Lesson Objectives: make the adolescents aware that Spiritism has all the characteristics of the Comforter promised by Jesus. It’s the result of the collective education of higher spirits. Spiritism has come at the predicted time to fulfil Christ's promise. It was presided over by the Spirit of Truth. It calls Man to observe the law and reveals all manner of things; it brings us a better understanding of what Jesus had said in the form of parables.
Christ said: "I came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it, Spiritism says:" I haven’t come to destroy the Christian Law but to carry it out". We must live it in our day-to-day to become a better being; that is, more evolved.
Greetings and Opening Prayer
First: ask the following questions; wait for their answers.
Define the word "The Comforter." The one, who comforts, encourages and gives hope.
Who is the Comforter promised by Jesus? Spiritism.
What do they know about Spiritism? It was dictated by several spirits and codified (organized) by Allan Kardec, who asked the questions and organized the answers in five works.
What are these works? The Spirits 'Book, The Mediums' Book, The Gospel According to Spiritism, Heaven and Hell, and The Genesis According to Spiritism.
Why has Spiritism being presented as the Comforter promised by Jesus? The Christian revelation succeeded the Mosaic revelation. The revelation from the Spirits came to fulfil it. Spiritism is the Comforter promised by Christ, according to the spiritual benefactors. It fulfils all the conditions mentioned in the promise of Christ, because:
1º - seeks to remind us what Jesus taught;
2º - teaches us many things that the Gospel could not adequately explain;
3º - consoles and comforts by showing the cause and purpose of human suffering.
* Provide a set time for dialogue on these statements, stressing that:
Spiritism is the Third Revelation: The Comforter promised by Jesus.
"If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit that my Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind all what I have told you." Jesus (John, Ch. XIV. 15-17, 26) *The Gospel According to Spiritism*
Jesus refers to the Comforter whom the Father will send in his name. Jesus said that he had intended to teach new things, he couldn’t teach at that time due to lack of evolution of the human creatures.
The Comforter should also remind his teachings. Jesus proclaimed with these words the necessity of reincarnation for men to prepare in order to receive these new teachings. Thus, we and many other spirits are the same men from that time reincarnated. We are now taking advantage of the social progress, with a much more developed intelligence. This enables us to understand what Spiritism teaches us.
Spiritism brings us the knowledge of where he came from, where we are going and why we are on Earth; so attracting mankind towards the true principles of God's law and offering consolation through faith and hope. It clarifies with logic and common sense.
“Spiritism is the new science which has come to reveal to mankind, by means of irrefutable proofs, the existence and nature of the spiritual world and its relationship with the physical world." Allan Kardec - The Gospel According to Spiritism.
“Spiritism offers the key by which all can easily be explained.” Allan Kardec - The Gospel According to Spiritism.
"The fundamental principle of the spiritist theory, or Spiritism, is the relation of the material world with spirits, or the beings of the invisible world." Allan Kardec – The Spirits’ Book.
Second - exposure through dialogue:
The Three Aspects of Spiritism are: Religion - Philosophy - Science.
Click here to learn a little bit about each one.
Features of Spiritism:
• It’s the divine revelation and the work of collaboration between incarnate and disincarnate spirits.
• Impersonal: it’s not the revelation coming from one single Spirit, nor the work of one single manm.
• Complementary: it complements the first two revelations.
• Progressive: it never will have the last word.
The Spiritist principles are:
• God is the Creator;
• Spirit and Matter are the elements of creation;
• Existence of Spirits;
• Immortality of the Soul;
• Communication between the Material Plane and the Spiritual Plane;
• Reincarnation;
• Moral and intellectual evolution of the Spirits;
• Law of Cause and Effect.
Basic Works of Spiritism:
• The Spirits' Book, published in 1857;
• The Mediums' Book, published in 1861;
• The Gospel According to Spiritism, published in 1864;
• Heaven and Hell, published in 1865;
• The Genesis According to Spiritism, published in 1868.
Spiritist explains:
• Who are we?
• What were we before birth?
• What will we be after physical death?
• Why are we in this world?
• Why do some people suffer more than others?
• Why the wealth and poverty?
• Why is there health and disease?
• Where are our tendencies; good or bad?
• Why are there vices?
• Where did we come from, why are we here and where are we going?
Note: The spiritist teacher will ask the questions above, as well as comment one by one. Always encourage the participation of the adolescents, encouraging them to seek the answers according to their knowledge of past lessons.
The terms and Spiritism and Spiritist were created by Allan Kardec.
The adherents of the spiritist theory are called spiritists.
Third: to propose the group reading of the text Jesus and Allan Kardec, Suggest that each adolescent analyse what he/she read, after reading it out loud to the rest of the group. The spiritist teacher should help, if needed.
Fourth: read question nr. 627 from The Spirits’ Book. Analyse the answer together with the adolescents.
Fifth: ask some of the questions from the first step of this lesson again.
Sixth: distribute one or more of the suggested activities below. Correct it later, in conjunction with the adolescents.
Activity 1.
Answer to activity 1.
Activitye 2.
Answer to activity 2.
Activity 3.
Answer to activity 3.
Closing Prayer
Suggested Class suitable for: 3rd cycle (11 to 12 years old) and Youth.
Suggested lesson sent by Sandra Ramos Medeiros, Centro Espírita Fé, Amor e Caridade - Campo Grande/MS.
Translation: Carolina von Scharten, London, linked to BUSS - The British Union of Spiritist Societies.
