
It is important to outstand that this study has the starting point the union of thought and of us being gathered together in the name of Jesus in character and evangelical spirit. Let us initiate our reflection verifying the requirements which Jesus would request or would make for him to be beside us when two or three be gathered in his name: In a teaching Jesus mentioned that as time required by God flows for the presence of His children, in syntheses Jesus having spoken directly to the facts He said: come unto me you whereof I was hungry and you fed me, I was sick and you came to visit me, I was naked and you gave me dressing, I was thirst and you gave me drink, Some ones who were not included, expressed themselves on saying: Lord in thy name we have done several works or wanders, we expelled demons etc Being so, it is obvious that if they had expelled demons in the name of Jesus, for certain they believed that Jesus was in the midst of them, but Jesus told them: I know not you. Certainly they were mercenaries or professionals of the faith in self-advantage. Humbly let us relearn the gospel, Jesus said: The doctrine is not mine, but of the Father who sent me , (not of mens dogmas, but from God). The doctrine which Jesus personified was all with a depth of love, love of God and the love of our neighbor, his teachings were always with a spiritual finality and not for material enrichment, since what was in dispute was our soul and the future of our immortal soul, therefore, that we should live as if we were not of this world having in account that we are immortal spirits although linked to the Earth. Thenceforth, Jesus to have been involved with everyone working tirelessly for the good of everyone, teaching that God was our Father, that God was love, that God loves us all, that God makes to rain so much on the good as well as on the bad, so taking from us the ignorance of our knowledge about God as much as the fear that we all had of God, since up to then fear was imposed even to the religious ones themselves, meantime without the fear of God to us imposed, Jesus demanded a respect to God and consideration to our neighbor who in fact is our brother, as explained: One is not out of judgment who calls his brother with rude words of condemnation. Jesus involved in our lives offered himself to help us and said: Come unto me you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest. (Matthew, XI: 28) So that we may live in peace some with the others Jesus taught: For us to have peace with our companions while we are together sojourning. (That is, while in our journey through the world). That we may not sensor or have superiorities some to others, Jesus taught: Judge not that you may not be judged. (Only God can judge because only Him sees the reasons for each one behavior). So as for us to have care not to offend the Laws of Causes and effects, Jesus taught the care that we should have teaching us: the measure we give is the measure that shall be given to us . If we would have enemies Jesus recommended: Pray for your enemies, (So it gives our enemies the chance to become our friends). If someone who offended us comes to us to beg our pardon, Jesus taught: For us to forgive seventy times seven, (Since then, that is the truly charity which alleviates a heavy conscious which accuses oneself of a harm that may have been done). If someone beats us on the right face Jesus said: That we ought to give the other face. (That causes the person to reflect if one has acted good or badly). If someone demands forcibly to us to walk a mile Jesus said: that we should offer to walk another mile. Shortly, that our life should be lived basically of love and tolerance. Jesus gave us a commandment exclusively based on the examples and on the life he had lived on our behalf and he opened out himself in this special commandment, since he said: A new commandment I give you, that you should love one to another as I have loved you. To love always, hence: without charity there is no salvation. (Charity=Love always been applied Should we have vocation and a will to serve our neighbor religiously with respect and responsibility, Jesus recommends: For us to clean our eyes first and then we can see how to clean our neighbors eyes (Matthew,
VII: 3-5).

Jesus recommends to them who wish to follow him : To carry ones cross and follow him.

Not all have the condition to follow Jesus, because he advised: Birds have nests, but the son of man does not have where to lean his head, (One should understand that Jesus did not come unto the world to instruct spiritual profession for the bread winners, S. Paul understood that for he said that for his sustenance he worked even by night). The law of love to ones neighbor as to our own selves is resumed in not doing to our neighbor what we do not wish for ourselves. Very well, he who is syntonized (interrelated) with the Gospel and have affinities with Jesus for certain that in having two or three with the same sympathies and wishes as Jesus has, Jesus will be in the midst as he had promised. Jesus recommended that the greater is the one who serves his neighbor more. Jesus has forewarned: Careful with the wolves that come dressed as lambs, and asks us to be cautious on saying: By their fruits you shall know them. Jesus has advised: Not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter in the Kingdom of Heaven. Thence we deduct that for Jesus to be in the midst of two or three it is necessary that one be in harmony with the gospel and with the mind turned towards God and the Spirituality with respect and seriously. Jesus sees this world ephemeris, a passing through, temporary, very materialist and demands from us effort in favor of our soul recommending: Do not keep riches where thieves are attracted, but keep your treasure in Heaven, and adds: Where your heart is your treasure will be. (Our merits do follow us wherever we are in Heaven or in Earth). Jesus sees that as our spirit is who commands the body and does administrate it, Jesus recommends: Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and everything will be added unto you. Jesus recommends humility before God as he mentions: Allow the children to come unto me for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus asks us: Be perfect as your Father who is in Heaven. (Rightly one understands as a perfection related to the gradual state of our soul understanding that God is Love, that we should live in love one another, as God is peace for us to live in peace with one another, as God does forgive us, we ought to forgive one another, being so we ought to seek out to be perfect in all our living). Thence the constant effort which is demanded from us to overcome our inferiorities in favor of our spiritual evolutionary ascension, progressively.
(The Gospel acc. To Spiritism, XVII: 14).

Jesus reminded us that it is not necessary to repeat prayers, because God knows beforehand what we need. Jesus has also reminded that we should not pray publically to be seen of men. Jesus suggested to us, that when in praying we should enter in our most secret self and God will listen to us. The Spiritist doctrine has as its moral the one of Jesus. (The Gospel acc. to Spiritism, XIV). The Spiritist doctrine recommends a rationale faith. (The Gospel acc. to Spiritism, XIX: 7). The Spiritist Doctrine elucidates Jesus Doctrine. The Spiritist Doctrine has the belief of the pre-existence of the soul and its Reincarnation as many times as necessary. (John, III. The Spirits Book, Q. 133 + 1676 and 169. The gospel acc. to Spiritism, V: 19). The Spiritist Doctrine teaches about the spiritual body. (The Spirits Book, Q. 93-94). What of the teachings of the Spirits adds to the moral of Jesus Christ is the knowledge of the principles in relation to the dead with the living. (Genesis, I: 56). The Spiritist doctrine has the teaching of the multiplicity of the Worlds.
(John, XIV: 2 The G. acc. to Spiritism, III).

The Spiritist Doctrine speaks about erraticity. (The Spirits Book, Q. 225). The Spiritist Doctrine recommends: Love one another and educate yourselves.
(The Gospel acc. to Spiritism, VI: 5

************************************************* Let us study some items as a back up to the study of Jesus presence:
The Spiritist Doctrine pulls us off ignorance: () But Man with ungratefulness has moved away from the straight and wide path which leads to the Kingdom of my Father and has followed the bleak pathways of impiety. My Father does not wish to annihilate the human race; He wants the living and the dead, that is to say those who are dead according to the flesh because death does not exist, to assist each other mutually and listen no more to the voice of the prophets and apostles, but listen instead to those who no longer live upon Earth and who proclaim: "Pray and believe! Death is the

resurrection and life is an ordeal you seek, during which the virtues you have cultivated will grow and develop, even as the cedar tree." Those of you who are weak and know the obscurity of your own minds, do not deviate from the beacon which divine clemency has put into your hands so as to enlighten your pathway and reconduct you, who are lost children, once again to the bosom of the Father. I am too much overcome with compassion for your miseries and by your immense weakness not to extend a helping hand to all those unhappily misguided who, while looking up to Heaven, fall into the pit of error. Believe, love, and meditate on these things which are revealed unto you. Do not mix the chaff with the good seed, nor the Utopias with the truth. Spiritists! Love one another, that is the first precept; educate yourselves is the second. Within Christianity you will find all the truths. The errors in which Man has become enrooted are all of human origin. Here from beyond the grave, where you thought there was nothing, voices clamor: "Brothers and sisters! Nothing perishes! Jesus Christ is the victor over all evil, you can be the victors over impiety." - THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH (Paris,
1860) (The gospel acc. To Spiritism, VI: 5)..

******************************************** The object of religion is to conduct humanity towards God

10. The Jews had scorned God's true commandments in order to cling to the practice of regulations which had been established by man and had made the observance of these regulations a matter of conscience. The original simple substance became lost beneath complicated forms of ritual. As it was much easier to practice exterior cult than to effect moral reform, to wash hands instead of cleansing the heart, Man became deluded, believing himself exonerated before God by conforming to these practices. Thus, seeing that the people were taught that God demanded nothing more of them, they remained the same as they had always been. Hence the prophet said: 'But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrine commandments of men." The verification of this can be found in the moral doctrine of Christ, which has ended up in second place and as a result many Christians, just like the ancient Jews, consider that salvation is better guaranteed by means of external practice rather than by moral practice. It is to these manmade additions to God's law which Jesus referred to when He said "Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up." The object of religion is to conduct humanity towards God. Well, God can only be reached through perfection. Therefore every religion which does not make Man better than at the present time, will never reach its objective. Everything which Man judges will support him in committing evil, is either false or had its principles falsified. Such is the result of all religions where the form surmounts the base. Belief in the efficiency of exterior manifestation is null and void if it does not oppose the acts of murder, adultery, robbery, the causing of slander or damage in whatsoever form to whomsoever it may be. These kinds of religion never create godly men and women, only people who are superstitious, hypocrites and fanatics. The mere appearance of pureness is not enough, because above all else it is necessary to have a pure heart. (The Gospel according to Spiritism, VIII: 10).

************************************** The spiritual revelation has a two fold character:

(Genesis, I: 13).

************************************************* The Spiritist Doctrine knows there is evolution and progress:

(Genesis,I:55

5
(Genesis,I:55).

The.Spiritist.doctrine.teaches.that.Reincarnation.is.a.means.of.progress

Genesis, XI: 26

************************************************** The Spiritist Doctrine teaches about the spiritual body: The perispirit:
Perispirit 93. Is the spirit, properly so called, without a covering, or is it, as some declare, surrounded by a substance of some kind? "The spirit is enveloped in a substance which would appear to you as mere vapor, but which, nevertheless, appears very gross to us, though it is sufficiently vaporous to allow the spirit to float in the atmosphere, and to transport himself through space at pleasure." As the germ of a fruit is surrounded by the perisperm so the Spirit, properly so called, is surrounded by an envelope which, by analogy, may be designated as the perispirit. 94. Whence does the spirit draw its semi-material envelope? "From the universal fluid of each globe. For this reason the perispirit is not the same in all globes. In passing from one globe to another. the spirit changes its envelope as you change a garment." - When spirits who inhabit worlds of a higher degree than ours come among us, are they obliged to take on a grosser order of perispirit? "Yes; they are obliged to clothe themselves with your matter in order to be able to enter your world." (The spirits Book, Q. 93 and 94).

************************************************************ The Spiritist Doctrine teaches about erraticity:

225. Is erraticity necessarily a sign of inferiority on the part of spirits.' "No, for there are errant spirits of every degree. Incarnation is a transitional state, as we have already told you. In their normal state, spirits are disengaged from matter." 226. Would it be correct to say that all spirits who arc not incarnated are errant? "Yes, as regards those who are to be reincarnated; but the pure spirits who have attained to perfection are not errant; their state is definitive." In virtue of their special qualities, spirits are of different orders or degrees of advancement, through which they pass successively as they become purified. As regards their state, they may be-1. Incarnated, that is to say, united to a material body; 2. Errant or wandering, that is to say disengaged from the material body and awaiting a new incarnation for purposes of Improvement; 3. Pure Spirits, that is to say, perfected, and having no further need of incarnation. 227. In what way do wandering spirits obtain instruction? It can hardly be in the same way as men. "They study their past, and seek out the means of raising them-selves to a higher degree. Possessed of vision, they observe all that is going on in the regions through which they pass. They listen to the discourse of enlightened men, and to the counsels of spirits more advanced than themselves, and they thus acquire new ideas." (The Spirits Book, Q. 225 to 227).

********************************************************* Life does continue:

192. Is it possible for us, by leading a perfect life in our present existence, to overleap all the intervening steps of the ascent, and thus to arrive at the state of pure spirits, without passing through the intermediate degrees? "No; for what a man imagines to be perfect is very far from perfection; there are qualities which are entirely unknown to him, and which he could not now be made to comprehend. He may be as perfect as it is possible for his terrestrial nature to be; 'but he will still be very far from the true and absolute perfection. It is just as with the child, who, however precocious he may he, must necessarily pass through youth to reach adult life; or as the sick man, who must pass through convalescence before arriving at the complete recovery of his health. And besides, a spirit must advance in knowledge as well as in morality; if he have advanced in only one of these directions, he will have to advance equally in the other, in order to reach the top of the ladder of perfection. But it is none the less certain that the more a man advances in his present life the shorter and the less painful will be the trials he will have to undergo in his subsequent existences." - Can a man, at least, insure' for himself, after his present life, a future existence less full of bitterness than this one?

"Yes, undoubtedly, he can abridge the length and the difficulties of the road. It is only he who does not care to advance that remains always at the' same point." -193. Can a man in his new existences descend to a lower point than that which he has already reached? "As regards his social position, yes; but not as regards his degree of progress as a spirit." 194. Can the soul of a good man, in a new incarnation, animate the body of a scoundrel? "No; because a spirit cannot degenerate." - Can the soul of a bad man become tile soul of a good man? "Yes, if he have repented; and, in that case, his new incarnation in the reward of his efforts at amendment." The line of march of all spirits is always progressive, never retrograde. They raise themselves gradually In the hierarchy of existence they never descend from the rank at which they have once arrived. In the course of their different corporeal existences they may descend In rank as men, but not as spirits. Thus the soul of one who has been at the pinnacle of earthly power may, in a subsequent incarnation, animate the humblest day-laborer, and vice. versa ; for the elevation of ranks among men Is often In the inverse ratio of that of the moral sentiments. Herod was a king, and Jesus, a carpenter. (The spirits Book, Q. 192 to 194).

*************************************************
Well then, yes we are studying the Spiritist Doctrine which although be not understood by all, does not leave out the bringing up the fact of the spiritual notions which Jesus had brought from the Heavens Father to have us been fed, as Jesus does advise us: Man does not live by bread alone,(1) He also reminds us that: the kingdom of God is within us, (2) the spiritual life for them who has the spiritual sentiment a little more sharpened with: ears to hear and eyes to see, (3) analyses everything retaining what is good (4), with equilibrium and good sense, logic and restricting. Yes, we ought not leave out the spiritual life, because it is a reality of life, whereof we are immortal spirits and there is in us a thirst towards knowing us, who we are and where did we come from and where are we going, and therefore if the Spiritist Doctrine can help us, why not! Well, may God be with us, as formerly, today and always.
(1)- Matthew, IV: 4 (2)- Matthew, IX: 12. + Lucas, XVII: 20 e 21 (3)- Matthew, XI: 5-15. (4)- I Thessalonicenses, V: 21.

Listening to Jesus in Matthew. 7:

[1] Judge not, that ye be not judged. [2] For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. [3] And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? [4] Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? [5] Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. [6] Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. [7] Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: [8] For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. [9] Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? [10] Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? [11] If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? [12] Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. [13] Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: [14] Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. [15] Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. [16] Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? [17] Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. [18] A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. [19] Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. [20] Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. [21] Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. [22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? [23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

[24] Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: [25] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. [26] And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: [27] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. [28] And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: [29] For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.