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Interview Portuguese Spanish    
Year 5 - N° 208 - May 8,  2011
ANTONIO AUGUSTO NASCIMENTO
acnascimento@terra.com.br
Santo Ângelo, RS (Brasil)
Translation
Leonardo Rocha - l.rocha1989@gmail.com

 
Mábel Meichtry Farina:

“All ages are beautiful when the soul is beautiful”
 

Mábel Meichtry Farina (photo) is the president of the Spiritist Society Adolfo Bezerra de Menezes, in the southern Brazilian  city of Itaqui (Rio Grande do Sul).

She carries out, alongside her husband, Elton, many tasks aimed at understanding and disseminating the message of the Doctrine. She takes part in two weekly programmes on local radio stations and edits the publication, “O Consolador”. 

How did you become a Spiritist?

It was 26 years ago, soon after the birth of my daughter. I had post-natal

depression (but I know now that in fact what I had was spirit attachment, or obsession). My mother took me to a Spiritist Centre she knew. I was very welcome there and began gradually to improve. I then volunteered to work with them. I am now the president of that Spiritst Centre: I give healing, I give public lectures, I take part in a number of aid projects and I take part in the studies of the principles of the Doctrine. 

How strong is the Spiritist Movement in Itaqui?

We work very closely with the community. We do voluntary work in a foundation that looks after children and teenagers taken away from their parents by the social services. We are often invited to take part in events in schools and nurseries, in many multi-faith gatherings and initiatives. 

How many Spiritist Centres are there in the city? Do they work closely together?

There are six Spiritist groups in the city affiliated to the Spiritist Federation, as well as a new one, recently founded. There is a very good relationship and all groups abide by the general principles of the Federation. 

Tell us more about the Meeting of the Families, which has become a regional tradition.

It is an annual event – it used to be held every two years – that takes place on each first Sunday of May. We normally have a panel with two or three speakers from other parts of our state, Rio Grande do Sul. We then carry on the debate in workshops and finally the different groups present their conclusions. 

Another interesting initiative you have is ACAMPE, a gathering of young people during the carnival holidays. Tell us more about it…

The idea came up a few years ago, as an initiative to give young people an alternative to the materialistic appeals of the world during carnival in Brazil. It is a period for being together, sharing experiences and meditating in a natural environment. We have in general about 100 people taking part, and it has now become an event for all ages. 

What have you learned from both meetings – ACAMPE and the Meeting of the Families?

The main lesson from ACAMPE is that of coexistence, of spending time together. We stay together for four days and get the opportunity to know each other a bit better. In the Meeting of the Families, we realise that there are no fit-for-all recipes: what works for one family might not work for another one. We are all individuals and our families are a gathering of individuals. 

How important are charity work, assisting those in need, in Spiritist Centres? Is that an essential part of your work?

I believe we went from one extreme to the other. We used to focus solely on aid and relief work, on providing food and shelter, paying little attention to educational programmes. What I see now is that many Spiritist Centres overlook their social services duties. We must carry on helping those in need, and we must also be aware to our own material needs in Spiritist Groups. We all hail the wonderful work carried out by the late medium, Chico Xavier, but very few of us are willing to follow his example and do something similar.

Ageing is something we can’t avoid. How do you see the process of getting older?

I have given that matter a great deal of thought. We need to be aware that when we get old we will need to be looked after, as we will suffer from unavoidable restrictions to our mobility and other bodily functions. I have been trying to prepare for that. We will all need to forget our pride and accept that we will need to be cared for. But we shouldn’t be a heavy burden to our children and other family members. We must accept what they can offer without demanding, we must practice patience and kindness. When the body finally loses its physical power, we must switch to other activities, such as reading and handcrafts. But we must not get stuck in the past, we must always try to keep in touch with the changes going on in the world. All ages are beautiful when the soul is beautiful. 

How do you prepare for death?

I try to detach as much as I can from my material objects and possessions, from all the affections I know I will have to part from for a while. The best advice is not to interfere in the lives of family members, by leaving them free to make their own decisions and to live in their own space, without refraining, though, from assisting and advising when necessary. 

Your final thoughts, please…

Brothers and sisters who share the same ideal, we are going through a key period in the history of our planet, a true watershed. Let us try to understand the reason why we have incarnated on the planet in this particular period and let us work to help the Spiritist Doctrine, not to damage it. We are not here because we achieved a great deal and deserve this blessing. We are here thanks to the mercifulness of Our Father. Our biggest brother, Jesus, needs our help to build a better world. Peace be with you.


 

 


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O Consolador
 
Weekly Magazine of Spiritism