Márcia Ferraz de Carvalho Caravieri (photo), a retired lawyer and public sector worker, is a member of the Spiritist Movement in the city of Angra dos Reis, in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. She is a volunteer worker at the Meimei Spiritist Group, where she coordinates the study groups. 

How did you become a Spiritist?

When I was 18 years old, I began looking for something else in my life. The explanations provided by my religion then -- I was a non-practicing Roman Catholic -- failed to answer the many questions I had. I decided to get to know other religions and attended several meetings and services, but none of them touched my heart. That was until a friend of mine invited me to attend a talk at a Spiritist Centre he went to regularly. I was warmly welcomed there. The principles and ideas I heard there seemed familiar and comforting to me. On that very day, I was invited to join one of their study groups and I’ve never looked back. 

Can you say Spiritism has helped you understand your own life?

Absolutely. Spiritism has unveiled a whole new vision and understanding of life, both from a material and a spiritual perspective. It has provided me with answers that I had been eagerly seeking in other religions. And its answers are founded on scientific, philosophical and religious bases. The principles of Spiritism have made me understand my need to grow and progress as an immortal Spirit. 

Which aspects of the Spiritist Teachings have had a special impact on you?

The fairness embedded in the principle of reincarnation. Coming from the principle that we have all been created as simple and ignorant beings who are destined to reach perfection, God gives us all the tools to achieve that through successive reincarnations. The system is so fair that it allows us to achieve in new existences what we have failed to do in a first test. That could only come from a sovereignly fair and good being. 

What is the most challenging of all the principles put forward by Spiritism, which rekindles the Gospel of Jesus? 

For me, the most challenging of all the teachings of the Gospel is the one when Jesus said: “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the Earth.” To be meek and gentle is still a big challenge to me, as I still struggle with that “old woman” that I carry inside me from previous eras and who insists on being anxious and impatient with other people, as well as intolerant with the imperfections of others.  

What is your assessment of the current times in the light of Spiritism?

The current times are urging us to live according to the Gospel of Jesus as further explained by Spiritism. This is a great opportunity for us to put into practice all that we have been studying for years. This is the time to live according to the teachings of Our Master Jesus, through our actions towards our neighbours. 

Is there a particular event or development from all your years in the Spiritist Movement that you would like to share with us?

I would like to mention a visit I made to Mansão do Caminho, in the city of Salvador. The magnitude of the great charity work carried out by the medium, Divaldo Franco, really touches our hearts. How many are involved there, how many volunteers work at that institution, how many people benefit from it… I also had the opportunity of watching a talk by Divaldo at the Caminho da Redenção Spiritist Centre. His exquisite lecture impressed me, but not as much as his attitude before the meeting. He arrived 45 minutes before the talk was due to start and he attended a long queue of people who had previously signed up for counselling. He did all that standing up, and at the time he was already 90 years old. After that, Divaldo went around the room and shook the hands of everyone who was there sitting on the benches. That really impressed me. How much dedication, how much love did he give us.