BEAUTIFUL WORDS
(If you have any beautiful words that you would like to share on this page, send them with an indication of their author and where you found them to the webmaster@stchadssuttoncoldfield.org.uk )
Click on the title or first line of the words to go to the full version.
· AND A LETTER FROM GOD. By David Adam & Kevin Mayhew.
· DESIDERATA.
· BLESSINGS TO YOU. From the internet. Found by Dee Amos.
· TO SEE A WORLD IN A GRAIN OF SAND, by William Blake.
· I WAS ANGRY WITH MY FOE, by William Blake.
· I ASKED GOD.
· LETTER FROM CANON HENRY SCOTT HOLLAND (1847-1918) ON DEATH.
· BIBLE, 1. CORINTHIANS, 2, 9.
· BIBLE, 1, CORINTHIANS, 13, 4-7.
· DEATH MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A GREAT ADVENTURE EXPERIENCING by John Polkinghorne, President of Queen's College, Cambridge.
· OUR BIRTH IS BUT A SLEEP AND A FORGETTING; Wordsworth. Ode on Intimations of Immortality, from Recollections of Early Childhood.
· PLEASE. By Ken McLaughlan. March 1998.
· REMEMBRANCE DAY PEACE SONG by Lindy Garbutt.
· A STRANGE DREAM – OR – A MESSAGE FROM HEAVEN? by Paul Gregory.
· SUNDAY 7th FEBRUARY 2010 INTERCESSIONS. Lyn Tribe.
· UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL. Anatole France.
· TO KEEP THE BODY IN GOOD HEALTH. Buddha.
· DON’T BE RECKLESS WITH OTHER PEOPLE’S HEARTS. Mary Schmich.
· THE SUN SHINES AND WARMS AND LIGHTS US. Ralpho Waldo Emerson.
· CHRIST CHANGES EVERYTHING. From the internet.
· THE GOSPEL OF MARY MAGDALENE translated by Leloup (2002).
When you awoke I was there, waiting upon you. I wanted to share in your love.
At breakfast you listened to the radio and rushed your breakfast.
You had no time to speak to me.
I waited but you did not turn to me.
Though you travelled by rail you spent your time on your laptop and reading the news.
You did not once give me a thought.
I waited but you did not turn to me.
During your work there were lots of small gaps.
There was more time at lunch.
But you did other things and had no time for me.
Yet I waited for you to turn to me.
At the end of the day you watched the television.
For a while you dozed before you had your last drink of the day.
And I waited for you to turn to me.
Now, I thought, you will have time - just before you go to sleep.
Instead you read until you were tired.
You worried about tomorrow and at last fell asleep.
I will surround you with my love this night.
I will wait for you tomorrow and if you do not remember I will be there the day after.
I will wait until you turn to me.
ALL MY LOVE,
GOD.
(Taken from Searchlights, David Adam & Kevin Mayhew).
Contributed by Edwina to St. Chad’s Lodge & Common magazine. February 2008 p.1.
***
Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexacious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career. However humble: it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is: many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars: you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be and whatever your labours and aspirations; in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken
dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.
Author unknown.
***
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who won't survive the week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 20 million people, around the world.
If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world
If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and spare change in a dish somewhere, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If your parents are still married and alive, you are very rare especially in the United States.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful you are blessed, because the majority can, but most do not.
If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on their shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God's healing touch.
If you can read this message you are more blessed than over 2 billion people who cannot read anything at all.
You are so blessed in ways you may never have even known.
From the Internet.
Reproduced in St. Chad’s Parish Magazine, p11, May 2006 by Dee Amos.
***
To see a World in a Grain of Sand,
and a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand,
And Eternity in an hour.
Auguries of Innocence, 1. William Blake.
***
I kept my wrath,
my wrath did grow.
I was angry with my friend,
I told my wrath,
my wrath did end.
The Poison Tree. William Blake.
***
I asked God for strength that I might achieve,
I was made weak to humbly obey,
I asked for health, that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity that I might do better things,
I asked for riches, that I might be happy,
I was given poverty that I might be wise,
I asked for power that I might have the praise of
men,
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of
God,
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life,
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things,
I got nothing that I asked for but everything I had
hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken
prayers were answered.
I am among all men most richly blessed.
Author unknown.
***
"Death is nothing at all, .. I have only slipped away into the next room. I am I and you are you whatever we were to each other that we are still. Call me by my old familiar name, speak to me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference into your tone; wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without effect, without the ghost of a shadow on it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was; there is absolutely unbroken continuity. What is this death but a negligible accident? Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near just around the
corner.. All is well."
Letter From Canon Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918) On Death.
***
Heaven. "Eye hath not seen,nor ear heard neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."
Bible, 1. Corinthians, 2, 9.
***
Love is patient; love is kind and envies no-one. Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude; never selfish, not quick to take offence. Love keeps no score of wrongs; does not gloat over other men's sins, but delights in the truth. There is nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its
faith and its endurance.
Bible, 1, Corinthians, 13, 4-7.
***
Jesus said “And be assured, I am with you always, to the end of time”.
Bible, Matthew, 28, 20.
***
Jesus said: "And so I tell you, ask and it will be given you, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. The one who asks will always receive; the one who is searching will always find and the door opened to the man who knocks".
Bible, Luke 11, 9-10.
***
Jesus said: "I tell you this: anything you did for one of my brothers here, however humble, you did for me".
Bible, Matthew, 25, 40.
***
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.
Bible, Matthew, 11, 28-29.
***
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay saith the Lord.
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but over-come evil with good.
Bible, Romans, 12, 17-21.
***
"And now, my friends, all that is true, all that is noble, all that is just and pure, all that is lovable and gracious, whatever is excellent and admirable - fill all your thoughts with these things".
Bible, Philippians, 4, 8.
***
Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am".
Bible, John 14, 1-3.
***
Death marks the beginning of a great adventure experiencing all of God's creation preserved for us in heaven.
John Polkinghorne, President of Queen's College, Cambridge.
***
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting;
The Soul that rises with us, our life's star
Hath had elsewhere its setting
And cometh from afar.
Wordsworth. Ode on Intimations of Immortality, from Recollections of Early Childhood.
***
In this life, we are not material beings on a spiritual journey, but we are spiritual beings on a material journey. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he reap.
Bible. Galatians 6:7.
***
This poem called ‘Please’ was read at the funeral of a man who had suffered for a long time from Alzheimer’s Disease. The family thought that it was very moving.
PLEASE.
Please do not forget me
Please don’t turn away
Please drop in and visit me
And help me through another day.
Please don’t think I’m crazy
Even though I’ve lost my mind
Please help me to find the things I’ve lost
Like the past I cannot find.
Please tell all the children
Try to make them understand
That even though I am still here
Why I’m lost in No Man’s Land.
Remind them of the good times
And the games we used to play
Tell them that I’m sorry
For leaving them this way.
I know you have your life to live
And you must live it every day
But please do not forget me
Don’t just let me fade away.
By Ken McLaughlan. March 1998.
***
REMEMBRANCE DAY PEACE SONG by Lindy Garbutt.
Sung to the tune of Help by the Beatles.
Sunday 8th Nov 09.
(First verse spoken).
Peace!
We all want peace Lord
Peace!
Not just short term peace Lord
Peace!
But forever peace Lord
Peace!
Each generation knows of fighting and of wars
This is not our wish Lord
Can’t believe it can be Yours.
Help us to find a way for man to live in love
Show us how to co-exist
With guidance from above.
Chorus
Peace would mean all faiths respecting others
Black skin, white skin, Asians will be brothers.
Wars will end the whole world will recover
Won’t You please, please
Bring peace?
Every time a new war starts so many lives are lost
But without Your Glory as You hung upon the cross.
Must world affairs be sorted using bombs and guns?
Why not long discussions till a victory is won?
Peace would mean all faiths respecting others
Black skin, white skin, Asians will be brothers
Wars will end the whole world will recover
Won’t you please, please
Bring peace, bring peace, bring pe-e-eace oooh
***
A STRANGE DREAM – OR – A MESSAGE FROM HEAVEN?
Since the deaths of my father-in-law, and a dear lady, a friend at St. Chad’s Church, I have wondered whether either of them might send a message indicating that they are alright, as I’ve read can happen with people bereaved. As time passed and nothing happened I began to give up; but when the dream occurred in the night of Tuesday 14 February 2006 it was half expected.
It was a dream but very much revelatory; nothing like I have ever experienced before. It was stunning; earth-shattering in impact; not confused like dreams often can be. I was lying down in heaven surrounded by people eating. I thought at first they were eating me, but on reflection they could not have been as I was not being diminished or consumed.
In the distance there was an extremely bright light, like the sun but it not only shone with light, but also love, happiness and comfort. I felt such extreme joy I could scarcely cope with it.
There was laughter and gaiety, but when people spoke, I heard them in my mind.
Then first the still image of my friend appeared then that of my father-in-law. I was told, that they were O.K. How is this possible; why is this possible, I queried. The answer came that it is one’s good deeds in life (doing something for other people) that are rewarded in heaven more than a thousand fold, whilst misdeeds and crimes in life have a double disadvantage. First of all they are a waste of precious time that could have been used for good in life and secondly, they are not rewarded again in heaven, as are good deeds. Both my friend and my father-in-law were now enjoying the fruits of what they had sown in life. They were now enjoying the treasures in heaven that they had amassed during in their lifetime, came the sure logical explanation.
I was aware of souls floating in the dimming light, darkness and cold stretching out a long way behind me. These were not happy but reflecting on where they had placed themselves in relation to God in the after-life by their crimes and misdeeds in life. The worse the crimes and unrepentance, the further out in the pitch black they were. This was a hell of their own creation. Again this was a clear insight and felt immediately in mind. No one spoke.
I was told to pass on messages to my father, mother and brother, (who do have religious beliefs but do not attend church regularly,) because each have done so much for others, through their teaching careers and for my mother, through her selfless devotion to raising her family, that none of them should worry about their place in heaven when their time comes. This was very strongly felt and so too was the responsibility for passing on these messages.
At one point the people around me were pondering how to motivate young men to take a full part in life and my mother who was there surprisingly, created a surge of happy emotion and hilarity when she suggested they be encouraged to make babies.
The pleasure felt through out the dream was so extreme it was bordering on pain and as I emerged into consciousness I found myself crying. My wife beside me in bed, shook me and asked if I was alright. My tears were of joy not anguish; it was an overwhelming joy that told of every little kindness we give to others, contributing and weighed in the balance, at the end of our lives. It was reminiscent of the story of the ‘widow’s mite’ in the bible. It was a very small amount and all that she could afford to give, but it counted even so.
Life is a preparation for death and and after-life , I was left in no doubt. I could now readily recognise people around me and in the news who were wasting their lives on wholly selfish endeavours or worse, that generated nothing of value for eternity. I learned that it is not money or the acquisition of it that is wrong but what one does with it. The rich are in danger, as with wealth comes the responsibility to do something with it that is beneficial to others. I understood in an instant that the only treasures we take to heaven are our deeds and the character we have built for ourselves.
At the end of my dream I knew I had been allowed a glimpse into the here-after and afforded a great privilege indeed. I am only an ordinary person, so why have I been so honoured?
“Why? Because you looked, because you sought after this knowledge; because you inquired.” , came the answer. That was the reason.
Continually I felt intense joy throughout the dream; so intense it was beyond comprehension. The Light of God was ever present bathing the joy with a warm love of protection and belonging. I now understood that the spread of the Gospel by the disciples and St. Paul in particular, was undertaken because of a huge irresistible urge they had to tell others, everyone, this wonderful truth that God exists; that life beyond death exists. The similarity to biblical stories is apparent and shows that such experiences are possible even now for ordinary people.
A profound realisation has occurred to me; if God responded to my concerns with this dream visitation, then He did hear me. God does follow one’s every thought and knows one’s every need.
In fact the two people outside my family, I have told about this dream, both described having similar experiences following bereavement. It was my mother who suggested I put this story in the parish magazine. It would be interesting to hear from anyone else who has a similar tale to tell. Recently I met an acquaintance, a Muslim women of Asian descent, and told her my story. She too replied that she had had two similar dreams following bereavement.
This dream has been life-changing for me. It is a marvellous revelation; something I’ve sought for a long time. And now I am certain of the answer.
I now understand my life better. Getting ill closed off one avenue through life and resulted in following another. It seems to be saying that whatever happens to you, good or ill, learn from the experiences because all of them can lead to opportunities to do good and build your own character.
This new certainty allows one to wake each morning, fresh in the knowledge of God’s creative genius in designing the universe and one’s part in it. The more complete science becomes – the greater the wonder.
It is true: “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return”. From the film Moulin Rouge.
Paul Gregory.
Email: paulgregory34@hotmail.com
Published in St. Chad’s Church Magazine June 2006
SUNDAY 7TH FEBRUARY 2010 INTERCESSIONS
We have been given life by God. We owe our existence to him. Let us pray to him now.
Lord of creation, may your will be done.
We pray today for every living being who shares this world with us. As children of the same heavenly Father we pray that we will acknowledge each other as brothers and sisters who understand each others needs, concerns and feelings. As we go about our daily lives we meet all sorts of people. People who we think are like us, many who are different. We can be so prejudiced, Lord, in our judgements and in out responses to others. Help us to see the vitality in our young people, to value the wisdom of the elderly. Open us up to the diversity brought to our community by those from other cultures and countries. Let us celebrate both what we have in common and the things that make us unique. We are all responsible for the future.
Lord of creation, may your will be done.
We pray for greater reverence for all creation. Lord, the world you created for us has beauty and wealth beyond our imaginings. You gave us everything we could ever possibly need. And yet, we have abused your trust in us by our exploitation and our greed. We pray, that we the people who inhabit your world will have the sense to change the way we treat it. To act now to reduce further damage to the earth’s atmosphere through industrial pollution. To save what is left of the rainforests. We pray that our world leaders will have the courage to put the natural world and it’s needs before their country’s desires and greed for wealth.
Lord of creation, may your will be done.
We pray for all in our church. When we sail in stormy waters help us, Lord, to have faith. Just like the disciples, we get anxious and afraid. Like them we forget to put our trust in you. We pray that we will have the faith to know and believe that you are always with us and with our church, and that you will steer us into calm waters. When conflicting views threaten to damage our fellowship, help us to listen to each other, to reach out across our differences with love, and give us the grace to forgive.
Lord of creation, may your will be done.
We pray for all our children and for all newly born. May their world be filled with your love. We hold before you those who are soon to be baptised. We pray for their parents and godparents that they will fulfil the promises they make for themselves and for the children, and that they will walk in your ways all the days of their lives.
Lord of creation, may your will be done.
We pray for all who are ill, for those who are in pain. We pray that you will comfort them. We pray for friends in our own church community who are in long term care and unable to worship here with us. May they know that we hold them in our hearts and be comforted by our prayers.
Lord of creation, may your will be done.
We pray for those who have died in recent days. We give thanks for them and for the service they have given. May they now rest in your healing love. We pray for their families and friends who mourn their passing and who grieve for the loss of their company. May they be comforted by the memories they share.
Lord of creation, may your will be done.
We thank you, Lord, for the love and teaching you have shown us through your son, Jesus Christ. Give us courage and strength to do your work in this world which we share.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your son, our saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Lyn Tribe.
Until one has loved an animal,
a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.
Anatole France.
To keep the body in good health is a duty,
For otherwise we shall not be able to trim the lamp of wisdom,
And keep our mind strong and clear.
Water surrounds the lotus flower,
But does not wet its petals.
Buddha.
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts,
Don’t put up with those who are reckless with yours.
Mary Schmich.
The sun shines and warms and lights
us and we have no curiosity to know
why this is so; but we ask the reason
of all evil, of pain, and hunger, and
mosquitoes and silly people.
Ralpho Waldo Emerson.
Christ, Christ changes everything, hands and faces,
Earth and sky. Christ, Christ changes everything,
How we live and how we die. Christ, our changeless Lord and
King, Loving Saviour, friend and brother – Yes, Christ,
Christ changes everything, how I tremble at his name,
Nothing in the world will ever be the same.
Christ, Christ changes everything, days are richer,
Words mean more; Christ, Christ changes everything, all our
Pain for us he bore. Christ will turn your world around
And that world will last for ever – Yes, Christ, Christ
changes everything, God’s great glory to proclaim.
Nothing in the world will ever be the same.
Sent into the world we go with his peace and in his name;
Share his love with everyone, for this reason Jesus came;
Called by God to worship him, in Christ’s name we serve and
Follow – Yes Christ, Christ changes everyone, live forever
in his flame.
Christ will never never let us be the same.
Christ will never never let us be the same.
From the internet.
A review by Paul Gregory of the book by Leloup, J.Y. (2002). The Gospel of Mary Magdalene. Inner Traditions. Rochester. Vermont.
The reviewer’s additional notes are in italics.
I, the reviewer of this book, have always wondered why Mary Magdalene’s Gospel was never included in the New Testament. So I decided to read the book by Leloup (2002) to see if I could discover any possible reasons. I thought that if reasons could be found, they would be very subtle and esoteric; but they were not. There are some obvious hypotheses for which evidence accrues as you progress through the book. Read on and discover them for yourself. The wisdom in Mary Magdalene’s Gospel is breath-taking in its insight. It is one of the most illuminating books I have ever read. However, first I searched the internet for some background information.
The early Christians quickly developed four criteria for accepting a book as Scripture. First, it must have been written by an apostle or based on his eyewitness testimony. Second, the book must possess merit and authority in its use. For instance, The First Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ tells of a man who is changed into a mule by a bewitching spell but converted back to manhood when the infant Christ is put on his back for a ride (7:5-27). In the same book, the boy Jesus causes clay birds and animals to come to life (ch. 15), stretches a throne his father had made too small (ch. 16), and takes the lives of boys who oppose him (19.19-24). It was easy to dismiss such fiction.
Third, a book must come to be accepted by the entire church, not just a single congregation or area. And fourthly, a book must be approved by the decision of the larger church, not just a few advocates.
Here is how this process unfolded. In the first century, a number of books were soon produced in response to the ministry of Jesus. Less reputable books began to appear as well. However, by the mid-second century only Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were accepted universally by the church. The other "gospels" simply did not meet the four criteria for acceptance set out above.
Note that this process was completed
two centuries before Constantine. For example, in AD 115 Ignatius referred to
the four gospels of our New Testament as "the gospel"; in AD 170,
Tatian made a "harmony of the gospels" using only these four; around
AD 180, Irenaeus referred to the four gospels as firmly established in the
church. (Source: Missing Books of the Bible– where are they?
by James Denison, Ph.D. , Senior Pastor of Park Cities
Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, on the website: http://www.thetruthaboutdavinci.com/missing-books-of-the-bible.html
)
In 325 A.D., the Roman Emperor Constantine 1st called a meeting of representatives from various local congregations in an attempt to attain consensus on a number of issues of the day. The resulting Council of Nicea and the Creed of Nicea set the precedent for a number of subsequent “ecumenical councils” or “synods” of “bishops” to create “doctrinal orthodoxy”. Such represented a departure from the New Testament pattern of local congregational autonomy and was representative of the digression that would eventually result in the appointing of Boniface III as the first universal bishop (the “pope”) in 607 A.D. Early councils that addressed the canon of the New Testament included the Synod of Hippo in 393 A.D. and Councils of Carthage in 397 and 419. These councils simply recognized or acknowledged those books that had already obtained prominence from usage among the various early Christian communities. www.biblequestions.org/archives/BQAR500.htm .
Below is the translated text of The Gospel of Mary Magdalene from Leloup (2002).
THE GOSPEL OF MARY MAGDALENE
[Pages 1-6 are missing.]
[Page 7]
1 [ . . . ] "What is matter?
2 Will it last forever?"
3 The Teacher answered.
4 “All that is born, all that is created,
5 all the elements of nature
6 are interwoven and united with each other.
7 All that is composed shall be decompose;
8 everything returns to its roots;
9 matter returns to the origins of matter.
10 Those who have ears, let them hear."
11 Peter said to him: "Since you have become the interpreter
12 of the elements and the events of the world, tell us:
13 What is the sin of the world?"
14 The Teacher answered:
15 "There is no sin.
16 It is you who make sin exist,
17 when you act according to the habits
18 of your corrupted nature;
19 this is where sin lies.
20 This is why the Good has come into your midst.
21 It acts together with the elements of your nature
22 so as to reunite it with its roots."
23 Then he continue:
24 "This is why you become sick,
25 and why you die:
26 it is the result of your actions;
27 what you do takes you further away.
28 Those who have ears, let them hear.
[Page 8]
1 "Attachment to matter
2 gives rise to passion against nature.
3 Thus trouble arises in the whole body;
4 this is why I tell you:
5 'Be in harmony .’
6 If you are out of balance,
7 take inspiration from manifestations
8 of your true nature.
9 Those who have ears,
10 let them hear."
11 After saying this, the Blessed One
12 greeted them all, saying:
13 "Peace be with you—may my Peace
14 arise and be fulfilled within you!
15 Be vigilant, and allow no one to mislead you
16 by saying:
17 ‘Here it is!' or
18 'There it is!'
19 For it is within you
20 that the Son of Man dwells.
21 Go to him,
22 for those who seek him, find him.
23 Walk forth,
24 and announce the gospel of the Kingdom."
[Page 9]
1 "Impose no law
2 other than that which I have witnessed
3 Do not add more laws to those given in the Torah,
4 lest you become bound by them."
5 Having said all this, he departed.
6 The disciples were in sorrow,
7 shedding many tears, and saying:
8 "How are we to go among the unbelievers
9 and announce the gospel of the Kingdom of the Son of Man?
10 They did not spare his life,
11 so why should they spare ours?"
12 Then Mary arose,
13 embraced them all, and began to speak to her brothers:
14 "Do not remain in sorrow and doubt,
15 for his Grace will guide you and comfort you.
16 Instead, let us praise his greatness,
17 for he has prepared us for this.
18 He is calling upon us to become fully human [Anthropos ]." (Anthropos is the original Greek word used. Leloup's inclusion of this word here is to indicate that our impoverished modern word human [humains, in French] cannot be an adequate translation).
19 Thus Mary turned their hearts toward the Good,
20 and they began to discuss the meaning of the Teacher's words.
[Page 10]
1 Peter said to Mary:
2 "Sister, we know that the Teacher loved you
3 differently from other women.
4 Tell us whatever you remember
5 of any words he told you
6 which we have not yet heard."
7 Mary said to them:
8 "I will now speak to you
9 of that which has not been given to you to hear.
10 I had a vision of the Teacher,
11 and I said to him:
12 'Lord I see you now
13 in this vision.'
14 And he answered:
15 'You are blessed, for the sight of me does not disturb you.
16 There where is the nous, lies the treasure.'
17 Then I said to him:
18 'Lord, when someone meets you
19 in a Moment of vision,
20 is it through the soul [psyche] that they see,
21 or is it through the Spirit [Pneuma] ?
22 The Teacher answered:
23 'It is neither through the soul nor the spirit,
24 but the nous between the two
25 which sees the vision, and it is this which [ ….]”
[Pages 11-14 are missing]
[Page 15]
1 “And Craving said.
2 ‘I did not see you descend,
3 but now I see you rising.
4 Why do you lie, since you belong to me?'
5 The soul answered:
6 'I saw you,
7 though you did not see me,
8 nor recognize me.
9 I was with you as with a garment,
10 and you never felt me.'
11 Having said this,
12 the soul left, rejoicing greatly.
13 Then it entered into the third climate,
14 known as Ignorance.
15 Ignorance inquired of the soul:
16 'Where are you going?
17 You are dominated by wicked inclinations.
18 Indeed, you lack discrimination, and you are enslaved'
19 The soul answered:
20 'Why do you judge me, since I have made no judgment?
21 I have been dominated, but I myself have not dominated.
22 I have not been recognized,
23 but I myself have recognized
24 that all things which are composed shall be decomposed,
25 on earth and in heaven.'"
[Page 16]
1 "Freed from this third climate, the soul continued its ascent,
2 and found itself in the fourth climate.
3 This has seven manifestations:
4 the first manifestation is Darkness;
5 the second, Craving;
6 the third, Ignorance;
7 the fourth, Lethal Jealousy;
8 the fifth, Enslavement to the Body;
9 the sixth, Intoxicated Wisdom;
10 the seventh, Guileful Wisdom.
11 These are the seven manifestations of Wrath,
12 and they oppressed the soul with questions:
13 'Where do you come from, murderer?'
14 and 'Where are you going, vagabond?'
15 The soul answered:
16 'That which oppressed me has been slain;
17 that which encircled me has vanished;
18 my craving has faded,
19 and I am freed from my ignorance.'"-
[Page 17]
1 " I left the world with the aid of another world;
2 a design was erased,
3 by virtue of a higher design.
4 Henceforth I travel toward Repose,
5 where time rests in the Eternity of Time;
6 I go now into Silence.'"
7 Having said all this, Mary became silent,
8 for it was in silence that the Teacher spoke to her.
9 Then Andrew began to speak, and said to his brothers:
10 "Tell me, what do you think of these things she has been telling us?
11 As for me, I do not believe
12 that the Teacher would speak like this.
13 These ideas are too different from those we have known."
14 And Peter added.
15 "How is it possible that the Teacher talked
16 in this manner with a woman
17 about secrets of which we ourselves are ignorant?
18 Must we change our customs,
19 and listen to this woman?
20 Did he really choose her, and prefer her to us?"
[Page 18]
1 Then Mary wept,
2 and answered him:
3 "My brother Peter, what can you be thinking?
4 Do you believe that this is just my own imagination,
5 that I invented this vision?
6 Or do you believe that I would lie about our Teacher?"
7 At this, Levi spoke up:
8 "Peter, you have always been hot-tempered,
9 and now we see you repudiating a woman,
10 just as our adversaries do.
11 Yet if the Teacher held her worthy,
12 who are you to reject her?
13 Surely the Teacher knew her very well,
14 for he loved her more than us.
15 Therefore let us atone,
16 and become fully human [Anthropos],
17 so that the Teacher can take root in us.
18 Let us grow as he demanded of us,
19 and walk forth to spread the gospel,
20 without trying to lay down any rules and laws
21 other than those he witnessed."
[Page 19]
1 When Levi had said these words,
2 they all went forth to spread the gospel.
3 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARY
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FOREWORD (by Jacob Needleman, Dept. of Philosophy, San Francisco State University, USA.)
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene was discovered in Cairo in 1896. In 1946 at Nag Hammadi, in Egypt the Gnostic Gospels were found – the most famous of which being The Gospel of Thomas.
PREFACE. David Tresemer, Ph.D., and Laura-Lea Cannon.
Gnostic gospels are those rejected by the Roman Catholic Church. Knowledge of Mary Magdalene comes from the New Testament and the Gnostic Gospels. There is a profound spiritual truth embodied by Mary Magdalene and her unique relationship with Jesus that has been edited out for the last two thousand years.
Pope Gregory in 591 CE (CE meaning Common Era is the same as AD Anno Domini) said that Mary Magdalene was the prostitute in Luke Chapter 7. The original Mary Magdalene scroll found in 1896 was in the Coptic language which had been translated from Greek. The Coptic version of Luke Chapter 7 uses the word ‘sinner’ (taken to mean ‘prostitute’) – and was translated from the Greek word ‘harmartolos’ which means ‘breaking Jewish law; not paying taxes’ but not prostitute. The Roman Catholic Church repeated Pope Gregory’s label admitting it to be an error.
INTRODUCTION.
The Nag Hammadi Gospels were discovered at the place of that name in Upper Egypt in 1945 and were written by disciples of Jesus; namely Philip, Peter, Bartholomew and Thomas. Apostle John says that Mary Magdalene is the founder of Christianity.
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene is written in Sahidic Coptic. The 1896 version is a copy of a fragment in Greek from Oxyrhynchus . (The Oxyrhynchus Papyri are a very numerous group of manuscripts discovered by archaeologists including Bernard Pyne Grenfell and Arthur Surridge Hunt at an ancient rubbish dump near Oxyrhynchus in Egypt. See more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxyrhynchus_Papyri )
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene is a four fold image of man in the universe only now being fully understood. Mary Magdalene replaced Jesus and explained his words to the rest of the disciples. She had special revelations.
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What follows are notes, I the reviewer, made whilst reading this book.
Leloup, the author and translator says that Mary Magdalene was a sister to Martha and Lazarus. The Gospel of Philip says that Jesus loved Mary Magdalene and often kissed her on the lips. In Jewish tradition an unmarried man is incomplete, disobedient to God, not allowed to teach in the synagogue or become a priest.
Jesus loved and welcomed women, sinners and the weak. All of these were rejected by the Essenes, Pharisees, Saducees and Jewish zealots of the time. So Jesus’s attitude to women was very unusual for the time. The Gospels of Mary, Philip and John show Jesus is capable of intimacy with a woman and therefore all humanity is redeemed including sexuality. The miracle of the wedding at Cana can be viewed as the transformation of mutual ignorance by the Word into a loving friendship that is sweeter and better tasting than the passion of infatuation.
Women at the time were not allowed to read the Torah, the Jewish holy book; so a woman like Mary Magdalene speaking to the disciples after the resurrection would have really irritated them.
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene is witness to a mode of understanding often overlooked by the masculine mind; that is a prophetic or visionary knowledge involving the feminine principle known sometimes as the angelic or Eastern dimension of human knowledge.
Between immaterial spirits and material bodies is the ‘imaginal’ or creative imagination through which one comes to the Divine; through which one can behold the resurrection.
Mary Magdalene takes her sensory perception of Jesus and through her ‘creative imagination’ imbues all this with a powerful presence which she can never lose. She creates the divine Beloved. (In the book ‘The Other World’ the author (Pauchard 1987) purports to send back messages from heaven after he has died, to his Christian spiritualist group and describes how people in heaven have to create their own environment in which to live, by using their imagination).
Mary Magdalene says that humans are responsible for the world as it is, because they have created it. We have to ‘imagine’ the world we want in order to create it.
THE TRANSLATION
The first six pages of The Gospel of Mary Magdalene manuscript were missing so the translation starts with p7. Summarizing some of the points, it describes Jesus talking to Mary:
Jesus told Mary Magdalene that the treasure lies in the ‘nous’, the angel of the soul; the imaginal; the creative imagination. Mary Magdalene told the disciples that the soul on death ascends through many ‘climates’ approaching wisdom – but subject to many questions. Peter is reported as not willing to listen to a woman. Levi, another disciple rebukes Peter for this.
LELOUP’S COMMENTARY.
P7 line 7 etc. Concerning these lines of The Gospel of Mary Magdalene saying ‘all that is composed will decompose …’., Leloup says ‘Here Jesus has something fundamental to say about the nature of the world. Humans need saving from their ignorance and their forgetfulness of God. Salvation is the knowledge of the truth that will free us. One truth is the impermanence of all things including the universe. These ideas are very resonant of contemporary thinking. The point Jesus is reported to be making is to expect change – don’t be overly attached to anything. (In a recent TV programme Professor Brian Cox said of the universe, that over the next trillion years all of the stars would burn out leaving a universe empty except for the radiation left by disintegrating atoms. When the Steady State Theory of the universe was propounded during the 1960s, astronomers would not have understood p7 line7 etc. but they would now).
In Mary Magdalene’s gospel Jesus says ‘matter returns to the origins of matter’. i.e. to God. He continues saying that people should be open and listening with a wakeful creative imagination – ready to understand.
In p7 line 13 Peter asks Jesus ‘What is the sin of the world?’ Jesus answers saying ‘there is no sin. It is you who make sin exist’. Therefore neither the body nor sexuality is sinful. It is a sickly imagination that creates sin. Sin comes from acting according to the habits of our corrupted nature. Also with no law there is no sin. Obviously some basic laws are required but once internalized by adults it is no longer a barrier to the inspirations of the Spirit.
Paul’s Epistle to the Romans and The Gospel of Mary Magdalene both have similar themes concerning living to God’s law in freedom from cultural laws and traditions.
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene says Jesus came to help us become free of ignorance and corruption. He tells us to be open; to let God enter. Humans feel a lack of Being. Filling this lack can cause sin. Mary Magdalene says that Jesus is the incarnation of Good (i.e. the triad of goodness, truth and beauty). Good is the gateway to Being. Being can only manifest itself in a heart, body and mind that are free of all presumption; open; and it re-unites the elements of your nature with its roots; the Source; God.
Further on p7 of the manuscript, Mary Magdalene’s Gospel reports Jesus saying that sickness, suffering and death are consequences of our acts. There is no evil in the world or in humanity. Evil or sin is in ourselves. Don’t blame others. (This relates to the psychology of locus of control. It suggests that if we believe that we have control over much of what happens to us, this is internal locus of control. However, if we believe much of what happens to us is beyond our control, this is an external locus of control. It is healthier to have mostly internal locus of control with some external).
To avoid it (the sickness, suffering and death) we must transform ourselves; a personal responsibility (internal locus of control). (In The Gospel of Mary Magdalene are the seeds of modern astrophysics and psychology (in particular positive psychology, locus of control and CBT – cognitive behavioural therapy. The disappearance of this gospel may have delayed the development of human knowledge by nearly 2000 years).
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene reports Jesus as saying that man and woman complement each other and are one. So in sickness don’t blame anyone, not even yourself, but observe, be attentive; see what can be done to transform yourself. Look at what we do, in work, relationships and lifestyle that moves us away from Being. Regarding death The Gospel of Mary Magdalene says that which we call ‘death’ is the expression of a disordered intellect that identifies ‘self’ as a mortal body only and not spiritual.
Ask yourself – do your thoughts and behaviour take you closer to Being or further away. Use your intelligence and imagination to find a path to Being; to God.
P8 line 1 says:‘Attachment to matter gives rise to passion against nature….’etc. Matter means people, wife, husband, country, ideologies, beliefs etc. Look on all these people, women, beautiful objects etc. with love but not attachment or desire to own, is to see them more clearly. Their gift then appears. Everything is given to us. We are created to be ‘with’ all not to ‘own’ all. We do not even possess our own bodies, thoughts or our own lives. Ownership is an illusion. Jesus said ‘Be in harmony with everyone and everything; not in a relationship of power and dependence; be in a loving relationship with what is. Be harmonized with yourself first’. (This could have been written yesterday). If you are out of balance; no inner peace; acknowledge this instead of indulging it.
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene indicates that Jesus says ‘Peace be with you’. It is the peace that comes of the ever presence of Being. It is a seed that we allow to grow into a Presence, a blessing which results in deep happiness and peace of mind. When lost, this peace can only be found within yourself – don’t search anywhere else; i.e in reason, explanations, food, alcohol, drugs etc. I.e. the Son of Man dwells within you . Beware of false panaceas that others offer. Virgin apparitions say ‘Experience Being not doing; renew the art of giving and receiving instead of producing and exploiting. Our purpose on Earth is to meet each other to learn to love one another.’
P8 line 23 ‘ Walk forth and announce the gospel of the Kingdom’. Leloup points out that the Beatitudes might be better translated as ‘walk forth’ instead of ‘blessed are….’
‘Walk forth’ is saying be active in pushing ahead through tribulations.
P9 line 1 and line 2 ‘Impose no law other than that which I have witnessed’ means that Christ’s teachings are the law and a way of living.
P9 line 5 to 11 ‘Having said all this, he departed…..’ shows that the disciples do not have inner peace yet. They fear the persecution that Jesus suffered. Hence Jesus saying ‘blessed are those who are persecuted for justice’s sake’.
P9 lines 11 to 15. Mary Magdalene encourages the male disciples to do as Jesus taught them and prepared them for. He would be with them all; and to be anthropos (namely to be fully human, with all the masculine and feminine qualities). She is stronger than them. Jews at this time were not allowed to visit or associate with Gentiles. The disciples in The Gospel of Mary Magdalene are shown not to be ready to go out amongst the Gentiles to spread the gospel yet. Mary Magdalene is their backbone.
Through-out The Gospel of Mary Magdalene it is acknowledged that a disoriented spirit causes illness in body and mind. (This is only being recognised in this decade in psychology and psychiatry).
P9 lines 16 to17. ‘Instead let us praise his greatness’. Here Mary Magdalene tells the disciples with their fear and dissension to restore what really matters by praising and worshipping God’s greatness. (This is necessary each week, after a time of working and living, in order to reconnect to the essentials for life). i.e. leave the egocentric and return to the theocentric. The ancients said the worst sin is ingratitude, which is forgetting the greatness, beauty, truth and goodness of God who is constantly creating us.
P9 line 18 ‘He is calling us to become fully human’ (namely anthropos which means having both male and female qualities which we all have, but they need to be developed – like an acorn has all the characteristics to be an oak tree but not yet).
In the Gospel of Thomas (a Gnostic Gospel; meaning that it is not in the bible) Simon Peter says to Jesus ‘let Mary leave us, for women are not fit for the Life’. Jesus answers saying, ‘See I have been guiding her so as to make her into a human (anthropos; a Greek word). She too will become a living breath, like you. Any woman who becomes a human (anthropos) will enter the Kingdom of God’.
(No wonder The Gospel of Mary Magdalene and that of Thomas have been omitted from the bible. It would appear that their absence makes it easier to have an all-male clergy and hierarchy. These gospels are relevant to today’s debate about women becoming bishops in the Church of England and priests in the Roman Catholic Church).
P10 lines 1to 6. Peter said to Mary ‘Sister, we know that the Teacher (Jesus) loved you differently from other women. Tell us whatever you remember of the words he told you’. Some scholars say that there are three different women in the gospels, Mary the sinner, Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene. Some think that they are one woman at three different stages of evolution. Mary Magdalene has a brother Lazarus.
There are 7 images or feminine archetypes of Mary Magdalene in the canonical gospels (those in the bible) i.e. possibly the 7 deadly sins of gluttony, fornication, covetousness, sadness, anger, vainglory and pride. These relate to the 7 demons expelled from Mary Magdalene by Jesus. These demons were never actually named, but negative and destructive thoughts were cited as possibilities by one writer, Evagrius Ponticus. Such thoughts would destroy the orientation of the nous and its relationship with the Pneuma. In other words, they act to obstruct peace, contemplation and the Presence of the Son seeking to establish itself in the person. Following this, Mary Magdalene develops contemplation and compassion leading towards the visionary gift for seeing the death of Jesus. Much more about Mary Magdalene is in the Gospels of Thomas and Philip. The Gospel of Philip says that Mary Magdalene and Jesus were very close emotionally.
After Christ dies, Peter treats Mary Magdalene with deference realising that she has been given teachings that the men were not ready to hear; that she had gone further down the path to becoming fully human (anthropos) than they had.
P10 line7-16.
7 Mary said to them
8, I will now speak to you
9 of that which has not been given to you to hear
10, I had a vision of the Teacher
11 and I said to him
12 ‘Lord I see you now
13 in this vision’.
14 and he answered
15 ‘You are blessed, for the sight of me does not disturb you.
16 There where is the nous, lies the treasure.
Mary Magdalene tells the disciples about what they haven’t hear by describing a vision. Early Christians felt that seeing was more enlightened than hearing. It is God who makes us see. Vision of the divine light is the same as science. Science opens the eye of the soul.
P 10 line 16 is quoted by other Christian writers indicating that The Gospel of Mary Magdalene was circulating widely in the first centuries of Christianity.
The ‘nous’ is not mentioned by Luke or the Gospel of Matthew, which substitute ‘heart’ for ‘nous’ and change the tense from present to future. E.g. ‘For where the treasure is, there your heart will be also.’ In The Gospel of Mary Magdalene the ultimate state is to be in union with God when the nous contains the treasure i.e. the Presence of the Son of Man; i.e. we become what we love; my desire for Being is Being itself; as Meister Eckhart said, ‘the eye with which I see God is that with which he sees me’; and this is described more eruditely than in The Gospels of Luke or Matthew.
P 10 line 17 -25. Here Jesus says we see him not through the soul (psyche) or the Spirit (Pneuma) – but the nous between the two. Jesus is within us.
The canonical gospels in the bible are intellectually inferior to The Gospel of Mary Magdalene on the question of how we see the resurrection of Christ. The nature of reality itself is involved. Mary Magdalene is asking about when she saw Christ resurrected; how was she seeing him. Other disciples are taken aback by the audacity of the question.
(We are not separate from God. The nous is shared ground with God. The Divine Matrix recently published by Gregg Braden, a NASA scientist, describes God occupying the space in all atoms between the nucleus and the electrons).
Humans are composed of body (soma), soul (psyche which is involved with feelings and emotions), the spirit (which involves intellect and imagination – the nous) and Spirit (the Holy Spirit or Pneuma) which is not part of the human complex but the Reality that gives life to the other components.
Fourfold Humanity.
Holy Spirit (Pneuma)
Cognition spirit (nous)
Affect soul (psyche)
Body body (soma). All of this underpins The Gospel of Mary Magdalene.
She showed that we can see visions by the grace of the nous. Nous is creative imagination.
P 15 lines 1-15. ‘And craving said…’
P 16 lines 8-16. This section describes the soul’s journey to the light. On the way it passes through four ‘Climates’ in which the soul is questioned about what it has done in life. The soul gives many excuses for its behaviour especially ‘ignorance’ all of which are rejected, resulting in the wrath and rebellion of the soul and blaming God. This can lead to discerning the light and the soul’s nous (spirit) can re-join the Holy Spirit.
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene and The Gospel of John say there is worldly loveless wisdom that cuts off from the Breath of Life. On the other hand the wisdom of love (Sophia) is limitless and unconditional. It neither enslaves nor possesses what it loves. This happened to Mary Magdalene. Her spirit (nous) has been awakened to the Spirit of God in the way she loves Jesus. She describes the journey of her soul through life.
P 17 lines 1-8. The world of the soul is freed by its opening to the nous-pneuma revealing another world. This is Mary Magdalene’s soul voyage.
P17 line 4 ‘Hence forth I travel toward Repose’. This means the anthropos created in the image of God knows true repose and how to savour, individual being as Being, free of all need to prove ourselves or justify our existence through any sort of accomplishment.
P 17 line 5 ‘where time rests in the Eternity of time’. Eternity here means the absence of time. There is no passage of time and Mary Magdalene experiences it in silence. We cannot know God, only the Son of God and the Holy Spirit, but we can come close to it through silence and repose.
P 17 line 8 ‘For it was in silence that the Teacher spoke to her’. i.e. in wordless communion.
P 17 lines 9-20. Andrew says he doesn’t believe Mary Magdalene when she tells the disciples of the resurrection. Peter is incredulous that Jesus has talked to a woman about such secrets and not the men. He realises it is not their custom to expect to learn anything from women. They are simple Galilean fishermen, uneducated and had to be taught by Jesus through parables. Not so for Mary Magdalene and one or two other disciples. Mary Magdalene discussed the Kingdom of Heaven and the role of Pneuma evolving in the anthropos. With respect to the passage Matthew 13:10-17 concerning ‘those who have will be given more, those who have not, even that which they have will be taken away’ means some people are intellectually open and will be given more whilst those who have closed minds will lose what they have.
Access to the Kingdom of God requires:
a) the awakening of the nous and
b) spiritual senses to access the world between the physical and the divine world.
This theme is in the Gospel of Mary Magdalene and those of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The Kingdom refers to the imaginal world. A special sensitivity, love and intelligence must be developed to perceive this world. Without it there is spiritual blindness and deafness. Jesus said that such people’s nous is hard with a closed heart. Some of the disciples may have closed nous.
Immediately after the resurrection, the disciples were in grief, afraid, doubting and not keen to accept the Good News from a woman of all people.
(All of the Gospel of Mary Magdalene reveals that God does not micromanage his revelations to mankind. Much has gone wrong for two millennia with regard to men’s respect for women and judging from the first appearance of Christ after the resurrection to Mary Magdalene, cannot have been intended by God in the beginning).
Many early Christian texts refer to Peter’s mistrust of women – including his own daughter who was very beautiful named Petronilla. Peter, like other pious men of the time thanked God in his daily prayers for not having been born ‘an invalid, poor or a woman’. Peter questions whether men must grant women a place of equal respect and authority in the community. Peter was always puzzled by Jesus’s behaviour regarding The Samaritan Woman, The adulteress and Mary Magdalene herself. Levi, the disciple, defends Mary Magdalene against Peter.
To be truly spiritual, informed and guided by the Pneuma we must see ourselves as having a soul (mind), body and anthropos to access the nous. The imaginal is the opening of physical space-time into a different and vaster dimension of time and space. It is lack of humility that blocks many from the Kingdom.
P 18 lines 15-21. Anthropos is the goal of our existence. Henri Bergson said that the universe is a ‘machine for making gods (out of people). If we allow Jesus to arise in the heart of us, growing and taking root in us, we will be guided by his Spirit towards our wholeness and fulfilment. We need to love God and our neighbour and allow the Anthropos to grow in us. This is the Good News to be spread. For those who have eyes to see, as well as ears to hear. The world is still being illuminated by the brilliance of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.
P 19 lines 1-3. The discovery of the Gospel of Mary Magdalene after two thousand years might be significant. Some say it is the missing piece fulfilling the Torah and Qur’an; completing the Good News in relation to the third millennium.
At one point Leloup questions why The Gospel of Mary Magdalene has not been more widely celebrated and discussed in the mainstream Christian churches since its first translation. Why has it not been included in Christian worship?
References.
Leloup, J.Y. (2002). The Gospel of Mary Magdalene. Inner Traditions. Rochester. Vermont.
Pauchard, A. (1987). The Other World. Experiences and Messages received telepathically from Albert Pauchard. Pilgrim Books. Tasburgh, Norwich, England.
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