APRIL NEWSLETTER 2022 40TH ANNIVERSARY of the SS of FL (1982-2022) >REMEMBERING JESUS AT EASTER Inspirationally received by Julie L. Harper The most valuable characteristic of a person's being is that of a love-filled heart. Jesus taught that love is to reach the glory of God, and love is key to joy. The Easter holiday can remind us that selfless sacrifice in the name of love can carry significant meaningfulness for eternity. Even small acts of kindness can generate influential momentum toward further growth of goodness. But in current times, humanity is witnessing daily worldwide atrocities from people who are disconnected from feeling or being of love. It can be easy to lose hope for the existence of love and peace especially now. Wayward individuals are inflicting pain, committing unthinkable crimes, and war is occurring. Let us turn our focus to goodness and acts of kindness to cultivate a society wherein war and atrocities exist as anomalies. May the wise be wise enough to attempt to heal from worldly transgressions, and caring enough to be a leader for others toward love, just as Jesus did. Humans are imperfect and are faced with many difficult challenges, but we must do the very best that we can to adhere to God's mandates to love God first, and love one another as we would ourselves. Unfortunately, many do not love themselves enough, making love for others diminished. We all must do the inner work to either maintain or heal ourselves to a state of love, before we can expect the world to become healed. Then peace and joy have a chance. During this Easter, may we not just recognize the great sacrifice Jesus made as a superior teacher, but let us actively demonstrate our understanding of his truths by living by them, the best that we can. Let not his teachings be in vain. Being loving is a perfect way to demonstrate gratitude and a way of how to be involved in making Earth a better place. JESUS By Yvonne Crespo Limoges Jesus taught and practiced the most sublime and purest CHARITY and LOVE. His efforts were aimed especially towards the destitute, the sick, the mentally ill, prisoners and the oppressed; all considered outcasts (even in today’s society). He gave them consolation, taught of the greatness of a loving Creator and the promise of happiness in a spiritual future. Also, that true happiness can only be reached through pureness of heart, charity and love, rather than through violence, earthly power or material wealth. May we strive to continue to put these teachings into practice. WAR IN UKRAINE – What can we do? For Spiritists, who defend the essential values of humanism, the society of the future no longer may indefinitely violate human rights, although today we still continue in the wrongful direction as in the societies of the past. And before we look at a better future, we have before us the present horror of a human drama that we must accompany in solidarity… In which we can raise our thoughts to God and to the good spirits. We can talk about the notion of prayer, knowing that God is not inaccessible to us, since it is the creative force of the origin of our lives. Although the divine transcendence seems distant and elusive to us, it is nevertheless an infinite force that we can invoke in prayer with sincerity and love, thinking of all the oppressed of the Earth, and especially in current circumstances, thinking about the ending of a war that wounds and kills. And so, prayer is a call to the good spirits, to the spirit guides who are close to humanity. These need human energies, and with those from the afterlife, these act subtly on human situations and bring their healthy influences to bear. Our two worlds interpenetrate, we must be aware of this, and so through thoughts of love and peace, we can create a fluidic harmony with the good spirits which helps to give them a strength…to influence current situations in the direction of stopping or alleviating this murderous invasion. This peace-creating thought is within everyone's reach, and we therefore invite all people of goodwill to direct their thoughts to the good spirits and to the divine force of infinite love and creation. (Excerpt from page 4 of the April-June 2022 issue of the Spiritist Revue of the Allan Kardec Spiritist Circle of Nancy, France, translated by Yvonne Limoges.) PROGRESS NEVER STOPS Spirit communication received by Yvonne Crespo Limoges Mankind misuses its most precious gift, that of freewill, and it wonders why so much vengeance, violence, destruction and war ravages the planet. Have humans practiced the caring of each other regardless of race, ethnic origin, nationality, gender, belief, whether rich or poor, or regardless of the many other categories mankind tries to divide itself into? Sadly, no. However, more on your planet are now realizing that you are all immortal spirits equal before the Creator, whose sacred mission is to be good and do good to yourself and others, to learn and develop, and to put into practice the good resolutions you made prior to incarnating. Yet, due to the materialistic desires of some, the multitudes on earth continue to suffer unnecessarily. Still, humankind will learn through trial and error, and the consequences of all acts via the law of cause and effect, and then, when it has collectively had enough of suffering, it will eventually change, although progress will be very slow. Know that the spirit world does not sit idly by watching the carnage with disinterest. Elevated spirits do what they can to inspire good thoughts in humans so that at propitious moments beneficial actions can be taken to avoid disastrous outcomes, for if they did nothing, things would be much worse. The law of progress will prevail, and sooner or later the spirits now on this planet will want to practice true equality and fraternity, and feel only love towards one another. Lift up your sad hearts, and do not become despondent. We can see further into your futures than you, and there is much light and love ahead. Let our words provide some consolation and hope to ease your weary thoughts and sufferings. We love you all and watch over you! YOUR INFINITE SOUL Spirit communication received By Yvonne Crespo Limoges Your scientists have shown you pictures from their telescopes that give you a very small glimpse into the immensity that is the universe, for it goes on and on… Think of a barrier, and what would be behind it? Such is, Infinity! Your minds cannot fully comprehend it. Your soul should be viewed the same…created and then developing, learning, and passing through various stages…in all aspects of intellectual, spiritual, and moral levels. Looking solely at your present lifetime situation as all there is, is to mentally block out the infinite lives you will have in your future, and to forget the myriad of ones you have already had in your long past. You have lived more than a thousand, upon a thousand of lives, and the one you are in now, is but a blink in the eye of eternity! Do not become despondent that this life is so full of sorrow and pain, or you have not fulfilled an intimate ambition, or made terrible mistakes or you feel your situation pitiful and sad. You have already been many times rich, poor, tall, short, beautiful, etc., etc. and have had numerous experiences; there is information that is part of you not currently manifested in your current human state. There is vast knowledge you have that has been withheld from you in this material lifetime (so you can grow and focus on other areas) that you will remember when you return to the spirit world. There you will know all of who you are; a spirit full of experience, with knowledge acquired from numerous ages past! So those who believe in the immortality of the soul, put your life’s woes into perspective. Try to be tranquil. Practice goodness and learn your lessons well. Use what resources you have in this life to better yourself, and help others as you are able. In the present life, you can also try to make wiser choices for your future life and lives. When you know in your heart that your soul lives on into eternity, you can be more at ease with a much long-term perspective of life in general. You can more fully enjoy what blessings and simple joys you may have, and you can support what trials you yourself have chosen in this present life, because you know they are of such short duration when compared to the spiritual horizon of the infinity before you! WORLDS OUTSIDE OUR SOLAR SYSTEM Written by Yvonne Crespo Limoges On March 21st astronomers announced that the NASA Exoplanet Archive has now tallied 5,000 planets found outside our solar system. More have been found, still to be verified. That other worlds existed has been transmitted via mediums from the spirit world long before current technology, and the spirits told us there is also intelligent life on other worlds as well. Some of the populations of these worlds, ever evolving and changing, contain inhabitants at higher levels of intellect, morality and spirituality…Our own earth has already transformed from a very primitive one to its current one of tests, trials and atonements. However, our spirits will eventually reincarnate on evolved worlds (maybe this one later on) that no longer have violence and war, when we have merited it through our own moral progress. Meanwhile, I contemplate on those happier worlds with hope, when looking up into the night sky. LIFE’S STRUGGLES HAVE PURPOSE By Léon Denis, “Apostle of Spiritism,” (1846-1927) The formidable struggle that is developing between nations and races, and the convulsions that agitate the world pose the most serious problems. In the presence of the great drama, the anxious human mind, formulates a thousand questions. And, there are hours when doubt, restlessness and pessimism invade the strongest and most determined spirits… From the chaos of events, [however] the great [Divine] law can be extracted that governs everything. First of all, remember that our planet is a very inferior abode, a laboratory where souls are still young, with their confused aspirations and disordered passions. [Yet] the profound meaning of life appears…the harsh needs that are inherent in it; for it is about putting into action the qualities and forces that rest within each being; so that the energies that sleep, are ignored and mute (in the darkness of the soul) come to the light, by way of cries, anguish and tears. There can be no greatness without suffering, no [soul] elevation without trials. If terrestrial man were exempt from the vicissitudes…deprived of the harsh lessons of adversity, could he temper his character, develop his experience, value the hidden riches of his soul?... [And] will the wicked be held to [task and] take responsibility? To believe that they will not, would be a fatal error; in their ignorance and blindness, the man who sows evil and its consequences, it will fall heavily on him, as on all those who are associated with his vile actions… (Excerpt from his book in Ch. 3 of The Invisible World and the War, published in 1919, about WWI. Translated by Y. Limoges from the 1973 Spanish edition, Editora Argentina) LIFE HAS TWO ASPECTS Spirit communication received by Yvonne Crespo Limoges Dear children, throughout your lifetime here upon the earth, God has sent his Messengers to be ever by your side. They bring their spiritual light, full of goodness to shine upon all those in need. They try to inspire, console and support you…so strive to take the time to be calm and still, to be more receptive to their influence! After physical death, the soul lives on in another dimension of LIFE. Under Divine control and direction, morally superior and loving spirits (who have already progressed beyond our level) watch over, assist, and care for all those who return to our true home in the spirit world. And, how wonderful it is to hear directly from our so-called deceased loved ones and how they are doing, at the spirit sessions by the communications received by the mediums! The more knowledge a person in the material world has about this natural process the better prepared when it is time for your own return. You will more easily understand where you are; and you will have no anxiety or fear. Try to feel secure in the knowledge that the material world is only a temporary stay, and that “death” is nothing to fear, it’s only a transition, and then a return home for the spirit! ****************************************** Edited by Yvonne Crespo Limoges, Director E-mail: ylimoges@aol.com Spiritist Society of Florida (est. 1982) 5042 22 Avenue North St. Petersburg, Florida 33710 Website: www.spiritistsocietyfl.com