Purity

Purity is not an untangible virtue as most think, but something that can be achieved with effort, patience and dedication. Would you like to learn how?

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Purity is a virtue that is very difficult to understand.

According to the dictionary, pure is that which is clean, untouched, without spots or blemishes. In that sense, purity would be the state of someone who has never been touched by evil, in any of its forms.

Purity would have to be preserved from the beginning, as any stain would imply its loss.

In human terms, everyone would be born pure and remain so until they commit the first fault. In such a sense, the state of purity would be forever lost and beyond the reach of the vast majority of men.

However, Jesus affirmed the bliss of the pure in heart.

It is not possible that the happiness of the blessed is restricted to a tiny minority, for Christ also said that none of his sheep would be lost. Thus, the meaning of the word purity cannot be restricted to the condition of someone who has never been touched by evil.

Perfect Purity

Purity is not something you are born with or something that can be lost at the slightest slip. It is a state of consciousness to be built over time.

Being pure is not being ignorant of the reality of life, but opting for the good, for the beautiful, for the just.

On the flip side, an impure person only sees evil everywhere. They are those who judge and are always willing show levity on each action. Being harsh censors, they often expect a purity that they do no have and violently criticize those who make efforts to achieve it.

The pure person identifies the evil where it really exists. They perceive and regret dishonesty, selfishness, perversion and cruelty.

Final Thoughts

Purity is something that can be achieved.

Struggling to overcome our own difficulties is hard but worthwhile. What we need is to stop wasting time criticizing the conducts of others and focusing on our own bad habits to overcome them patiently.

Mary Magdalene is an opportune example of purity achieved. Despite the great mistakes of his past, after meeting Jesus she began to cultivate purity in her life. Her story is an eloquent symbol of the victory of reason and will over passion and vices.

Becoming pure is possible and it only depends on our own efforts.

Adapted from Momento Espírita, originally published on January 10, 2018.

See Also

• The Power of Love
• Weighted observation
• The most important bridge
• Bridge of Life
• A Thinking Power
• Divine Poem

Pleasures

How far can your pleasures take you? How much can they affect your life?

Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash

Every man and woman seeks pleasure and well-being. It is a reflection of the conservation instinct, whose objective is to ensure physical existence for as long as possible.

Material life is essential to the intellectual and moral development of the human being and their immortal Spirit.

Sex is pleasurable and through it the species is perpetuated. If there were no satisfaction involved in procreative acts, Humanity would be extinct for a long time.

Food also involves pleasure. The physical body needs to receive fuels suitable for its structure. But meeting this need is not only due to the hunger but also involves satisfaction.

Meeting natural needs, whether physical or emotional, includes a certain amount of pleasure. As we human beings were not made to live alone, we rejoice in contact with friends and loved ones. The need for contact and recognition by others produces sweet sensations.

In balance

But evidently, wisdom lies in balance. Denying the pleasures of life without any noble purpose, should not be commended.

The mother who deprives herself of bread to feed her children shows signs of selflessness and nobility. But eating less than necessary to maintain physical beauty is not recommended.

The higher goals of existence are incompatible with small earthly joys. Jesus signaled this truth by saying that it is not what comes in, but what comes out of the mouth of the man who contaminates him.

If voluntary deprivation of the goods of life is not good, so is abuse. No one is born to eat, drink, sleep and procreate. Living right does not mean refraining from the joys and satisfactions common to the human condition.

Gluttony causes disease and shortens life. The misused use of genetic forces produces physical and emotional imbalances. Sleeping too much or resting too much is a waste of time. Thus, the important thing is to keep balance in the face of earthly tastes and pleasures. If they are not reprehensible, they are also not the purpose of existence.

Purity does not lie in abstaining from the gifts of life, but in using them with balance and discernment, without harming yourself and others. Wisdom lies in using everything in moderation, without becoming a slave to habits, things or sensations.

Final Thoughts

The purpose of our life on Earth is to promote our own intellectual and moral development. Everyone is reborn to overcome old vices, abandon selfishness, live and love. Do not deviate from that goal by a misunderstanding of life.

In the context of our immortal existence, there is little point in becoming an ascetic. It is unworthy to live like an irrational animal, in the relentless pursuit of pleasures.

Strive to be balanced, kind and supportive. It is very laborious, but it is the goal of your coming to Earth.

Adapted from Momento Espírita, originally published on January 13, 2018.

See Also

• The Power of Love
• Weighted observation
• The most important bridge
• Bridge of Life
• A Thinking Power
• Divine Poem

Vibrating Bridge

How do you deal with the challenges and stresses of the modern life?

Photo by Andre Xavier on Unsplash

She returned from school, where she worked for many years. She was discouraged by the routine situation. The violence in the children's actions and words left her actionless, after so many attempts to resolve them.

Every day she worked hard doing her best. She guided and corrected their attitudes so that the children would become kinder to each other, so that they felt like family.  However, she saw that none of her efforts was effective.

Discouraged, she sat on the bench in the garden and cried. Her father, seeing her there, came over and stroked her hair in silence. With her beloved presence, she allowed herself to give more freedom to emotions. She hugged him and let the tears flow.

When she calmed down a little, he spoke calmly: "I don't know what your problem is, but we can establish a vibrating bridge to the sky, from where you will come calm and tranquility to solve what ails you." Remember what we have been taught: "Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you will get it and what you will grant will be what you ask for."

She smiled slightly and, because she still felt a little tormented, she asked him to formulate the prayer for her, for her work and for the children at school. Right there, among the flowers, he prayed. She, following her words mentally, felt her heart calm and hope to be reborn.

Later, they went into the house, had tea and continued to talk. She found that she was now calmer and more confident, envisioning other possible solutions.

The mechanism of prayer

It is important to know the mechanism of prayer. Jesus, the sweet Rabbi of Galilee, used to walk away from the crowd in order to pray to the Father in silence.

An enlightened creature wrote: prayer is the emanation of well-directed thinking and rich in vibratory content, establishing the creature's exchange with the Creator. Therefore, thoughts driven by love and charged with positive energies can perform real miracles.

Prayer not only dilutes negative energies, it renews the moral forces of being, saturating it with higher vibrations that alter mental, emotional and organic landscapes.

The act of praying is an expression of humility towards life and an awakening of the conscience to understand the goals to which one must give oneself.

Jesus sought prayer as an effective resource to be linked to the Father, maintaining the exchange for the inspiration and courage that he was always clothed with. Through the constant practice of prayer, He left us an example that we must not abandon.

Final Thoughts

Through sincere prayer, we are in tune with the spheres of light, from which we draw the energies that provide emotional balance and inner peace, which allows us to better reason and act.

A sincere prayer opens the windows of the soul and expands our possibilities of inspiration.

Allow ourselves the exercise of prayer, in all situations of our life. Pray and let yourself be guided by the Celeste Pastor who will send you superior support in any circumstance through this vibrating bridge, called prayer.

Adapted from Momento Espírita, originally published on May 06, 2016.

See Also

• The Power of Love
• Weighted observation
• The most important bridge
• Bridge of Life
• A Thinking Power
• Divine Poem

New Year

For most people, the new year is the best moment for big changes. But year after year they fail in finding happiness. Would you know why?

Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash

Today is the day that starts a New Year. It's a moment of joy and fellowship. We all want to start another year with renewed hopes.

The pleas, in general, are to have a lot of money in your pocket, health to give and sell. But if we have all this, will we be guaranteed a New Year full of happiness?

If God gives us health, what usually happens is that we try to end it in the name of parties. Be it with excesses in food, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, or other drugs no less harmful to health. We do not realize that our health depends on us. If we want a good year, we will have to do our part.

If we stop to analyze what the New Year means, we will notice that nothing changes externally. Everything remains as it was the day before. The sick remain ill, those in prison remain incarcerated, the unhappy remain unhappy, criminals continue to plot their crimes, and so on. It's us, and only us, who can build a better year, since a Happy New Year is built, not wanted.

How to have a happy new year

And how can we have a happy new year? If aim a good year we have to start today. As any investment we will harvest the results (or failures) of the previous years.

We will be able to build a good year if we work diligently in our moral reform, rethinking our values, correcting our mistakes, adjusting the direction of our private road. For example, if we start by changing our misbehaviors, we will certainly have a happier year.

Start thinking a little more about the people who live around you. If you open your eyes you'll see how much pain exists around you. If we work to build a better world, one day we will finally conquer the happiness we aim for.

The path to happiness

There is only one way to reach happiness. And that path was shown by Who really has authority, for having walked it. We know this someone as Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ.

In the teaching Love God over all things and others as yourself is the key to true happiness. Jesus places us as a point of reference. That is why he recommends that we love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Whoever loves is preserving health. Whoever loves himself does not bombard his body with harmful elements, nor the Spirit with anger, envy, jealousy.

Whoever loves God above all things, respects His creation, His laws and their peers because they know that we were all created by Him and that He loves us all.

Do you want a New Year full of happiness? Start by building it yourself.

Conclusion

The new period of time that begins, like so many others that have passed, will be full of opportunities. Whether to use them well or badly depends on each one of us. The river of opportunities passes through its waters without returning in the same circumstances.

Today will soon pass and we will call it yesterday, as tomorrow will soon be today, which will also become yesterday. And, without us realizing it, we will soon be calling this new year the old year.

May we all be able to enjoy the treasure of the minutes in the construction of the happy tomorrow that we desire, because eternity is made up of seconds.

Happy new year! 🙏♥🎉

Adapted from Momento Espírita, originally published on January 1st, 2019.

See Also

• The Power of Love
• Weighted observation
• The most important bridge
• Bridge of Life
• A Thinking Power
• Divine Poem

Jesus' Christmas

Every time Christmas returns, His figure is remembered with greater vigor.

Photo by Jasmin Ne on Unsplash

Every time Christmas returns, His figure is remembered with greater vigor.

Some remain in an attempt to deny His existence, claiming that everything is the result of legend. Others, who believe in His existence, get lost in dates and numbers, trying to find out when He was truly born.

What is known is that until the 4th century, the Christians of the world celebrated His Christmas in different months and days, which is why the Church chose to determine the date of December 24th, so that all His followers would unite for the same event, as a single heart.

Some think that everything that refers to the human figure of Christ is so obscure. It is not known exactly when and where he was born, almost nothing is known about His childhood and adolescence.

Even after His death, He left us only an empty tomb. His body having disappeared, buried in a place unknown perhaps. Precisely because, from the first day among us, He, Jesus, insisted that the message is more important than man.

However, there is something no one disagrees. He bequeathed to Humanity the most beautiful treasure of all time: His lesson of love. From His birth in the dead of night to His infamous death on the cross, His was the life of those who love in full.

That is why we do not have the news of Jesus in the bosom of His family, living with His own. His family was the whole humanity - ourselves.

He loved the crowd and served them. He spoke of profound things, using figures and language accessible to the people, who wanted a message unlike any he had heard before.

His voice had a special intonation and when he began to recite the poetry of Heaven, he entranced souls. The simple followed Him, the eager to learn and those who longed for the comfort of their moral wounds listened to Him attentively.

His message was addressed to all beings, in different evolutionary stages, for different ages. He went to the child, invited the boys to follow Him, gathered men and women in full maturity, encouraged old age.

His life was a continuous service. Nobody before Him and nobody after that carried out such a revolution in the field of ideas, sowing in the land of hearts, in such a short time, less than three years.

His message, impregnated with the fragrance of His presence, continues in the world, gathering souls.

Defining himself as the Way, the Truth and the Life, He is also the comfort of the afflicted, the light for those who walk in dense darkness, the protection of those who feel discouraged and alone.

His name is Jesus. His message is that of perennial love. His sayings and deeds constitute the Gospels.

The celebration of His Christmas to all motivates us to love, give and forgive. And there is only Christmas because He came to His brothers, to us and bequeathed to us the Divine message that speaks of peace, harmony and spiritual beauty.

Final Thoughts

Let us take advantage of the Christmas days we are living to meditate on Jesus' teachings.

Let's get more out of it: put at least some of them into practice. And among the gifts and treats that we will distribute in His name, let us not forget to place a portion of our heart.

Let's not forget: it's Christmas.

Adapted from Momento Espírita, originally published on January 09, 2014.

See Also

• The Power of Love
• Weighted observation
• The most important bridge
• Bridge of Life
• A Thinking Power
• Divine Poem

Divine Poem

All that surrounds us is Divine poetry. Including ourselves.

Photo by Sergey Shmidt on Unsplash

Our Father, who is in heaven, on earth, in fire, in water and in the air. Our Father, who is in the flowers, in the song of the birds, in the beating heart. Who is in compassion, in charity, in patience and in the gesture of forgiveness.

Our Father, who is in me, who is in the one I love, in the one who hurts me, in the one who seeks the truth. Our Father, who is in the one who walks with me and in the one who has already left, leaving my soul wounded by longing.

Hallowed be Your name for all that is beautiful, good, just and graceful, for all the harmony of Creation. Be sanctified for my life, for so many opportunities, for what I am, have and feel and for leading me to perfection.

Thy kingdom of peace and justice, faith and charity, light and love, come to us. Kingdom that I am called upon to build through meekness of spirit, a reflection of inner greatness.

Thy will be done, even though my pleas cherish more my pride than my real needs.

Although I only hear silence as answer to my prayers, I do feel You say: son, wait, the eternity is all yours.

Give me our daily bread today so I can share it with my brother. The material comfort I now have are of no use if I do not remember those who live in distress.

Bread of the body, bread of the soul, bread that is life, truth and light. Bread that brings breath and joy, the Gospel of Jesus.

Forgive my offenses, my mistakes, my faults. Forgive when my heart becomes cold, when I allow evil to manifest itself in the form of aggression.

May I listen more than speak. May I seek to welcome others instead of judging them. May I sow peace instead of cultivating violence. May I be able to thank more than ask.

Forgive me, just as I forgive those who offend me, even when my heart is hurt by the bitterness and discomfort of ingratitude of others.

May I, Lord of Life, remember that no pain is eternal and that the only way to sublimity is the humble road of reconciliation.

Do not let me fall into the temptations of errors, addictions and selfishness, which make me a slave to my malevolence. Rather, may Your light be on me, illuminating me, so that I can find you within my soul, as part of my essence.

And deliver me from all evil, from all violence, from all misfortune, from all illness. Deliver me from all pain, all hurt and disappointment.

But still, when such difficulties are necessary, may I have the strength and courage to say: Thank you, Father, for one more lesson!

Final Thoughts

All that surrounds us is Divine poetry. There is a trait of God in every being. Let us seek Him in the blossoming of flowers, in the flow of waters, in the song of the wind, in the twinkling of the stars.

But above all, let us search for Him within us. We just need to close our eyes and feel Him giving rhyme to the verses of our lives.

Adapted from Momento Espírita, originally published on May 06, 2017.

See Also

• Weighted observation
• The most important bridge
• Bridge of Life
• A Thinking Power
• Divine Poem
• Poverty and Wealth

A Poem to God

Would you be able to imagine what a soul would write to God?

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One day, a soul awakens and delights itself with the morning that stretches on the horizon. It feels as if it is hovering above and beyond the human scale. It remembers being the daughter of a loving and good Father, a Creator who provides everything for everyone. Full of gratitude, it says this verse:

God, intelligence of intelligences, cause of causes, law of laws, principle of principles, reason of reasons, conscience of consciences. Isaac Newton was right to discover himself, every time he spoke Your Name.

God, kind Father, I find you in nature, your daughter and our mother.

I recognize you, Lord, in the poetry of Creation, in the wind that strums harmonies in the hair of the trees.

In colors that are so diverse in hues and gradations.

In the rolling waters, silent, in tiny streams, in the noisy waterfalls, of considerable heights, in the green of the grass that carpets the garden and the squares.

I recognize you, Father, in the flower of gardens and orchards, in the grass of the valleys, in the hue of the fields, in the breeze of the meadows.

Lord, I find you in the scent of the fields, in the murmur of the fountains, in the rumble of the smallest branches of the treetops.

I also discover you in the music of the woods, in the placidity of the lakes, in the pride of the mountains, in the expanse of the oceans, in the majesty of the firmament.

I see you, Lord, in the child who smiles, plays, jumps and spreads joy and laughter.

I recognize you, Father, in the old man who walks slowly, who stumbles. But, above all, in the intelligence he reveals, the result of his well-lived experiences.

I discover you in the beggar who begs, in the helping hand, in the mother who watches, in the father who instructs, in the apostle who evangelizes.

God! I recognize you in my wife's love, in my son's affection, in my sister's esteem, in your indulgent mercy.

And I find you, Lord, in the faith of what you have, in the hope of the peoples, in the charity of the good, in the integrity of the whole.

I recognize you, Lord, in the inspiration of the poet, in the eloquence of the speaker, in the creativity of the artist.

I also find you in the wisdom of the philosopher, in the intellectuality of the scholar, in the fires of the genius!

And you are still in the polar dawns, in the silvery of the moon, in the brightness of the sun, in the brightness of the stars, in the brightness of the constellations.

God! I recognize you in the formation of the nebulae, in the origin of the worlds, in the genesis of the suns, in the cradle of the humanities, in the wonder, in the splendor, in the sublime of the infinite!

Finally, I understand when Jesus prays "Our Father who art in heaven..."  or when angels sing: "Glory to God on high..."

May you find peace you look for in your heart! 🌹🧡🙏

Adapted from Momento Espírita, originally published on September 12, 2016.

See Also

• Weighted observation
• The most important bridge
• Bridge of Life
• A Thinking Power
• Divine Poem

The poetry of life

Is your heart in life and love or in beauty, money and profit?

Photo by Luca Bravo on Unsplash

A poet acquired a piece of land in the middle of the mountains. A place to dream, write and inebriate the soul.

He didn't intend to touch anything. God, after all, had made everything so beautiful already. The stream of crystalline water descending from the top of the mountain forming waterfalls and icy backwaters. Ferns, aprons, profuse princess earrings. Green fields, embroidered with tiny flowers. And huge trees where all kinds of flowers grew.

A piece of heaven full of beauty and life.

But in this beautiful place, there was a bad hill. So bad that not even the grass would grow.

The poet looked at that land, apparently useless, and decided to give nature a helping hand.

He thought he could plant pine trees. A forest full of pine trees, with its crowning crowns, arms raised to the sky, as if asking for blessings.

He asked the local people but no one approved the idea. Pine trees, they said, would take a long time to grow. Why even bother planting them? As the poet was not so young, he was told that he would certainly not even see the grown pines.

Furthermore, you cannot cut trees here, they said. It is protected by law and cutting trees is a crime. So why plant pine trees if they cannot be cut? After all, only cut are they worth money as can they be sold.

The poet was advised to plant eucalyptus instead. They grow up fast, and make a profit on the third year.

The poet returned to his home thinking that he and his neighbors were from different worlds.

He was a being from the forest, unhurried, like the seeds placed in the soil. He wanted to see, small and enjoy the colorful and fragrant spectacle of the lush forest.

His neighbors though, only thought of quick profit, money in the bank. They only had commerce and business in mind. That's why they thought that planting an eucalyptus, a tree that can be cut in three years was much more important than a pine tree that cannot be cut in even fifty years!

And the poet reflected that men who only think about profit, lost the meaning and beauty of life.

He remembered those who look at a huge redwood forest and find that property inhabited only by trees is a terrible waste. In their concept, it would be much better to burn the entire forest and transform it into a luxurious condominium.

After thoughtful consideration the poet decided to plant pine trees. Whether he gets to see them grown up or not, it doesn't matter. It is important that he sowed hope and life that will be able to rejoice other eyes and hearts in the future.

Conclusion

Jesus taught us that wherever your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Is your heart in life, beauty or profit?

Do you want a land full of wonders where our children can live, be enchanted and breathe fresh air or you are simply looking for a place to enjoy everything possible, as quickly as you can?

It only depends on you to decide whether to plant pine trees or eucalyptus in the land of your heart. 

Adapted from Momento Espírita, originally published on April 24, 2017. 

See Also

• Weighted observation
  
• A Thinking Power
• Weighted observation
• Poverty and Wealth
• Divine Poem