Spiritist Society Towards the Light

Trials and Expiations and Guardian Angels

September 1, 2017

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Trials and Expiations (Atonement)

(Gospel According to Spiritism V)

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Allan Kardec define Expiation as experiences lived by the spirit, such as misfortunes, pains and suffering as consequences of the mistakes or wrong doings in the past.

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Trials are all the experiences lived by the spirit until it reaches the level of a pure or perfect spirit.

 

When we are seeing someone that early in life have health problems, illness in their childhood and adolescence, we cannot quickly assume that this person is having a life of expiation.

 

In the Gospel on chapter V item 9, Allan Kardec clarifies that: One must not think, however, that all suffering in this world denotes the existence of a determined wrong done in the past. Many times, it is simply a trial chosen by the Spirit, to help in the process of purification and to accelerate its advancement.

Therefore, expiation (atonement) always serves as a trial, a test, but a trial is not always an expiation.

In this passage of the Gospel it is very clear that all experiences of pain and suffering that drives the spirit to learn, evolve and progress is a trial, an opportunity to learn, but it is not necessarily an expiation.

 

For example: When we know of someone who’s facing a situation of struggling, pain or suffering, we cannot assume that this person is expiating the wrong done in a past life. This situation could be a trial that was chosen to help perfect their inner self, to acquire a virtue, to advance in the path of progress, or even to give us the example of how to live a situation of pain and suffering with inner equilibrium and harmony.

 

How are these expiation or trials chosen?

These expiations or trials are chosen while the spirit is in Erraticity, which is state in which the spirit find itself between one incarnation and another.

 

While in this state of Erraticity, the spirit is given the opportunity to learn about the past life or even lives, and to choose the expiation or trials that will better help in the process to evolve morally and spiritually, towards purification.

 

How is the expiation and trials a benefit to us?

Expiation has an educational purpose. Since we are all created imperfect and ignorant, we need to go thru experiences for us to learn and discover who we are, what we are capable of. Sometimes we are sure that we have learned a lesson, until we are put to the test and realize that we still must work on it.

 

“A philosopher of antiquity once said, ‘Know thyself.’”

We fully admit the wisdom of this saying, but self-knowledge is precisely what is most difficult to achieve.

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Once Incarnated we have the veil of forgetfulness, which is the blocking of memories of past lives and it also constitute a barrier of the utilization of experiences acquired in past lives.

Therefore, we can exercise our free will, making choices that will determine our future, a future a peace and harmony or turbulences.

 

To have success in this incarnation we should overcome our bad tendencies, and live our life based on the teachings of Jesus, accepting the difficulties and suffering of life with resignation, acceptance that it is not a punishment but an opportunity to grow and evolve. For that we should be grateful. A life of gratitude will eliminate many lives of expiation.

 

Of course, we will not reach perfection in one incarnation, but if we are able to improve one aspect of ourselves we will have success.

 

We are given by God the opportunity to evolve and learn thru love, but we have the free will to choose how we will learn, and how we will express that love and put it into practice.

 

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Guardian Angels

 

Spirit’s book

490. What should we understand by the expression guardian angel?  “A high order protective spirit.” 

 

So never think you are alone, because your guardian angel or spiritual guide is available to help you 24 hours a day. He will accompany thru your whole life here on earth, and he might continue with you in the spiritual word, and maybe even in other incarnation, since the whole life we have on earth is a short period for them.

 

491. What is the mission of a protective spirit?  “Similar to that of parents to their children – to lead their wards down the right path, give them advice, console them when they are sick or suffering, and support their courage in the trials of human life.” 

 

Similar to that of parents to their children: This is a very important metaphor used by the spirits.

Our guardian angel or Spirit guide has the role of accompanying us throughout our educational process by playing the role similar to that of a father, who educates, protects, enlightens.

 

The mission of a protective spirit is to lead their wards down the path of good.

The one of guiding his protege in the path of good. See this so important mission of the protective spirit: to guide us on the path of goodness. This is very important because his mission is not to guide us in the path we choose, but in the path of goodness. And of course, we have the free will to choose the path of good, and their mission is to inspire us in our choices, to lead us always on the path of good.

 

The mission of a protective spirit is to give them advice.

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24 hours a day our guardian angel or protective spirit is available to help us, through prayer, and sintony, so that we can contact them to hear their advice, their orientations. This was the mission entrusted to them by God.

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The mission of a protective spirit is to console them when they are sick or suffering, and support their courage in the trials of human life.

The consolation that sets us before the difficulties of the way, stimulating our courage, our resignation, our faith in God, so that we can advance with them in the right and sure way that would lead us to the state of happiness, to the state of pure spirit.  Allan Kardec, in the Spirit’s Book says that this attribution to the guardian angel that was confirmed to them by God, and who never cease to attend it, no matter where we are, we can always rely on the assistance of our protective spirit, fortifying us and leading us on the path of goodness. Let us pray to them for their assistance, so that our decisions are the ones to conduct us in the path of goodness.

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Life is not only about the things that happen to you.

Life is about how you choose to respond.

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Expiation: the means by which atonement is made

Atonement:

1 : the return to a state of love and harmony between God and human beings
2 : Reparation for an offense or injury