(G)Nostic Nunnery

Archangels Encircling Us , Outside Time and Earth

2012-02-19T21:20:00.000-05:00

Introductory Rite from the Apostolic Johannite Gnostic Liturgy-The Grail of Undefiled Wisdom

Calling of the Quarters-

Yellow:

In the name of Light arising, do we summon Raphael, the Healer, , guardian of Air and Wind and Tempest, to guard this chamber and witness the acts here taken. come mighty Raphael, and grace us with thy presence.

Red:

In the name of Light increasing, we summon Michael, the Defender, Lord of Fire and Prince of the Legions of Heaven. may he guard this Chamber and give due witness to the acts here taken. Come, mighty Michael, and grace us with thy presence.

Blue:

In the name of Light descending, we likewise summon Gabriel, Lord of Water, Heavenly Herald,

who did bring glad tidings to Our Blessed Lady. May this chamber be guarded and our acts here witnessed. come mighty Gabriel, and grace us with thy presence.

Green:

In the name of Light returning, we also summon Uriel, Dark Lord of Earth, who bringest all at last unto the Nether Shore, companion of all who offer up their lives in the defense of others, guard this Chamber and witness the acts here taken. Come, mighty Uriel, and grace us with thy presence.

Master and Lord our God, You have established in heaven the orders and hosts of angels and archangels to minister to your glory. Grant that the holy angels may enter with us, that together we may serve and glorify Your goodness. For to You belongs all glory, and worship, now and forever and to the ages of ages.

Response:

We gather together outside time, in a place not of earth. As our ancestors before us bade, we join together and are One of purpose. By Thy Blessed Apostles, by all Thy Holy Angels, ; by all powers of Light and Shadow, we call Thee to guard and defend us from all perils, O Most High.

I come to cast fire upon the earth. And what will I, but that it be enkindled.

Response:

From the Portal of Air

To the Portal of Water,

From the Portal of Fire

To the Portal of Earth,

To the encompassing of the Adamant,

Let this Sanctuary be Established

Within the Sacred Flame.

Not having been raised Roman Catholic but rather in the Assemblies of God as an evangelical Christian I gave little thought to angels. Growing up, I rarely heard them mentioned except at Christmas or Easter (and that only in passing) and sometimes in Sunday School or in a sermon which had to do with a particular passage in the Old Testament. The only two angels which I knew that had a name was Micheal, because of his role in casting out the rebellious angels from heaven, and very briefly Gabriel as part of the Nativity narrative. Guardian angels were "kinda, sorta" accepted but they were never considered with much significance and there was no real "devotion" to them. As a child, the first picture I saw depicting any angel was a large framed rendition of the lovely, golden-haired guardian angel dressed in flowing white robes as she protected two small children crossing a broken bridge during a storm.( This picture is popular in most Christian circles so those who read this post will probably be able to recall it.) My family and I moved many times but this particular religious work of art was always hung in a prominent place in our various homes.

Ain

2012-02-18T21:40:00.002-05:00

During the month of July and most of August, I've reading and thinking about the Secret Book of James. My favorite passage thus far has been the paragraph on the feelings of lack and then being filled.

Then Peter answered, "Look, three times you have told us, 'Be filled', but we are filled."

The savior answered and said, "for this reason, I have told you, 'Be filled',that you may not lack. Those who lack will not be saved. To be filled is good and to lack is bad. Yet since it is also good for you to lack but bad for you to be filled, whoever is filled also lacks. One who lacks is not filled in the way another who lacks is filled, but whoever is filled is brought to an appropriate end. So you should lack when you can fill yourselves and be filled when you lack, that you may be able to fill yourselves more. Be filled with spirit but lack in reason, for reason is of the soul. It is soul.

~~~The Gnostic Bible, pgs. 343-344; edited by Willis Barnstone and Marvin Meyer, 2003, New Seeds Books

I do not have the background to go into subtle distinctions made here between the spirit and soul in a Valentinian context but I can try and relate a bit of what it meant to me. (I believe that trying to express in words, written or spoken, a spiritual experience, is difficult at best and at worst may sound childish or even insipid. Hence the brilliance of Teresa of Avila who was able to do that and in such a way that her metaphors will live on through her books.)

Ain- No-Thing or No-Thingness; a term for God in the Kabbalah, an indication of the nature of God; the emptiness which is at the same time Divine fullness; the transcendence of God and the Godhead.

~~~Tau Malachi

from The Gnostic Gospel of Saint Thomas:meditations On The Mystical Teaching

page:

Sharing Computers

2012-02-18T21:20:00.001-05:00

Apologies for posts long delayed!
For one thing I've been trying to work around no longer having the internet at my fingertips in my apartment.I am so far behind in blogging and other communications online =( My computer is so down that I have no idea when or if it will be up again as I cannot afford to have the whole tower replaced plus the fan but internet service of any kind is not possible in my current or possibly long term budget-sad! The good news is that my building has a small Computer Learning Center including a top of the line printer! The Center, having three new Dell computers, was set up just outside our large community room late last spring; about the time when mine totaled out on me. So while I no longer have access to all of the music, movies and the hundreds of folders and files on my old hard drive, I can at least do all of the basic internet necessities on a time-share basis with the other tenants. Most of the tenants in my building have their own internet access and computers so I don't have to share computer time with all of the other 99 people living here. The best news is that I don't have to to the library in all kinds of bad weather although our winter here was freakishly mild!) and wait in line with many other folks for only an hour's use on one their computers. And yes, there has been some friction over using the computers here with those in the community room who want to watch television or a movie blaring loud and who also want to shut out the lights shut off the AC whilethey're watching some lame movie starring Jeannette McDonald and Mario Lansa-eeek! shudder! I have learned now to simply plug in my small speakers and headset into the computer and listen to internet radio or one of my Hildegard CD's whilst other tenants are raving or raging over a Pats game-sigh...! However, I'm seriously thrilled-and thankful- about having use of the internet when I cannot have my own on which to work. Our community computers are high speed so I can still enjoy a horrorfest on Fear Net or Hulu.

O, Come Now Wisdom!

2011-12-20T20:18:00.006-05:00

"O, Wisdom,that proceedest from the mouth of the Most High,reaching from end to end,mightily,and disposing all things sweetly!Come and teach us the way of prudence!"

It is midst all of the misery, chaos, suffering and war that once again I find myself waiting in quiet anticipation to remember and celebrate the coming of Light, the Word made flesh, the inexpressible knowledge of the Father.

'Tis Better To Know Than To Believe

2011-12-02T17:21:00.008-05:00

Occupy Wall Street-All Around The World!

2011-10-24T21:02:00.003-04:00

To All Of Those Occupying The "Banking" Streets Of Their Cities Throughout The World:

Although I have been unable to participate in the Occupy Wall Street camp outs and protests in New York and other cities close to where I live. my heart, spirit, support and daily prayers meant for each one of you participating in this global movement against the intolerable greed in our home countries! I pray for the movement to grow and spread,for determination and strength for all of the courageous people keeping these occupations going!

I believe that everyone must take a stand, at some in his or her life, against the atrocities of war , bigotry, racism, sexism, LGBT oppression, intolerance in all of its ugly manifestations, economic and social injustice and the hatred, violence and greed which fuel these blights and terrors on humanity!

Blessings, Light, Courage and Love To Each One Of You!

Beyond A Reasonable Doubt; But Not In Georgia

2011-09-25T14:54:00.004-04:00

Striving To Love Perfectly

2011-09-19T12:46:00.003-04:00

Portrait of Thomas Merton by Joseph Malham

“This then is what it means to seek God perfectly: to withdraw from illusion and pleasure, from worldly anxieties and desires, from the works that God does not want, from a glory that is only human display; to keep my mind free from confusion in order that my liberty may be always at the disposal of His will; to entertain silence in my heart and listen for the voice of God; to cultivate an intellectual freedom from the images of created things in order to receive the secret contact of God in obscure love; to love all men as myself…”

~~~Thomas Merton

from New Seeds of Contemplation

Transfiguration

2011-08-29T14:54:00.007-04:00

~~~~Icon painted by Ian Knowles

Check out Elias Icons to enjoy his life-sized gorgeous icons.

While meditating on the Luminous Mysteries of the traditional rosary, I was inspired by the third event of Jesus' active life, recalled by his Transfiguration, to understand that the dazzling light of himself, like that compared to the sun's, which he allowed to be seen briefly, is truly who WE are!! Each and everyone of us is indeed this blinding light with which Jesus shone on that that day upon Mount Tabor-the Light of the full knowledge of his Union With The All! The unrealized Union which each person Is and which our belief in our separation from the All keeps hidden within so deeply in our consciousness. Jesus was able to attain to this Fullness of Knowledge; he grew into this wisdom and knowledge from the time he was an adolescent until his baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist. Perhaps this growth took place at an even earlier age.

I believe this understanding of Union With God is a major difference between mainstream,literal Christianity,in all of its various traditions, and a Gnostic, esoteric understanding of this supreme "goal" sought by mystics. The mainstream interpretation of Union With God is something which must be ATTAINED through prayer, asceticism, penance, renouncement of worldly pleasures and material gains and strictly following their religious traditions of understanding the Holy Bible-accepted Canons- as well as doctrine and dogma.

However, as a Gnostic Christian, my knowledge of what is Union With God varies from that of the traditional viewpoint in that I know each individual is already in Union With The All; it just must needs to be realized. As each person becomes more and more open to the inspirations of Holy Sophia, the greater becomes the awareness of Who We Really Are; from whence we came and to where we are going. This is the salvation which I know Jesus came to impart. We are already are the beauty of the Transfiguration but our our belief in our "separateness" from what most people refer to as "God", keeps us in ignorance of our Union With The All Above All deities.

Yet I am in agreement with some of the tools that mainstream Christians use to help them in striving to attain this sought after Union to which some refer to as heaven. Prayer-being open to Holy Sophia, using the material of this world as means toward that end but not making the material the whole point of our lives, a certain amount of self denial by which I understand as service to others in our respective communities especially those who oppressed, abandoned and without material means to care for themselves. And yes, a regular reading of Holy Scriptures-including those of the Nag Hammadi Library and sacred writings from non Christian beliefs-and pondering their meanings is most important to become ever more aware of the Sacredness Within Us and We Within The Sacred.

I do not believe that the Transfiguration is something in which we will take part at some point after our physical demise in some far away "heaven place in the skies". I know rather that it is here and now and always was and will be and can be experienced by all of those who seek their True Identity as opposed to those who seek for union with a deity who is far and away outside themselves.

Assumption In The Dark

2011-08-25T13:55:00.006-04:00

A profound yet simple meditation on the Assumption or Dormition of Mary Sophia written by the Rev. Donald Donato, rector of Saint Sarah's Parish in Boston, Massachusetts.

12 August 2011
When I was a student I was required to do a field study in a very small village. My assignment was to interview and document the impressions and memories of the townspeople who were young adults in the 1930s. The interesting thing about the village was that most of the houses had been carved into the mountain on which it is built. More than half of each house is actually a cave.

It was winter, and it was dark. I remember retreating to my bedroom in the cave, and, not having any windows, I slept and slept and slept, until one of my hosts woke me up laughing. She gently explained that sleeping in a cave somehow resets our internal clocks sometimes. The lack of light makes us forget.

In order to complete my research, I knew that I had to be disciplined about getting up in the morning, especially because this was an agricultural town and the people were early risers. It took some work, but I managed to get my watch to sound-off. I left the door open so that some light would flicker in. These were little tricks that helped me not to be lost in the luxurious darkness of that cave.

If the lack of light made me forget myself, I can only imagine what we do to ourselves when we forget who we really are, and what we are all capable of doing. Rising from the darkness into the light is certainly a shopworn metaphor, but if it works, run with it. That is exactly the theme that Gnostics commemorate on August 15, which is known as the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Sophia. This day is arguably one of the most important focal points for contemplation in the entire calendar.

The reason that the Assumption is so important is because it is a powerful allegory of the development of both the individual and humanity as a whole. The upward movement of our aspirations and understandings, the evolution of our material and spiritual lives; all of this is contained in the very ancient, archetypal principle of the assumption of the divine feminine.

The Gnostic myth of Sophia is a prequel to the Genesis story which is more familiar to popular culture and religion. This prequel utterly shifts the focus of the allegory because the “fall” of humanity is actually a step forward. Eden symbolizes the ignorant, childlike (also animal-like) immaturity of humans. The serpent is a sign of both good and evil, slithering its way up the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. There are interesting comparisons to be made between this myth and the Kabalistic Tree of Life, but that would be something of a tangent.

According to these myths, long before Eden, Sophia, turns away from the One, and begins a series of events which lead to the creation of the material universe, including her son, the demiurge, and all of us. In short, she struggles with her own creations, the powers or rulers (archons) of the new material cosmos, but she manages to endow the human race with her spirit.

There are several ancient versions of this story which differ in some aspects, but this is the simple storyline. The descent of Sophia into matter is an explanation by ancient people of the existence of ignorance, the urge to go forward in the darkness, indeed a thought process which we see driving the deepest human needs and desires. What could be more human than the urge to explore the unknown, to learn, to move beyond perceived boundaries, while all along being shrouded in ignorance and doubt?

Conversely, the assumption of Sophia also begins in darkness and ignorance, but it rises slowly, just as we do, to new stages of our lives, better understandings of ourselves and our responsibility toward others. Sophia begins her long journey upwards without knowledge of who is guiding her. Upon reaching a certain level, she is suddenly aware that the Logos (the “Word” or “reason”) has been with her all along. In short, the assumption is a noun of action. It calls us to rise above the worries and vanities of living a purely material life.

The path towards our fulfillment as human beings is irrevocably tied to our willingness to walk forward, not only under our own power, but in concert with others. Let’s face it; I couldn’t have done my research without that first wake-up call. We need each other, and sooner or later you will find that no one rises without the help of others. If the mythical Sophia didn’t realize that she was being helped until she got above the clouds, how well do you think we’re seeing in the dark?

For more outstanding posts concerning Gnostic spirituality, human justice and dignity, Apostolic Johannite Church history , insights into our human/spiritual condition and the many aspects of Gnosticism, check out In Puris Naturalibus.

Madeleines For Mary Magdalene's Feastday =)

2011-07-21T19:12:00.031-04:00

To add a festive touch in celebrating St Mary Magdalene's Feastday, I highly recommend making a batch or two or three of these delicious, buttery confections known as Madleleines. Madeleine is French for Magdalene and France is the country of origin of these not-too-sweet tea cookies. There are many stories as to the origin of these delicate, shell shaped treats but the one I like best is long ago, the Sisters of Saint Mary Magdalene developed this recipe and used to bake these cookies and sell them to raise money for their convent. Eventually, the recipe was sold to a local baker for a goodly sum and Madeleines have continued in popularity until now and probably always will be there. Below is the traditional Madeleine recipe and it looks to be simple enough.

/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter

1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup (133 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Note: If you make miniature madeleines, reduce the baking time to about 7-9 minutes.

First, melt the butter and allow it to cool while you make the batter.

In a small bowl place the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until well blended.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar at medium-high speed until the mixture has tripled in volume and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted (about 5 minutes). Add the vanilla extract and beat to combine.

Sift a small amount of flour over the egg mixture and, using a large rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the beaten eggs to lighten it. Sift the rest of the flour over the egg mixture and fold in being sure not to overmix or the batter will deflate.

Whisk a small amount of the egg mixture into the melted butter to lighten it. Then fold in the cooled melted butter in three additions. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or several hours, until slightly firm.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Generously butter two 12-mold madeleine pans. Dust the molds with flour and tap out the excess. (Could spray pans with Bakers Joy instead.) (Make sure the pans are well greased or the madeleines will stick and be hard to remove.)

Drop a generous tablespoonful of the batter into the center of each prepared mold, leaving the batter mounded in the center. (This will result in the classic "humped" appearance of the madeleines.)

Bake the madeleines for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers spring back when lightly touched. Do not overbake these cookies or they will be dry.

Remove the pans from the oven and rap each pan sharply against a countertop to release the madeleines. Transfer the madeleines, smooth sides down, to wire racks to cool. The madeleines are best served the same day but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days or frozen, well wrapped, for up to 1 month.

When serving dust with confectioners sugar.

Makes about 24 - 3 inch (8 cm) madeleines.

Variation: Lemon-Poppy Seed Madeleines - Substitute 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar for 2/3 cup white sugar, substitute 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract plus 1 teaspoon finely minced lemon zest for 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and add l tablespoon poppy seeds after adding butter. Proceed with recipe.

Bittersweet Chocolate Madeleines - Melt 4 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (in pieces) in top of double boiler (stainless steel bowl over a saucepan) until melted. Let cool slightly. Follow the above recipe but add the melted chocolate to the batter after adding the melted butter. Proceed with recipe.

Click on Cookies to this recipe and more at Joy Of Baking

Madeleine cookie pans and be purchased through Amazon. com in both the regular and miniture size shapes.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=madeleine+cookies+pan&x=17&y=26

Enjoy!!

Here's a large selection of Madeleine Cookie Pans.

For variations on these traditional French tea cookies, check out Recipe Link and Joy of Baking.

Jesus Prayer Trances

2011-07-20T16:17:00.007-04:00

How to communicate to others the experiences, images, mysticism transpiring during my prayers of hesychasm? Light and trees, light within and around, connecting light through leaves of trees.

Lord Jesus Christ

Son of God,

Have mercy upon me

A sinner.

Images OfOur Lady Of Mount Carmel, July 16, 2011

2011-07-16T13:53:00.018-04:00

This gorgeous print may be purchased from the Carmelite Nuns in Tara Haute, Indiana.

The Patroness Of Cats And Those Who Love Them

2011-07-15T19:51:00.012-04:00

A CAT'S PRAYER
(Fleur Puss)

Thank you, God, for harvest-time,
For milk, for meat, for fish,
Thank you, God, for all the food,
I find upon my dish.

Thank you, God, for Autumn time,
When leaves come tumbling down,
Thank you for their pretty colours,
Red, and gold, and brown.

Thank you, God, for giving me,
A lovely coat of fur,
Thank you, God, that I can talk
By means of mew and purr.

Thank you for my happy home,
Where love and care abound;
Thank you for its warmth and comfort,
Always to be found.

Thank you, God, for all the gifts,
That life has given me;
Dear God, who made us all, I raise
My humble paws to Thee.

THE CATS' LITANY
(Joan M Vivian)

For all unwanted kittens and cats
For all who have no-one to love them
We beseech Thee to hear us, Good Lord.

For all sick and injured kittens and cats
We beseech Thee to hear us, Good Lord.

For all abandoned and dumped cats
Especially pregnant queens with nowhere to bear their kittens
We beseech Thee to hear us, Good Lord.

From all cruel, unthinking people and those
Who put the cat out at night
Good Lord deliver us.

From all who go on holiday and leave us to fend for ourselves
From all those who think cats are self-sufficient and can feed themselves
Good Lord deliver us.

From wet nights and no shelter
Good Lord deliver us.

From mange, cat flu, feline enteritis and all the ills cats are heir to,
Good Lord deliver us.

We thank you, Lord, for all those who love us,
For warm milk, warm bed, fires and any who make happy homes for us,
At rescue shelters,
And grant, O Lord, when our time comes,
A happy ending and a place reserved for cats in Thy Heaven.

For more information on the Belgian abbess, patroness of cats, travelers and those in need of lodging, check out Saints Preserved.

A Very Gnostic Novena To Mary Magdalene

2011-07-13T19:16:00.006-04:00

The icon Miriam of Magdala painted by Marchela Dimitrova

As I begin my novena in honor of Saint Mary Magdalene tonight, I chose this one in particular as it was bit different from the traditional novenas I had found online. meditations chosen for this novena are short but of great depth and wonderfully combine readings from the New Testament Gospels and those from the Nag Hammadi Library.

Novena to Mary Magdalene

An essential form of devotion to the Divine Feminine is prayer, and one of the most ancient is the novena (Latin for nine), a private or public prayer that is said each day on nine consecutive days, often those preceding a saint's feast day. For example, a traditional Magdalene novena might begin on July 14 and would finish on Mary Magdalene's July 22 feast day. Novena's are an ancient Christian practice whose beginnings are unclear; originally they may have been Roman pagan forms of supplication.

Day One

Reading
I was sent forth from the power, and I have come to those who reflect upon me,
and I have been found among those who seek after me.
Look upon me, you who reflect upon me,
and you hearers, hear me.
You who are waiting for me, take me to yourselves.
And do not banish me from your sight.
Thunder, Perfect Mind

Reflection
Mary Magdalene, you who are the embodiment of the Holy Sophia, you have made yourself known once again in our world. You are indeed a full manifestation of the Holy One. Let us remember your great power and majesty even as we meditate on your human form.

Contemplation
When women look on her they rave about her,
Queens and concubines sing her praises.
Who is this who appears like the dawn,
Resplendent as the moon, irradiant as the sun,
Awesome as an army on parade?
Song of Songs 6:9-10

Day Two

Reading
The companion is Mary of Magdala. Jesus loved her more than his students. He kissed her often on her face, more than all his students, and they said, "Why do you love her more than us?" The savior answered, saying to them, "Why do I not love you like her?"
Gospel of Phillip

Reflection
From time immemorial, you as Christ the Sophia have been the consort of Christ the Logos. In your divine play as Yeshua's companion, you call us to integrate our internal female and male energies. Let us aspire to be as beloved to you as you are to Yeshua.

Contemplation
How beautiful and exquisite you are,
How dear, my beloved, my maiden of ecstasy!
Song of Songs 7:7

Day Three

Reading
Then turning toward the woman, Jesus said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment."
Gospel of Luke 7:44-46

Reflection
Washing the feet of another is a sign of humility and service, and this you offered to Yeshua, even though you are his equal in all respects. Let the purifying and sanctifying energies of your presence flow into our lives, through tears, through surging rivers, through refreshing fountains, and through the sea, rising and falling with the moon.

Contemplation
You are a garden fount, a well of living water falling from Lebanon.
Song of Songs 4:15

Day Four

Reading
Soon afterward Jesus went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the dominion of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities. Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out . . . . Gospel of Luke 8:1-2

Reflection
Magdalene, you were made healed and perfected through the cleansing of your seven subtle power centers (chakras). May we also release the seven veils of illusion concealing the brilliant clarity and bliss of our natural state of being.

Contemplation
Glory to Mary, because she has listened to her master, [she has] carried out his instructions with joy in her whole heart.
[Glory and] triumph to the soul of blessed Mary.
Manichaean Psalms

Day Five

Reading
While he was in Bethany, at the house of Simon the leper, and he was reclining at his table, a woman came in with an alabaster jar of myrrh, made of pure and costly nard. She broke the jar and poured the myrrh on his head . . .. [Jesus said] "She anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I tell you the truth, wherever the good news is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her."
Gospel of Mark 14:3-9

Reflection
For millennia, priestesses and priests have used essential oils, such as myrrh, frankincense, and spikenard, to heal, transform, and initiate. By christening Yeshua in this way, you sealed him to you as your consort, O Queen of Heaven. May we go forth as healers and sages in your name to assist the re-emergence of the Divine Feminine in our world.

Contemplation
While the king was couched within,
My nard spread out its fragrance.
Song of Songs 1:12

Day Six

Reading
But Miryam stood by the tomb, weeping. Then as she was weeping, she stooped and looked into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Yeshua was laid. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken my lord away and I don't know where they put him."
Gospel of John

Reflection
When you discovered Yeshua's body had disappeared, you plunged into deep feelings of divine separation. Although we are forever united to you, Mary-Sophia, our confused perceptions trick us into thinking that we are somehow separate and alone. By meditating on your life, Magdalene, may we remember our true standing as empowered beings and co-creators of this world.

Contemplation
On my bed in the night I sought my soul's sole love.
I sought for him but found him not.
I will rise up and comb the city,
In the roads and crossroads I will seek out the love of my soul.
I sought for him but found him not.
Song of Songs 3:1-2

Day Seven

Reading
The disciples were grieved. They wept profoundly and said, "How can we go to the gentiles and preach the good news of the kingdom of the child of humanity? If they did not spare him, how will we be spared?" Mary stood up, greeted them all, and said to her brothers, "Do not weep or grieve or be in doubt, for his grace will be with you all and will protect you. Rather let us praise his greatness, for he has prepared us and made us truly human."
Gospel of Mary

Reflection
In death, our loved ones step over to another reality that we cannot readily perceive. By emulating your courage and insight, Magdalene, may we overcome obstacles and chimeras created by the mind and apprehend the world's true nature.

Contemplation
Bottomless waters cannot extinguish love, nor floodwaters overcome it.
Were anyone to barter all they owned for love, how it would be ridiculed.
Song of Songs 8:7

Day Eight

Reading
Peter said to Mary, "Sister, we know that the savior loved you more than other women. Tell us the words of the savior that you remember, which you know and we do not. We have not heard them." Mary answered, saying, "What is hidden from you I will reveal to you."

Reflection
Yeshua transmitted secret teachings to you that were withheld from the other apostles. As we become more fully present to Reality, Magdalene, initiate us into the hidden wisdom you alone hold.

Contemplation
Yeshua said, "I disclose my mysteries to those who are worthy of my mysteries."
Gospel of Thomas

Day Nine

Reading
Mary said to them: "I will now speak to you of that which has not been given to you to hear. I had a vision of the Teacher, and I said to him: ‘Lord I see you now in this vision.' And he answered, ‘You are blessed, for the sight of me does not disturb you. There where is the nous, lies the treasure.'"
Gospel of Mary

Reflection
Through means of the nous ("divine intelligence"), you apprehended the Teacher Yeshua in his new state of being, without alarm or unease. May our nous, our inner sight and luminous intelligence, be activated and amplified so we may envision the Real.

Contemplation
I am a lamp to you who see me.
Amen.
I am a mirror to you who perceive me.
Amen.
I am a door to you who knock on me.
Amen.
I am a way to you, you passerby.
Amen.
The Round Dance of the Cross

~ Siobhán Joan Houston

Siobhán (pronounced shi-VAHN) Houston was born in Berkeley and raised on the California coast. She graduated from Harvard Divinity School in 1995 and currently is a doctoral candidate in religious studies at the University of Exeter (UK). A longtime practitioner of the Western mysteries, she has written widely on contemporary religious issues for numerous national magazines, including GNOSIS: A Journal of the Western Inner Traditions and Parabola. Her short fiction, poetry, and essays have appeared in We' Moon, Weird Sisters, and various lesbian anthologies. Please take the time to visit her website.

Mary Magdalene's Litany

2011-07-09T19:00:00.005-04:00

The Litany of St. Mary Magdalen

For Private Use Only.

Lord, have mercy on us,
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us,
Christ, graciously hear us.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us.
St. Mary Magdalen,
Pray for us.
Sister of Martha and Lazarus, etc.
Thou who didst enter the Pharisee's house to anoint the feet of Jesus,
Who didst wash His feet with thy tears,
Who didst dry them with thy hair,
Who didst cover them with kisses,
Who wast vindicated by Jesus before the proud Pharisee,
Who from Jesus received the pardon of thy sins,
Who before darkness wast restored to light,
Mirror of penance,
Disciple of Our Lord,
Wounded with the love of Christ,
Most dear to the Heart of Jesus,
Constant woman,
Last at the Cross of Jesus, first at His tomb,
Thou who wast the first to see Jesus risen,
Whose forehead was sanctified by the touch of thy risen Master,
Apostle of apostles,
Who didst choose the "better part,"
Who lived for many years in solitude being miraculously fed,
Who wast visited by Angels seven times a day,
Sweet advocate of sinners,
Spouse of the King of Glory,

V. Saint Mary Magdalen, earnestly intercede for us with thy Divine Master,
R. That we may share thy happiness in Heaven.

Let Us Pray.

May the glorious merits of blessed Mary Magdalen, we beseech Thee, O Lord,
make our offerings acceptable to Thee, for Thine only-begotten Son vouchsafed
graciously to accept the humble service she rendered. We ask this through Him
Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, God forever and ever. R. Amen.

May the prayers of blessed Mary Magdalen help us, O Lord, for it was in answer to them
that Thou didst call her brother Lazarus, four days after death, back from the grave to life,
Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, Unity in Trinity,
world without end. R. Amen.

Taken from Catholic Traditions

http://www.catholictradition.org/Magdalen/litany76.htm

Mary Magdalene's Rosary Of Healing Mysteries

2011-07-07T20:21:00.016-04:00

I begin this month dedicated to Mary Magdalene by presenting another version of the classic rosary formula using events in her life and Scripture which focus on the need for healing; healing any kind but for today those of the millions of us who think poorly of ourselves. I'm going to be taking several of these prayers as a starting points for meditation this week and the next. I was particularly touched by the opening prayer:

What binds us is slain, what surrounds us is destroyed, all desire is gone, ignorance is dead. We are free to remember eternity. We shall rest in silence for all ages and aeons. Amen

These prayers were taken from the site:http://www.santuariosanrafael.com/index_files/Page2424.htm

This site contains a wealth of other contemplative suggestions. It's a very good to place to browse! =)

The Rosary of St. Mary Magdalene

in Seven Mysteries

For Prayer with the Franciscan Crown

A pilgrimage of liberation

and enlightenment

General Instructions for the Rosary of Mary Magdalene

Begin by having an intention in mind for the rosary. Then begin with:

The Sign of the Cross

Holding the cross in the right hand (if right handed), with the rest of the rosary in the left hand, bless yourself with the Invocation:

+In the Name of God, the Living One, Word, and Spirit. Amen.

Opening Prayer

What binds us is slain, what surrounds us is destroyed, all desire is gone, ignorance is dead. We are free to remember eternity. We shall rest in Silence for all ages and aeons. Amen.

On the first bead after the cross say the "Our Father": Many people prefer to use an alternative prayer to affirm that God is beyond all gender:

Our Mother, with us on earth, holy is your name, your true reign come, your will be done, within us as it is within you. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those whose sins have oppressed us, and lead us not into confusion, but enlighten us with your wisdom. Amen.

On the next three beads say the "AVE MARIA":
Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us now, and at the hour of death. Amen.

After the third AVE MARIA hold the chain and say the GLORIA PATRI:

Glory to you, O God, Living One, Word, and Spirit. Now, and for all ages and aeons. Amen.

Some may want to substitute the traditional prayer: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is how and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.”

Name the mystery and read the thoughts and prayer that follow each one. Begin with the “DO NOT WEEP…: on the bead just before the medal and “THE SAVIOR HAS MADE ME WORTHY…”on the next ten beads following the medal. On the chain following these ten beads, say the GLORIA PATRI...with the BLESSED are you...Then, name the next mystery and proceed as above until all the mysteries have been said—End with the closing prayer and novena.

Opening Prayer

What binds us is slain, what surrounds us is destroyed, all desire is gone, ignorance is dead. We are free to remember eternity. We shall rest in silence for all ages and aeons. Amen

Prayer of Levi
Pray on the large bead:
Do not weep and do not grieve, The Savior’s grace is with you. Let us praise the One who made us truly human. Amen.

Prayer of Mary Magdalene
Pray on the ten beads of each decade
The Savior has made me worthy,
and knows me very well.
Jesus loves me beyond all measure. I drink from the stream
of Living Water.
I have seen the Lord. Amen.

Gloria Patri
Glory to you, O God, Living One, Word, and Spirit, now and for all ages and aeons. Amen. Blessed are you that did not waver at the sight of me, for where your mind is, there is your treasure. Amen.

First Mystery:
The journey from darkness to LIGHT.

“Afterward Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the reign of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources. Luke 8:1-3

Prayer: O God, through the intercession of St. Mary Magdalene, may we receive the grace to relinquish our illnesses and infirmities, begin our journey out of darkness towards the dawn, and open ourselves to the light of God, that we may be enlightened and raised to new life and consciousness. Amen.

On the large bead: “Do not weep…”

On the ten beads: “The Savior has made me worthy…”

On the chain: “Glory to you...Blessed are you…

Second Mystery:
The journey from desire to non-attachment

“I am dark – but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem – As the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Salma. Do not stare at me because I am swarthy, because the sun has burned me. My brothers have been angry with me; they charged me with the care of the vineyard; my own vineyard I have not cared for.” Song of Songs 1:4-5

Prayer: O God, through the intercession of St. Mary Magdalene, help us follow the inner path of abandonment and non-attachment, that we may ascend with Jesus to a new awareness of love and so better serve others in the vineyard of the Lord. Amen.

(After the scripture and the prayer, say the prayers on the beads)

Third Mystery:

The journey from ignorance to knowledge

As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her” Luke 10:38-42

Prayer: O God, through the intercession of St. Mary Magdalene, who learned the inner knowledge at the feet of the Savior, grant that we may so fully enter the depths of our own hearts that we may discover therein the burning flame of Divine Love. Amen.

(After the scripture and the prayer, say the prayers on the beads)

Fourth Mystery: The Journey from

death into life:

When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Sir, come and see.” And Jesus wept. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out. So Jesus said, “Untie him and let him go.” Jn 11:32-35; 43-44.

Prayer: O God, through the intercession of St. Mary Magdalene, may we pass safely from the pits of despair to the gardens of life, mindful of the deep love of the Savior. Amen.

(After the scripture and the prayer, say the prayers on the beads)

Fifth Mystery:
The journey from the material to spiritual

And as Mary wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, and they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” Then she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. He said to her, “Why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jn 20:11-16

Prayer: O God, through the intercession of St. Mary Magdalene, whose heart was cleansed and opened by Jesus, help us open the doors of our hearts to rise up and meet the Savior who illuminates our souls . Amen.

(After the scripture and the prayer, say the prayers on the beads)

Sixth Mystery:
The journey from earthly thought to the
heavenly wisdom of Holy Sophia

Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” Jn. 20:18

Prayer: O God, through the intercession of St. Mary Magdalene, may we receive the grace and presence of Holy Wisdom, to raise us up from error into your heavenly realm of knowledge and light. Amen.

(After the scripture and the prayer, say the prayers on the beads)

Seventh Mystery:
The journey from wrath and self-will
to the Love of Christ-Sophia

“Kiss me with the kisses of your mouth. More delightful is your love than wine. Your name spoken is a spreading perfume, that is why the maidens love you. Draw me!” Song of Songs 1:2-4

Prayer: O God, through the intercession of St. Mary Magdalene, may we be anointed with the gift of spiritual love which is wine and fragrance, and may the name of the Savior spoken with love be a spreading perfume which draws us to the royal banquet, for the nourishment, healing, and liberation of all humanity. Amen.

(After the scripture and the prayer, say the prayers on the beads)

Closing Prayer

What binds us is slain, what surrounds us is destroyed, all desire is gone, ignorance is dead. We are free to remember eternity. We shall rest in silence for all ages and aeons. Amen.

~~~Santuário San Rafael Antiochene Catholic Church

And Mercy Shall Be Theirs

2011-07-06T16:57:00.014-04:00

A Prayer To Be Merciful

Help me, O, Lord, that my eyes may be
merciful, so that I may never judge
from appearances, but may look for what is
beautiful in my neighbor's soul.

Help me, O Lord,that my ears may be
merciful, so that I may give heed
to my neighbor's needs.

Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be
merciful, that I should never speak
negatively of my neighbor.

Help me, O Lord,that my hands may be
merciful and filled with good deeds, so that
I may do only good to my neighbor.

Help me, O Lord, that my feet may be
merciful, so that I may hurry
to assist my neighbor.

Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be
merciful, so that I myself may feel
compassion for the
sufferings of my neighbor.

May the Lord teach me and inspire me to be merciful.

~~~St. Maria Faustina

Pray Without Ceasing

2011-07-06T16:54:00.006-04:00

"Rejoice always; never cease praying, render constant thanks; such is God's will for you in Jesus Christ" I Thessalonian 5:16-18

Lord Jesus Christ,

Son of God,

Have mercy on me,

A sinner.

An introduction to Hesychasm or The Jesus Prayer please check out this video by Bishop Thomas Langley of the Alexandrian Gnostic Church. The lecture is divided into six parts on You Tube.

Two books which I highly recommend for beginning one's journey into hesychasm are:

Prayer of Jesus, Prayer of the Heart and The Way of the Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way. Both of these selections can be found on my Recommended Reading List.

Mary And Elizabeth

2011-07-05T21:48:00.001-04:00

Feastday of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

~~~Gospel of Luke 1: 39, 42, 46

Our Lady Of Perpetual Help

2011-06-26T19:08:00.007-04:00

Celebrating Our Lady of Perpetual Help

June 27th, 2011

Oh Mother of Perpetual Help, grant that I may ever invoke your powerful name, the protection of the living and the salvation of the dying. Purest Mary, let your name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay not, Blessed Lady, to rescue me whenever I call on you. In my temptations, in my needs, I will never cease to call on you, ever repeating your sacred name, Mary, Mary. What a consolation, what sweetness, what confidence fills my soul when I utter your sacred name or even only think of your! I thank the Lord for having given you so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. But I will not be content with merely uttering your name. Let my love for your prompt me ever to hail you Mother of Perpetual Help.

You Are The Teacher

2011-06-25T19:05:00.007-04:00

‎You must understand it, go into it, examine it, give your heart and your mind, with everything that you have, to find out a way of living differently. That depends on you, and not on someone else, because in this there is no teacher, no pupil; there is no leader; there is no guru; there is no Master, no Saviour. You yourself are the teacher and the pupil; you are the Master; you are the guru; you are the leader; you are everything.

~~~J. Krishnamurti

‎

Malajusted And Proud!

2011-06-25T18:58:00.008-04:00

"Modern psychology has a word that has become common - it is the word maladjusted. We read a great deal about it. But I must say to you, my friends, there are some things in our nation and in our world to which I'm proud to be maladjusted. And I call upon you to be maladjusted and all people of good will to be maladjusted to these things until the good society is realized. I never intend to adjust myself to segregation and discrimination. I never intend to become adjusted to religious bigotry. I never intend to adjust myself to economic conditions that will take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few, and leave millions of people perishing on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of prosperity. I must honestly say, however much criticism it brings, that I never intend to adjust myself to the madness of militarism, and to the self-defeating effects of physical violence."

~~~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

John The Baptist's Nativity

2011-06-23T22:10:00.011-04:00

This child born to us, is greater than any prophet; the Savior said of him: There is no man born of woman greater than John the Baptist.

Zechariah entered the temple of the Lord, and the angel Gabriel appeareed to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

The mouth of Zechariah was opened , and he spoke this prophecy;

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the
shadow of death,
to guide their feet into the way of peace.

To all those of the Apostolic Johannite Church, Alexandrian Gnostic Church, all Gnostic churches and those who honor Saint John the Baptist today;

A Happy Nativity of Saint John The Baptist! =)

Psalm Prayer To Sophia

2011-06-20T19:17:00.014-04:00

I do not know the artist of this icon. If any reader does know, please leave a comment. =)

At five-thirty in the morning I am dreaming in a very quiet room
when a soft voice awakens me from my dream.
I am like all mankind awakening from all the dreams
that were ever dreamed in all the nights of the world.
It is like the One Christ awakening in all the separate selves
that were ever separateand isolated and alone in all the
lands of the earth.
it is like all minds coming back together into awareness
from all distractions, cross-purposes and confusions,
into unity of love.

it is like the first morning of the world
(when Adam,at the sweet voice of Wisdom
awake from nonentityand knew her),
and like the Last Morning of the world
when all the fragments of Adam will return from death
at the voice of Hagia Sophia,
and will know where they stand.

Such is the awakening of one man,
one morning,
Awakening out of languor and darkness,
out of helplessness, out of sleep,
newly confronting realityand finding it to be gentleness.

It is like being awakened by Eve,
It is like being awakened by the blesssed virgin,
It is like coming forth fromprimordial nothingness
and standing in clarity, in Paradise.

~~~Thomas Merton
from A Book of Hours
pgs. 189-190
edited by Kathleen Deignan

Mourning The Loss Of A Dear Friend

2011-06-20T18:47:00.009-04:00

Sister Margaret Mary, CP 1931-2011

Saint Joseph's Monastery

Whitesville, Kentucky

Sister Margaret Mary Mattingly, C.P., 80, born Mary Delphine Mattingly, on April 9, 1931, in Knottsville, died May 10, 2011. Her parents were the late Marion Ligouri Mattingly and Mary Lillie Aud Mattingly. Baptized in St. William Church in Knottsville on April 19, 1931, she attended St. William Grade and High School in Knottsville and Mount St. Joseph Ursuline Junior College in Maple Mount. She entered the Passionist Nuns Monastery in Owensboro on Aug. 14, 1949, making her first vows on Aug. 22, 1951, and her perpetual vows on Aug. 22, 1954. Sister was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Joseph Ligouri “J.L.” Mattingly, James Robert Mattingly and Thomas Earl Mattingly; and a sister, Clara Ann Mattingly Aull.

Survivors include three brothers, Charles V. “Binky” Mattingly (Thelma), John William “Bill” Mattingly (Wilda) and Richard Eugene “Gene” Mattingly (Donna); a sister, Doris Marie Mattingly Fulkerson (Stanley); and numerous nieces, nephews, and great- and great-great-nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be at Whitesville Passionist Monastery, 8564 Crisp Road, from 1 to 8 p.m. today and from noon to 1:30 p.m. Friday. Prayers will be said at 7 p.m. today. Funeral Mass and burial will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the monastery.

The Only Initiation

2011-06-17T16:30:00.004-04:00

The only initiation which I advocate and which I look for with all the ardor of my Soul, is that by which we are able to enter into the Heart of God within us, and there make an Indissoluble Marriage, which makes us the Friend, the Brother and Spouse of the Repairer.... - Louis Claude de St Martin

Cana

2011-06-10T20:18:00.012-04:00

The illusion of separation is dissolved in the wine of the Spirit.

~~~from The Liturgy of the Apostolic Johannite Church

Cana

"This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee."

Once when our eyes were as clean as noon, our rooms
Filled with the joys of Cana's feast:
For Jesus came, and His disciples, and His Mother,
And after them the singers
And some men with violins,

Once when our minds were were Galilees,

And clean as skies our faces,
Our simple rooms were charmed with sun.
Our thoughts went in and out in whiter coats than God's
disciples',
In Cana's crowded rooms, at Cana's tables.

Nor did we seem to fear the wine would fail:

For ready, in a row, to fill with water and a miracle,

We saw our earthen vessels, waiting empty.

What wine those waterjars foretell1

Wine for the ones who, bended to the dirty earth,

Have feared, since lovely Eden, the sun's fire,

Yet hardly mumble, in their dusty mouths, one prayer.

Wine for old Adam, digging in the briars!

~~~Thomas Merton

This poem and many other brilliant and insightful prose and poems can be found in an excellent compilation of Merton's works, A Thomas Merton Reader. I'd also highly recommend it as a reference and introductory source.

Pope John Paul II- Of Love and Disillusion

2011-05-05T15:16:00.010-04:00

I am sure that I am not the only former Roman Catholic who has awakened to Gnosticsm in one of its many forms but was at some point a faithful follower of the Church of Roman Christianity during the very long reign of Pope John Paul II. I was teaching grades 5-8 language Arts in a small, working class, parish school in a small Pennsylvanian town at the time he was elected to the papacy.

The Sisters of my Congregation were doubly jubilant at news of Cardinal Karol Wotywa's elevation as he had been the Cardinal of the diocese of Krakow, Poland where our Mother House is located and had been founded in 1894.(Our Congregation was his favorite among all other religious Orders and had employed them exclusively as cooks, secretaries house keepers, wardrobe/laundry services for duration of his term as Primate of Kracow. Upon moving in to the Vatican, he took several of these Sacred Heart nuns with him to serve in those same capacities) A Polish Cardinal elected as head of the Roman Catholic Church-who wouuld have thought? It was, at the time, a very happy surprise and shock to most Catholics especially those of Polish American communities throughout the United States. Had I been aware of the Church's politics this would not have been such an unexpected turn of events.

Beyond these bare facts, I have no intention of writing about him biographically or analyzing his reign politically or in any other capacity. All of this is a matter of public knowledge and record and can be found in abundance on the world wide web. Here, in the tiniest world of my blog, I'd like to recall some of my impressions and thoughts about whom many refer to as Pope John Paul the Great and as of May 1, 2011, as Blessed Pope John Paul II. I purposefully avoided all media coverage concerning his beatification as well as the huge ceremonies and Mass for this occasion broadcast internationally on the internet and television. Why? For one reason, viewing any of this coverage would have brought back a lot of nostalgia from the time when as far as I was concerned- Popewise-he was all that and a bag of chips! Here was, at last, a "manly man " pope! A pope, who in his younger days had worked in rock quarries, logged in a lot of time outdoors hiking and swimming and at one time had ambitions of becoming an actor. The future Cardinal of Krakow was fluent in many languages, had a charismatic personality which charmed even non-Catholis; young people loved him and he loved them back. His stong and appealing voice captured the world's attention as well as being the most traveled pope in history. This was the opinion of most of the Roman Catholic world with the exception of a minority of those believed Vatican II to be evil and of late, a growing amount of conspiracy theorists who are convinced that he is the predecessor of the Anti Christ. Nostalgia makes me extemely sad as most of my memories of this nature are about significant losses. I am sure that this is true for most people. Also, I did not want to see Sisters of my former congregation, probably seated close to all to this celebration up close, in front and in HD. I don't need anymore sadness.

In 1882, I and another Sister from my congregation, went to Rome for the celebration and canonization of Saint Maximilian Kolbe whom I enthusiastically admired a great deal. As four of our sisters worked directly withe Pope in the Vatican, our small pilgrimage group of about six people were given a private audience with JP II as well as attending Mass in his private chapel with him as the celebrant. So, of course, I received Holy Communion from his hands! I still have the 8x10, color, glossy photo taken of His Holiness with me. This was the high point of my life, a dream come true and I considered at the time to be a great grace and priviledge. Even when I left the Church in 1989, I still respected this man and believed that he was the greatest pope evah!

Then the clergy sex abuse scandels exploded into the media worldwide; the first of them coming out of Boston on Cardinal Law's watch. I followed this media frenzy intensely. At this time, the whole world knows of how pedophile priests were switched from parish to parish and police forces that were never contacted about the crimes of these men. By now, the world knows that it is not a problem of the America alone but an international disease made possible due to the Roman Catholic hierarchy's complicity and silence. Yes, JPII convened a conference in Rome for all of the Bishops of the US, proclaimed that pedophilia was indeed a most serious crime and sin but went no further. Basically, he told the Bishops that it was their responsibilty to clean up their own dioceses. To me this sounded like Pontius Pilate washing his hands of the "Jesus problem" and turned all responsibility over to the Jewish religious leaders.

Should Gnostics Celebrate Easter?

2011-04-24T11:14:00.010-04:00

~~~Miguel Conner

.

Examiner Article: Should Gnostics Celebrate Easter?
Easter weekend is the culmination of the Christian faith, every other aspect of the religion being merely a footnote. Yet the death and resurrection of Jesus also has an important place in Christian Gnosticism, which may come as a surprise since Gnosis is assumed to be its central tenet.

And, as will be revealed, what is perhaps more surprising is that Gnosis and The Cross are not mutually exclusive, although the blood atonement doctrine is virtually nonexistent in Gnosticism.

Like with all their theologies, the Gnostics held varying attitudes on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; and these fell between the basic literal to the extreme metaphoric.

In ‘The Spiritual Seed: The Church of the Valentinians’, Einar Thomassen gives various interpretations on how the Valentinians viewed the Passion of The Savior. One of the most interesting ones is that at the moment Jesus died, a cosmic explosion erupted that fully awakened the Pneumatic (The Elect) and gave a last choice to the Psychic (those straddling the fence between the spiritual and material realms). One could call Christ’s death a ‘Gnosis Bomb’.

In The Gospel of Truth, Valentinus himself wrote a very inspirational passage on the crucifixion:

‘For this reason error was angry with him, so it persecuted him. It was distressed by him, so it made him powerless. He was nailed to a cross. He became a fruit of the knowledge of the Father. He did not, however, destroy them because they ate of it. He rather caused those who ate of it to be joyful because of this discovery.’

Valentinus also declared:

‘This is the book which no one found possible to take, since it was reserved for him who will take it and be slain. No one was able to be manifest from those who believed in salvation as long as that book had not appeared. For this reason, the compassionate, faithful Jesus was patient in his sufferings until he took that book, since he knew that his death meant life for many. Just as in the case of a will which has not yet been opened, for the fortune of the deceased master of the house is hidden, so also in the case of the All which had been hidden as long as the Father of the All was invisible and unique in himself, in whom every space has its source. For this reason Jesus appeared. He took that book as his own. He was nailed to a cross. He affixed the edict of the Father to the cross.’

In other words, the death of Jesus and Gnosis are truly one and the same in many Valentinian belief systems. In a sense, The Cross is the Tree of Knowledge (Gnosis) (it is also interesting that Sophia takes the form of The Tree of Knowledge in The Secret Book of John).

The Valentinian Gospel of Philip makes a connection instead between The Cross and The Tree of Life:

‘Philip the apostle said, "Joseph the carpenter planted a garden because he needed wood for his trade. It was he who made the cross from the trees which he planted. His own offspring hung on that which he planted. His offspring was Jesus, and the planting was the cross." But the Tree of Life is in the middle of the Garden. However, it is from the olive tree that we got the chrism, and from the chrism, the resurrection.’

In The Secret Book of James, also a Velentinian work, Jesus plainly states ‘Remember my cross and my death, and you will live!’

Not all Gnostic sects viewed the Passion narrative in such positive terms. Although mostly lukewarm about the crucifixion, the Sethians in The Gospel of Judas express a disdain for any type of atoning death. This is revealed in a passage where Jesus mocks the Apostles and their belief in Jewish Temple rituals that includes blood sacrifice. However, Jesus does not see his fated execution as wholly negative since it means discarding his human clothes and once again becoming an Aeon.

Many Gnostic texts, like The Letter of Peter to Phillip and The Gospel of Mary simply see the death and resurrection drama as a small intermission in the imparting of Gnosis by Jesus, as well as a test of faith for his followers. Echoing the Sethian attitude, the great mysteries are truly passed on after Jesus has returned in an angelic shape and can no longer be harassed by the Archons (The Pistis Sophia has Jesus teaching his disciples for 12 years after his resurrection!).

Some Gnostics were simply against the idea that Jesus Christ could suffer on Earth (or that he even possessed a human form). In The Apocalypse of Peter, Jesus mocks his execution and the spectacle around it, stating that it is actually Jehovah who has been replaced on The Cross:

‘Be strong, for you are the one to whom these mysteries have been given, to know them through revelation, that he whom they crucified is the first-born, and the home of demons, and the stony vessel in which they dwell, of Elohim, of the cross, which is under the Law. But he who stands near him is the living Savior, the first in him, whom they seized and released, who stands joyfully looking at those who did him violence, while they are divided among themselves. Therefore he laughs at their lack of perception, knowing that they are born blind.’

In The Acts of John, Jesus appears to the Apostle John after the crucifixion. He explains to the ‘Beloved Disciple’ that there were two crosses at Golgotha. One was the Cross of Light that stands above the material world and is the doorway to faith, hope, wisdom and the Pleroma itself. The other was the Cross of Wood that represents the lower nature of humanity dominant within all those who witnessed the crucifixion of nothing more than a phantom.

The Gnostic Sage Basilides also believed that the crucifixion was a hoax to mock Jehovah and his minions, except that poor Simon of Cyrene was nailed to a cross. The Second Treatise to the Great Seth has a Simon replacing Jesus, but it’s unclear which Simon.

The idea of Jesus avoiding his death by a sleight of divine hand was later adopted by Islam, raising the issue that Mohammed might have been in contact with Gnostic sects or that the idea itself was still circulating among some Christians in the Seventh Century.

Oddly, the most popular Gnostic Scripture, The Gospel of Thomas, makes no mention of the death and resurrection of Jesus. In saying #55, Jesus does call for those to carry a cross as he does, but some scholars believe it was a common expression in those days of widespread Jewish executions by the Romans.

Despite the varied beliefs in Gnosticism, there is a common thread on most versions of the Passion narrative: The Savior arrives in a form recognizable to humans; his form is destroyed by the demonic agents that rule the universe (the blame is never on the Jews or Romans); and lastly he returns in an astral manifestation to impart his greatest teachings to those who both had faith and understood his message from the beginning.

Most Gnostic and Protestant Churches will follow the lead of the Bishop of Rome and celebrate Easter this Sunday. But the celebration is actually far deeper and timeless, since the dying and rising of a Godman is a classic motif found in many cultures representing the renewal of various aspects of Creation and beyond.

And because Gnostics believe in becoming Christlike while alive, the death and resurrection of The Savior symbolizes part of the process of Gnosis itself. An individual who seeks ultimate spiritual freedom must die to his lower self that is attached to the material world. Then he must arise as a transformed being that is not only firmly connected to the Godhead but can teach the way of soul-ascension to others. A person is no longer part of the crowds under the Cross of Wood staring at phantoms but within the Cross of Light, filled with faith, hope, wisdom and even the Pleroma. Beyond this beautiful imagery, The Acts of John further expands on this promise:

“Understand me then as the slaying of a Word, wound of a Word, hanging of a Word, suffering of a Word, fastening of a Word, death of a Word, resurrection of a Word, and defining this Word, I mean every man!”

Christ and human can become one when the Gnosis Bomb goes off and spreads in the shape of what must look like a cross of light.

(special thanks to Jesse Christopher for assistance on the article)

For more of Miguel Conner's Gnostic wisdom and wicked witticisms, go to God Above God and Aeon Byte Radio

Hesychasm

2011-04-20T12:45:00.016-04:00

Lord Jesus Christ,

Son of God,

Have Mercy On Me,

A Sinner,

Amen.

Hesychasm is an eastern Christian form of living the spiritual lifethat has its roots in the first hermitswho fled into the barren desertsof Egypt and Syria during the fourth century and succeeding ages. It is a spiritual system of essentially contemplative orientation which finds the perfection of the human person in union with the trinity through continuous prayer. Hesychasm comes from the Greek word hesychia. It means tranquility or peace.Hesychia is that state in which the Christian, through grace and his/her intense asceticism, reintegrates his/her whole being into a single person who is placed completely under the direct influence of the Trinity dwelling within that person.

It stresses an entire way of life in Christ that strives for total, loving surrender to the indwelling Trinitythrough a vigorous, even militant discipline of body, soul and spirit that was summerized in gospel terms as "purity of heart." The heart, in Scriptural language, is the seat of human life, of all that touches us in the dephs of our personality-all affections, passions , desires, knowledge and thoughts. It is in our "heart" that we in prayer meet God in an I-Thou relationship. The heart, and not the mind, is considered in this spirituality of the christian east, as the center of our being, that which directs us in our ultimate values and choices. It is the inner chamber where, in secret, the heavenly Father sees us through and through. It is where we attain inner honesty, humility, integration and purity of heart.

~~~Prayer of Jesus, Prayer of the Heart
Introduction; xii-xiii
Alphonse and Rachel Goettmann

For an in depth presentation on the Jesus Prayer and the hesychast tradition please listen to a talk on the subject given in 2009 by Bishop Thomas Langley. It's on You Tube in 6 parts. Anyone interested in Hesychasm and the Jesus Prayer will benefit from the simplicity of Tau Thomas' explanations as well as his everyday applications making the prayer a way of life.

Prayer Of Jesus, From The Heart

2011-04-18T10:17:00.012-04:00

The only light in my otherwise darkened oratory is from the shining full moon and a small red votive flame in front of an icon of Jesus Christ.

I am repeating the Jesus Prayer many times over using the knots on my chotki.

The room is completely still and silent.

My Kitteh is curled up in lap, snoozing.

I love these Julian of Norwich moments, as I call them-

Silent in the Silence of the All God, Mother Father.

Have mercy on me a sinner.

Full Of Paradise

2011-03-30T12:17:00.006-04:00

Portrait by the artist DUCKMARX

It is not easy to try and say what I know I cannot say.I do really have the feeling that you have seen something most precious.-and most available, too. the reality that is present to us and in us: Call it Being,Call it Atman, call it Pneuma...or silence. And the simple fact that by being attentive by learning to listen (or recovering the natural capacity to listen which cannot be learned any more than breathing), we can find ourselves engulfed in such happiness that it cannot be explained: the happiness of being at one with everything that is hidden in the ground of Love for which there can be no explanations. I suppose what makes me most glad is that we recognize each other in this metaphysical space of silence and happiness, and get some sense, for a moment,that we are "full of paradise and not knowing it."

Thomas Merton

The Hidden Ground of Love, p. 115

Oscar Romero's Way of the Cross

2011-03-30T10:43:00.008-04:00

1. Jesus is condemned to death
Luke 23: 1-2, 5-6
“This is a God who renounces his condition as God, coming down from the happiness of heaven to become a man, a
man who doesn’t go around mentioning his prerogative as God—“any man,” says the bible today. “Any man” who is
tied to the authority of his time and carried to the courts. When St. Paul says “any man,” it occurs to me to think of
those people whom we are already accustomed to seeing in our newspapers: the handcuffed peasant, the tortured
peasant, the laborer whose rights aren’t recognized. This is the “any man” whom Christ wanted to become.”
March 19, 1978
2. Jesus carries his cross
John 19: 16-17
“We feel in the Christ of Holy Week, with the cross upon his shoulders, that his is the people who are also carrying
their cross. We feel the people crucified in this Christ with the open arms crucified, but it is from this Christ that a
people crucified and humiliated will encounter their hope.” March 19, 1978

3. Jesus falls the first time
Mark 8: 34
“Christ is not an insensitive man. Christ is a real person-of flesh and bones, nerves and muscles, just like us. He is a
man who feels just like a person feels when he is carried away by the National Guard and taken to a place of torture.”
April 1, 1979
4. Jesus meets his mother
John 19: 25-27
“Brothers, the liberation of Christ is tenderness; it’s love; it’s the presence of a loving mother, Mary. And Mary is the
model of those who collaborate with Christ for the liberation of the earth and the acquisition of heaven. Mary, in her
song of thanksgiving, proclaimed the greatness of God and also proclaims that God rejects the pride of the powerful
and exalts the humble.” March 24, 1978
5. Simon, the Cyrene, helps Jesus carry the cross
Luke 23:26
“Unfortunately, dear brothers, we are the product of an education which is spiritualistic and individualistic, where we
are taught ‘to gain salvation of the spirit, don’t worry about others.’ Like we say to the suffering, ‘Have patience that
you will get to heaven, endure!’ No! That can’t be. This isn’t salvation, not the salvation that Christ brought. The
salvation that Christ brings is the salvation from all the slaveries that oppress people. It is necessary that people break
the chains that bind them: starting with the many oppressions and slaveries, fears that enslave their hearts, illnesses
that oppress their bodies, sadness, preoccupations, terrors that oppress their freedom and their life.”
September 9, 1979
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
Matthew 26:27
“If we could see that Christ is the needy persons, the tortured person, the prisoner, the murderer, the one thrown away
with so much indignity on our roads. If we could discover in this rejected one Christ, we would treat this Christ as a
medal of gold. We would pick him up with tenderness and kiss him. We would not feel ashamed of him.”
March 16, 1980
7. Jesus falls the second time
John 12:24
“Here, Christ is flesh that suffers. Here where Christ is something, he is persecution, where Christ is men who sleep
out in the country because they can’t sleep in their house, where Christ is sickness that suffers because of the
consequences of being so unprotected. Here is Christ with the cross upon his shoulders on the road to Calvary, not
meditated in some chapel with the way of the cross or lived outside the people.” March 5, 1978
8. Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem
Luke 23:27-28
“The one who lives with the poor, the miserable, the peasant and who defends them and loves them like Christ our
Lord, and who preaches the liberation of the poor, of the oppressed, of the one who suffers, this one is Christ in our
midst.” March 23, 1978
9. Jesus falls the third time
Luke 17: 1-2
“No one is vanquished even though he is put under the boot of oppression and repression. He who believes in Christ
knows that he is victor and that the ultimate victory will be from truth and from justice”
March 23, 1980—(the day before his death)
“How well Christ identified himself with the suffering of his people! Many shacks, many slums, many imprisoned by
suffering, many hungry for justice and peace appear to clamor, ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’ He
hasn’t abandoned us. This is the hour in which the Son of God is carrying all of the load of sins to obey God, asking
him to pardon these sins of humanity from whom is derived all injustices, all selfishness.” April 8, 1979
10. Jesus is stripped of his garments
John 19: 23-24
“This is the commitment of being a Christian: to follow Christ in his incarnation. And if Christ is a majestic God who
becomes a humble man and lives with the poor until the death of slaves on a cross, our Christian faith should be lived
in the same fashion. This Christian who doesn’t want to live with this commitment of solidarity with the poor doesn’t
deserve to call himself a Christian. Christ invites us not to fear persecution because, believe it brothers, the one who
binds himself with the poor has to go trough the same destiny as the poor: to be disappeared, to be tortured, to be
captured to appear as dead.” February 17, 1980
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross
Mark 15: 22-25
“Rome used to crucify people, but not Roman citizens. Rome used to crucify the people that depended on their
empire. And since Palestine depended on Rome (Pilate was the representative of Rome to this oppressed people),
Christ had to be humiliated like someone who didn’t merit citizenship.” March 19, 1978
12. Jesus dies on the cross
Luke 23: 44-46
“While we look at Christ nailed to the cross, he invites us to discern from the sacred word a real mystery. If Christ is
the representative for all people, we have to discover the suffering of our people in his suffering, his humiliation, his
body scarred by the nails of the cross. This is our people tortured, crucified, spat upon, and humiliated from whom
Christ our Lord is represented in order to give our very difficult situation a sense of redemption.” March 24, 1978
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross
Mark 15: 43-46
“Mary is the expression of the need of the Salvadorian people. Mary is the expression of the anguish of those who are
in prison. Mary is the sadness of the mothers who have lost their children and no one will tell them where they are.
Mary is the tenderness that looks with anguish for a solution.” December 24, 1978
14. Jesus is buried in the tomb
John 19: 42
“Don’t think, brothers, that our dead have left us. Their heaven, their eternal recompense, makes them more perfect in
love. They are still loving the same causes that they died for. That means that in El Salvador this liberating force not
only counts those who remain living, but also counts those who they wanted to kill who are more present than before
in the people.” March 2, 1980

For more variations on Stations of the Cross with the theme of social justice:

http://iglesiadescalza.blogspot.com/2011/02/via-crucis-some-social-action-stations.html

They are all excellent!

Mea Culpa

2011-03-26T23:56:00.008-04:00

This an excellent post on the meaning of the word Repent by Msgr. Scott Rassbach, a priest in the Apostolic Johannite Church.

The Eighth Sermon to the Dead

Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Repent! For the kingdom of God is at hand!
Mea Culpa.

I ask your forgiveness, dear readers. I have been guilty of spreading a misunderstanding.

I'm very fond of saying that the word 'repent' comes from the Latin prefix re- meaning again, and peneso, meaning to think, and that it means that we are called to think again. I've expounded on this theme at some length in various places.

I'm quite wrong.

'Repent' comes from the latin Re- meaning again, and poenitere, meaning "be penitent" or "be sorry". It is directly related to 'penal', meaning punishment. So, not a call to examine your life, beyond the call that you've really messed up, and you need to get yourself right with God. You've broken the rules, and you need to accept your punishment with a glad heart for the correction. Mea Culpa, my fault.

And yet, I'm not wrong.

When I saw this, I was of course mightily embarrassed. And I was highly curious, because I'm a Johannite, and as such John the Baptist is of great import to me. He uses the term Repent, and so it's one of those words that I should be able to use quite a bit, something I should exhort people to do as well, as long as I use it properly. So I went back to the Greek versions of the gospels, which tell about John the Baptist, especially where he calls for us to repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand (Matthew 3:2). And the Greek word that John the Baptist is supposed to have used is Μετανοεῖτε, metanoiete.

Μετανοεῖτε is translated in the Vulgate as Pœnitentiam agite, and so back to poenitere, and Repent as punishment. However, I found out that Erasmus translates it as resipiscite, which is much closer to what I was originially thinking, along the lines of 'to change one's mind' and also, 'to recover one's senses'.

So, why the language lesson?

For Gnostics, Lent can be problematic. We don't generally see sin as the major issue, but rather ignorance of who we are, why we're here, and where we're going cause most of the issues we encounter. The fact that we are ignorant of our divine heritage is the issue of the fall, not the sin of pride or the original sin of pursuing that which God does not want us to. So, what do we have to repent of? Why should we be sorry, if our mistakes take us out of ignorance and into the light?

However, the idea of 'repent' as changing one's mind instead of being penitent has great meaning. If we repent, if we think about our status, if we change our mind, recover our senses, we can examine our lives and make the changes in them that we need to step out of ignorance.

And that is what this season is about. It is about self examination. It is about knowing yourself, that famous Greek maxim over the temple at Delphi. It is about looking at not only what we've done, but at what we do in our lives. How we live from day to day, what we spend our energies on, and how that affects our lives on a physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual level.

Fasting generally accompanies Lent. I always try to fast in some way, to 'give something up'. And the reason why is that by doing so, I'm constantly thinking about the place that 'given up' action or item has in my life. For instance, if I give up sugar for Lent, for 40 days I have to consider what has sugar, what am I eating, why am I eating it or desiring it? Is it because I'm hungry, or because I'm bored, or because it's there?

Why are we examining our lives at all? What good does it do us to spend the time doing this, rather than something external, like working at a homeless shelter or a soup kitchen? What's the value of this seeming navel-gazing?

This consideration, this rethinking and coming to one's senses, is valuable because it is a time to cultivate space for the Light to come in, which is symbolized by the Easter Resurrection. When the Light illuminates us, will be we able to confront what we see? Will what shines in our souls and in our lives cause us to rejoice and be thankful for who we are and what we have become? Or will that light expose things which will go scuttling for the dark again?

So, Lent is a time of repentance. It is a time to change one's mind, change one's habits, and recover one's senses. To put aside illusions and misconceptions, and get to the heart of the matter. To put aside that which is inessential, and know that which is essential.

Repent. For the Kingdom of God is at hand.

Faithful Keeper of the Flame

2011-02-10T16:29:00.013-05:00

The Hymn of Brighid of Kildare

The midnight wind roared through the oaks of Kildare,

And a clang from the round tower at intervals came,

While St. Bride, at the altar, was kneeling in prayer,

And her sisters attended the Mystical Flame;

Her whole spirit wrapt in unspeakable Love,

Immersed and consumed, as in billows of fire,

She seems a young seraph adoring above,

Transfigured in flames of ecstatic desire.

I am so very late with posting many of the thoughts I've had during February and March. But stressfull distractions have kept my mind running in many undesired directions; pulling me away from my loved solitude and contemplation. Today, somehow felt different than the last four or five hectic weeks which mdae a big, unhappy dent and gaps in my keeping of Brighid's eternal flame; the same sacred , divine spark of flame within all of us.. Instead of giving into the madness and fear which have have been surrounding me, I renewed my dedication to my solitary, consecrated religious vows and went about with a certain calmness not experienced since February.

The contemplative vocation, to which many nuns would attest from the desert Ammas to those of the 21st century, is nearly always misunderstood even by some priests, laity and sisters called to more active Congregations. According to the Rule which I wrote for myself and which was approved by my Bishop, I do have certain obligations to my parish. Feeling stronger and grounded at this point, I have no intention of not fulfilling these obligations but here my vocational boundaries will have to be respected. At this stage of my parish's development, however, I will be expected to be at more meetings than I would normally feel comfortable with attending but hopefully these circumstances are not for the long term.

So, while listening the chants of Cistercian monks in far away Switzerland, I turn to Night Prayers hoping for even more calmness of soul in the coming week.

BTW, this is a wonderful CD for anyone's chant collection! =)

CHANT Music for the Soul

http://www.amazon.com/Chant-Cistercian-Monks-Stift-Heiligenkreuz/dp/B0019D3DAQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1

Standing With Egypt!

2011-02-08T21:43:00.003-05:00

St. Sarah, the Egyptian, pray for them!!

Egypt, We Hear You!!

2011-01-31T11:33:00.005-05:00

With every prayer and candle I light, I stand with Egypt and all other countries struggling for liberation and for the freedom to determine their nation's course.

Vocation Status :D

2011-01-15T21:04:00.003-05:00

Sadly, I'm still offline since December 2, 2010 and I'm not sure when I'll be back on. But I did want to update my vocation status. As of December,11, during our Liturgy, I officially was accepted as a consecrated, religious within the Apostolic Johannite Church! So very happy!!

As I'm using a friend's computer, I have to rush but there will be be a longer, detailed post about this event as soon as my computer is up and running!

Hope all of my readers had a blessed holiday season!

Advent Blessings, 2010!

2010-11-26T14:47:00.005-05:00

By Vespers, tomorrow, the 2010 season of Advent will have begun. My brand new Advent wreath with its candles of pink and purple are already in place on an altar in my oratory/study (which by now is about halfway through it's completion) This the first Advent wreath I've bought in over 20 years and its a sign of my anticipation of the season soon to be upon us.

Like thousands of others, I've had an extremely difficult time dealing with the holiday season for many, many years. It's usually a period of a slow but growing build up to a black depression which climaxes a week or so before Christmas and begins to wind down around New Year's Eve. Even during the years that I was not a practicing Christian and following the path of Reconstructionist Celtic paganism, I still loved the glow and colors of December and looked forward to planning a holiday meal and making Christmas cookies! =) The last traditional type of Christmas I celebrated was with my sister in the early 1990's.

Last year, it was yet another Advent/ Christmas through which I barely managed struggle without losing a complete sense of sense and stability. As the new season of Advent is about once more to begin, it's my anniversery of having been with the Apostolic Johannite Church for two and a half years. As of yet, my usual dread of December 1st through January 1st has not yet kicked in. In point of fact, I ordered a lovely wreath and candles from my Carmelite friends in Colorado the first week of November (as they sell out quickly)hoping that the 2010 holiday season would be a bit different from the ones I've experienced over the last decade. Earlier during this week, I was surprised to feel a small tingle of happy anticipation for the beginning of Advent. I thought this quite strange but decided "to go with it."

Yesterday, I picked out my December meditation and lectio divina material from the Gospel of St. John. I am now also into a few chapters of the book, The Community of the Beloved Disciple by Raymond E Brown. I was reading from the first chapter of St John 's Gospel the other day and the words spoken by John the Baptist in describing Jesus as "The light that was the true light which illumines every person who comes into this world" made a deep impression on my mind. So, yes, I am once again back to my favorite theme of the light, or the divine spark, within each of us, and the coming of Jesus, the One Who reveals that inmost light.

As a poor, solitary religious, I won't be able to buy certain persons a special gift and also as one who is not into negative theology, I won't be lashing myself with ropes or starving myself for the sake of doing penance. But I still regard Advent as a time for deep reflection as to how I have not done my best in bringing out the Sacred Flame in others and myself and upon how I can improve in doing otherwise. What can I do in this coming cycle of the year to better nourish the Sacred Flame in others and myself?

Also this week, I read of the Carmelite custom of lighting the candle(s) on the Advent wreath as each of the Liturgical Hours is recited and decided to make a custom of mine as well! =) As for the Liturgical Hours, at this time I am only praying Lauds, Vespers and Compline from the book Shorter Christian Prayer as the readings and antiphons for Advent are so appropriate in suggesting the coming of Light and preparing for the coming "of the light which illuminates every person coming into this world."

I am in no way suggesting that this season I'll become the "have holly, jolly Christmas" poster girl but can take away something beautiful from these weeks of anticipation and share it with others. At the top of gift list for myself is what I hope to also give; reconciliation, healing, forgiveness and mercy.

O Holy Wisdom

2010-11-25T18:49:00.001-05:00

O Holy Wisdom, Soaring Power, encompass us with wings unfurled, and carry us, encircling all, above, below, and through the world.
--O Holy Spirit, Root of Life

~~~St Hildegard of Bingen

The Gardener

2010-11-25T18:35:00.002-05:00

The gardens may flow

With beauty

But let us go

to the Gardner

Himself.

~~~Rumi

Sayings On Love And Light

2010-11-25T18:16:00.002-05:00

Icon by Bro Robert Lentz, OFM

There are three signs of inner recollection: first, a lack of satisfaction in passing things; second, a liking for solitude and silence, and an attentiveness to all that is more perfect; third, the considerations, meditations and acts that formerly helped the soul now hinder it, and it brings to prayer no other support than faith, hope, and love.

~~~St John of the Cross

Where Is The Beloved?

2010-11-22T11:57:00.003-05:00

Portrait by Setsuko Yoshida

In truth everything and everyone
Is a shadow of the Beloved,
And our seeking is His seeking
And our words are His words...
We search for Him here and there,
...while looking right at Him.
Sitting by His side, we ask:
'O Beloved, where is the Beloved?'

~~~Rumi

Rule Of Life and Wrinkles

2010-11-18T13:32:00.023-05:00

November

November in the great Northeast

November, coming to a close.

November, and I'm still on the sidelines, still warming the vocational bench.

Yes, the waiting for the final approval of my Rule of Life and the Profession of Vows outlined therein has been difficult for me.

I am not a patient person.

I had hoped to make my Profession of Vows this month but that was way back in July. It seemed possible at that time.

Two weeks ago, my spiritual director received an email from our Bishop who had a few questions regarding the Rule and Vows which I had written and from my POV they were answered successfully.

Now another period of waiting until His Grace replies.

Will there be more questions or will everything be ok'd and a date set for my religious consecration?

I know I should be a more patient person.

Of course, all involved want everything to be done right especially as it will set a precedent in the Apostolic Johannite Church.

The good part about the long waiting is that it's given me more time to think through and begin to practice what I want in a "spiritual schedule"-what works for me and what does not.

Perhaps sometime this winter, providing there is a wide enough window of good travel days, our Bishop will be able to be present at our Liturgy and consecrate me as a solitary religious in the AJC.

So, here's to ironing out the last of the wrinkles of my proposed Rule and Vows! =)

Of Burning Love

2010-11-18T08:59:00.006-05:00

O Eternal God, now may it please you
to burn in love
so that we become the limbs
fashioned in the love you felt
when you begot your Son
at the first dawn
before all creation.
And consider this need which falls upon us,
take it from us for the sake of your Son,
and lead us to the joy of your salvation.

~~~Hildegard of Bingen taken from "O eterne deus"

Gospel of Thomas Meditation

2010-11-07T01:44:00.010-04:00

About the art work: http://www.diocese-oregon.org/iconography/st_thomas.htm

Prayer intention for today: For all those in Pakistan who have suffered from recent natural disasters and drone bombings and that the bombings be brought to an immeadiate end!!

These are the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke and which Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down.

And he said, "Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death."

Jesus said, "Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. when he becomes troubled, he will be astonished, and he will rule over the all."

Jesus said, " If those who lead you say to you, 'See the kingdom of heaven is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea', then the fish will precede you. Rather the kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty."

~~~Gospel of St Thomas, v 1-3, Nag Hammadi Library, pg. 126

Once again, I return to my favorite theme of awakening. =)

I am still in awe of awakening and feel it everywhere.

Looking over my last several posts I am continually amazed at the theme of awakening as it is expressed in diverse cultures through their holy writings; Egyptian, Sufi, Hebrew, Greek.

Arising from deep slumber...

Freed from a dark prison...

Finding the pearl...

Coming home as restored prince/princess...

First knowledge of the Divine Spark within...

The kingdom within and without...

Rising out of the body...

Beyond time and place...

Knowing who we are...

Children of the living father...

Not to have knowledge of the One and ourselves is certainly death and its never ending darkness. St Thomas writes that we may be made free of this death and all of its poverty. We are made free of all of bonds of death by not seeking such by those who tell us to look for it anywhere but within ourselves. The Virgin Spirit, Holy Sophia, the Light of True Wisdom, is forever casting about her Inspiration and Illumination to awaken the souls who are open to her Gnosis.

Understanding God

2010-11-06T23:51:00.003-04:00

All that is, He contains within Himself like thoughts: the world, Himself, the All. Therefore, unless you make yourself equal to God, you cannot understand God; for like is not intelligible save to the like. Make yourself grow to a greatness beyond measure; by a leap [of intellect], free yourself from the body; raise yourself above all time, become Eternity; then you will understand God.

Believe that nothing is impossible for you; think yourself immortal and capable of understanding all, all arts, all sciences, the nature of every living being. Mount higher than the highest height; descend lower than the lowest depth. Draw into yourself all sensations of everything created, fire and water, the dry and the moist, imagining that you are everywhere, on earth, in the sea, in the sky; that you are not yet born, in the maternal womb, adolescent, old, dead, beyond death. If you embrace in your thought all things at once-all times, places, substances, qualities, quantities-you may understand God.

~~~Corpus Hermetica, n. 3648

Rule Of Life, Home Repairs & Accessories

2010-10-17T13:56:00.019-04:00

It's mid October it's odd to see that I have no new posts for this month!! I had many inspirations for various posts dealing September and October themes but all I had the time to was jot down their titles and save them for further editing. The past five weeks or so I have been focused on the practicalities of becoming a consecrated, solitary religious so blogging and any social internet time has been at a minimum. The three main practical focuses have been writing up my Rule of Life from an outline form into text in order for it to be edited, doing battle with the management of my apartment building to finish much needed repairs and searching online and off for the right dress pattern and other sisterly accessories and necessities.

I finally finished the text version of my Rule of Life last Monday and submitted it to my spiritual director for editing. From this edited copy will emerge the final draft which will then be sent to the Apostolic Johannite Church's Primate in the USA for final approval. I tried to keep my Rule short and simple but was also surprised at how long it me to write it out in actual paragraphs. I would sometimes write only a few lines and then leave it while taking several hours or even days to return to whatever point I was making. My spiritual director was outstanding in his support, guidance and suggestions as to how certain areas could be improved and the phrasing of words and in AJC Gnostic spirit. =) My formula for vows will be derived from the letter and spirit of the final draft.

Then finally after years of neglected requests to have major and minor repairs made in my apartment, the City Authorities had to step in and demand that the repairs be completed by October 20th this year. Many other units and their tenants in my building also received this ultimatum. Thus far only my kitchen sink and toilet valve has been repaired and contractors are supposed to be here tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday to repair my bedroom wall, the one with the huge crack from top to bottom and also the heating vents. I don't believe management will have all of the home improvements finished by Thursday but here's hoping. On Friday, the inspection team from the City will be here again to see if everything is up to code. As soon as the bedroom wall is finished, I can then begin to transform the room into an oratory and study-now that type of work I find to be actually fun!! =)

In between all of the above, I've been attempting to keep the Rule which I have written and scouring the net and fabric stores for just the right dress pattern which I'll be using for everyday plain clothes, otherwise known as a habit. Something simple along the lines of the Little Sisters of Jesus. Found the right person to sew two navy blue polycotten kercheifs for me at a price I can manage. I don't see the outer wear business happening until the end of next month or even December. I had wanted to have all of this wrapped up before profession of vows but my spsiritual director is right once more;the most important details are the vocation itself and being consecrated by vows. Anything which I don't have ready before then can be accomplished as I go along further.

Of the small things which I'm not supposed sweat, I did receive the prayer book cover,an OL of Mount Carmel rosary and a denim , slouch shoulder bag which I had ordered in September!! ^_^ The prayerbook cover is a navy blue, durable canvas material into which I mangaged to fit my current volume of Liturgical hours, notebook , pen, prayer cards and beads! ^_^ To some , this may sound totally unimportant but by nature, I am a very untidy, cluttered person. Having the "basics" all zippered together is for me a necessity, even here at home. For the last several years, I've been living out of the livingroom and too often these spiritual basics wind up scattered every which way and wherever. Now, finally, I have an organizer for the most important things I use on a daily basis all in one place within in easy reach of the rocker, futon/bed, computer
or altar space!It's also very handy for keeping its contents away from Kitteh's sharp little teeth! Then, on the few occasions when I am out and about the book cover will keep my "spiritual basics" clean and dry and un-jumbled as the contents of any of my handbags always find themselves. I bought my book cover here and as can be seen come in many colors at a reasonable price:

http://www.catholicsupply.com/books/leccover.html

Time now for Vespers and clearing the bedroom floor; moving the last of the boxes and bags to make room for the contractors which I do hope arrive this time.

Consecration From The Sophianic Liturgy

2010-09-20T15:32:00.007-04:00

Consecration from the Sophianic Eucharist
Apostolic Johannite Church
Parish of St. Sarah the Egyptian
Boston, massachusetts

Celebrant:

Thy Holy Sophia extended her mantle to those who had no eyes or ears. She gave with abandon, and the archons, desiring Her, engulfed them in their density, and rendered Her blind. But the Logos comes from beyond the stars. He, the living bridge, came to Her and, with a touch, restored Her sight.

In the Mystery of the radiant Mother of the World,
And of Her Consort, the Logos,
We beseech Thee, O Divine Origin,
Beyond all thought or description,
to accept these gifts which we humbly offerunto Thee.
Beloved Presence, Whose body illumines the Sacred Gate,
Bring across the stars.
Beloved Presence, Keeper of the Crossroads;
Awaken our hearts to the holy vision that
Bridges the visible and invisible worlds,
Always with us, yet not always seen:
Open our hearts to Thy touch.
As Thou dost bless Their Union, we ask Thee,
In Thy name and Theirs and in answer to Thy call,
To open the bridge between spirit and matter in this bread
and this wine, to reveal Thy presence hidden within in them as
Their most precious+Body and +Blood.
The Logos has cast fire upon the world and guards it until the
world is afire.
Rejoice in the presence of the Light!
Know you not that you are the temple of the divine,
And that the GHoly Spirit dwells in you?
For you are the body and +you are the blood,
Unveiling of the Divine Presence indwelling at all times and
in all things, through the forms of bread and wine.
The Living Vessels of the Unknown Father, renewing
the eternal mystery of Their Presence among the children of
the earth, lifted the veils of appearances, and blessing the
bread, gave themselves to the world saying: Take and eat,
for
All:THIS IS MY BODY
And lifting the chalice up to the heavens
They invoked the blessing of the Nameless One, Unknown
Father. So do we bless and in one voice say with them:
Take and drink for this is my lifeblood that flows in
All things since the beginning of time.
Take and drink , for
All: THIS IS MY BLOOD
And in commeration of this Mystery,
we reunite Them as One,
in the name of the One Who sent them.
All: Amen

Hymn Of The Savior

2010-09-20T14:37:00.005-04:00

Hymn of the Savior

Now I, the perfect forethoughtof all, transformed myself into my offspring. I
existed first and went down every path.

I am the abundance of light,
I am the remembrance of fulness.
I went into the realm of great darkness and continued until I entered the
midst of the prison. The foundations of chaos shook, and I hid from them
because of their evil, and they did not recognize me.

Again I returned, a second time, and went on. I had come from the inhabitants of light-I, the remembrance of forethought.

I entered the midst of darkness and the bowels of the underworld, turning
to my task. The foundations of chaos shook as though to fall upon those who
dwell in chaos and destroy them. Again I hurried back to the roof of my light
so they may not be destroyed before their time.

Again, a third time, I went forth-
I am the light dwelling in light,
I am the remembrance of forethought-
so that I might enter the midst of darkness and the bowels of the underworld.
I brightened my face with light from the consummation of their relam and en-
tered the midst of their prison, which is the prison of the body.

I said, let whoever hears arise from deep sleep.

A person wept and shed tears. Bitter tears the person wiped away, and said,
Who is calling my name? From where has my hope come as I dwell in the
bondage of prison?

I said,
I am the forthought of pure light,
I am the thought of the virgin spirit, who raises you up to a place of honor.
Arise remember what you have heard
and trace your root,
which is I, the compassionate.

Guard yourselves against the angels of misery,
the demons of chaos and all who entrap you,
and beware of deep sleep
and the trap of the bowels of the underworld.

I raised and sealed the person in luminous water with five seals, that death
might not prevail over the person from that moment on.

~~~The Gnostic Bible, Edited by Willis Barnstone and Marvin Meyer, pages 164-165, 2003

Anyone may awaken to salvation and knowledge, here portrayed as forethought from the Divine Mother as Savior (caps mine).

Divine Spark Within Us

2010-09-18T23:21:00.005-04:00

Painting by Susan St. Thomas
http://www.stthomasstudio.com/virtual_gallery/VirtualGallery_pg3.html

"The secret of secrets is the divine spark
within each of us. Remembrance is remembering
that which we already know
It is to get in touch with that divine spark
that God has placed within each human being. ...
"To practice remembrance," you've said,
"is to unveil the knowledge and power
and beauty of this spark of God within us."

(Robert Frager/Sheikh Ragip, psychologist and Sufi Master
in conversation with Jonathan Cott: On the Sea of Memory:
A Journey from Forgetting to Remembering, 2005)

Autumn Has Arrived

2010-09-18T22:22:00.007-04:00

Photo by Kevin Kurbs

Autumn has arrived

The sun still shines warmly. Even hot at times, but there is no
mistaking the sensation of death underneath it all. Under the bright
skies, beneath the cheery blooms. One by one, then many by many, the
leaves die. Surrendering themselves, in death, as a blanket for the
earth.

The bees rush about. Frantic amidst their slowing bodies. Heavy fruit
weigh down branches, and in the evening the smell of yard burnings and
re-awakened fireplaces begin to replace the aroma of campfires.
Yes, autumn has found her way into the valley. It is 'the setting of
the sun' time of year.

Hail Mighty Gabriel.

~~~Shilo-Michelle
From her blog The Spark Within
http://sparkwithin.posterous.com/

I wait for Autumn and its particular beauty each year the way children wait for that last day of school, Christmas morning or their birthday.

It's mystery and special magic have attracted me all my life.

Autumn is a time for me of quiet anticipation and peacefulness of mind and spirit.

Without doubt, I am a Dark Half of the Year person.

While loving the glow and flame of Autumn, somehow I feel the safest when I'm burrowed down for the Winter.

We are stradust, we are golden...

2010-09-18T20:41:00.006-04:00

And we've got to get ourselves
Back to the garden

Woodstock

I came upon a child of god
He was walking along the road
And I asked him, where are you going
And this he told me
Im going on down to yasgurs farm
Im going to join in a rock n roll band
Im going to camp out on the land
Im going to try an get my soul free
We are stardust
We are golden
And weve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden

Then can I walk beside you
I have come here to lose the smog
And I feel to be a cog in something turning
Well maybe it is just the time of year
Or maybe its the time of man
I dont know who l am
But you know life is for learning
We are stardust
We are golden
And weve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden

By the time we got to woodstock
We were half a million strong
And everywhere there was song and celebration
And I dreamed I saw the bombers
Riding shotgun in the sky
And they were turning into butterflies
Above our nation
We are stardust
Billion year old carbon
We are golden
Caught in the devils bargain
And weve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden

~~~Joni Mitchell

There's No Place Like Home...

2010-09-18T16:23:00.004-04:00

..."You've always had the power to go back to Kansas!"

~~~Glenda to Dorothy
The Wizard of Oz

To Hildegard, In Gratitude, September 17th

2010-09-18T13:14:00.016-04:00

O, Holy Fire,
paraclete of the spirit,
life force of all creation,
holiness you are in living form
You are a holy ointment
for perilous injuries
You are holy in cleansing
the fetid wound.

O breath of holiness
o fire of loving
o sweet taste in the breath
you fill the heart with the aroma of virtues.

O fountain of purity
in whom it is considered
that god collected the lost
and the damned saved

O robe of life and hope of the companions
our brothers all of the church
and the belt of honesty
save the blessed.

Caring for all those
who are held down by enemies
and break the chains
whom the divine will save and free.

O path of strength
that enters all places
in the high places and in the plains
and in all the depths
you call and unify all.

From you the smoke flows,
the ether flies
jewels given their qualities
water streams shown their way
and earth made green and fresh.

You always teach comprehending
by inspirational wisdom and joy.

Praise be to you,
who is the sound of praise,
and joy of life, hope and noble strength
giving the premium of the light.

~~~Hildegard von Bingen
O Ignus Spiritus

The Apostolic Johannite Church celebrates the feastday of St. Hildegard von Bingen on the 17th of September. And so, yes, I am a date late in putting up this post in her honor; yet again, what is time? I was so caught up in her music and the two films made about her yesterday that I was actually trancing out with Hildegard and not paying the least attention to writing anything coherent for the blog or anywhere else! =) After volumes have been written about this magnificent woman who was abbess, composer, healer, mystic from childhood, writer , artist, theologian who proved to be centuries ahead of her time? What could I possibly write that was in any way new or insightful of the great Benedictine, Hildegard?

Rather I tried to spend her day immersed in her music and the two high quality films about her life; Vision-produced in Germany-and Hildegard von Bingen: In Portrait produced by the BBC.( I will write at length concerncerning these two films in a separate post.) The rendition done by German Benedictine nuns of her compositions, Vespers from the Abbey produced by Regis Records, Ltd (http://www.regisrecords.co.uk/regisrecords/CatNo/RRC1064.html) had me caught up in its purity and wondering if this is what it sounded like in Hildegard's abbey during her lifetime? The other recording which entranced by attention was Laudes de Sainte Ursule, Ensamble Organum * Marcel Peres. (http://www.amazon.com/Hildegard-von-Bingen-Ensemble-Organum/dp/B0000007BL)

In gratitude, then, Hildegard, I thank you for your exquisite and absolutely delicious music, your mystic poems and paintings, your gifts of medicinal knowledge and compassionate ministrations to the sick and your universial insights into Spirit and the human spirit both longing for Union with one another, no longer separated by darkness. I thank you for your immense understandings of spiritual longing bound together with the healing which the earth also provides. Above all, with enormous gratitude, I thank you for sharing what you saw and heard in your mystic's heart, the inspirations of your divine chants, the brilliance of the images of your paintings with the generation of your time and to all of the successive generations of the following centuries. Gratitude for your marvelous talents which you used in attempting to express the Inexpressible in sound and image and the written word. And in having experienced the Inexpressible you bring us back round to the samllest of earth's plants which you used in the healing of human illnesses in those around you. Your remedies for the healing of our frail selves and that which needs healing in our hearts and minds, remain with us today.

In the wrenchings of the hard and metallic and increasingly destructive 21st century in which the gluttony for satisfaction of material consumption never seems to end, we still have your words, sounds and images to aid us in transcending the faults of our time and transform ourselves beyond our limitations. The lessons which have brought the profound changes in me concercening transendence, forgivenss and transformation are restored; enhanced and ever give these life changes the desire to go ever further into Light's Union when I hear your music, read your poetry and prose, or am once again amazed by deep colors and fineness of detail in your mandalas.

I give thanks today for your constant inspirations that go far beyond-outside- any given time or place.

Happy Feast Day, Hildegard von Bingen, you who were so true to your Gnosis.

Brighid's Name

2010-09-09T15:34:00.003-04:00

Icon by Sr. Aloysius McVeigh

...she was splendid in miracles and marvels; wherefore her name among created things is Dove among birds, Vine among trees, Sun among stars...she is the prophetess of Christ, she is the Queen of the South; she is Mary of the Gael.

Brighid, Pray For Us

John 1:5

2010-09-09T13:22:00.010-04:00

The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.

~~~Gospel of Saint John 1:5

I've been meditating on this short, simple yet deeply profound Scripture verse throughout most of this week. In retrospect, regardless of how dark were certain periods of my life, Light was always there; often not experienced, sometimes scorned, always present but so often unseen, I have discovered that Light is eternally patient.

Feastday Of The Nativity of Mary

2010-09-08T11:09:00.005-04:00

This is she whose life gave Light to the world.

The Lord possessed me in the beginnings of His ways, before he made everything from the beginning. I was set up from eternity, and from of old, before the earth was made.

~~~Wisdom 8:22

"The Revelation of James"

Christians, from the earliest times had an interest in knowing more
about Jesus' family, especially about his mother and his grandmother. Ann
is the name of the Jewish woman who was Jesus' grandmother. Ann is the
virgin Mary's mother. We know nothing about Ann from the Bible. A
third century greek manuscript called "the revelation of James" tells
a fictional story about Mary and her parents Joachim and Ann. The story
was probably written around the year 160 a.d. by a non-Jewish Christian

Jewish Heritage

This daily routine is spiced with moments of great enjoyment and great
sadness. There are celebrations for births and marriage, and sad
gatherings for times of sickness and death. Nature brings days of hot sun
and nights with cool breezes. There are seasons of torrential rain that
make the land rich and green and then seemingly endless periods of drought
that turn the whole earth into a parched, barren brown wasteland. There are
no phones, no TV's, there is a lot of time to sit around as a family, walk
over to your neighbor, tell stories, sing songs, and to pray to the God of
earth and sky.
We must also remember that St Ann was thoroughly Jewish and enjoyed
all the cultural, political, and religious customs of Israel. She was a
wife and mother and became the proud grandmother of the most beautiful
grandson the world has ever known.

Ancient Story

According to the ancient story called the "Gospel of James", Ann the
mother of Mary, was born in Bethlehem, where, years later, Jesus would
be born. She married Joachim from Nazareth in Galilee. Their marriage was
blessed in many ways. They loved each other very much and over the years
their love only grew stronger. The couple prospered when they moved to
Jerusalem. Joachim, a shepherd who owned a large herd of sheep, was
given the task of supplying the temple in Jerusalem with sheep for its
sacrifices from his flocks, which grazed in the hills nearby the city.
Unfortunately, after twenty years of marriage Ann and Joachim had no
children. They prayed and prayed, and even vowed to dedicate to God
any child they would have. Year after year they entered the Temple
to plead with God for help. But no child came.
Once, when Joachim went to the Temple for the feast of Dedication,
he overheard someone ridiculing him for not being able to father a
child. Stung by the remark, he went out into the hill country near
Jerusalem where shepherds tended his flocks and cried to God over
his disappointment of so many years.

Angel's Message

After many days there alone, pouring out the sadness in his heart
before God, an angel appeared to Joachim in dazzling light. The vision
frightened him, but the angel said:
"Don't be afraid. I have come to tell you the Lord has heard
your prayers. He knows how good you are and he knows your many
years of sorrow for having no child. God will give your wife
a child just as he did Sarah, the wife of Abraham, and Anna,
the mother of Samuel. Your wife Ann will bear you a daughter.
You shall call her Mary and dedicate her to God, for she will
be filled with the Holy Spirit from her mother's womb."
"I will give you a sign", the angel continued. "Go back to
Jerusalem. You will meet your wife at the Golden Gate, and your
sorrow will be turned into joy."
Meanwhile, Ann, not knowing where her husband had gone, grew anxious
and afraid. She, too, was hurt that she had no children and felt as though
she were being punished by God. Going into the garden, she noticed some
sparrows building a nest in a laurel tree, for it was springtime, and she
began to cry:
"Why was I born, O Lord? The birds build nests for their young
yet I have no child of my own. The animals of the earth, the
fish of the sea are fruitful, yet I have nothing. The land
produces fruit in due season, but I have no infant to hold in
my arms."
Suddenly, the angel of the Lord came to her and said, "Ann, the Lord
has heard your prayer. You shall conceive a child whom the whole world
will praise. Go to the Golden Gate in Jerusalem and meet your husband
there." So she quickly went to the city gate. The two met there and embraced,
and joyfully shared the news the angel had given them. Returning home, Ann
conceived and bore a daughter, and called her Mary. Mary was a common name
for Jewish women of the time. The name is derived from Miriam, who was the
sister of Moses. Perhaps the Jewish people then, longing for someone like
Moses to lead them from their long slavery to foreigners like the Greeks
and the Romans, chose that name for so many of their daughters, hoping that
a new Moses would come and find another Miriam at his side.

Dedication in the Temple

When Mary was three years old, her parents presented her in the Temple
in Jerusalem as a gift to the Lord. Their family then lived close by
that great center of Jewish life. Even from her first days, Mary as a
child seemed to know that her life was to serve God. The temple of God
so near her home was a place she loved and there was nowhere else she
would rather be. So as a little girl just three years old, her parents
watched her ascend the fifteen great steps to the temple courtyard and
approach the altar of sacrifice. God was there and she wished to be near
him. And that is what her parents, Ann and Joachim wished, that their
daughter be near her God. The early story says that mary spent most of
her childhood in that holy place.

~~~Fr. Peter Grace, CP

The One

2010-09-05T02:37:00.011-04:00

Prayer intention for today: For all those who are oppressed and persecuted because of their religious beliefs.

The One is the invisible spirit.We should not think of it as a god or like a god. For it is greater than a god, because it has nothing over it and no lord above it. It does not exist within anything inferior to it, as everything exists within it alone. It is eternal, since it does not need anything. For it is absolutely complete. It has never lacked anything in order to be completed by it. Rather it is always complete in light.

~~~The Gnostic Gospel, 139, edited by Willis Bardstone & Marvin Meyer, 2003

Reading this passage for the first time, perhaps two years ago, but I am not sure, was the source of another great moment in Gnosis for me.

That is that The One, The Absolute, The All Good Mother Father is exactly that; far and away beyond any god or deity, beyond all existence as everything, including all the gods and divinities who ever were to exist, as does everything else, within The One. The One; limitless, immeasurable, the invisible pure light, beyond all time or realities.

Saint Eve's Apostolic Johannite Church Open House!! =)

2010-09-05T01:42:00.014-04:00

I am very pleased to announce our newest Apostolic Johannite Parish in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Saint Eve's!! =) Today, St. Eve's is offering an Open House for anyone who is interested in Divine Gnosis!

From the first entry in their brand new blog:

This Sunday, we will be having an open house for potential new attendees who wish to know more about the journey towards Divine Gnosis. Also there will be discussion about what Saint Eve's Church is all about and how we differ from other religious groups. An introduction will be given for the many activities that St. Eve's is involved in and how this church home may be the one that you have been looking for. I hope to see you all there, to hear and answer your questions, to shake your hand and connect with each one of you on a simply human but covertly divine level.

The open house will be located at the Harrisburg Quaker Meeting House on Sunday, September 5th. The Meeting House is located at 1100 N. 6th Street, Harrisburg. If you have any questions or would like to know more, please send an email to saintevechurch@gmail.com. Blessing on you all and I hope to see you there.

http://saintevechurch.blogspot.com/

And I love their beautiful red and green AJC logo with the name of their parish; I mean is this a great color scheme or what??! Wow! How can a person miss it? =) Kudos to the artist! I think it truly captures the spirit of Saint Eve, bringer of Knowledge, Wisdom and Awakening.

Their description of Saint Eve's in the About Us section is well worth noting as it expresses a strong sense of freedom and creativity:

Saint Eve's Apostolic Johannite Church
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
St. Eve's is a community of individuals seeking out the Divine through Gnostic spirituality. We embrace poetry, art, music, sensuality, consciousness, passion, laughter, ritual, magic, prayer, sorrowful abandon and compassionate strength as means to the Sublime. This is our journey and you can join us on Sundays at 5 PM at The Quaker Meeting House at 1100 N. 6th St., Harrisburg, PA 17102.

They may be reached at saintevechurch@gmail.com. Their Face Book page can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=136935212997174&ref=mf

The Administer, Joseph McCauslin, further describes the meaning of St Eve's Parish:

Saint Eve's Apostolic Johannite Church is a spiritual, esoteric mystical community that focuses on personal revelation, mystical ritual and community service.

We take our name from Eve from the Book of Genesis. However we do not see her as the cause of human damnation but an image of Divine Knowledge and Sublime Love. We do not relate to God as a stagnant force but one that is continuously changing, through us, with us and in us. God is not a person or a thing; God is not a noun. God is a process, a constantly evolving verb with an infinite number of descriptions.
We are a romantic group with a love of myth, contemplation, meditation and ritual. Like Eve, we are unafraid to reach out for the Divine and bite right into it. We are not ascetic...we do not deny ourselves pleasure in order to appease some external deity but instead believe that we can experience the Sublime through touch and taste, through music and art, through poetry and beauty, through sex and food and family and stargazing and philosophy.

We are Gnostics, those who choose to not believe in God, but instead to interact with God, living within ourselves and those around us, playfully peeking through the din of the mundane world to merely tap on you on the shoulder so that you may turn around and see the world from a different perspective.

We welcome all people of all types to join us for fellowship and spiritual practice. Come as you are able, stay as long or as little as you like and come bite into the Sublime with us.

I wish those at St Eve's many blessings and much Gnosis as I keep their intentions before the Sacred Flame each day! =)

Johannite Tradition

2010-08-31T10:50:00.010-04:00

Prayer Intention For Today: For more aid to the flood victims of Pakistan.

If we are to imagine a reality which encompasses things that we cannot experience with our senses, then it might be better to see history and spiritual events as concepts, ideas, in short, as words of reason. In principio erat verbum, the motto of the Johannite Church, is taken from the first verse of the Gospel of John: "In the beginning was the Word." (Logos). Believing in literal histories is a dangerous pass-time. This is no more or less true of the Johannite Institutional Narrative than it is for the foundation blocks of any ancient tradition, including the Gospel narratives of Christianity and the Torah of the Jewish faith. Doctrine often muddles it's own clarity and impact by attempting to equate myth with dogma, which in turn subjugates spirituality to historical or metaphysical "facts". Today it might be impossible to perfectly understand the thinking of our forbears, the founders of the ancient community of John or the medieval order of knights which, according to Johannite Tradition, took on the mantle of the Secret Church of John, the "Hidden Church of the Holy Grail." This difficulty is as much a part of our own psychological process as it is a clear demarcation between generations and our approach to the Divine. In the early Christian era, the penultimate feast in the calendar was Easter-precisely because, having let go of the past of things and events, the Christ (who represents us) simply exists. The Noli me tangere story of St Mary Magdalene , who was told not to cling to the Master, reveals this in John 20:17. not clinging to the old identity, transcending the perceived division of spirit and matter, the Christ is not only resurrected, he freely takes his body from here to there, ending in the Ascension. The esoteric meaning of the Ascension for the seeker might be understood as the "Eternal Now." The Christ has overcome the division, and with full capacities and awareness, knowingly exists in seemless divinity. This the New heaven and the New Earth; the New Jerusalem contained in human form. Perhaps this is most simply described by the Gnostic Gospel of Phillip: "It is impossible to see anything in the real real unless you become it." For the Gnostic Christian, the wheel of birth, death, and resurrection has deep meaning for our path. The Liturgy of both gnostic and orthodox catholics lays bare a common spiritual meaning, if perhaps approached in distinct ways. If our common tradition in the Eucharist provides the parameters of celebrating unio mystica-out of space and time-then there will always be a shared revelation among all members of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of that timeless place within the liturgy of life.

It is from this perspective that we celebrate the Johannite Liturgy. This is not to say that people and events in the Bible, the Nag Hammadi Library, and other scriptures are not real, but that very often the historical facts are scarcely as important as the spiritual images which they portray for us even now.

~~~Rev Donald Donato, Rector, St Sarah the Egyptian Parish, AJC, Boston, MA

MariaSophiaMagdalena

2010-08-29T14:30:00.003-04:00

The Coronation

Best Brown Scapular Deal Evah...!! =)

2010-08-12T05:06:00.009-04:00

The first Brown Scapular which I bought and am now wearing-for the first time in more than twenty years-has been showing signs of much wear lately. Although still in good condition for average 24/7 devotional useage, it's curling and the pictures on it have all but worn off. At the time I bought it, I thought is was a good deal, being 2" X 2" with nicely stitched and embroidered pictures, brown wool and held together by brown ribbons for $6.95.

As Profession of Vows as a solitary religious looks as though it may become a reality in the late fall of this year, I wanted to wear a brand new scapular for that very special day; something larger and with striking , traditional images sewn on it. In looking around the innner webz, I found a large, ceremonial scapular which fit over the chest and back but the price for it plus the additional embroidery was a wee bit out of my range at the moment as I need to also buy an edition of Morning and Evening Prayer, material for at least two habit dresses, kerchief veils, breviary case, Magdalene medal and chain and etc. and etc. I turned to Find.com for help!

And what to my wondering eyes did appear but the more than perfect solution! That is the quintessential Brown Scapular pictured in this post! Wow! =D It's 6"X4", 100 % wool using wide , satiny-like ribbons to go over the shoulders. The perfect pictures of OL of Mount Carmel and her signature M are of regular holy card size, laminated and machine stitched onto the material. I loved it immeadiately! AND... get this... it's only $3.95!!!! I couldn't have been more pleased!!! So, it's staying in its plastic wrap until profession day.

This best Brown Scapular EVAH! can be purchased here:

http://www.freebrownscapular.com/brown_scapular_13.html

They also have a smaller, 5'X 3.5 version of the same quality scapular with a laminated frontpiece for $2.95 and another size of 4" X 2.5 " for the same price.

http://www.freebrownscapular.com/brown_scapular_12.html

http://www.freebrownscapular.com/brown_scapular_11.html

Mary Theotokos of Carmel, bless and pray for us!

The Alchemical Soul

2010-08-12T03:32:00.011-04:00

Prayer intention for today: For all of the victims of the most recent floods in Pakistan and China.

Our precious stone, that was cast upon the dung heap, is altogether vile...But when we married the crowned king with the red daughters, she will conceive a son in the gentle fire, and shall nourish him through our fire...Then he is transformed, and his tincture remains red as flesh. Our son of the royal birth takes his tincture from the fire, and death, darkness, and the water flee away. The dragon shuns the light of the sun, and our dead son shall live. The king shall come forth from the fire and rejoice in the marriage. The hidden things shall be disclosed, and the virgins shall be whitened. The son is become a warrior fire and surpasses the tincture, for he himself is the treasure and himself is attired in the philosophic matter. Come hither , ye sons of wisdom, and rejoice, for the dominance of death is over, and the son reigns, he wears red garments, and the purple is put on.

~~~Anonymous, "Tractatus Aureus", in Ars chemica (Strasbourg, 1556)

Ah Finded Teh Purl...

2010-08-12T02:58:00.006-04:00

PLZ...wen Ah can goez bak home?

Ah'z reddy!

Ah gotz rid of mah fur'in robez an' stufff!!!

K thx Bai

Nostick Kitteh

Ah'll jus be ovr herez...waitin'...

but doin' gud stufff wile Ah'z waitin'...

House Of Love

2010-08-04T15:03:00.005-04:00

Painting of Rumi by Lisa Dietrich

This house wherein is continually the sound of the viol
Ask of the Master, what house is this?
If it is the Ka'ba, what means this idol form?
And if it is the magician temple, what means this Light of God?
In this house is a treasure which the universe is too small to hold;
This "house" and this "Master" is all acting and pretense.Lay no hand on the house, for this house is a talisman;

Speak not with the Master, for he is drunken overnight,
The dust and rubbish of this house is all musk and perfume.
The roof and door of this house is all verse and melody
In fine, whoever has found his way into this house
Is the sultan of the world and the Solomon of the time.
O Master, bend down thy head once from this roof,
For in thy fair place is a token of fortune.
Like a mirror, the Soul has received thy image in its heart;
The tip of thy curl has sunk into its heart like a comb.
This is the Lord of Heaven, who resembles Venus and the
moor;
This is the House of Love, which hath no bound or end.

~~~Rumi

excerpt from The Life and Work of Jalaluddin Rumi by Afzal Iqbal
(Oxford; Oxford University Press, 2000)

For Ioannes

2010-08-04T11:50:00.008-04:00

Get your motor runnin' , Head out on the highway... vrooooom! =)

<< Psalm 35 >>
New American Standard Bible
Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.

A Psalm of David.

Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.

Take hold of buckler and shield
And rise up for my help.

Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life;
Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.

Let them be like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of the LORD driving them on.

Let their way be dark and slippery,
With the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

For without cause they hid their net for me;
Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.

Let destruction come upon him unawares,
And let the net which he hid catch himself;
Into that very destruction let him fall.

And my soul shall rejoice in the LORD;
It shall exult in His salvation.
All my bones will say, “LORD, who is like You,
Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him,
And the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?”

Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me of things that I do not know.

They repay me evil for good,
To the bereavement of my soul.

But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled my soul with fasting,
And my prayer kept returning to my bosom.

I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.

But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together;
The smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me,
They slandered me without ceasing.

Like godless jesters at a feast,
They gnashed at me with their teeth.

Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue my soul from their ravages,
My only life from the lions.

I will give You thanks in the great congregation;
I will praise You among a mighty throng.

Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me;
Nor let those who hate me without cause wink maliciously.

For they do not speak peace,
But they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.

They opened their mouth wide against me;
They said, “Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it!”

You have seen it, O LORD, do not keep silent;
O Lord, do not be far from me.

Stir up Yourself, and awake to my right
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.

Judge me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness,
And do not let them rejoice over me.

Do not let them say in their heart, “Aha, our desire!”
Do not let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”

Let those be ashamed and humiliated altogether who rejoice at my distress;
Let those be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves over me.

Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication;
And let them say continually, “The LORD be magnified,
Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.”

And my tongue shall declare Your righteousness
And Your praise all day long.

Vocation Update...lookin' good! =)

2010-08-03T20:10:00.005-04:00

Prayer intention for today: In thanksgiving for Light, Gnosis,the Apostolic Johannite Church and my religious vocation! =)

A Gnostic Soul 3

2010-08-02T16:02:00.005-04:00

Prayer intention for today: Immigrant Rights and for all those for whom I have promised to pray.

What binds us is slain, what surrounds us is destroyed, all desire is gone, ignorance is dead. We are free to remember eternity. We shall rest in Silence for all ages and aeons. Amen.

http://www.santuariosanrafael.com/index_files/Page2424.htm

SI SE PUEDE!!

2010-08-01T05:02:00.015-04:00

Prayer intention for August: Full Rights For All Immigrants NOW!!

Magdalene's Ascension!! =)

2010-07-31T12:58:00.006-04:00

Prayer intention for the day: For the nurturing of the Sacred Flame within us all.

Ascension of Magdalene sculpted by Charles Marochetti

Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, Paris

This a gorgeous picture but it needs to be seen full screen to actually appreciate it.

I end the Month of Mary Magdalene posts with her ascension; total union with the Divine!

Gorgeous Magdalene and Jesus Gifts! =)

2010-07-27T15:52:00.014-04:00

Icons by Sophia Christine

Prayer intention for today: For a greater tolerence, respect and understanding of religious traditions other than one's own.

While looking for material on Mary Magdalen, I came across many, many sites advertising religious gifts relating to the Woman whom Jesus loved above the others. Some of the merchandise was attractive, devotional, traditional and there was a lot in the market stalls which was just plain tacky! =)

The pictures in this post are the Mary Magdalene gifts which I found to be gorgeous, tasteful, inspirational and under $40! =)

The statues of Jesus and Mary Magdalene with the alabster look to them can be found here:

http://www.goddessgift.net/page70.html

There are several other Magdalene statues at this site but I didn't have room here to display all of them.

There are dozens of sites selling religious goods and medals of Mary Magdalene but these in particular really caught my eye! I love colored medals and these are best I've seen so far. The site also offers a huge selection of other patron saints in the same style shown here.

http://www.picturesongold.com/display/130/Saint_Mary_Magdalene_Medals.html

These copper icons Mary Magdalene and Jesus can be found at:

http://www.sofiachristine.com/

Her icons-and yes there are many others done in this unique style-are a true artistic change from those done in traditional woodwork. Not that I also don't love and venerate trad icons but I also appreciate the special talents of various artists I have the small travel altar of Mary Magdalene and it is indeed striking with the black on copper.

And JSYK, no one is paying me anything to promote their wares! I simply wanted to share what I found to outstanding, contemporary Magdalene and Jesus devotional art! =)

Ware Ah Sinez Up?

2010-07-27T10:34:00.003-04:00

What Counts?

2010-07-26T14:42:00.006-04:00

Painting of Ste Therese of Lisieux by Leonard Porter

Prayer intention for the day: For Haiti

Jesus needs neither books nor Doctors of Divinity in order to instruct souls; He, the Doctor of Doctors, He teaches without noise of words.

Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing.

"You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love at which we do them.

~ ~ ~ Ste Therese of Lisieux

Mood...gettin' better...=)

2010-07-26T11:36:00.002-04:00

Granite Hard & Desert Dry

2010-07-25T20:48:00.009-04:00

Prayer intention for today and most of the following week: For all those who suffer any type of mood disorders and high levels of anxiety.

Well, granite hard and desert dry pretty much sums up my attempts to pray today and the greater portion of last week. The combination of depression, heat, nausea, low energy levels and discouragement cut a wide swath through my hours set aside for intercessory prayer or even the simplest meditation. I kept thinking of Julian of Norwich's admonition to pray inwardly even though it seemed like it was seriously doing 0 much good.

But I was at least able to keep the needs of those whom I know and most of general intentions about which I'm so very concerned somewhere in the forefront of my poor brain and heart. I thought of various intentions and hoped they were receiving even a small portion of Light and Healing and Relief.

My Heart Today As I Renew My Private Vows

2010-07-22T14:29:00.023-04:00

Our Lady of Mount Carmel by Maria Laughlin

A Blessed Mary Magdalene Day To All!~July 22

2010-07-22T12:29:00.013-04:00

Prayer Intention for the day: For all of the victims of human traffiking, that they be brought home, healed and their perpetrators be brought to justice. For an end to this, the world's 3rd largest organized crime!! =( =/

There are so many gorgeous paintings of Mary Magdalene, so much to choose from in literature which glorifies her, sculptures and all of the new contemporary books relating her to the Divine Feminine, The Grail and Holy Sophia I had a difficult time trying to select what would best to choose and share about her on her feastday. Eventually, I decided to share that which inspires me the most about Mary Magdalene. This is shown in the above three pictures; her teaching; a time of great importance in the sharing of Christ's ministries while he was yet visible in this world and continuing after his ascension. I believe that what followed in her life was a period of exquisite Union with Her All in perfect spirit while she yet had to remain here on this plain. Then, the total fulfilment of this Union as she is elevated to a place from they can never be separated.

It also occured to me that what better way to reveal what is most true about this woman than to listen to what she herself had to say:

Chapter 5

1) But they were grieved. They wept greatly, saying, How shall we go to the Gentiles and preach the gospel of the Kingdom of the Son of Man? If they did not spare Him, how will they spare us?

2) Then Mary stood up, greeted them all, and said to her brethren, Do not weep and do not grieve nor be irresolute, for His grace will be entirely with you and will protect you.

3) But rather, let us praise His greatness, for He has prepared us and made us into Men.

4) When Mary said this, she turned their hearts to the Good, and they began to discuss the words of the Savior.

5) Peter said to Mary, Sister we know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of woman.

6) Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember which you know, but we do not, nor have we heard them.

7) Mary answered and said, What is hidden from you I will proclaim to you.

8) And she began to speak to them these words: I, she said, I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to Him, Lord I saw you today in a vision. He answered and said to me,

9) Blessed are you that you did not waver at the sight of Me. For where the mind is there is the treasure.

10) I said to Him, Lord, how does he who sees the vision see it, through the soul or through the spirit?

11) The Savior answered and said, He does not see through the soul nor through the spirit, but the mind that is between the two that is what sees the vision and it is [...]

Chapter 8:

. . . it.

10) And desire said, I did not see you descending, but now I see you ascending. Why do you lie since you belong to me?

11) The soul answered and said, I saw you. You did not see me nor recognize me. I served you as a garment and you did not know me.

12) When it said this, it (the soul) went away rejoicing greatly.

13) Again it came to the third power, which is called ignorance.

14) The power questioned the soul, saying, Where are you going? In wickedness are you bound. But you are bound; do not judge!

15) And the soul said, Why do you judge me, although I have not judged?

16) I was bound, though I have not bound.

17) I was not recognized. But I have recognized that the All is being dissolved, both the earthly things and the heavenly.

18) When the soul had overcome the third power, it went upwards and saw the fourth power, which took seven forms.

19) The first form is darkness, the second desire, the third ignorance, the fourth is the excitement of death, the fifth is the kingdom of the flesh, the sixth is the foolish wisdom of flesh, the seventh is the wrathful wisdom. These are the seven powers of wrath.

20) They asked the soul, Whence do you come slayer of men, or where are you going, conqueror of space?

21) The soul answered and said, What binds me has been slain, and what turns me about has been overcome,

22) and my desire has been ended, and ignorance has died.

23) In a aeon I was released from a world, and in a Type from a type, and from the fetter of oblivion which is transient.

24) From this time on will I attain to the rest of the time, of the season, of the aeon, in silence.

Chapter 9

1) When Mary had said this, she fell silent, since it was to this point that the Savior had spoken with her.

2) But Andrew answered and said to the brethren, Say what you wish to say about what she has said. I at least do not believe that the Savior said this. For certainly these teachings are strange ideas.

3) Peter answered and spoke concerning these same things.

4) He questioned them about the Savior: Did He really speak privately with a woman and not openly to us? Are we to turn about and all listen to her? Did He prefer her to us?

5) Then Mary wept and said to Peter, My brother Peter, what do you think? Do you think that I have thought this up myself in my heart, or that I am lying about the Savior?

6) Levi answered and said to Peter, Peter you have always been hot tempered.

7) Now I see you contending against the woman like the adversaries.

8) But if the Savior made her worthy, who are you indeed to reject her? Surely the Savior knows her very well.

9) That is why He loved her more than us. Rather let us be ashamed and put on the perfect Man, and separate as He commanded us and preach the gospel, not laying down any other rule or other law beyond what the Savior said.

10) And when they heard this they began to go forth to proclaim and to preach.

~~~ The Gospel of Mary

Elijah, Solitary And Edith Stein

2010-07-20T09:40:00.010-04:00

Prayer intention for today: For the extension of unemployment benefits in the USA and more funding for Medicaid.

For the Carmelite families, today, the Prophet Elijah is commenorated and I would like to take this opportunity once again to create more awareness and support for the hermitical, solitary vocation. I'd like to do that by posting an article written about the Prophet Elijah by the brilliant Edith Stein, known in religion as Saint/ Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, OCD, 1891-1942. Edith Stein/Sr Teresa Benedicta of the Cross was known as a great intellectual, prolific writer , philosopher and feminist. After converting from Judaism to the Catholic faith she became a Carmelite nun. Afterwards,arrested by the Nazis, she was gassed and cremated in Auschwitz.

Teresa Benedicta of the Cross Our Holy Founder Elijah

Our Holy Father Elijah succinctly says what is most important in the first words of his that the Scriptures give us.

He says to King Ahab who worshiped idols (1 Kgs 17:1), “As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”

To stand before the face of the living God that is our vocation. The holy prophet set us an example.

He stood before God’s face because this was the eternal treasure for whose sake he gave up all earthly goods.

He had no house; he lived wherever the Lord directed him from moment to moment: in loneliness beside the brook of Carith, in the little house of the poor widow of Zarephath of Sidon, or in the caves of Mount Carmel.

His clothing was an animal hide like that of that other great penitent and prophet, the Baptist. The hide of a dead animal reminds us that the human body is also subject to death.

Elijah is not concerned about his daily bread. He lives trusting in the solicitude of the heavenly Father and is marvelously sustained. A raven brings him his daily food while he is in solitude. The miraculously increased provisions of the pious widow nourish him in Zarephath.

Prior to the long trek to the holy mountain where the Lord was to appear to him, an angel with heavenly bread strengthens him. So he is for us an example of the gospel poverty that we have vowed, an authentic prototype of the Savior.

Elijah stands before God’s face because all of his love belongs to the Lord. He lives outside of all natural human relationships. We hear nothing of his father and mother, nothing of a wife or child. His “relatives” are those who do the will of the Father as he does: Elisha, whom God has designated as his successor, and the “sons of the prophets”, who follow him as their leader.

Glorifying God is his joy. His zeal to serve him tears him apart: “I am filled with jealous zeal for the Lord, the God of hosts” (1 Kgs 19:10, 14; these words were used as a motto on the shield of the Order).

By living penitentially, he atones for the sins of his time. The offense that the misguided people give to the Lord by their manner of worship hurts him so much that he wants to die.

And the Lord consoles him only as he consoles his especially chosen ones: He appears to him himself on a lonely mountain, reveals himself in soft rustling after a thunderstorm, and announces his will to him in clear words. ~ ~ ~

So, here I am, alone, in my little , apartment home in the Big City; listening for the quiet, small, voice of Gnosis; attempting to be still and to Know the God Who Is All.

I cannot wear the beauty of the Carmelite habit, absorb the serenity of the cloister nor live behind high, stone walls and grille so I pray to Elijah to keep me steadfast in my vocation as a solitary devoted to intercessory prayer as I sit before the Sacred Flame.

St Elijah, pray for us!

St Elijah, pray for all hermits and solitaries and anchorites!

St Elijah, pray for all those who try to follow the Carmelite spirit!

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us all!

Our Lady Of Mount Carmel~July 16

2010-07-16T08:31:00.004-04:00

Prayer intention for today: For all of those unjustly sentenced to prison both in the US and throughout the world.

Prayer To Our Lady of Mount Carmel
"Flos Carmeli" - Prayer of St. Simon Stock

O beautiful Flower of Carmel, most fruitful vine, Splendor of Heaven, holy and singular,
who brought forth the Son of God, still ever remaining a Pure Virgin, assist me in this necessity.
O Star of the sea, help and protect me! Show me that Thou art my Mother.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!
Mother and Ornament of Carmel, Pray for us! Virgin, Flower of Carmel, Pray for us!
Patroness of all who wear the Scapular, Pray for us!
Hope of all who die wearing the Scapular, Pray for us!
St. Joseph, Friend of the Sacred Heart, Pray for us!
St. Joseph, Chaste Spouse of Mary, Pray for us!
St. Joseph, Our Patron, Pray for us!
O sweet Heart of Mary, Be our salvation! Amen.

PS Wear the Brown Scapular even if it itches! =)

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha ~July 14th

2010-07-15T13:07:00.006-04:00

Portrait of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha by British artist Deboora Coombs
St Mary's Cathedral, Portland, Oregon

Prayer intention for today: For justice for all indiginous people throughout the world!!

Happy Belated Feastday, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Gah-deh-lee Deh-gah-quee-tah

Prayers reposted from: http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=89963

This a good source for information about Kateri Tekakwitha

BLESSED KATERI TEKAKWITHA SHRINE
Prayer For Kateri's Veneration and Litany
Kateri Tekakwitha

O God, who among the many marvels of Your Grace in the New World did cause to blossom on the banks of
the Mohawk and of the St. Lawrence, the pure and tender Lily, Kateri Tekakwitha, grant we beseech You,
the favor we beg through Your intercession; that this Young Lover of Jesus and of His Cross may soon be
counted among the Saints by Holy Mother Church, and that our hearts may be enkindled with a stronger
desire to imitate her innocence and faith. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

(Our Father and Haily Mary once, Glory Be three times)

************************

In Mohawk - Aionteren:naien Iosno:re Akonwaia'tatokenhtihste Kateri Tekahkwi:tha

Sewenni:io tsi ni"kon iorihwaneshrakwahtenion's iorihwison ne saianerenhstahkwa ne kentho a:se tsi ionhwentsia:te,
l:se tsori:wa takwenten:ron. Sarihwison ne Onkwehonwe:ke, takatsi'tsane:kare katsi'tsara:ken ne:'e ne aonha:a
tkatsi'tsi:io, Kateri Tekahkwi'tha. Sathon:tat tsi naho:ten non:wa kwa'neken:ni's ne aonha aohsen:nakon. Ne:'e ne tho
naonta:we, ki:ken kaia'tase'tsheratokenhti Kateri, Ie:sos ronoronhkwahkwe nok o:ni ne raoisha, iosno:re
akonwaia'tatokenhtiste, akarihwahni:rate ne Onkwa'nistenha Kentiohkwatokenhti. Nok o:ni ni:'i senha
aontaionwa'nikonhrahsa'ahton tsi aiakwan'ke:ren tsi ni:ioht tsi katsha:nihskwe ne aho'nikonhraksa'te ne Rawenni:io
nok o:ni tsi niiorihwiioston:ne. Raohsen:nakon Ie:sos Kristos Shonkwawenni:io. Etho naia:wen

************************

In French - Priere pour la Canonisation de Bienheurese Kateri Tekakwitha

O Dieu, qui parmi les multiples merveilles de ta grace dans le nouveau monde, as fait fleurir sur les rives de la
Mohawk et du Saint-Laurent le pur et tendre lis, Kateri Tekakwitha, daigne nous accorder la grace que nous te
demandons par son intercession,a fin que cette petite amante de Jesus et de sa croix soit elevee au rang des Saints
de notre Mere las sainte Eglise et nous attire plus vivement a l'imatation de son innocence et de sa foi. Par le meme
Jesus-Christ Notre Seigneur. Amen.

In Spanish - Oracion Por La Canonizacion De La Beata Kateri Tekakwitha

Oh Dios, que entre las muchas maravilla de tu gracia en el Nuevo Mundo hiciste florecer en las riberas del Mojok y
del San Lorenzo el puro y delicado Lirio, Kateri Tekakwitha, concedenos, te pedimos, la gracia qui queremos
alcanzar por su intercesion...que esta joven Amante de Jesus y de su Cruz sea contada en breve entre los santos por
la Santa Madre Iglesia y que nuestros corazones se enciendan con un deseo mas fuerte de imitar su inocencia y su
fe. Por el mismo Jesucristo Nuestro Senor. Amen.

************************

The Litany of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.

Lord,have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the World have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Kateri, lily of purity, pray for us.
Kateri, consoler of the heart of Jesus, pray for us.
Kateri, bright light for all Indians, pray for us.
Kateri, courage of the afflicted, pray for us.
Kateri, lover of the cross of Jesus, pray for us.
Kateri, flower of fortitude for the persecuted, pray for us.
Kateri, unshakeable in temptations, pray for us.
Kateri, full of patience in suffering, pray for us.
Kateri, keeper of your virginity in persecutions, pray for us.
Kateri, leader of many Indians to the true faith through your love for Mary, pray for us.
Kateri, who loved Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us.
Kateri, lover of penance, pray for us.
Kateri, steadfast in all prayer, pray for us.
Kateri, who loved to pray the rosary for all people, pray for us.
Kateri, example to your people in all virtues, pray for us.
Kateri, humble servant to the sick, pray for us.
Kateri, who by your love of humility, gave joy to the angels, pray for us.
Kateri, your holy death gave strength to all Indians to love Jesus and Mary, pray for us.
Kateri, whose scarred face in life became beautiful after death, pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, 0 Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, 0 Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Let Us Pray.0 Jesus, who gave Kateri to the Indians as an example of purity, teach all men to love purity, and to console your immaculate Mother Mary through the lily, Kateri Tekakwitha, and your Holy Cross. Amen.

Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us. Amen.

(Yes, I am very behind on everything due to being sick from the heat last week.)

Although not one who is big on the whole Canonization process of RC Church, I posted this prayer in veneration of Bl Kateri's not only because of the beauty of the languages in which it was written but because the fact that more First People and Nations of North and South America (and indeed all indiginous people from each land) should receive public honor and to be held up as examples of their love of their God, their courage and strength. On this day, I also believe that the plight and injustice done to native populations everywhere needs to have more attention drawn to these injustices. I pray, therefore, that more and more people of Light and good conscious will continue to raise awareness of these causes and help to bring about an end to the racism and its effects suffered by too many for far too long.

My Life's Story

2010-07-15T09:52:00.002-04:00

St Sarah's, Boston's AJC Parish, Community Growth! =)

2010-07-11T10:24:00.009-04:00

Photos taken yesterday from Saint Sarah's Mystic Fair and Flea Market, July 10, 2010!!

Prayer intention for today: For the continued growth in community spirit in all of the parishes of the Apostolic Johannite Church! xD

It looks as though the time for the growth of parishes in the Apostolic Johannite Church has come to pass! This year has truly been a banner year for the AJC with another successful Conclave, two more received into the Deaconate and another to Minor Orders. The invaluable contribution of the Rev. Donald Donato (St Sarah's Parish, Boston, MA) of translating the Johannite document of the Primative Catholic Church, The Levitikon, into English for the first time, has and will continue to bring more people to a better understanding of the Johannite tradition. (And yes, it's available on Amazon! =)) And for those of us, like myself, who are new to AJC and Gnosticism in general, this translation will greatly aid us part of our ongoing education! =)

Yesterday, despite heat, humidity and the threat of thunderstorms, the hard working, cheerful and dedicated community of St Sarah the Egyptian Parish of Boston , MA, held its first annual Mystic Fair and Flea Market. By all reports, it was a rousing success in creating awareness of the little Christian Gnostic parish but as a commercial venture, too!!

The Rev Donald Donato had this to say about the Fair on his FaceBook page:

Donald Donato St. Sarah's Mystic Fair & Flea Market a success thanks to Maggie McNeelyand Beth Capotosto who worked for months to hand make prayer beads, rosaries and other items, as well as organizing our little community. Olga Tumanyan shared her talent for Reiki and to all those who donated many items for the rummage. Fr. Anthony's prayer ropes were a hit. Our Sr. Warden Daniel C Gomes and his wife Adrienne Senecal Gomes , along with our newlywed Deb Darago-Hagelstein, brought it all together with their hard work before, during and after the fair. You have all helped build community, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Congrats to Saint Sarah's and to all of those who made the Mystic Fair and Flea Market happen!

The Sacred Flame continues to burn brightly in New England! =)