Sunsets Into Sunrises
Bishop Martin - The Progress of a Soul in the Beyond
- Chapter 55 -
ABOUT HUNGER AND THIRST IN IMMATURE SPIRITS. -MARTIN IN A TIPSY STATE AFTER HIS MEAL. - THE ADVENTUROUS MARTIN IS SOBERED DOWN BY AN ANGRY JUPITERIAN.
After these words, Bishop Martin begins to eat a big piece of bread, with great appetite! If a spirit turns away from Me for a while he is soon plagued by hunger and thirst, and when he gets something to eat again as soon as he begins to repent, he eats and drinks with great eagerness. This eagerness also reveals the inner emptiness of the spirit and that not much can be expected of him for quite a while yet - as will soon be demonstrated by our Bishop Martin.
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Having eaten the bread and enjoyed a bottle of good wine, he has become very merry and, at the same time, even more sensual. Spirits that have not been reborn out of Me and through Me can become intoxicated, in which state they often are sensually unrestrained, and then they badly misuse their freedom.
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Having emptied the bottle of wine, our bishop closes the cupboard to protect the food, as he imagines. Then he goes out into the open and says to himself:
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(Bishop Martin): "Thanks to God that this very hungry stomach has had something to do at last! Now I shall go for a walk in my little garden to get some fresh air.
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Fresh air after a meal is surely much better than that silly black coffee, and I must admit that the air in this little garden is its best feature.
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The wine was a real drop from the moon! It was only half a measure, but I feel it now! Not that I am tipsy, but I really feel it!
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I wish there was a bench in this little garden where I could sit down for a while in case my legs go wobbly - then this garden would indeed be quite enjoyable! But there is nothing of the kind, and the ground does not look too inviting either.
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I will go to the fence, against which I could lean a bit and at the same time I could see whether I have any neighbors or not. There is no trace of a landscape here, just a sandy desert with a cloudy sky creating a gloomy and unfriendly atmosühere. So I'll go to the fence and who knows what I might find there?
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Oh dear, oh dear, I must say I do feel the wine! But, let me proceed to the fence!
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Ah, here I am! What a beautiful view! One can see simply nothing! This garden with my royal palace seems to be like a ship floating on the waves of infinity, and little chance of any neighbors. So I am now alone - completely alone! This will be my curse, my condemnation.
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So this is it! I cannot go anywhere beyond this garden! Oh, d- it! So I am secretly condemned! That was at the bottom of the aphorisms on the white tablet. That is why it said, 'Dies irae, dies ilia' (The day of wrath, that day!). So I shall be here until the Day of Judgment - requiescam in pace (may I rest in peace). And then it will be eternal damnation for me! Oh, unfortunate wretch that I am!
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If I could only tell my beads on and on, and besides one holy lauretanic litany after another, which is most powerful and effective, that might still help me. But I cannot pray and I have the feeling that even if I could, I wouldn't want to. The most I can utter is: 'Lord, have mercy upon me; Christ have mercy upon me; Lord, have mercy upon me!' That is as far as I can go.
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Why am I staring into this silly nothingness? Back into the house! At least there I can go to the door of the sun from where I maybe could enjoy the beautiful sunlight. Or, wait, it might be better if I went to the door of the moon. Maybe there I can meet the moon philosopher who could possibly tell me what to do to improve my lot somewhat. So, into the house and to the moon-door!
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Here I am inside the house. It is still unchanged and really looks splendid. I'd better stay in the house all the time now for it is quite pleasant here. But now to the moon-door!
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Holla, I almost had a fall there! Oh, that wine, it is still in my head! Never mind, there is already the moon-door and it is even open! But - oh, you hopeless chap of a moon - what a great distance from here! Not much chance of talking to the philosopher. Although it is a full moon, it seems farther away from here than from the earth. Nothing to be done here either.
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I will try Jupiter. Maybe that one is not quite as withdrawn as the shy moon.
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Here is already the door to the great Jupiter, but it is also closed! I will try to open it. EPHETHA! (Open up!). Look, that was easy! Thank God, this Grand Mogul among the planets is quite close and keeps coming closer. 0, God be thanked! At last I may be able to reach some respectable human company!
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Sure enough, the planet is quite close now and somebody is already approaching me. O God, what vast areas! It even looks to me as if my house were standing in the ground of this giant planet.
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The handsome man, a giant, is standing directly in front of me, but does not seem to notice me. I shall enter into his sphere, then he might be able to see me."
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Bishop Martin enters the sphere of the Jupiterian, who now sees him and asks immediately:
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(The Jupiterian): "Who are you that you dare approach me so full of filth, deceit and lechery? All of those infamies are entirely unknown on my great globe. My world is a pure land and would get extremely angry if you stayed on its territory for any length of time. Therefore, kindly withdraw to your filthy abode, where you can gluttonize and whore to your infamous heart's delight! If you stay I shall tear you to pieces!"
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Bishop Martin darts back into the interior of his house, slams the door behind him, and says to himself: "That chap is all that has been wanting to crown my wretchedness. Farewell, Sir Jupiter, forever! Imagine - tear me to pieces! I shall never ever look out through that door again!"