Who is my mother and who are my brothers

Source: the Gospel according to Spiritism, XIV: 5-7. Theme: Who is my mother and who are my brothers?
WHO IS MY MOTHER AND WHO ARE MY BROTHERS? 5. And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. And when His friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on Him: for they said, He is beside Himself There came then His brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. And the multitude sat about Him, and they said unto Him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. And He answered them, saying, who is my mother, or my brethren? And He looked round about on them which sat about Him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother and my sister and mother (Mark, 3: 20-21 & 31-35; Matthew, 12: 46-50). 6. Some of the words used by Jesus appear to be quite extraordinary when compared with His goodness, kindness and unalterable benevolence. Those who are incredulous never cease to find an argument in this fact, alleging that He contradicted Himself. However, it is undeniable that His doctrine has as its basic principle, its very foundation stone, the laws of charity and love. Well then, is it possible that He would destroy on the one side what He had built on the other? Therefore we arrive at the following precise conclusion: that if certain propositions made by Jesus are in contradiction to this basic principle, then these words attributed to Him have either been wrongly reproduced, wrongly understood, or they were never pronounced by Him at all. 7. Understandably it causes great amazement that in this passage Jesus showed so much indifference towards His relatives, and in a way repudiated even His mother. With regard to His brothers, we know they did not greatly esteem Him. Being spirits of little evolution, they did not understand His mission; they thought Him to be eccentric in His ways and His teaching did not even touch them, to the extent that not one of them became His disciple. It was said that they shared, at least up to a point, the same preconceptions as His enemies. In short, it is a known fact that whenever He appeared in the family He was received more as a stranger than as a brother. John tells us quite clearly that they did not believe in Him. (See John 7: 5.) Concerning His mother, no one dare deny the tenderness and affection He devoted to her. However, it is equally our obligation to agree that she did not fully understand her Son mission, since it was noticed that she never followed His teachings, nor did she testify for Him as did John the Baptist. Her predominating feature was maternal solicitude. Nevertheless, to suppose that He denied His mother is not to know His character. Such an idea could not have found refuge in someone who said: Honour thy father and thy mother. Then it is necessary to find another meaning to His words, which were almost always enveloped in a mist of allegoric form. Never losing an opportunity to teach, He therefore takes advantage of the moment and the arrival of His family in order clearly to show the difference which exists between bodily and spiritual kinship.

CONSIDERATIONS:
It is of noticing that Jesus being his mind replete of teachings, when opportunities appeared, in surprising pulse he announced himself; it was so at the party of the marriage in which he replied to his mother: "What have I to do with thee", when she asked him to help concerning the wine. In this attitude Jesus revealed that the powers from of high were not to be used in his own favor personally, since if it were so this Jesus would be rich, and he had not to say: "the son of man hath not where to lay his head", 2 but he always gave preference to the obedience and the superior ethics. Spiritism also teaches that one should give freely what one receives freely. 3

Study given at Centro Esprita Joana dArc on 01/ 06/2010. This study was translated by me into the English from the original Portuguese. A. M. Fernandes. 2 John, 2: 4. - Matthew, 8: 20. 3 Matthew, X: 8.
1

It was likewise when Jesus exalted overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and said: It is written my house shall be called the house of prayer but you have made it a den of thieves" 4 When called Jesus to the attention on his mother's and brothers presence, Jesus in a pulse on purpose or not answered": Who is my mother or brothers", to liberate the spiritual truth that we are all brothers children of the same celestial Father. 5 It was pertinent in Jesus' mission to act like this, because his mission was spiritual with a heapful of revelations to be revealed, for example the existence of Spiritual Kingdom. 6 Yes, there is spiritual family and there is corporal family, 7 as all we are incarnated or disincarnated spirits the Worlds influence each other, because" we Influence and are influenced", 8 It was given to Spiritism the most detailed knowledge of the moral world, a spiritual and future world of our souls and explanations on being of our responsibility the consequences of if our life is badly lived that we are the authors of our happiness and not for hereditary inheritance of our parents' bad morals.9 Let us take advantage to take some exerts of the Spirits Book: Question, 774. Some persons have inferred, from the abandonment of the young of animals by their parents, that the ties of family, among mankind, are merely a result of social customs, and not a law of nature; what is to be thought of this inference? "Man has another destiny than of the animals; why, then, should you always be trying!]g to assimilate him to them ? There is, in man, something more than physical wants; there is the necessity of progressing. Social ties are necessary to progress; and social ties are drawn closer by family-ties. For this reason, family-ties are a law of nature. God has willed that men should learn, through them, to love one another as brothers." (205.) Question, 205. The doctrine of reincarnation appears, to some minds, to destroy family ties, by carrying them back to periods anterior to our present existence. "It extends those ties, but it does not destroy them; on the contrary, the conviction that the relationships of the present life are based upon anterior affections renders the ties between members of the same family less precarious. It makes the duties of fraternity even more imperative, because in your neighbour, or in your servant, may be incarnated some spirit who has formerly been united to you by the closest ties of consanguinity or of affection." -It nevertheless diminishes the importance which many persons attach to their ancestry, since we may have had for our father a spirit who has belonged to a different race, or who has lived in a different social position. "That is true; but this importance is usually founded on pride: for what most people honour in their ancestors is title, rank, and fortune. Many a one, who would blush to have an honest shoemaker for his grandfather, boasts of his descent from some debauchee of noble birth. But, no matter what men may say or do, they will not prevent things from going on according to the divine ordering; for God has not regulated the laws of nature to meet the demands of human vanity." Question, 215. What is the cause of the distinctive character which we observe in each people? "Spirits constitute different families, formed by the similarity of their tendencies, which are more or less purified according to their elevation. Each people is a great family formed by the assembling together of sympathetic spirits. The tendency of the members of these families to unite together is the source of the resemblance which constitutes the distinctive character of each people. Do you suppose that good and benevolent spirits would seek to incarnate themselves among a rude and brutal people ? No; spirits sympathise with masses of men as they sympathise with individuals. They go to the region of the earth with which they are most in harmony."

*****
Then, according to Spiritism we notice that among us as Spirits, we have including family bows, facts that were not known by the people of Jesus' time, facts those which burned the mind of Jesus exhaustively to

4 5 6 7 8 9

Matthew, XXI: 12; 13. Matthew, 6: 5, 6 - 9-15. - Luke, 11: 1-4. - John, 20: 17. Matthew, 5: 3. - 6: 10. - 12: 28. The Spirits Book, Q. 489-507. The Spirits Book, Q.459; 496 Allan Kardec, The Genesis: 18: 9, 3rd paragraph. Deuteronomy, 24: 16.

expressive point, is somebody surprised of Jesus to answer in a strange way placing God in the Center of everything when he said: That are his relatives those who do the will of God." 10 Of the spiritual family in the beyond, we know that they meet and they make groups in favor of likeness and sympathies and on behalf of degrees of progress spiritual or moral, not having Heavens nor bounded Hells. 11 The Spirits improving themselves pass from an inferior order for a superior order. 12 The evolutionary degree in that each one is, it is registered in his perisprit and when one disincarnates one is attracted towards his deserved atmosphere by the gravitational attraction, and having reached the perfection sum which is susceptible the creature, he does not have to suffer tests nor atonements anymore. Not being subjected anymore to reincarnation in perishable bodies, for them it is the eternal life that they accomplish in the breast of God. 13 The life of the body is transitory and passing, when the body dies the soul returns to the eternal life. 14

*****
Question, 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."

*****
Jesus' most concern was to prepare the people already in this life for the beyond; He knew that as we lived in this life would have consequences good or bad in the beyond, thence the parable of the' Rich Man and Lazarus', 15 thence the teaching' Where your heart is there will your treasure be', 16 thence the explanation: To each one according to his works', 17 thence do not sin anymore, 18 thence the constant: 'Make peace with your opponent while in the way,. 19 He knew how to know the Spirits by the effects and he knew that a sick Spirit throws its sore spots to the carnal body and a certain time Jesus said: 'whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say; Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?' 20 Here is Jesus' concern, to cure the Spirit.

*****
We cannot live this life making everything that agrees to the material life without thinking in the moral and spiritual life, as like this: I am the owner of my nose, to me who gives orders to me it is myself, nothing of that, because if God gave us the' free will', He also gave us the use of reason', and placed in our heart, the norms of the 'Rights and Wrongs' Mark, 3: 35. The spirits Book, Q. 1012. 12 The Spirits Book, Q. 114. 13 The spirits Book, Q. 112. 14 The spirits Book, Q. 153. 15 Luke 16: 19-31. 16 Matthew, 6: 21. 17 Matthew, 16: 27. - Mark, 13: 34. 18 John, V: 14. 19 Mateus, V: 25. 20 Mark, 9
10 11

***** Andr Luis speaks to us in the book (NOSSO LAR) 'Our Home', that in Colony a woman tried to enter, but the responsible for the colony did not allow, suddenly he was asked why not? He answered: Do you not see marked in her perispirituais legs the number of abortions which that Spirit did while incarnated, if she enters she will only come to disturb us. 21 In this example we see that it is not well like this: One dies and goes tp Heaven, no, because in Heavens there are ethics and evil can only disturb, thence God to have created the 'Umbrals, for the persons in need to unload away their cruelties and to progress, help they will have, but not unless according to the Will of God.

*****
Here goes a page or two of the book 'Alm da Morte (Beyond death), by Divaldo Pereira Franco dictated by the Spirit Otlia Gonalves.

"Beyond Death
Everyday tormented hearts arrive, beyond death. And although the open horizon, lie in the ground as mutilated birds... Crazy, under the hypnosis of the illusion. Suiciders, unbelievers of their own merits. Criminals sentenced in the tribunal of their conscience. Malefactors who stole from themselves. The Sick who sought illness. Unhappy immobilizing themselves in the Darkness. *** Reaching the Great Light resembles each other to the blind of reason before the wisdom of nature. For the more one shows the harmony of the Universe and for much one speaks to them about the objectives of life, they continue alone unfortunate and demented. There is who says that the dead so called have nothing to do with the so called alive , however, as so called alive of today, will be the called dead, of tomorrow, with the possibility of them disturbing each other should they persevere in ignorance., let us cultivate in the Spiritualistic Doctrine the world institute of explanation of the soul, so that the regenerate thinking gets to redeem its own self actions which substantiate the Humanity experiences in the several nations of the Earth.

***
It is for that reason that we greet in this book one more cry of renewal and hope, inciting us to the use of the hours. Let us fasten the attention. The spiritual medium is the arm of the sower. The emissary is the hand that sows. The message is the seed of incarnated and disincarnated, the word of love and exhortation which is brought us to the understanding, assimilating its imperishable values because, truly, they walk always informed and happy the ones who bring with themselves "the eyes of seeing" and "the ears of hearing." Andr Luiz (Page psychographic by the spiritual medium Francisco Cndido Xavier in the mediunic meeting of the Spiritist Uberabense Center, in the night of January 13, 1960, in Uberaba, M"A GNESE") (*) Spelling according to the original.

*****
The Nosso Lar (Astral Home), dictated by Andr Luis and dactilographed by Francisco Candido Xavier.
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THE LIFE CONTINUES

"My daughter,
May the peace of the Lord be with us! Since the moment in which the angel of death addressed his thought to me, sending me the lugubrious message of the "angina-pectoris", an indescribable turmoil took care of my Spirit. At first, with the fleshes shaken by the rattle of the heart which could no more cooperate with the physical life, un-narrated suffering took me all of the fibers, from the chest to the brain and from this to the feet, making me crazy. Tormented among the ideas of the terrifying death" frightening which I feared and the anxiety of life" that escaped to the cruel weight of the blood that refused to irrigate arteries, veins and vases, I felt that I would tumble. I gathered the strength which swiftly disappeared, abandoning me mercilessly, trying to resist to the violence of the pain that cut my whole self into pieces, and more I did not get but emitting desperate screams, half-crazy. I was under the impression that I a vigorous hand of iron cut through wholly my heart, and besides the agony which I cannot describe, I felt that life was fleeing away fast, making me to faint, without which, even so disappearing the superlative pain that for a long time would conserve myself wrapped up in shady and disturbing anguish. I cannot say the time in which I was long fainted, I still keep today, the impression that, in turn, a whirl crawled, occurring me the sensation of a fall, in a deep endless abyss. All of a sudden, as if I was thrown against the soil, I woke up agonizing, touching in darkness to the screams of lamentable disturbance. The chest continued to hurt hopelessly as if it was broken into pieces by violent projectile that pierced it, breaking flesh and bones and leaving it to bleed... Oh! Jesus, the suffering of that hour... Time passed by without I having news, unless through the agony which seemed not to have an ending. As the pain didn't cease, simultaneously different impressions occurred to the brain disturbed, everincreasing my despair. A glacial cold took slowly possession of the inferior members, threatening to immobilize me. In the face of that unexpected sensation, I was under the impression that very cruel nightmare was torturing me, but of which I would soon be freed. I quieted down a little, caressing the expectation of the pleasant awakening ... because all that would certainly not pass of a bad dream. Besides the cold, widespread pains paralyzed me the movements, while the freezelement had become me rigid, The fearfulness patrolled me, implacable. Without being able to ratiocinate anymore, shaken up in the twitched waves of that sea of unknown sufferings, I glanced tenuous clarity, as if dawn touched my eyes. I had, then, the first notions of the place where I was, staying, however, immobile. At the beginning, cloudy and dimmed, the images didn't become recognizable. disturbed, I noticed myself laid down on the usual bed, rigid and pale. I wanted to get up, to walk, to run, to supplicate for help; it was paralyzed, tied up to powerful chains. The tong no longer manifested. The brain resembled of devoured by crackling flames. The eyes, closed, denied me to stare at the light, although I saw everything and accompanied the external movements. It slipped down the incessant weeping, burning the face, and the thought figured itself to me such incandesced cauldron, full of despairs destroying me. I did not have any idea of the time. I investigated mentally, in the martyrdom, what had happened to me. Where was the companion of so many years? The brethren of the spiritist faith, where were they who did not help me? The dedicated cooperators of our social welfare program, where did they go? Where to did they take the children whom I had gotten used to love; why did they not speak to me? And I remembered the kind Master who had made himself the protection of all the unhappy ones. In the tumult of my brain, the uncompared figure of Jesus took shape, softening down slowly my sufferings. Although they did not cease as a whole, the pains had decreased and a momentary quietness appeased me the interior fire. I breathed in something easily. From a distance, I thought coming to the ears sounds and voices suffocated. Although being of closed eyes, "I saw" that some people were crying. Attracted, I wished to raise the body; I felt to come out from within the carnal cocoon, which I then could see. I found myself lying down, in the mortuary coffin, and standing, at its side, simultaneously. I touched myself hurried and I felt physically. Everything in me vibrated with the same intensity as formerly, bulking up to the impressions of the flesh the aggression of the pain. I sought out to enlarge the movements and I noticed that the terrible cold was disappearing, loosening

myself from the port of the rigidity. I walked a little hesitant and, suddenly, in my mind unexpected idea shone: would I not be dead, by chance! - I investigated myself. I threw myself hurried to the body, trying to raise it to flee away from that frightening thought and to free myself from the afflictions. I did not succeed, however, my project. The tears broke out the dams again and they ran in highly volume. No, it was not possible, I affirmed intimately, trying to quiet myself down. All that did not pass certainly of a fantastic dream or of one mediunic unfolding, in Kingdom of Death. It was not believable that I had died. I felt alive, in spite of the pains that beleaguered me. I was lucid, I ratiocinated, I suffered... I could not be dead. When I woke up, I would pray and I would try to wipe off the remembrances of those moments of fright. I was almost relieved with those reasoning. However, the reality was other. When embracing me to the body, I felt the coldness and I verified, in spite of lying down on it, that it did not get to adjust me such as happens to the hand in appropriate glove. Making an effort to dress it" again, I verified, afflicted, that my will no more brought it into action. I understood, although reluctant: I was "dead." When admitting this idea, I was attacked of deep terror. It returned to my mind the explanations of our Spiritual Director, heard in our Cenacle of prayers. Before recovering of the surprise, I discovered myself profoundly ignorant in Spiritualistic Doctrine, which is a blessed itinerary at the country of the "dead" I tried to recapitulate the teachings heard before; however, the unexpected of that hour I lost control, prostrated myself depressed, once again. The torpor, which, before had invaded me, returned, leaving free only the thought that, now, flowed swift the paths of the memories mixed to the fights of the existence, making me to confront the corridor of madness. I was surprised again out of the body, in spite of being tied to it by strong strings that did not impede that I went away. I passed, then, to experiment new relief and I heard, excited, the murmur of intercessory prayers. Our children (*) and companions, around the coffin mortuary, prayed for my soul, which began in the great voyage. I sought out to kneel down accompanying that cult of nostalgia, but, before I could coordinate my thoughts, light sleep subdued me, lingeringly, the tired fibers, inviting me to the rest. Getting lost in eddy, I felt the muscles, at the same time in which my thoughts dove in the dark waters of forgetfulness. Although Iwanted to accompany the unfolding of the events of that maximum instant of my life, I allowed myself to crawl for fatigue, experimenting invincible mental torpor, while remembering that life continues..."" "" (*) Otlia Gonalves was a manager of Manso do Caminho, (the Mansion of the Road), in Salvador, Bahia, during some months. notice of the Publisher"."

*****
As we see 'life continues', nobody make a mistake to mislead himself, death catches us a lot of times by surprise, thereof where the pride of 'I do whatever I want', one does not want to believe, but his hour will also come up. Folk, we are spirits, we have to take the eternal life seriously and we are privileged of knowing it, little that it may be; let us therefore live a life most dignified possible getting us ready for the continuation, with quality and much happier, let us not abuse of the Kindness of God of having given us this opportunity for us to modify ourselves, let us not throw our life away, for less that it may seem to us the whole life variety is useful to the Spirit, be it the one of rich, be it the one of poor, be it the one of intelligent, be it the one of ignoramus of little capacity, let us be happy for that which we are, there S. Paulo says:. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content - For I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content 22 , let us be like this and we will live happy in any circumstance; and with Jesus' doctrine in our heart, as well as the one of the Spirits who alert and encourage us. May God be with us as well as formerly, today and always?

22

I Timothy, 6: 8 - Philippians, 4: 11.

*****

As we see 'life continues', nobody make a mistake to mislead himself,23 Death catches us a lot of times by surprise, Thereof where the pride of 'I do whatever I want', one does not want to believe, But his hour will also come up. People, we are spirits, We have to take the eternal life seriously and we are privileged of knowing it, Little that it may be; let us therefore live a life most dignified possible Getting us ready for the continuation, with quality and much happier, Let us not abuse of the Kindness of God of having given us this opportunity For us to modify ourselves, Let us not throw our life away, for less that it may seem to us The whole life variety is useful to the Spirit, be it the one of rich, Be it the one of poor, Be it the one of intelligent, be it the one of ignoramus of little capacity, Let us be happy for that which we are, there S. Paulo says:. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content Extract from the study given by A. M. Fernandes at the Centro Esprita Joana dArc , So Joo de Meriti, RJ. on 01/ 06/ 2010;
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For I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content 24 , Let us be like this and we will live happy in any circumstance; And with Jesus' doctrine in our heart, As well as the one of the Spirits who alert and encourage us.

Jesus' most concern was to prepare the people 25 Already in this life for the beyond; He knew that as we lived in this life Would have consequences good or bad in the beyond, Thence the parable of the' Rich Man and Lazarus', 26 Thence the teaching' Where your heart is there will your treasure be', 27
I Timothy, 6: 8 - Philippians, 4: 11. Extract from the study given by A. M. Fernandes at the Centro Esprita Joana dArc , So Joo de Meriti, RJ. on 01/ 06/ 2010; This study was translated by me into English from the original Portuguese. A. M. Fernandes. 26 Luke 16: 19-31. 27 Matthew, 6: 21.
24 25

Thence the explanation: To each one according to his works', 28 Thence do not sin anymore, 29 Thence the constant: 'Make peace with your opponent while in the way,. 30 He knew how to know the Spirits by the effects And he knew that a sick Spirit throws its sore spots to the carnal body And a certain time Jesus said: 'whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say; Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?' 31 Here is Jesus' concern, to cure the Spirit.

28 29 30 31

Matthew, 16: 27. - Mark, 13: 34. John, V: 14. Mateus, V: 25. Mark, 9