The English Version of my Short Novel "Among the Designs of the Creator" is Now Available on Amazon.com

 

José Paulino Lozada, PEng, MSc

Dear Readers:

I studied engineering and science in Mexico and Canada. After working as an engineering professor, and as an engineer for many years in both countries, I discovered I had a second talent, literature. I then felt called to amalgamate science and technology with fiction writing. Initially I wrote science fiction narratives, but eventually I found my true passion; Mystical Fiction.

Below I share my first work in this genre, I hope you like it.

(In case you are interested in purchasing the printed book, or the digital version, they are available at: Among the Designs of the Creator on Amazon)

Since you are interested you can start reading the book, right here, free of charge!

AMONG THE DESIGNS OF

THE CREATOR

 

Short Novel

 

 

 

José Paulino Lozada

 

 

 

 

 

AMONG THE DESIGNS OF THE CREATOR

©José Paulino Lozada, 2021

All rights reserved. No part of this publication, including the cover design, may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior permission from the author.

ISBN eBook:             978-1-988894-15-7

ISBN Printed book: 978-1-988894-14-0

 

Contact: reception@fidesetscientia.org

 

Book Description

A Catholic priest, in a quiet coastal town, wonders why God allows humans the freedom to make decisions, good or bad, on their own -- a concession known as Free Will. Unexpectedly, a child with an unusual ability to understand science emerges. With the knowledge of the theology of the one and the special talent of the other, the two team up to explore and dwell on the designs of the Creator. To get their message to the Vatican they must first escape being captured by malevolent actors seeking to harness this knowledge. Eventually, they succeed in transmitting to the world what God has in store for his beloved children and set the stage for the future of humanity.

 

About the Author

José Paulino Lozada studied engineering and science in Mexico and Canada. After working as an engineer for many years in both countries, he discovered he had a second talent, literature. He then felt called to amalgamate science and technology with fiction writing, and what better than Mystical Fiction.

 

Dedication

To my parents, my sisters and brother who, with their love and selflessness, made my upbringing and education possible.

 

Table of Content

 

1.        A Child’s Dream…………………..……5

2.        Adolescence………………………….…10

3.        The Teaching years…………..…..........17

4.        Church Hierarchy…………………..…24

5.        Initial Interference………………....….33

6.        Fearful Interference……………...…...35

7.        Independent Explorer……………...…41

8.        Interplanetary Revelations…….......…46

9.        Under Close Scrutiny……………........52

10.      The Future of Humanity…….........…..54

11.      Conclusion…………………….…....….57 

 

 

 

 

1. A Child’s Dream

A lady from a nearby village came to look for me at my parish because her grandson, a ten-year-old boy, had been having strange dreams and she feared it might be the work of the devil. She said they came to me, instead of going to the parish priest of their village because I had the reputation of being a wise priest. I gave her an appointment for the next day, and they came in the afternoon. The boy, named Mauro, was lively and his face bore an expression of complete confidence.

I settled them into my office and asked the boy what he had dreamed. He said he saw himself sitting on the huge hand of a kind being, and that around him a great explosion of white light began, that the light was very intense but did not hurt, and that, soon after, the light was more like an infinity of bright points that spread out from whatever the beginning was, as when fireworks are lit in town.

This description immediately seemed to me to be a clear allusion to the Primeval Atom -- the Big Bang -- the moment of the creation of this, our universe, where initially we had only energy, which led to precursor particles that would form hydrogen atoms which, in turn, would create the stars, galaxies, cosmic clouds and the rest of the matter of the Universe. In due time, these would form our planet where the substances required for living organisms, including those for our bodies, would be found.

I looked at him in surprise and disbelief, wondering how a child could describe the principles of the universe in a way similar to that described by modern physics. I asked myself whether it was possible someone had instructed him to tell such a story or if he had truly dreamt it.

As though sensing my doubt, Mauro decided to continue with his story. He added that among the infinity of white dots, there were others that were even brighter and that, focusing even harder, he could observe that those immediately in front represented his older siblings and cousins, a little further ahead were his parents, his uncles and aunts, his grandfathers and grandmothers and that, although he had not met them, he could tell that those far ahead in the distance represented all his ancestors. He paused and looked at me carefully to see the impact his words were having. He then went on to say that, turning to look behind him, he saw a softly illuminated mist. He understood that these were his descendants. Somehow, he knew he would have children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and so on.

At this point the boy paused and turned to look at his astonished grandmother. Obviously, there were details of his dreams that he had not shared with her. Mauro settled back in his chair and said that towards the front he could see an origin in the dots. Could this young boy’s dream be alluding to our common ancestors, the first humans who received a soul?  He continued saying that towards the back the haze expanded as in a fan, and then diminished in intensity until it became imperceivable. Surprisingly, this alluded to the possibility that the Creator, at some point in creation, was uncertain about what the behavior of us, his beloved children, the pinnacle of his creation, might be once we had the capacity to act on our own.

I told the grandmother and the boy that the dream was something celestial and not at all demonic. Then, choosing simple words, I explained that it was about the moment of The Creation; when God decided to create the universe with all its stars, which were represented by the first white dots and that, certainly in his dream, he had also perceived the creation of the essence for the souls of humankind that would inhabit the planet earth. In this way, the most noticeable white dots represented his deceased ancestors, and the mist represented his yet-to-be-defined descendants.

As for the difficult question of the fading of the mist into the future, I said that it was normal for the future to be blurred since no one knew for sure what the Creator has instore for us. I ended by inviting them to return any time they had doubts and walking among the lemon trees in the garden, I escorted them to the gate of the atrium.

I immediately went to church to prostrate myself before the altar to ask the Creator if the existence of such a child was possible -- a child who, at such a tender age, had the capacity to perceive how God, being an all powerful and all knowing being, decided to create this universe from nothing so that, among other things, this planet would exist as a gift for us, his beloved children, to enjoy.

I rose from the floor and settled into a pew. Mauro seemed to know the answers to difficult questions that I had been asking myself since my days at the seminary. At what moment were the eternal souls that inhabit, have inhabited, and will inhabit, the bodies of humans created? I had concluded that God had taken the decision to create an essence since the beginning of the universe itself, simultaneously with the matter and physical energies generated during the Primeval Atom. Subsequently, at the moment of conception, taking a portion of that essence, the Creator would lovingly introduce a personal soul into each individual. Initially, they would be childlike and innocent souls, but containing certain fundamental ethical and moral principles. During gestation and after birth, these souls, while maintaining contact with the essence of the universe, would adjust through a combination of biological, educational, social, and environmental influences. In the midst of this whirlwind of factors, individuals would discover they were endowed with Free Will and able to exercise it with its due restrictions.

Recently, I had read that several scientific and theological thinkers believe that bodies with the capacity to house consciousness and a soul, the pinnacle of God’s ingenuity, could have been created as recently as seventy thousand years ago.

Talking with the young boy made me think back to the time when I decided to dedicate myself to the priesthood. I was twenty-one years old and in my eighth semester of a bachelor’s degree in biology. I had already contemplated the option sometime before but, during a peaceful night, when my parents were already asleep, I went out to smoke in the yard. I didn’t want my parents to know that I smoked, and I went to great lengths to hide it. There was a beautiful full moon, and I was listening to the news from Vatican Radio on my family’s shortwave radio, that with an extension cord, I had brought outside. There was talk of missionaries attending churches in different parts of the world where there was conflict and how they were bringing spiritual comfort to the people in those regions. The next morning, I informed my parents of my decision to dedicate myself to the priesthood. My mother didn’t seem surprised, but my father hoped I would change my mind and made one condition -- I would first have to finish my studies and formally graduate.

Two years passed. I fulfilled my father's condition and enrolled myself in a seminary program. It was a long road but, just before I turned twenty-eight, I took my vows of priesthood. For a time, I served in parishes in my home country, but always with the idea of being transferred to a conflict zone where I could bring faith, hope and charity to those most in need. When the war broke out in Central America I asked to be transferred. There, I had the opportunity to bring comfort to innocent people affected by the brutal violence exercised by the warring sides. The violence and senselessness of war weighed heavily on me. After several years of wondering whether the Creator had done the right thing by granting us Free Will and the capacity to commit brutalities, there came a moment when my body could not take it anymore. I fell into a deep depression. I asked to return to my country, where I was assigned to the parish of Santa Cecilia, located on a cliff overlooking the sea, in a peaceful coastal town. This decision was made in part because my superiors judged that I had been emotionally traumatized, and that it would be better for me to tend to a parish in a small, calm town.

Ever since my arrival in Santa Cecilia, I had been reflecting on the infinite love and mercy that the Creator has for his beloved children. And, here, precisely at this moment, it seems that God has sent a boy as one of his emissaries -- a prophet, scientist, mystic, genius, or whatever combination of body and soul that He, from time to time, decides to set on Earth to try to straighten us out. We humans, with our ability to make our own decisions, have a strong tendency to deviate from the purpose of our existence. These emissaries are few and far between in time and place, which cannot be otherwise because, like healing miracles, to exercise them in excess would alter the physical laws that govern the cosmos.

Shortly after the boy’s visit, I decided that the Mauro affair merited communication with my superior, the local bishop, and wrote him a letter. In a way it was as expected; he likely concluded that these were unfounded exaggerations and that I was mentally unstable and never sent a reply.

2. Adolescence

In the meantime, I exchanged letters with Mauro’s grandmother wherein she related how his teachers at school declared him a gifted student but wasn’t until much later that I heard from Mauro himself; when he showed up alone at my parish. He was, by then, in the second year of secondary school, and under the pretext of having to do some schoolwork, he had taken the bus to come and see me. He said he had had another even stranger dream and that he had not told his parents nor his grandmother about it, so as not to worry them.

Fortunately, I had no immediate commitment and was able to speak with him at that moment. He told me that, thanks to the biology classes he had recently taken, he had been able to understand his last dream. He said that again he had seen himself sitting on the hand of the kind being, but this time traveling among galaxies and stars, and that at one point he glimpsed planet Earth. The hand quickly transported him to his village. Once there he, and the kind being entered his home, where his attention was focused on a cell placed in his mother's womb, which he knew was his unicellular embryo, the ovum being fertilized by his father's sperm and therefore ready to house his soul. But stranger still, he simultaneously felt himself to be that embryo, gladly inviting the soul to deposit itself inside by extending a protrusion of its cellular membrane.

At the same time, the hand where his soul rested, which was a right hand, extended its index finger. He then woke up frightened and decided that he should come to see me immediately. My answer was that he should thank God for having granted him the knowledge of the moment when he became a person in body and soul, as most of us never perceive this identity of self until much older. I then gave him the number of the telephone newly installed in my office and told him that he could call me or come to see me as often as he judged necessary.

This new dream merited careful deliberation. My first thought was that it confirmed that we had among us, in the form of this child, an extraordinary being, chosen by the Creator as a messenger. Certain that my bishop was going to ignore me again, I decided to break my vows of obedience and contacted a fellow priest named Pedro, who was commissioned in a church in the capital of the country. I thought he might be able to put me in touch with some ecclesiastical authority willing to listen to my story. He soon responded saying that he would try, although it was risky for him since, as my accomplice, he would also be disobeying the rules.

A year passed before I heard from Mauro again.  He called me to say that he had had a very different dream. We made an appointment for Saturday morning and this time we met in the parish chapel. He related his story.

"Several days ago, when I returned home in the afternoon, I went to the backyard where we have a vegetable garden and laid down on the grass, the place I like in moments of boredom. From my pocket, I took out a postcard that the priest of my village had proudly given me. The priest had bought this postcard one time when he made a trip to Rome. The front of the postcard was a reproduction of a painting created by a great painter named Michelangelo. The priest had explained to me that this work, which adorns the Sistine Chapel, represents the moment in which God grants life to the first man on earth. As I was observing this painting I remembered my previous dream, when I was sitting on the hand of a kind being. While giving free rein to my thoughts, I looked at the index finger of my left hand, as if it was Adam’s. At that moment I perceived that someone had touched it when I was in my unicellular state, to then make delivery of my soul, like someone who drops a pearl into a jewelry box."

At this point Mauro paused and asked me for water. He was deeply moved. I went to the kitchen and brought him a glass of lemonade. He drank half of it and continued.

"I then looked to my right and noticed the leaf of a tomato bush. My mother has a good amount of them in her vegetable garden! As I gazed at it, I was distracted from my previous thought and wondered at nature's reason for expressing itself in green. This thought made me experience a feeling of infinite tranquility. I then felt myself falling asleep and yet walking through tunnels and translucent passages where sunlight filtered through. I arrived at a place where the tunnel widened forming a dome built with branches. Several organs could be seen pulsing like hearts. There were also bubbles of mucous-like consistency, green and yellowish, that flowed in a contorted fashion, slipping between the openings of the branches. I was able to fly into the dome and entered the labyrinths. These were similar to the branches of a bougainvillea or the roots of a mangrove," he stated. He took another sip of his lemonade and continued.

 “I suddenly saw my father emerge from among the branches. He was carrying a sack. He asked me to climb on his shoulders and told me he was going to show me what his work consisted of. We flew up to the sun where he picked up a handful of light and deposited it in the sack. We returned to the earth where, zigzagging like a bee looking for a flower, we found the tomato bush, landed on a leaf, and entered it. He handed over the light to the organ that pulsed like a heart. This organ made an expression of thanks and invited us inside where we found our kitchen and my mother busily preparing a meal. She invited us to the table and served a succulent dish of tomato slices. At that moment, I heard my mother's real voice, calling out for me; supper was ready! My dream ended and I sat up from the grass. I walked back to the house with the discomforting feeling of one who has been awakened from a wonderful dream without knowing the end."

I gave Mauro a few seconds to compose himself and asked if in his biology classes he had already studied the inside of plant cells and photosynthesis. He replied that he had only learned about the different parts of a plant such as the leaves, the stems, the roots and the flowers. I told him that I believed he had dreamed about the inside of a plant cell and in particular an organ called a chloroplast, where the absorption of solar energy takes place to be used in the growth and development of the plant, including the process that yields the edible fruit, the delicious tomato that would feed him. I concluded by telling Mauro that the Creator had also granted him the ability to contemplate in detail all things at the pinnacle of His marvelous work, such as plant life on earth.

I went to my library, looked for a biology book and together we explored it. I stopped at a chapter describing plant physiology. I emphasized how the chloroplasts are and told him that they are the organs of the cells that receive the energy from the sunlight. I explained that in his dream, this energy is carried by his father, a reflection of his effort to go to work to earn the salary that allows him to acquire food.  I clarified that inside this organ carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water from the earth are converted into food particles. This is a reference to your mother's effort to prepare the delicious food that you consume daily.

I gave him the book as a gift and told him that, if he had such a dream again, he should try to enter this particular organ, for it is where God, by giving us food, once again expresses His wisdom and love for us.  I then sent him home, telling him once again that he could call me whenever he wanted, but that he should do it from a public phone. I preferred that he not call from his home so that his parents would not find out about his dreams. They would likely worry about the state of his mind. That made two of us who had to find a way not to arouse suspicions about our mental health, I thought.       

I received Mauro's next call from the provincial capital. He was about sixteen years old and had been admitted to Teachers College. He said he wanted to be a teacher, like his father. He was staying in a house for students which had quite a large orchard, with lemon, guava and papaya trees. He also told me that the amount of material to learn in school was overwhelming, but he found inspiration to study by lying among the fruit trees. He added that the discipline required for study brought him another advantage -- he had learned to initiate the spiritual experiences with the help of meditation. He was now able to command the beginning of his trances when he was calm enough; they would no longer occur by chance. He was able to observe what was happening in the different fruit trees of the orchard. The biology book I had given him had helped him understand the life of plants and, more importantly, it had helped him understand his dreams.

A few months later he called saying that this time, it was a confessional affair. The owner of the residence where he lived had two beautiful daughters. Gabriela, the eldest, with whom he had a good friendship, was his age. Her mother had warned her numerous times not to get involved with him, because one could not expect much from a country schoolteacher who also liked to laze around in the orchard every afternoon. But Gabriela disobeyed the instructions and, on one occasion when they were alone in the house, she asked him to go to her bedroom and taught him how to kiss. He added that, during the ecstasy of the embrace, for an instant that seemed like an eternity, he felt his mouth wander and discovered that she had cavities in one of her molars. I smiled at the thought that his special talent could be inconvenient at times. Unfortunately, their amorous encounter was discovered by the younger sister who denounced them. That same afternoon he was told to look for another residence.

A few days later he called saying that at his new residence the garden was not as beautiful as the previous one, but the owners had a parakeet, some rabbits, a cat, and a dog, and that the garden walls were inhabited by lizards. As a result, he had continued to study the biology book I had given him and begun to explore the physiology of animals.

Learning how their cells and metabolism were different, he had gone to the patio to lie down and watch the lizards come and go, with the intention of falling asleep to see if he could enter the body of one of the little animals during sleep. It wasn't long before he began to dream of finding himself in the bloodstream of one of them. First, he entered the intercellular space of a leg. He then entered a cell which, because of its characteristics, he deduced was a muscle cell. He was able to see how animal and plant cells were different from each other and he marveled at the immense precision required by these cells for a small animal to function.

It was around this time that I received a letter from my colleague Pedro. I had long forgotten that I had reached out for his help. He informed me that he had made contact with a priest who showed interest in Mauro's case. He was a science professor at the seminary in the capital. His name was José María and he had a university degree in physics. He was a very busy person and advised that I should be patient for him to get in touch.

In subsequent calls Mauro told me about his adventures with higher animals.  He visited cells of the lungs of the parakeet, the liver of the rabbit, and the salivary glands of the cat. With the dog he ventured up to the brain to try to enter a neuron, but he woke up frightened. He perceived he still did not have the Creator's permission to explore animal brains. Apparently, there was a limit to what the Creator would allow him to explore without prior scientific knowledge. He should first study what humanity had managed to previously investigate because only then would he be able to understand what he observed.

Unexpectedly, I received a call from José María. He apologized for the delay in responding and asked me to tell him more about Mauro. I gave the best description I could, and he shared that he had studied physics before entering the seminary, but that now he was equally interested in biology because he considered it the culminating work of the Creator. On this, we were in agreement, and we concluded that we should continue to have conversations by phone. 

 

3. The Teaching Years

After several months of silence on Mauro's part, a letter arrived. Among other things, he wrote, “I am sorry for not having called or written until now. I decided to enroll in the Advanced Teachers College to become a secondary school teacher. This has required a lot of time and effort on my part. I needed to choose a subject to teach so of course I chose science. After my training, I will be able to teach biology, chemistry and physics."

At the end of the letter, he included the phone number of the residence where he was staying, and I called him that evening. I warmly congratulated him on his decision to become a secondary school teacher and told him of my desire to take his case as high as possible, even to the Vatican. I explained the difficulties I had encountered and the promised support from a priest named José María, to whom I hoped to introduce him soon. He was silent for a few moments and then said he was immensely surprised and flattered by the great attention I was giving him on this matter, and that undoubtedly his grandmother had made a good choice in seeking me as his counselor and spiritual guide.

We said goodbye and over the next year and a half we spoke regularly, but not about his learnings while in trance. His studies totally absorbed him. Two months before his graduation he called me with excellent news. "Father, I got a position at the secondary school in my hometown and soon I will be back in the area. If you wish, we can talk again in person. I would be interested in talking particularly about the theory of evolution. It’s a subject I must learn so that later I can teach it in my biology classes."

I said I would gladly await his return so we could resume our conversations in person.

When he came to visit me, he arrived in his own car. His father had given it to him as a graduation present. This was surely a great sacrifice by his family, given how meager his father’s salary likely was as an elementary school teacher. We greeted each other warmly and I congratulated him with a hug for having obtained a teaching position in his town where he would be near his family and friends. He added that he would be able to save money since he would continue to live with his parents and would not have to pay rent.

We went for a walk along the paths of the parish garden. We discussed how, during the years he had been away, an important development had taken place mainly around his town. The tourist industry had discovered its beauty and attributes, and several first-class hotels had been built and more were under construction. The President of the Republic himself had come weeks earlier to inaugurate a brand-new airport. International tourists were streaming in.  Changing the subject, he said that he was very busy preparing the courses he would be teaching for the first time. He would oversee over ninety students in three subjects for second and third grades of secondary school.

We paused and, I asked him whether he could explain to me his notion about evolution?

 He replied, “From my understanding evolution is the change in the inherent characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes that are passed from parent to offspring during reproduction. Different characteristics tend to exist within a given population because of mutation, genetic recombination and other sources of genetic variation that may not yet be known. Evolution occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection -- survival of the fittest -- act on this variation, resulting in certain characteristics becoming more common within a population. It is this evolutionary process that has given rise to biodiversity at all levels of living beings.”

 “Indeed, it has and that is why we are here”, I added.

Then I asked: "Have you thought what reasons the Creator might have had when He decided that life on this, his chosen planet, should be the way it is?"

Mauro answered, “I have thought a lot about it but haven’t been able to come to a conclusion so I would prefer that you explain it to me."

I told him that I believed the Creator designed his work to be dynamic, with some degrees of variation, because otherwise we humans would have been like robots, programmed to always do the same thing. He designed evolution to have a catalyst, a facilitator, with the apparent cruelties of survival of the fittest among the species, and that in the end homo sapiens emerged, some seventy thousand years ago.

Mauro pondered my answer for a few moments and said, "It was obviously indispensable for us to emerge with intelligence, the ability to harbor a soul, to have a consciousness and to be able to exercise Free Will."

“That's right, congratulations! I see that you understand, and I am glad that we share these ideas,” I told him. We sat down on a bench, and I asked him to tell me what else he had learned about evolution. He said that he had also learned that evolution advances by leaps, through a process called equilibrium theory, that when there are extinctions caused by catastrophes, the ecological vacuum is filled by modified species, or by new species that are better adapted to the new conditions.

I responded that this was indeed the case, undoubtedly as part of His original design, another of the variables necessary for humans to have the capacity to act or not to act.

Mauro added that a professor of the subject had asked them to write an essay, as a final exam, where they would present a case. He wrote that the void left by the millions of people who died during the last wars was being filled by human who were somehow evolved, and who in a certain way were different. As an example, he cited the ability of some children and young people to understand the logic of cybernetics.

I pondered this for a moment and mockingly reproached him. “I have the impression that you dared to suggest that the Creator allowed barbarities to be committed to give evolution some space.” He blushed at the realization that he had been exposed and replied that it had only been an essay to pass the subject.

Feeling a little uncomfortable because we were addressing a sensitive subject that was premature for he and I to discuss, I told him that never in the history of mankind had there been so many people with the interest and ability to engage in research. Remarkable biologists, physicists, chemists, astronomers, and mathematicians emerge every day.

“It seems that in your essay there is some truth and, to be honest, I also dared to think similar things. In another era you and I would have been burned at the stake for writing heresies,” I concluded.

We walked for a while in silence before I added, “Regardless of the situation of the wars, it seems that the Lord is trying to introduce minds capable of achieving His designs, but He is not satisfied with the results.  The achievements of leaders, as well as those of many scientists, philosophers, and mystics, are advancing very slowly, not fast enough to prevent disasters.”

He said he did not fully understand and asked me for a detailed explanation. I replied that we would revisit the discussion during our next meeting; I had to visit a very ill person.                                               

At our next meeting, one Sunday after mass, Mauro shared that, when he finished his work grading exams and preparing his courses, he would go to the beach to meditate and let his mind wander over the bodies of the different crabs that passed by. He found it very amusing to observe their different organs and the subtle differences between the various species. I responded that this was living proof that evolution continues to work relentlessly, to fulfill the dictates of the Creator. Then, getting back to the discussion we had left pending, I told him “Let us keep in mind that humanity, in its eagerness to accumulate wealth, is also willing to annihilate itself and destroy the planet. Well-intentioned science has been transformed to be used in the creation of biological, chemical, and thermonuclear weapons, in addition to creating dubious transgenic organisms.”

With both, sadness and sarcasm in his voice, he replied that this could leave a huge ecological void.

I countered his point, “I think the Lord knows that only when there is a major breakthrough in understanding the purpose of life, we humans will be humble enough to be at peace and dedicate ourselves to acknowledge His work and to be His partners in creation.”

Mauro, in response, asked whether I thought the Creator had decided that the process of evolution needed to make a rapid advancement?

“Yes, indeed,” I replied, “It is time for humanity to take a leap.  As previously discussed, during the last hundred years we have seen a slow and fortuitous creation of philosophers and scientists in different parts of the world, who have had the talent for the understanding of life and have been competent participants. Some of these famous thinkers have been Mendel, Darwin, Pasteur, Lister, Sanger, Lemaitre, and Watson, to name a few. However, their achievements were not enough since wars have persisted, culminating in the terrible slaughters of the first and second world wars, in addition to today’s countless conflicts all over the world, and the continuing environmental deterioration. Observing the negative path, we are on, it seems that the Creator has decided to change strategy. In the sixties came the intensification of higher education, with countless universities offering masters and doctorates in many branches of science and humanities. This generated many scientists, but unfortunately, as we well know, many of them have allied themselves with companies and governmental projects that rather oppose His designs, in short, we are still heading for disaster. So, it seems that the Creator, through a combination of evolutionary and spiritual strategies, is putting into practice some of His emerging plans.”

Visibly surprised, Mauro asked, “What would be the way for evolution to achieve this purpose?”

I answered that I thought that the Lord had designed a lineage, a group of humans with the necessary intellectual capacity so that their souls could, in an intuitive way, fully explore the creation and, by example, show the rest of humans what intelligence and consciousness can achieve. That we should stop driving ourselves to self-destruction by destroying this planet; that we should become guardian gardeners, instead of predatory invaders, and understand and love one another.  In closing I said, “You, Mauro, seem to be spearheading that generation.”

He stopped, seemingly astonished by my words, turned to look at me and said that he did not think it was possible, since he was a simple person, a simple secondary school teacher and the son of a poor family. I replied that nothing was impossible in the Creator's designs, that he should consider my words carefully and that I hoped we would meet after he experienced another vision. I walked him to his car, and he drove away, an expression of great surprise remaining on his face.

It was at this time that José María told me that in four weeks, during the school vacations, he could cancel family commitments and, if we wished, he could come and meet Mauro, who would also be on vacation. The three of us agreed on the first week of June and I arranged rooms for them in the parish house.   

 

4. Church Hierarchy

On the first day, after the usual introductions, I gathered them in my office and let them talk alone so that Mauro could describe his experiences. José María then sought me out. He was very impressed and thought that the case merited being brought to the attention of the Pope. This would not be easy. There were hundreds, perhaps thousands of similar petitions on the waiting list, some dating many years, but if I agreed he would try to promote it through his contacts in Rome. I said it was an excellent idea and to ask Mauro for his opinion. We returned to my office and told him how we planned to proceed. He was very surprised and said that he had never imagined that his visions were something that would merit such attention, and that he was happy for the joy his parents would feel. 

We paused for lunch and then Mauro said he had a lot to tell. Things had happened recently.

"To take a break from my academic responsibilities,” he began, “I often went to the beach to meditate and explore the physiology of small animals. One day when I was traveling inside a crab, observing the metabolism of its respiratory organs, I awoke to the nearby presence of a person. I opened my eyes and found a face inspecting me. It was a woman, obviously a tourist from one of the nearby hotels. She was extraordinarily beautiful. She gazed coldly at me, with distrust, with piercing green eyes. Given the meditative state I had been in, she likely thought I was intoxicated. Making a detour around me she continued her way along the beach. From where I sat, I realized that she was also watching the little animals. I tried to return to my trance, but it was no longer possible for me to regain my concentration, so I simply continued to observe the crustaceans on the beach. I was concentrating on this matter when I noticed the woman had returned and was sitting on the sand,” Mauro said, and looking pensive he continued.

“With a strong foreign accent, yet perfect Spanish, she said, ‘I see that we have things in common, we like to observe the coastal fauna’. She began to call out the biological names of the crabs that passed us by. At the sighting of an orange crab, she said ‘Grapsus grapsus’, when a blue one passed, she said ‘Portunus pelacicus’. for a tiny crab, the woman chimed in ‘Pinnotheres pisum,’ and so on.”

"She continued saying that she was a biologist, originally from Germany and for now working in a pharmaceutical company in the United States. She was taking a vacation and was staying at a nearby hotel. Then she asked me where my interest in marine biology came from. I replied that it was because I was a teacher. I had once tried to explain my cellular travels to colleagues and professors, but they had considered it a joke and so I stopped trying to explain it to others. To finalize the conversation, she said her name was Ingrid Sparre, asked my name and left."

"The next day I returned to the beach and on that occasion, I decided to go into the liver of a little crab by the name of Pinnotheres pisum – the crab that Ingrid had identified the day earlier. The little animal left the beach and went into the sea in search of food. I was happily diving with the little animal when Ingrid's voice called me, it took me quite a while to return from the ocean to my body. I opened my eyes to find myself again under the scrutiny of her steely gaze and she asked me if I slept. I replied that I was not sleeping and, curious to know her reaction, I began to explain what I was doing. She looked at me in disbelief and smiled. I continued with my explanations and she, as if to check, asked me to describe details of the functioning of a crab liver cell. I gave her details and she looked at me in surprise. She then asked me to explain the energy generation process when glucose is converted into glycol, a concentrated form of glucose that is stored in the liver. I gave the description, molecule by molecule, with precise details of the electron transfer. She looked at me in astonishment and asked if we could meet the next day at the same place."

At this point Mauro looked over at us to see if we were still listening and continued, "In the evening I told grandmother what had happened, and she said that my great-grandfather used ground crab shells to cure arthritics. ‘Could it be that the foreign lady is a rheumatologist?’ she wondered."

"The next day and for several days after I met with Ingrid, and she would ask me about metabolic processes of different cells of different organisms and I would explain it to her in detail, molecule by molecule. At the end of her vacation, she asked me if it would be possible for her to come back with the director of her company, someone by the name of Manfred, to give him a demonstration of my cellular travels. I agreed and she said she would call me to let me know the date of her return. This was also the time that I received your call saying that Father José María would be coming."

I suggested to take a break and went to the kitchen to prepare lemonade. After taking a few sips I told Mauro to go on with his story. We were eager to hear what had happened next.

"Three weeks later Ingrid and Manfred arrived in my hometown and stayed again at the Royal Hotel. In the evening we met at a secluded spot on the beach, and they asked me if I had done human cell travel. It had not occurred to me to do so, so we made a plan to carry it out -- I would try to enter a cell of Ingrid's skin."

Both Jose Maria and I were surprised that she had contemplated such idea, no doubt she was a risk-taking scientist.

"I had never travelled into a cell on demand, and it was difficult for me to achieve it. For several days we tried, but I didn’t get the required concentration. On the fourth day, I finally succeeded and entered one of Ingrid's skin cells. Then I was asked to enter a lung cell and finally her blood cells. In each case I gave them a detailed description of their functions, and they were astonished. When we repeated the experiment the next day, Ingrid had a slight cold and we thought it was a good opportunity to observe the behavior of an infected cell. I entered through her nose, got between the capillary vessels, and settled among the nasal mucosal cells. These cells were irritated, swollen and quivering. One of them suddenly increased in size and its membrane began to tear. A multitude of spheres covered with bumps came out -- typical cold viruses, as I had seen in the book you gave me."  Mauro added, looking at me.

"Quickly these spheres attached themselves to other cells, which were obviously disturbed by the infection. I decided to enter one, to observe the invasion of the viruses from the inside. I went in through the glucose intake hole and positioned myself close to the nucleus. It wasn't long before there was a disturbance in the cell membrane, a kind of shuddering. Then I saw a dome form and burst outward,” Mauro explained, excitedly.

“Through the opening I could see the virus had attached itself and quickly injected its genetic material into the cell. This material was a kind of coiled snake, whose head was an enzyme, similar in shape to a drill bit. This enzyme was very active, it quickly made its way through the cellular organs, like a digger, and managed to reach the membrane of the nucleus to enter it. Once inside the nucleus the cell was infected." Given Mauro’s excitement when recounting his exploration, I thought to myself that he would make an excellent teacher.

"For several minutes the cell continued with its normal functions. The DNA gave its commands for protein production, glucose and hormones that regulated functions were admitted, but there came a moment when activities were suspended. The nucleus took a strange shape and convulsed. In the cytoplasm, components began to form, grouping together to form what I assumed was a precursor to new viruses. The cell had become a factory of its own invaders! These concentrated in large numbers until they caused the membrane to burst. The cell had died, and the viruses were scattered in the intracellular space, ready to invade other nearby cells." Mauro said in astonishment.

"By this time, Ingrid's immune system had already detected the invaders, large numbers of white blood cells showed up to do battle, devouring the viruses that had been recently produced and were moving in the extracellular space. Most were captured, but some managed to escape and invaded other cells of the nasal mucosa, but the immune system had developed another weapon, some white blood cells had developed the ability to identify cells that were infected by viruses and destroy them. Some cells of the body were sacrificed, but in this way the virus reproduction rate was diminished. Within a short time the immune system took control of the situation and Ingrid's cold had been defeated."

"During the battle between the immune system and the viruses I was thrown from one place to another. When the cell in which I was lodged was destroyed I drifted between the nasal mucosa and, although the battle had been won by the immune system, this tissue was still inflamed and sensitive. She sneezed, I was expelled into the atmosphere and woke up immediately. As soon as I felt recovered, I made a detailed account of what I had experienced,

while Ingrid and Manfred hurriedly took notes." Mauro took a few sips of his drink, swallowed, and settled himself.

"For several days we continued, with me entering a variety of both of their organs. I made a trip through Manfred's kidneys, muscles, and intestines, and through Ingrid's blood cells, managing to make a detailed explanation of the functioning of her lymphocytes, erythrocytes, and T cells. To finish, I was asked to explore one of Ingrid's brain neurons, which I thought would be very interesting. It was something I had not tried before, not even with animals. I entered through the capillary vessels surrounding the olfactory nerve of the nose and made my way to the skull, but when I tried to leave the capillary vessel to enter a neuronal cell, I found a barrier. It was both a physical barrier composed of fibrous tissue, and a spiritual barrier which seemed to say: 'There is a limit here which you cannot yet trespass. It will be for another time, under different circumstances.’ I came back from my trance and explained that I was not allowed to enter a neuron. They looked at me in disbelief and, changing the subject, we ended the session."

With certainty Mauro added, "The demonstrations convinced them that I was describing real facts; that I somehow had the talent to perceive cellular functions. Ingrid asked if I would be interested in going to New York to explore organs of patients suffering from diseases in order to design drugs that would ensure a cure. Manfred added that if positive results were achieved, I would be paid handsomely. I replied that I would be happy to do so during the vacation period. As I had never traveled outside my province, let alone taken a plane, we agreed that Ingrid would come for me, and we would return to New York together.” He paused.

“I was somewhat afraid of what was to come and decided to consult with my grandmother. She was very alarmed and told me that she was certain that if I went with them, they would never give me the opportunity to return alive." He said in a shaky voice.

He promptly calmed down and added, "The date for this meeting was fast approaching, so I called Ingrid and told her I would not go.  She was very upset and begged me to change my mind, saying that I could be immensely rich by collaborating with her pharmaceutical company. I replied that I would go to a meeting with my spiritual guide and then we would talk. And here I am," Mauro concluded.

José María and I turned to look at each other in amazement at Mauro’s story. I let him speak first. With a smile he said that, as usual, the mercantilist Free Will of humans tries to take advantage of everything new, including miracles and prophecies. Then he added that what most caught his attention was that Mauro was not allowed to inspect the neurons and that on this subject there was recent research by two scientists named Penrose and Hameroff, who had concluded that human consciousness is connected to the rest of the universe, and that this connection apparently originates in an internal structure of neurons called microtubules.

“Do you know anything about this?” he asked Mauro.

He said that microtubules were the internal skeleton of every cell, including neurons. Then, remaining thoughtful, he closed his eyes for a moment and added, “I have the feeling that the Creator will allow me to explore the neurons of Father José María seeing as he is a man of faith and a scientist. I could also have more chances of success if we do it in front of the altar.”

I told them to go ahead. The church was at their disposal and Mauro could meditate wherever he liked, I would be outside waiting for them to finish.

About two hours later José María came to my office and told me, very excitedly, that there was every indication that something very important had been accomplished. Initially, he and Mauro had knelt on kneelers, prayed for a few minutes, asking the Creator to grant them what they requested. He then observed that Mauro went into a trance. José María himself then fell into a deep sleep where memories of his childhood came to him, as well as of his first apprenticeships in the seminary. When he awoke, he realized that Mauro was prostrate on the floor, arms stretched out. So, very quietly, José María left the church.

At that point, as a precaution, we decided to go and see if Mauro was all right. When we arrived in front of the altar, Mauro was getting up rising as someone would when waking up from a deep slumber.

We helped him to stand up and he asked to be left alone to pray and give thanks for what he had just experienced. We went to the garden and Mauro caught up with us about an hour later to relate his experience.

He said that he had entered through José María's nose and, while navigating through the capillary vessels, had received instructions on how to reach the frontal lobe of his brain. On this occasion, he had no difficulty entering a neuron and then nesting in one of the many microtubules. At that point, he was presented with the universe in its present form, seen as if his mind was an immense telescope where creation could be observed. He perceived having the ability to focus without the slightest effort on any of the billions of galaxies, either on a nearby or a distant one; that once in one of them he could select any of its many stars, approach it and get an idea of how many planets it had. He further explained that he could approach stars about to become supernovae and see how they exploded creating the elements that would form future planets. He could also observe how the accumulation of interstellar dust was added to create new planetary systems, and that many of them were like our solar system. At this point he realized that he had to end his journey and regain consciousness.

Later Mauro returned to his village and José María stayed one more day to compile notes on what he had seen and heard.  He told me that he was certain that we were living a miracle, an event that could make humanity straighten its course. He then returned to his institute in the capital to continue pushing for an interview with the Pope.

Over a week passed without any news from Mauro and I decided to call him, mostly to find out if his return had been uneventful. His mother answered and said that Mauro had decided to accept Ingrid's invitation and that he had left with her for New York the day before. At that very moment, I prayed for the best.

5. Initial Interference

Two weeks later Mauro called to describe the experience of his trip. Ingrid had unexpectedly arrived at his door saying that she had come in her company's private plane. The pharmaceutical board’s members were very interested in meeting him and that he should pack his bags to leave the next day. He had never boarded an airplane before and the fact that it was a private plane convinced him to go.

They went to New York where they put him up in a luxurious hotel and took him to see the company's offices and laboratories. He was introduced to the directors and to some of the company top scientists. They took him to observe the state-of-the-art technology used to develop and manufacture drugs. With the scientists he exchanged views on what could be a better molecular structure for a drug against Alzheimer's Disease. Without knowing the required science in depth, he was able to give his opinion in a general way, but with such certainty that it was difficult for the company's personnel to believe what they were hearing.

After that visit, again in the company's private plane, Ingrid and Manfred took him for a break to Mexico’s Mayan Riviera where they stayed at the most luxurious hotel of the area. The room consisted of a full level penthouse with a full-time cook. Ingrid told him that he and his family could have such a lifestyle if he agreed to collaborate with her company in the development of new drugs. His response was that he wanted to consult with his spiritual guide before making any decisions. They stayed at the resort for only four days and then, much to his surprise, they flew him back to the airport of his hometown.

I sensed that the temptation of the worldly pleasures that he had enjoyed was very strong and could entrap him. I immediately said that the matter merited consultation and offered him a spiritual retreat as soon as possible. I told him he could stay at the parish house of Santa Cecilia for as long as he deemed necessary.

 

 

6. Fearful Interference

He arrived three days later and, just as he was finishing to unpack, his father called. He described how, shortly after Mauro had left, a group of six men in two vehicles had arrived at the house. They identified themselves as federal police and had an arrest warrant for him. When they were told that Mauro was not there, they forced their way into the house and searched every room and under the beds.  Once they were convinced that he was not there, two of them remained standing guard and the other four left. His father suspected they knew about Santa Cecilia and were likely on their way. He urged Mauro to go somewhere else immediately.

Fortunately, there was a good hiding place in the church -- a cellar hidden under the altar, which was designed to hide valuables back in the days when pirates raided the region. I quickly set him up in the cellar with his luggage and, fearing he might have to hide there a long time, I lowered water and what bread we had.

Thinking that the presence of two cars in front of the church might raise suspicions I asked him for his keys and took his car to a garage two blocks away. I told the mechanic that the car belonged to a friend and that I would return to say what repairs would be necessary. I returned hurriedly to the church and, minutes later, the group of four men burst in, this time with guns in hand. When I said I didn't know anything about Mauro, they handcuffed me and went to examine each space. When they found no one, they began to interrogate me. When one of them didn’t like my responses, he hit me on the head with his pistol. At that moment a loud noise could be heard coming from outside the church. Some parishioners, having observed the intrusion, went back to their neighborhoods, organized a group, and came to watch what was happening. When the police identified themselves as federal agents, the parishioners claimed that the church was sanctuary, aggressively demanded that my handcuffs be removed, and urged them lo leave the promises of Santa Cecilia. Fearing they would be attacked, the policemen gave in, left the church and the town.

I thanked everyone and explained that I was hiding someone who was being persecuted for being a very spiritual person, almost a saint. I gave them my word, in the name of God, that he was not a criminal.  I asked them to wait a moment and went down to the cellar to tell Mauro what had happened. Mauro wished to meet the people who had saved him. When we emerged from the cellar, much to our surprise, we were greeted with applause. To thank God for his divine intervention in sending the parishioners, I celebrated mass. I then told the parishioners that, as a precaution, Mauro and I would leave immediately. A group of about ten men volunteered to stay behind to provide protection in case it was necessary, and I encouraged the others to return home.

I called José María, told him what had happened, and asked if he could receive us at his house in the capital. He agreed and resolved that Mauro and I would make our way there early the following morning. One of the parishioners went to get Mauro's car and, as we were loading the suitcases, the phone rang. I answered with some trepidation, and it was the voice of a woman with a foreign accent. She identified herself as Ingrid, Mauro's friend. I motioned for Mauro to come over and listen to the conversation by putting his ear to the receiver. She said she had called Mauro's house. His father had answered and told her he knew nothing of Mauro’s whereabouts.  She had then remembered that I was her spiritual guide. The operator had managed to retrieve the number for Santa Cecilia, and she was calling because it was extremely important that she speak with Mauro.

I responded to her by saying that I was indeed his spiritual guide but that I had not heard from him for some time and asked if she could tell me the reason for her call. She paused and said "I am certain that Mauro will communicate with you soon. Please tell him that we discovered a mole in my company. Someone stole documents that, among other things, contained notes of Mauro’s visit to the company and my private meetings with him. The documents reveal his ability to explore the cells of living beings and his intuition about chemistry and physics. They’ll know that Mauro is an extraordinary individual with the ability to change the course of mankind. We are certain that the theft was organized by a criminal organization whose objective is to achieve world control by any means necessary, including chemical and bacteriological warfare. Having someone like Mauro would be extremely valuable to them. We fear they will try to convince him to collaborate with them. If he refuses, they are capable of the worst."

My heart was pounding with fear from her news, but I forced myself to respond calmly. I thanked Ingrid for the information and promised that, if I heard from Mauro, I would certainly let him know all of this.

The call confirmed that we must hurry, I told Mauro. I asked the parishioners if it would be possible to organize a protection convoy to follow us on the road until we were sure that no one was following us. Several volunteers went to get their cars while Mauro and I finished packing. Soon the convoy proceeded on the road to the capital. It was getting dark and after an hour’s drive I stopped and told them that I felt safe to complete the remainder of the journey on our own; they could now return to their homes.

We drove all night, taking turns at the wheel, and arrived at the edge of the big city at sunrise. We stopped at a restaurant for breakfast, and from a public payphone, we called José María to come and pick us up; I was too unfamiliar with the city to continue any further. We also called Mauro's parents to inform them that he was safe and sound, and to hear what had happened to the two men who were stationed at their house. They were very happy to hear that their son was safe and said that the four men who had gone after Mauro had returned, but that the whole group had now left. We said goodbye saying that we would call from time to time, but without giving our address. José María arrived half an hour later and led us to his apartment where he had set up the living room as our bedroom.

We took a bath, slept until noon and, after lunch, gathered to talk about what had happened. We agreed that, if what Ingrid said was true, then the men who were claiming to be the police were more like mercenaries hired by the criminal group that had stolen the documents.  On the other hand, if they really were the police they would likely return with reinforcements, and Mauro’s parents and the parishioners could keep us informed if this was the case. We had to admit there could be a third scenario -- Ingrid and her company could be behind what happened. We concluded that, if this was the case, sooner or later something would happen that would give them away and that, for now, it would be best to keep hidden from all of them.  José María then handed us cell phones. They did not require registration of name or address, he explained, so we could communicate anonymously. He added that he had already checked and that the area of Santa Cecilia still had no cell phone service but Mauro’s town, being a touristic area near an airport, had service; we should urge his parents to get one.

Mauro then asked if he could be given some space. He wanted to pray for the rest of the afternoon to thank God for not having been taken prisoner and, if not too inconvenient, he preferred to continue the next day. I agreed with his plan and added that, for my part, I would have to get in touch with my bishop to explain my absence. I would have to say that I was in the capital for health reasons. If I told him the truth, he would surely think I was delirious.

The next day Mauro said that he perceived an important change in his visualizations – he no longer needed another person to explore the universe from the point of view of human neurons and their corresponding microtubules. It was now possible for him to do it on himself. But he needed a mystical and inspiring space to do it, somewhere like the gardens of Santa Cecilia.  José María said he would try to get space in a monastery on the outskirts of the city.  He made a few phone calls and by the afternoon the matter was resolved; Mauro would be given two weeks' accommodation in a monastery of Dominican friars.

It took us about an hour by road to get to the monastery, located on the shores of a small town nicknamed The Place of Eternal Spring because of its pleasant climate. We were very kindly received by the abbot and shown to what would be Mauro's room. The abbot explained that it was common for them to accommodate people looking for a spiritual retreat.

José María and I returned to the capital and, taking advantage of my supposed illness, I stayed at his apartment where we had long conversations about the turn of events. Three days later we received a call from Mauro's parents. A package had arrived for their son from Ingrid. We asked them to send it to us by courier and assured them we would pass it on to him. As soon as we received it we went to the monastery where the abbot lent us an office to meet with Mauro. He opened the package; it contained a letter explaining that indiscretions had occurred, and word had gotten out in her pharmaceutical company; many people now knew of Mauro's existence and talents. Curiously, this aroused the interest of many women. They wished not only to meet him but to bear his child. They were all professionals in high-ranking positions and did not ask for support for the offspring; they only wanted to have one in the hopes that it would inherit Mauro’s extraordinary talents. Some even included their photographs; all beautiful, of different ethnicities and ages. Still, others stated they did not seek a romantic relationship with Mauro; a sperm donation would suffice. Ingrid finished the letter stating, in parenthesis, that she, too, wished to add her name to the list. Mauro smiled and said, "They forget that the combination of body and soul is necessary to develop a talent, please send her a reply on my behalf indicating this."

--One more temptation of mankind to try to divert the Creator's Designs-- came to my mind.

 

 

 

7. Independent Explorer

Mauro put the envelope aside, settled into his chair and we changed the subject. He began to describe his most recent experiences, which consisted of visualizing the synchrony of his consciousness with the rest of the universe. He said, "When I am inspecting myself, I no longer have to navigate between organs looking for a particular cell. Now I have learned enough anatomy and just need to think about where I want to be. So, I went to the right frontal lobe of my brain and chose the nearest neuron, entered it, contemplated the perfection of its internal anatomy, and concentrated on the infinity of poles that give support to its structure, its microtubules. The like poles with a hole at the center, right, father? " He asked, looking at me.

I confirmed that he was correct.

He continued, "I decided to position myself in that space and, in doing so, I entered into an even deeper ecstasy that took me back to the origin of the universe, like my first dream as a child.  To the moment of the creation of the Primeval Atom, the Big Bang, the instant of divine decision where everything was created out of nothing and where all the subsequent millions upon millions upon millions of millions of atoms, which would eventually come to populate the universe, forming galaxies, stars, planets, rocks, water, gases and eventually living beings, including you and I, began to form. Each of the nowadays existing atoms being intertwined with the initial one, as well as with each other, because in reality they are the same. It is all an intrinsic part of the Creator's genius.”

We were silent for a few moments and then José María said, "We are His intrinsic part and at the same time He wants us to have our own initiatives, like any good father who loves His children. On the other hand, what you describe makes me think of quantum physics, particularly a phenomenon called entanglement, where it has been observed that atoms separated by great distances seemed to communicate with each other instantaneously. Yes, instantaneously, without mediating what would be the obstacle that postulates that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light.  This phenomenon, scientifically proven, makes us think that teleportation, as seen in the television series 'Star Trek', is technically possible".

For my part, I said that everything indicated that the purpose of the entire universe was so that on a small planet, in a solar system like many others, the conditions had been fine-tuned. Included were all the twists and turns of evolution. This way in the end God would have a place for those beloved children, who apparently were disrespectful and disobedient, but that there must be more behind all this. Mauro said he was in total agreement, and that he thought that soon the conductor of the orchestra would let us know through his visions, given that the Dominican monastery brought him inspiration.

As we were saying goodbye, the abbot asked José María and me to come to his office to discuss a matter. He started, "I apologize for my intrusion, but I was concerned about all the mystery surrounding Mauro, so I glued my ear to the door of the room where you were talking and listened to some of your conversations.  I realize now that we have among us a holy man sent by God. If you allow me, I would like to invite him to join our order. He would make an excellent preacher and would attract many to our Sunday masses".

I could not hide a smile; it was one more intrusion upon Free Will. José María said that we would let Mauro know but that we were rather trying to get an audience with the Pope since we thought the matter merited it. The abbot apologized and said that Mauro could stay as long as necessary.

Once back in the city, José María immediately doubled his efforts to get our request to the Vatican and, again, he received the same response -- there were too many similar requests waiting ahead of his own. I had to return to my parish, there was no substitute priest, and the congregation was complaining about the lack of a pastor. José María alone would oversee visiting Mauro, and I would come for quick visits if necessary.

In Santa Cecilia it was confirmed that no marauders had returned. Mauro's parents came to visit me, I told them that their son was well and in good hands with the friars and, without going into details because he had asked me not to worry them, I told them that Mauro needed time to reflect on his spiritual life and that we thought he might be back soon, certainly before the school year started to report for work.

A few days later I received a call from José María saying that Mauro would come to spend the last week with him before his return home. His meditations indicated that he needed to learn more about quantum physics to be able to interpret his visions, and who better than José María to instruct him. This made me think about why the Creator wanted Mauro to first grasp biology and even organic chemistry, and not until many years later quantum physics. Why not the other way around?

I concluded that biology, although difficult to a certain degree, is more comprehensible to a child. From a tender age we wake up surrounded by life, starting with our own, our mother's, our father's, siblings, family, food and plants in pots and gardens. We are also born surrounded by what we call classical physics -- light, gravitational attraction, sounds, heat, cold, the flame of the stove, the warmth of clothing, the heat of the sun, the cold of ice.

Quantum physics, on the other hand, is a recent discovery and is not easy to grasp since it is the branch of science that observes and tries to understand the behavior of the basic components of matter and energy -- infinitely small elements that, surprisingly, are of a very different nature from what is observed in bodies made up of those same particles. They are paradoxical things that would have confused and frightened a young child.

In ancient times who could have guessed that matter, including that of which we are made, is constituted by infinitely small atoms, with their nuclei made up of protons of positive electric charge and neutrons of neutral electric charge and, spinning around with very high speeds, electrons of negative electric charge. I remember that when I was taught this concept in high school, I thought it would be fine to explain a metal, a crystal, wood, or a brick, but that in no way could it be applied to food and even less to a person. In the extreme case, others could be made like that, but I, never!  Likewise, it was hard for me to believe that light, so used to perceiving it every day, could be made up of infinitely small particles called photons, that have no mass.

When the day arrived, I went to José Maria’s apartment to pick up Mauro. On our drive back to his hometown, he said he felt well instructed in quantum physics, having been in the knowledgeable hands of José María. He also talked about the desires and wishes of humans, and how Christianity emphasizes the five fundamental desires of perfect truth, perfect love, perfect justice, perfect home, and perfect beauty, and how they are contrasted with the worldly desires observed by secular philosophers. Particularly Beltran Russell notes the four desires that today, unfortunately, drive the activities of most individuals -- acquisition of as many goods as possible, a rivalry that makes one desire the failure of the competitor, vanity that induces presumption, and the insatiable desire for power that can lead to committing atrocities against other humans and against nature.

 

8. Interplanetary Revelations

Halfway between the capital and Mauro’s home, there is a village famous for its beautiful colonial church, built in the 1600s in the Spanish-American baroque style and dedicated to St. Joseph. We decided to stop there, stay in a hotel to make the trip less tiring, and visit the church. We chose a modest inn with a restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious homemade menu and then went to the church. We arrived just as the rosary was beginning and joined in the prayers. At the end of the prayers, I realized that Mauro had gone into meditation, and I left him to his thoughts. The parishioners left and we alone remained until the sacristan came to say that, sadly, we had to leave as it was time to close the church. Mauro came out of his meditation, and we went to the atrium.

We sat on a bench and Mauro spoke, for the first time, about what seems to be the main purpose of being chosen by the creator. He said that, during his last meditations, taking advantage of the communication between the molecules of the neuronal microtubules and the rest of the universe, he visualized worlds of other planetary systems, some in the Milky Way, our galaxy, and others in distant galaxies. He emphasized that the transportation of his consciousness was instantaneous, no time was required to travel the distances. He chose worlds where he sensed there was already life. He found this life to be in different stages of evolution, very similar to what is known to have occurred on our planet. This corroborated the theory that the fundamentals for life are the same, and that it would only develop on planets with the necessary conditions, of which, among the millions of millions of millions existing, there were many millions that met the requirements. In several of those worlds he observed primates, but none of them  were similar to humans.

His conclusion was that the Creator desires that we, His beloved children, go forth to populate that wonderful universe He created for our joy. For this to be possible he endowed us with the previously mentioned Five Fundamental Desires. The first being the desire for perfect truth, so that we would develop a science that would give us the tools to make it possible. Second, the desire for perfect beauty so that we admire and respect creation. Third, a desire for the perfect home so that we take proper care of what He gives us. Fourth, is a desire for perfect justice so that, as we want it for ourselves, we give it to others. Finally, a desire for perfect love so that we know how to love others as well as correspond to the love He gives us at every moment.

We took a break to go for a walk in the park in front of the church where families were strolling. We quietly observed the social interaction: children playing, young people flirting, adults chatting. All of them were seemingly unaware that each one of their thoughts was connected to the universe.

Then we returned to the bench in the atrium and Mauro added that he perceived the revelation that the Creator, who knows all and can do all, granted Himself a necessary exception: to endow humans with the freedom to make independent decisions. Albeit with a strong moderator; a predetermined sense of ethics that would clearly indicate to us that the misuse of Free Will could lead to bad consequences -- so bad that it could bring about our extinction. Furthermore, God also thought that given the intelligence that He had granted us, we were not going to be so foolish as to miss the possibility of enjoying His infinite love. This affection presented to us as a perfectly coordinated universe, so that we could have a perfectly programmed planet where the evolution of the species could take place and, in the end, we could be here. Likewise, we would be conceived with the talent and capacity to produce our food, build our shelters, get rid of our garbage, and carry out leisure activities without harming the planet. Simultaneously, we would be endowed with intelligence to develop a science that would allow us to fulfill The Creator’s desire to take our seed to those other millions and millions of worlds that, in accordance with their own evolution, would be ready to receive it. And, on top of this all, we would be endowed with an immortal soul. What else could we possibly ask for?

Mauro finalized saying that there was an obvious condition for all this to be possible: no fighting, concord among humans was indispensable.

We returned to the inn and, as we were getting ready for bed, the calls on my cell phone started. First Mauro's father called to say that there were suspicious vehicles on his street, that he thought the pseudo-cops had returned. We agreed that in the morning we would call again to find out what else was going on.  Shortly thereafter the sacristan of Santa Cecilia called with similar observations, suspicious vehicles hanging around the church; there was no doubt, someone wanted to interfere with Mauro's talents once again. 

We tried to sleep, but after midnight a call came in from Ingrid. She sounded very worried and said that, through information circulating in the high levels of transnational corporate media, she had become aware of a second threat to Mauro's safety. Several powerful groups in the biotechnology industry had concluded that the information generated by his talents would be enough to promote technologies that would give unlimited advantages to whoever had access. At least two groups, maybe more, were trying to get him, to participate in their projects. If he refused, they were not past taking him by force and confining him. Perhaps with all the luxuries, but without the freedom to leave and work for a competitor. To make matters worse, she said, biotechnologists believed that, given the alteration of nature by human activities, the transmission of parasites, bacteria, and viruses from animals to humans was imminent. That transmission of viruses of the "corona" family, transmissible through the fine particles exhaled through breaths, was the most worrisome. Infected international travelers would quickly spread the viruses to all corners of the globe and the normal ongoing mutations of the viruses would make them particularly difficult to control. The company that succeeded in developing drugs and vaccines to effectively manage a global pandemic would be able to control humanity. She added that she would not be surprised if our conversation was being listened to and that cellular technology would allow them to track us. She suggested that we remove the batteries from our phone, no longer make calls with it, and get a new one.

We packed up and left as soon as possible, heading back to the capital, as we thought there would be no better hiding place than a big city. We acquired the new cell phone and stayed in a modest downtown hotel. After some hours of sleep, we made plans for Mauro’s long-term safety and decided to explore going back to the monastery. We didn’t notify José María, as to minimize the number of contacts but called the abbot. He said he had not observed anything abnormal at the monastery but that he would be on the lookout, and suggested we call back later for an update. We waited a few days confined in the hotel, and when we concluded that the monastery would be a safe place for Mauro, we settled him there again, this time dressed as a friar.

 

I went back to José Maria’s apartment, and he was astonished to hear about the events that had occurred. He agreed I had done the right thing and stated that he was here to help. Next, I returned to my parish and made an appointment with Mauro's parents. They quickly came and I explained the situation as best as I could. His mother found it difficult to understand what was happening, but her husband convinced her to think as if her son was a persecuted preacher in the early days of Christianity, and that it was best for for him to hide for the time being.

They would take it upon themselves to notify Mauro’s absence to the director of his school and they would prepare for the possible long absence of their son. Since they could not communicate with him directly, they would have to trust that his safety was in good hands.

His father suggested as an alternate hiding place, the house of an uncle who was a small farmer in the mountains, not far from where they lived. I replied that the decision was up to them, but I was relieved when they concluded that he should stay at the monastery. The monastery proved an excellent place for him to hide. Besides having prayer routines and time for meditation, he also had access to a vegetable garden and a small chicken and rabbit farm where he could continue his explorations of plants and animals. José María made weekly visits to the monastery and Mauro would share his new discoveries and experiences from his meditations.

José María and I established code words for our telephone conversations in case our devices were intercepted, and at the first opportunity, which was a whole two months later, I visited Mauro at the monastery. He shared with me his recent experiences, this time a bit fuzzy, but somehow related to the way humanity should start the exploration of planets of stars close to our sun.

To our surprise, we received news a short time later that the Holy See was sending a representative to meet Mauro. The papal envoy was a scientist of Belgian descent, a chemistry professor at a prestigious Catholic university in Belgium. Her name was Aline and she was fluent in Spanish. José María went to pick her up at the airport and settled her at a hotel near his home. I asked for a few days leave from the parish so that I could go with them to meetings at the monastery. Once there, Mauro and Aline talked several times over the course of three days. At the end of the interviews, she admitted she was stunned. Aline had no doubt that Mauro's intelligence was miraculous and would be of great benefit to humanity; she would immediately ask for an audience at the Vatican with religious and lay dignitaries.

She instructed that, as soon as possible, we had to make plans for a safe way to transfer Mauro to the airport and board a plane with him to Rome. Our bishop, she warned, would no doubt have to be informed of our involvement. All said, the next day Aline returned to Europe, we settled in Jose Maria’s apartment, and sure enough, the next day we were summoned to the bishop’s office where we were scolded for having done things behind his back. He told us that we were forgiven this time but never to do it again. He then signed a check for travel expenses, including plane tickets, for three people to Rome, and told us to get ready as soon as possible, as they were already waiting for us. Leading us out of his office, he added that we could have the time needed for this matter; he would look for a temporary substitute for my parish, as well as a substitute teacher for José María.

 

9. Under Close Observation

We began to plan our trip when someone knocked on our door. It was a monk from the monastery who had been instructed to deliver a message to us in person out of fear that the phone was tapped. The abbot had noticed the monastery was being watched by people in a car seen frequently circulating the vicinity.

Obviously, our frequent phone calls and movements had been detected. We immediately went to the monastery where, together with the abbot, we organized a strategy to get Mauro out. A delivery man delivered food daily on a deliver bike with a platform. Dressed in a uniform, he would arrive at the door, ring the bell, someone would open the door, he would go in and out two or three times to deposit the order behind the door, then return to his vehicle and pedal back to the warehouse.

The abbot arranged to borrow a delivery tricycle and purchased supplies and two uniforms, just like the delivery man. He then notified the warehouse to not send supplies that day. Instead, I arrived, uniformed and pedaling the delivery bike. I rang the bell and went inside three times to put my load behind the door, but on the last load it was Mauro who wore the other uniform and returned to the tricycle. He pedaled back to the warehouse where José María put him in his car, and they returned to the capital to stay at a hotel in the airport area. I made my way to the hotel by bus and the following day we flew to Rome.

To our surprise, we were met at the Italian airport by two dignitaries and two bodyguards. Clearly, the Holy See did not want any incidents. We were taken to a monastery on the outskirts of the capital, where we were shown to our rooms and introduced to Fr. Jorge. He explained that he would be the director of the Project. He would first meet with Mauro and then with each one of us and, depending on the results, he would inform us of the procedure to be followed.

It only took Fr. Jorge four days of interviews to conclude that the Mauro’s abilities were genuine and that a working committee should be organized to determine the next steps. We were also notified that an interview with the Pope would take place once we had a concrete plan.

Fr. Jorge being the coordinator, was to be on the committee, along with two scientists -- Aline and José María to our pleasant surprise -- two people from political sciences, two others from international relations, and Mauro. He would have a varied role that could have been defined as an advisor, counselor, and divine mediator. It was also decided that, while I would not be a member of the committee, I was to remain on-site as a spiritual guide. This comprehensive protocol convinced me that Mauro was in good hands, and I decided to inform his parents where we were. His mother wept with joy and relief.

The first work session lasted two weeks, during which Mauro had one of his divine visions. He described it as a journey, in the midst of profound tranquility and concord, from the most infinitesimal corners of an atom, through the biological perfections of living beings, with emphasis on the human brain, to the most distant and immense galaxies and interstellar spaces. The message was clear to the team: the future of humanity was in their hands.

 

 

 

10. The Future of Humanity

At the end of the meeting the following notification to the world community emerged:

1. It is reiterated that we are the beloved children of God, creator of the universe and the earth, and that He desires the best for us in our bodily life, as well as in the life after death.

2. As proof of His love, He has made us guardians of his creation, and as a first step, we are having the opportunity to enjoy and take care of this planet. If we demonstrate capacity, the prize will show itself: the possibility of taking this seed to other confines of the universe, where we will also have to enjoy and take care of what we discover.

3. Proof of the above are the Five Fundamental Desires longed for by our soul since birth. They induce us to be dedicated explorers of the Creator's designs, that is, we have the desire to know what exists in the farthest reaches of the universe, both in the immensity of galaxies and intergalactic spaces subject to what is known as the Theory of Relativity, as well as the microscopy and dynamics of atomic and subatomic particles subject to what is known as Quantum Mechanics.

4. Parallel to the Fundamental Desires, the Creator granted us Free Will, the capacity to act or not to act, because He loves us and wants us to be able to behave independently and responsibly, in the same way we would wish it for our children when they have grown up. Unfortunately, this concession has been misunderstood and, worse, used to commit all kinds of abuses against nature and other humans. We must keep in mind that everything and everyone must be loved and respected.

5. In order to achieve the fulfillment of the Five Fundamental Desires, we once again recognize and remind humanity that understanding, comprehension, and love for one another, as indicated by the Creator in His commandments, are indispensable.

6. The Creator, to support us as He has done on many occasions before, sends us an extraordinary being, be it a scientist, a preacher, a prophet, a mystic, or whatever name best fits each culture. This is to remind us that we must amend our behavior and act in such a way that we can all enjoy His concessions. That is, a planet, a solar system, a galaxy, and a universe perfectly coordinated so that we can use their resources for our enjoyment, but without disturbing the balance; neither between nature nor between us. This person with extraordinary talents will be part of a group of thinkers who will help us to solve the obstacles that will arise in our goal of reaching full harmony and love for God and his creation.

7. We recognize that the multiplicity of cultures, one of the results of Free Will, has given rise to a great number of religions, which have induced rivalries and terrible differences. Therefore, with the intention of initiating a process that will eventually lead to reconciliation and understanding, we propose the creation of a body called the United Religions Organization, which, similar to the United Nations, shall promote understanding, comprehension and tolerance among present and future diversities.

Following the publication of the communiqué bearing those principles, there were speeches and papal receptions where Mauro was received and presented to the world over. A large number of religious associations and nations tentatively agreed to participate in the creation of the United Religions Organization, and working groups were created to elaborate a constitution based on these principles. I imagine it will take several years to see this organization established. Regardless of the number of discussions and divergences that will arise, I am confident that they will be resolved and an agreement will be reached.

Once the process began and seeing that Mauro no longer needed me, I asked to return to St. Cecilia. My bishop offered me an administrative position in his office, but I declined considering the needs of my parishioners to be what mattered most.

11. Conclusion

Two years after that trip to Rome, I was invited to return for a meeting with Mauro. During this time, I had only received occasional phone calls from José María. He only would say that Mauro was fine and everything was progressing well but details would not be discussed for fear of interceptions. Leaked information about the deliberations or about the divine visions that Mauro had from time to time could have negative consequences and even derail the project.

After the usual scale in Madrid, I arrived in Rome, José María came to pick me up at the airport and took me to the door of the building where Mauro now lived. It was a building where dignitaries were hosted and therefore with good surveillance and security. There he told me to be prepared for pleasant surprises and said goodbye; he had business to attend to. Then a security guard led me to Mauro's apartment. He opened the door and I found the first pleasant surprise: Ingrid was also there and they had a couple of little ones in their arms! They had married a year and a half ago and were already parents of a set of twins, a boy and a girl.

A few steps ahead was the next surprise: Mauro's parents as well as Ingrid's parents. We had all been invited for a very special occasion, secret until now for security reasons. The table was set and during dinner they told me how Mauro, feeling lonely and nostalgic, realized he was in love with Ingrid. He decided to contact her and he found out that she, shortly after meeting him, also had feelings for him. There was a rigorous investigation by the security team and, once it was clear that Ingrid could not belong to the groups that wanted to monopolize Mauro, the first meeting was authorized. From then on, everything else went quickly.

After dinner Mauro and I went into a small office, he wanted to update me on the development of the project. He explained that they were working on what would be the declaration of Objectives for the Future of Humanity -- objectives that were in accordance with the guidelines and desires of the Creator, as perceived in his divine visions. Among the most important were those related to the yearning for the exploration of the farthest corners of the Universe, with the clear intention of inhabiting them. 

In the first phase, resources would be concentrated on the improvement of the so-called "artificial intelligence". He emphasized that this was an inappropriate term, because this emerging science, like all others, is nothing more than an instrument in support of the natural intelligence that God has granted us, but in no way was it an equivalent or a substitute, since it has no soul. “Advanced Automation” would be a more correct term, he concluded.

The objective of this improvement would be divided into two parallel streams. The first would see the development of robots with the ability to withstand long interplanetary travel. These would be settled on planets of stars close to our solar system, where Mauro's spiritual explorations indicated there was a possibility of inducing an ecology like our own. Given the long time required to transport the information, these robots should be designed in such a way that, once settled in a place, they could work with reduced interaction with their human controllers. Obviously, the first step in this colonization effort would be the installation of equipment brought along to collect the energy that would allow the robots to work. Next would be the construction of workshops for their maintenance and repair, as well as the construction of new equipment, including replicas of themselves.

The step-by-step design of the Advanced Automation required for these robots would be complex and time-consuming and so a second initiative would take place in parallel, he further explained. Time and effort would be invested to develop electronic equipment that would have the capacity to capture and store elements of human intelligence transferred from a person. In turn, this electronic equipment, with its individualized software, could be installed in the interplanetary robots, which would acquire a degree of personalization and autonomy to make independent decisions. This would make their work more efficient.

Mauro took a pause, and excitedly listed off some of the possible difficult questions that may be raised in pursuit of those initiatives:

- Could intelligence be transferred from a person without damaging his or her brain?

- Perhaps it would only be ethical to transfer the intelligence of people who were about to pass away?  If this were the case, what would happen to the body and soul of the "donor"?

- Would an electronic brain ever have the capacity to house the soul or not? If it was possible, would it be ethical and desirable to implement it?

- Would the replication of consciousnesses be possible? If this were to happen, what ethical, moral, and religious conflicts would arise?

He took a deep breath, as to recollect memories, and with a smile continued, “In an independent third stage, as discussed in the atrium of San Jose’s parish not too long ago, the possibility of intergalactic teleportation would be examined. As we know, the groundwork would be postulates of quantum theory known as "entanglement" where it is established that the elements of matter, whether of inanimate objects or living beings, are not made of independent particles, but are part of an inseparable whole. In other words, one constituent cannot be depicted without considering the influence of the others, whether the others are here or in the most remote galaxy.”

- He added that this aspect would raise even greater questions regarding the soul and its corresponding body. Theology indicates that the essence for each soul has always existed, from the moment of creation, in every corner of the universe. The body to which it corresponds is simply an anchor assigned temporarily, an anchored transmitting and receiving antenna from which it communicates with all the ends of the universe.

“Would the soul follow the body wherever it goes?” he questioned

Mauro and I then speculated what the planets should be like with an ecology already adjusted to receive humans. Knowing that energy production from carbon, and even hydroelectric power, are harmful to the environment, efforts should be concentrated on capturing the energy emanating from nearby stars. This energy would be used first in the operation of agricultural equipment that would plant and harvest food. Next would be the construction of homes and the manufacturing of appliances and equipment for local and interplanetary transportation and communication. Efforts would also be made to carve time for education, the necessary enjoyment of leisure time, and very important, to show our gratitude to the Creator with the construction of ceremonial centers for individual and collective meditation and prayer.

We ended our conversation, and I was taken back to my apartment. I was jet-lagged and exhausted but couldn't sleep thinking about everything that had happened and been discussed.

A few days later we had the baptism of the little ones. It took place in a beautiful local chapel decorated with impressive paintings by one of the most famous artists of the Renaissance. Several alluded to the creation and granting of the soul to humans, very much in keeping with the theme of the new lives that were being initiated.

Now I am back in my parish, happy and grateful for having had the opportunity to participate in an event that will undoubtedly bring great benefits to humanity. I must think about how to explain to my parishioners, in the Sunday homily, the reason for my absence and what is happening in the Vatican.