The comment above is part of our interview with Marcos Domingos Ferreira Mendes (photo), who was born in the town of Argirita and lives in Juiz de Fora, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. He works there as a volunteer at the Dom Pedro II Spiritist Centre. In the interview, he speaks about his work in the Spiritist Movement, focusing mostly on the dissemination of the Teachings. 

How did you first come into contact with Spiritism?

I found Spiritism at the age of 18 and since then I have been an active member of the Spiritiats Movement. I feel in my heart the three aspects that are at the core of Spiritism: religion, science and philosophy. 

How did you get involved in activities to help disseminate the Spiritist Teachings?

I began working in that area at the age of 22, when I still lived in the city of Barra Mansa, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Two friends, Getúlio and Tania Maria, and I founded a Spiritist newspaper that was distributed in the area for several years. That publication was called O Consolador (The Consoler). That was the beginning of my involvement in the dissemination of Spiritism.  

Tell us about the Consolador internet portal. 

I have lived in Juiz de Fora for more than 25 years. With the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Spiritist Centres in the city were forced to close and to cancel their public meetings and talks. I then had the idea of creating a Spiritist online channel. It began with talks and lectures on Facebook and later, on YouTube. What amazed me was the fact that my knowledge of the internet was then very basic. And now, after such a short period of time, I have learned to edit videos, to shoot films and to create new elements that are essential for the dissemination of the material. And that has become my main area of work in Spiritism. 

So the Portal focuses on the dissemination of Spiritist content?

The Consolador Portal now involves many activities in the dissemination of Spiritism. We aim in the near future to set up a Web Radio, which, like the online channel, would broadcast daily. We have a team of volunteers in place already working on several tasks that concern the dissemination of Spiritism.

What strikes you the most from this whole process?

From the beginning of my experience in Spiritism, I felt an urge to work on disseminating the Teachings. Now that I have retired, I hope Our Father will allow me to work on that field until the end of my days on Earth. My goal is to remain faithful to the Teachings and choose carefully the activities we promote as well as the speakers we invite in. It is fascinating to understand that there are endless opportunities to work for good causes and that this process must never be interrupted.  

What is the most important lesson that you have learned?

Oh, without a doubt, it’s the realisation that we are only passing through the world, that our true life takes place in the Spiritual World and we can’t afford to waste the precious time that we have here in the material world.  

Is there anything else you would like to add?

It comes to my mind the book by André Luiz, Os Mensageiros (The Messenger), in which he tells the story of so many Spirits who reincarnated with clearly defined goals and tasks. But when they arrived here, they preferred to follow the priorities of the material world and abandoned all their commitments. We must pay attention to the way we live our lives and how we use the knowledge and information that we have at our disposal. I invite you all to follow the Consolador Portal on YouTube.

Please leave us with your final thoughts.

I have learned and I continue to learn a great deal with my brothers and sisters in the Spiritist Movement. I would like to express here my gratitude to all of them, including those who have already returned to Spirit. I would also like to express my gratitude to all my colleagues who have worked so hard to bring together the Consolador Portal and keep it going.