Agapé

This past Saturday I woke up early after a peculiarly restless sleep anxious about the day ahead. Every first and third Friday the Seattle Johannite community, Holy Paraclete, meets at a local esoteric bookstore for communal prayer and, occasionally, participation in the Eucharist through our friend, Monsignor Scott Rassbach+, of Rose Cross Community in Portland. This time, however, was different and unique. Although the monsignor couldn’t make it to the service, I decided as the narthex leader to try something different from our usual vespers service on account of a special guest coming from out of town and offer them, as a gesture of friendship between our different communities.

Friendship and mutual support is important. Regardless of traditions, we are all being led by the Sacred Flame toward the Godhead in whatever way we imagine it and are all fellow travelers on the spiritual path. I met Pater Craig Williams a number of years ago at the Esoteric Book Conference ,where he was interviewed last year by Occult of Personality. A priest of Ecclesia Gnostica Æterna and adept in Ayurveda and Eastern spirituality, I’ve enjoyed my conversations with him and acknowledge him as a friend and exemplar of what it means to be a modern gnostic. Another guest, friend and soon-to-be deacon of Ecclesia Gnostica was also present, as well as others from different traditions. To say I felt overwhelmed at first would be a gross understatement.

The entire morning I traveled here and there across town to get the things I needed for the ceremony in-between making lunch for my partner and me, ironing the clothes I was going to wear, and packing up my travel bag that I use to bring what I needed to the location. I decided that I would arrive a few hours earlier to clean up the space with my partner, set up what was needed, and then grab a quick drink at a local pub to calm my nerves about an hour and half before Holy Paraclete’s first Agapé Meal.

The Agapé Meal is a ceremony dating back to the earliest ages of the Christian movement and although the Council of Laeodicea effectively marked the end of the practice of the agapé feasts in the transition of Christian worship from home to the adapted Hellenic temples and other buildings granted to Christians for worship and congregation some fifty years earlier by the Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Augustus by declaring, “no one holding any office in the Church, be he cleric or layman, who are invited to an agapé feast, may take away their portions, for this is to cast reproach on the ecclesiastical order[1].” Although it can be certain many still met in the context of their own families and extended friends, this development also marked the codification – or rather separation – between clergy and the laity.

Although eucharistic in appearance, the agapé is principally communal in nature, best described by His Grace, +Mar Timotheos of New South Wales: “[The Agape Meal] a prayerful feast shared in community.. [and] a time for a whole household to come together and give thanks… you can think of [it] as a bridge. It bridges the domestic, mundane reality of the meal with the sacred time of liturgy – so it has a flavour that is somewhat liturgical and somewhat casual. As the liturgy proclaims: there is no separation between these things – but it’s easy to think of sacredness as only being at church or in meditation. Agape is a way to remind ourselves that truly ‘there is nothing mundane in the holy’.”

The above description is precisely what I felt last Saturday in the presence of good friends and spiritual partners. In spite of our many different backgrounds, experiences and even personal practices, we were able to come together, sit at the same table, pray and enjoy our company in a mindful manner. The conversations were delightful and I was overjoyed by the entirety of the experience in spite of my initial anxieties. Waking up the next morning, I felt inspired – the first time in a number of weeks due to personal life stressors – and motivated to move past the things I’ve been letting hold me back to some degree and try out new things.

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[1] Canon 27, Laeodicea

Lenten Meditation: Water

 

God calls us, even now, reminding us that there is no better moment than the present to begin seeking to remember our divine origins and that we have at this very moment an opportunity that we can freely take advantage of to deepen our knowledge and embody the nature of the Christ. In practicing mindfulness, we can start to see through the watery illusions which we have put about us and start remembering who we were.

The image of water as a concrete means of purification is self-explanatory, however water as a means of spiritual purification, dare I say atonement, and is one of the foundational mysteries of Christian belief – that is Baptism. The outward washing with water symbolizes an inward cleansing of the soul and is practiced to this day by many people of a variety of different faiths. In joining the symbolic path of Christ during Lent, we must wash away the accretions of falsehood from our field of perception so that we may come to better know our divine natures and be recognized for our own inherent divinity (cif. John 9:12, I Cor. 13:12).

As one who may have had more than a passing familiarity with the mystery traditions of the Greeks as well as the Egyptians in addition to his own Jewish heritage, the usage of water in purification rites would have been very clear to Jesus however, during the Lenten season, it is also into the waters that we must descend in order to die to our old ways of viewing the world and become reborn and regenerated in order to gain a more comprehensive idea of “whereto we speed ”.

For the Ancient Egyptian religions, water or mw played an important role in the lives of the sacral duties of their priesthoods so much so that an entire clerical class, w’b nswt or purification priests,  were in charge of preparing ritual space but were not allowed to enter the sanctuary where the Divine Image was kept. An interesting parallel here might be to consider the role of John the Baptist in the desert preparing the way for Jesus as the embodiment and instructor of embodying God. Also, interestingly, although the Hebrew letter mem (מ) is believed to be graphically related to the Egyptian n-water ripple this represents only the letter, “n”, the Sefer HaBahir which may be dated to the first century, informs us, “Do not read Mem, but Mayim (water).”

So, what do we find in water? Biologically, the human fetus is suspended in the waters of the womb for nine months before birth and upon exiting the womb encounters a deserted wasteland of pure potentiality but first, the first impetus of many of us at birth is to cry at the cold world we’ve been thrust into before being picked up and placed into the loving arms of our first parent whose voice we quickly learn to recognize and whose heartbeat we already know. On a spiritual nature, we already have the capacity to listen to the heartbeat of God and hear our First Parent or Protogenetiera (cf. Eugnostos the Blessed) speaking Her Wisdom into us (cf. proverbs 8:22-8:31, Wisdom 7:25-7:26) continually fostering our connection to the Sacred Flame.

Water is also emblematic of emotion, specifically connection to our emotions, and is ruled by the Moon as countless folk-legends attest. The first step in our purification then must be to be attentive to our own moods and the their waxing and waning cycles and direct our focus and offer our experiences, through blood, sweat and tears, where we might find “true life through intelligence and love ” and fulfill the great commandment given by Christ to us, that through understanding our own selves and purifying our own fluctuations, we may be able to love one another in such a way as He had loved us, even unto the watery depths.

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[1] “Je suis descendu du Ciel? Est-ce parce qu’il a habité avec les Grecs, qu’il vient ainsi converser avec nous? Que de commun ce qu’il a appris des Égyptiens, et ce que nos pères nous ont appris?” Palaprat, B.R. Lévitikon: ou Exposé des principes fondamentaux de la doctrine des chrétiens-catholiques-primitifs: suivi de leurs évangiles, d’un extrait de la Table d’or… et précédé du statut sur le gouvernement de l’Eglise et la hiérarchie lévitique

[2] “Μέχρι τοῦ βαπτίσματος οὖν ἡ Εἱμαρμένη, φασίν, ἀληθής· μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο οὐκέτι ἀληθεύουσιν οἱ ἀστρο 4.78.2 λόγοι. Ἔστιν δὲ οὐ τὸ λουτρὸν μόνον τὸ ἐλευθεροῦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ γνῶσις, τίνες ἦμεν, τί γεγόναμεν· ποῦ ἦμεν, ἢ ποῦ ἐνεβλήθημεν· ποῦ σπεύδομεν, πόθεν λυτρούμεθα· τί γέννησις, τί ἀναγέννησις.” ΕΚ ΤΩΝ ΘΕΟΔΟΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΣ ΑΝΑΤΟΛΙΚΗΣ ΚΑΛΟΥΜΕΝΗΣ ΔΙΔΑΣΚΑΛΙΑΣ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΥΣ ΟΥΑΛΕΝΤΙΝΟΥ ΧΡΟΝΟΥΣ ΕΠΙΤΟΜΑΙ, Clement of Alexandria

[3] Kaplan, Aryeh (ed.), Bahir

[4] Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie, Eliphas Levi

Dust in the Wind

 

Today, Ash Wednesday, marks another return to the liturgical season of Lent, a period oftentimes associated with fasting, self-denial, and penance in many churches. For many post-restoration Gnostics, however, the meaning of this season shifts from one of denial and self-deprecation to an opportunity for engaging in deeper, more attentive, inner contemplation and meditation. Though the external symbols may appear the same, the penitential mood of this season has more in common with alerting us toward our true natures and our frequent inability to remember who we are and “whereto we speed[1]”, as opposed to attaching ourselves to guilt.

Scripture reminds us that we are in fact extensions of the eternal Godhead; immortal, incorrupt, made in the image of eternity[2]. Yet, due to the vast temporal distance from the initial moment of Creation, it is difficult for us to remember this truth and instead wander around in a more or less amnesiac state either bemoaning the gift that has been given us or, conversely, reveling mindlessly in temporal delights without pausing for a moment to recognize that material pleasures are fleeting and not intrinsically meaningful.

During this time of introspection, we are called to make a conscious effort toward remembering our own unique divinity and the divinity we share with the whole of Creation. Far from being a period of denial, Lent is an opportunity for radical engagement with ourselves and the world around us, an exercise to see things as the Godhead intended them to be. By saturating our experiences with meaning, we are able to rediscover the original moment of Creation as continually unfolding around us at all times, in all places and in all things.

The liturgical season of Lent is concrete marker for us to focus on what is ultimately an abstract process that each of us are going through individually in our spiritual process. By infusing this season with meaning, we encounter other markers along the way that can help us better focus our wandering minds. Ash Wednesday changes from penance and the negative religious mood of self-denial to being marked for stronger spiritual training [3]and casting off those things hindering our process and making us mentally and spiritually more capable of putting our experiences into a wider perspective as Jesus did in casting aside the temptations of using his messianic mission for worldly ends instead of offering an example for experiencing and exercising our free will[4].

Echoing my post from the previous year, the primary importance of Lent is to help us grow in our experience toward the divine in whatever form we may honor it. The goal is complete transformation and is unique to each and every one of us and there is no external litmus test for success or failure, only the intent and the rewards of being able to slowly see things as they are and receive being open to experience of our own dynamic divine nature.

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[1] Excerpta ex Theodoto

[2] Wisdom 2:23

[3] Asceticism (from the Greek: ἄσκησις, áskēsis, “exercise” or “training”).

[4] Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13

Thoughts Toward Actualizing a Gnostic Monastery Project

“…the restoration of the church will surely come only from a new type of monasticism which has nothing in common with the old but a complete lack of compromise in a life lived in accordance with the Sermon on the Mount in the discipleship of Christ.  I think it is time to gather people together to do this…” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer (January 14, 1935)

In the past several months, the topic of monasticism has come up on a few of the message boards in which I participate. As a lay person whose background has been indelibly influenced by a Catholic Benedictine heritage,  I owe a great deal of who I am today by the monastic experience. What made these particular conversations interesting is that the kind of monasticism being discussed is not that of Buddhism or the many traditional forms familiar to the West, but Gnostic Monasticism.

Although we can be fairly certain that there were never any Gnostic monasteries in the 1^st through 2^nd centuries of the common era, the discovery of the Nag Hammadi codices in Egypt indicate at least somewhat that what many contemporary Gnostics hold dear as scripture was once read and written in the very heart of the Orthodox expression of Monasticism. What is monasticism and why does it still exist? What would a Gnostic Monastery look like – is it even needed? There are many considerations to look at, but here are my observations for what they’re worth.

Monasticism as a Christian expression of vocation to religious life developed fairly early on in the history of the Church. Models of the Christian monastic ideal included groups and individuals such as the Nazirites[1], Moses, Elijah and the Hebrew prophets whereas New Testament figures such as John the Baptizer and the itinerant evangelization of the apostles tended to play a more prominent role. It is also very likely that early Christian monasticism could have also been influenced by the Essenes located near the Dead Sea as well as the Therapeutae of Alexandria.

Institutionalized Christian monasticism first appears to have taken root in the 3^rd Century in the deserts of 4^rd Century Egypt with the likes of Paul the Hermit, Anthony of Great and Pachomius. Around 350CE, Martin of Tours introduced monasticism to the West and a little over a century later, Benedict of Nursia established the Regula Benedicti (Rule of Saint Benedict) that led to him being credited with the title of father of western monasticism. By the time monasticism made inroads into the West, Benedict describes four different types of monks that were common around the time the text was penned:

“It is well known that there are four kinds of monks. The first kind are the Cenobites: those who live in monasteries and serve under a rule and an Abbot. The second kind are the Anchorites or Hermits: those who, no longer in the first fervor of their reformation, but after long probation in a monastery, having learned by the help of many brethren how to fight against the devil, go out well armed from the ranks of the community to the solitary combat of the desert. The third kind of monks, a detestable kind, are the Sarabaites… They live in twos or threes, or even singly, without a shepherd, in their own sheepfolds and not in the Lord’s. Their law is the desire for self-gratification: whatever enters their mind or appeals to them, that they call holy; what they dislike, they regard as unlawful. The fourth kind of monks are those called Gyrovagues (lit. ‘circuit wanderers’). These spend their whole lives tramping from province to province, staying as guests in different monasteries for three or four days at a time. Always on the move, with no stability, they indulge their own wills and succumb to the allurements of gluttony, and are in every way worse than the Sarabaites.”[2]

In the West, monastic communities tend to be organized into orders or congregations following a particular canon or rule such as the Rule of Saint Benedict or the Rule of Saint Augustine. In the East, monastic regulae (rules) never took root in the same way as in Western monasticism; instead, monks and nuns are encouraged to read Scripture and the writings of the Holy Mothers and Fathers and emulate their virtues. In both Eastern and Western examples, there are elements of active and contemplative life is more or less equally possible amongst religious although, in some orders, one may take precedence.

An example of a form of proto-neo-Gnostic monasticism can be found in the establishment of the Abbey of Thelema in Cefalù, founded by the early 20^th Century occultist Aleister Crowley. The Abbey of Thelema, name borrowed from François Rabelais’s satire Gargantua and Pantagruel is described as a sort of “anti-monastery” where the lives of the inhabitants were “spent not in laws, statutes, or rules, but according to their own free will and pleasure.[3]” It was through The Abbey of Thelema that Crowley had hoped to create an intentional community which would function as a type of esoteric school, giving it the designation Collegium ad Spiritum Sanctum, a “College Towards the Holy Spirit”. Despite only lasting three years, the Abbey of Thelema remains an ideal of a functioning, magical utopia by many contemporary followers of the magical and ethical philosophy of Thelema.

Amongst adherents of contemporary Christian Gnosticism, it would be difficult to imagine what form a modern monastic community would take due to incomplete data regarding the number of adherents of the various denominations. Because of this incomplete data and gaps in geography of members, it would stand to reason that a contemporary Gnostic monastic project would have to function independently from individual denominations or be ecumenical to such an extent that it could provide communally and individually for members belonging to particular denominations while also providing for both singles and committed couples. The model for such a community could be similar to that of the 1^st and 2^nd Century Therapeutae or those established by the Joachimites or the Brethren of the Free Spirit, two lay Christian movements which flourished in Europe in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Providing for physical space, a Gnostic monastic project would (in the United States) have to register as a tax-exempt, non-profit entity and accommodate for living, dining and community areas. In urban areas, following the model of the new monastic movement, such a group could potentially purchase housing or loft space in areas of a city that would be amenable for remodeling and have access to transportation into the cities. In less urban or even rural areas, it would be conceivably easier to construct a community that would ideally fit the needs of the community as well as provide for agricultural and such space as could be used to befit the specific mission of the project as is done in more conventional communes such as by the Cistercians or Mennonite communities.

As with the New Monastic Movement, a Gnostic Monastery Project would be able to provide a space where members may live thoughtful, prayerful, and contemplative lives in the context of a community and focus on engagement of a particular charism (e.g. education, social service, food services, plastic arts, construction, etc.). In a Christian monastic context, the Twelve Marks [4]could be easily applied or modified in order to suit a more ecumenical approach such as would be necessary if a community has members whose personal identification is more similar to Hermetic or Neo-Platonic schools of Gnosticism. Ultimately, these considerations would have to be taken into account as members of a Gnostic Monastery Project come together to establish their community.

The overall benefit of establishing a Gnostic Monastery Project would be to provide for an actualized, physical community where Gnostics or members of various Gnostic communities could come together and practice their beliefs in a contemplative environment. Secondly, as with exoteric expressions of Christianity and Buddhism, a Gnostic Monastery project could provide a visible example of the Restoration of the Gnosis[5] and become a center of promulgation for Gnostic ideals and values in a society that could benefit from them now more than ever and provide for the continuation and preservation of a faith that is at once ancient and, as monasticism itself, eternally new.

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[1] One who voluntarily took a vow described in Numbers 6:1–21

[2] Doyle, Leonard. Saint Benedict’s Rule for Monasteries.

[3] Wilson, Colin. Nature of the Beast.

[4] The Simple Way. http://www.thesimpleway.org/about/12-marks-of-new-monasticism/. 3/5/2012 8:38 PM

12 Marks of New Monasticism

1. Relocation to the abandoned places of Empire.
2. Sharing economic resources with fellow community members and the needy among us.
3. Hospitality to the stranger
4. Lament for racial divisions within the church and our communities combined with the active pursuit of a just reconciliation.
5. Humble submission to Christ’s body, the church.
6. Intentional formation in the way of Christ and the rule of the community along the lines of the old novitiate.
7.  Nurturing common life among members of intentional community.
8. Support for celibate singles alongside monogamous married couples and their children.
9. Geographical proximity to community members who share a common rule of life.
10. Care for the plot of God’s earth given to us along with support of our local economies.
11. Peacemaking in the midst of violence and conflict resolution within communities along the lines of Matthew 18.
12. Commitment to a disciplined contemplative life.

[5.] Doinel, Jules (Tau Valentin II). Restoration de la Gnose,

On the Feast of Saint Valentinus

While many Christians take the fourteenth of February to celebrate the Feast of Saint Valentine – or one of the saint Valentines – many contemporary Gnostics have taken this day to memorialize the great Gnostic teacher and bishop Valentinus who the best known as the most successful early Christian gnostic theologian.

Recognized as a brilliant theologian even by his contemporaries who would later repudiate his teachings as unorthodox, Valentinus attracted a large following in Rome which would later become divided into an Eastern and a Western or Italian branch.

In honor of this great teacher, here are a selection of writings from the school of this great teacher, theologian and bearer of the Sacred Flame.

“Many of the things written in publicly available books are found in the writings of God’s church. For this shared matter is the utterances that come from the heart, the law that is written in the heart. This is the people of the beloved , which is beloved and which loves him. “ – Fragment 6.

“For each one loves truth because truth is the mouth of the Father. His tongue is the Holy Spirit, who joins him to truth attaching him to the mouth of the Father by his tongue at the time he shall receive the Holy Spirit.” – The Gospel of Truth

“For this reason, God came and destroyed the division and he brought the hot Pleroma of love, so that the cold may not return, but the unity of the Perfect Thought prevail” – The Gospel of Truth

“Moreover, the first baptism is the forgiveness of sins. We are brought from those of the right, that is, into the imperishability which is the Jordan. But that place is of the world. So we have been sent out of the world into the Aeon. For the interpretation of John is the Aeon, while the interpretation of that which is the upward progression, that is, our Exodus from the world into the Aeon.” – On the Baptism A.

“It is from water and fire that the soul and the spirit came into being. It is from water and fire and light that the son of the bridal chamber came into being. The fire is the chrism, the light is the fire. I am not referring to that fire which has no form, but to the other fire whose form is white, which is bright and beautiful, and which gives beauty.” – The Gospel of Philip

Wherefore on this day, may we be reminded of the great and holy Valentinus and as successors and heirs give him due honor and praise.

O glorious teacher and protector, Holy Valentinus,
we who are but babes rushing forth from the womb
ask thee to hear our requests,
attend to our prayers,
make clear the path of righteousness,
reveal by your intercession the Truth we seek,
and obtain for us the blessing of the Unknown Father,
that we may be found worthy to join you in the Limitless Light,
: through the merits of the Christos and of our Holy Mother Sophia. Amen.

-unattributed prayer

Third Sunday after Epiphany

The Kingdom of Light from the Book of Sophia

“Preach to the whole world: fight yourselves and receive the mysteries of the Light in this afflicted time, and go into the kingdom of the Light. Do not add day to day or cycle to cycle, hoping to come to receive the mysteries when we come to the world in another cycle. Now such people do not know when the number of the Perfect Souls will be complete, and I shall shut the Gates of Light, and from that time no one shall go in, because the mystery of the first mystery has been accomplished, for whose sake the universe has come into being.”

Following the resurrection, Christ gave the following admonition to his followers: “[Go] and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This admonition, known by many as the Great Commission, is one of the primary tenants of Christianity. Among those of us in the spiritual Church, there is some hesitancy to follow this teaching having possibly experienced for ourselves the efforts of those in the external Church to make us conform to the limitations of a literalist interpretation of scripture and has made proselytization is something of a dirty word in our communities – for good reason.

As spiritual Christians, or Gnostics, we are encouraged equally to abide by the teachings of the Jesus as well as the higher laws of the living words of the Christ within. It is our duty to embody the Word of God and to go forth into the world to share with others the good news of the immanence of the Kingdom of God which is here and now, within and without. For us to follow the Great Commission, we are enjoined to be examples of the Sacred Flame and to encourage others in their knowledge of God, by whatever way they know Him.

We are not to presuppose that by our knowledge we are somehow superior to others or that by virtue of our knowledge we are guaranteed a place in Heaven – that knowledge is known only to God alone. Our commission is to do God’s work for God’s sake, not for ours; exemplifying the same humility that Jesus exhibited when incarnate in the world. We will fail and fall along the way, that is understood, but the importance is to continue on as Paul speaks in 1 Corinthians 9:23 to, “do all this for the sake of the gospel, that [we] may share in its blessings.”

Parable of the Pearl in the Mud from the Gospel of Philip

“If a pearl is cast down into the mud it loses no value, if it is rubbed with balsam oil, it gains no value. It always is precious in its owner’s eyes. Wherever they are, the children of god are precious in the eyes of the father.”

The parable of the Pearl in the Mud follows a common theme in the various narratives Jesus shared with his disciples. In the outer Church, the most famous of these is in Matthew 7:6, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you”; from which we get the well-worn admonition to not cast pearls before swine. Yet, in this parable we are informed that even if thrown in the mud the pearl does not lose its value any more so than it would if it were to be anointed with precious oils.

In the Gospels the Pearl most commonly represents the teachings of Scripture as in Matthew or in the Gospel of Thomas: “Don’t give what is holy to dogs, for they might throw them upon the manure pile. Don’t throw pearls [to] pigs…”; yet in this case the Pearl is the embodied message of the seeker of gnosis which, being internalized, does not lose nor gain any value since it is itself priceless, as affirmed in the narrative in Matthew 13:45-46 and contains within itself the very essence of Kingdom of Heaven.

This parable also fits in nicely with the lesson taken from the Book of the Sophia, who herself descended into the lowest emanations and remained unchanged in essence. Those who have obtained the wisdom of God are simultaneously the bearers of a great and vast store of treasure as well as embodiments of that treasure itself by virtue of their ability to disperse that wisdom. Being undefiled by the knowledge (gnosis) of God, the sharing of wisdom is no longer something about which we need to remain cautious but, instead, it is incumbent upon us to share in our own individual ways that others may likewise be saved.

Gnosticism and Christianity: an Overview

Inspired by a few conversations I’ve been having recently with people regarding Gnosticism, I’ve decided to borrow (and plagiarize) the side-by-side comparison chart method found on the well-known inter and intra-faith website Patheos* to, perhaps, provide a useful comparative analysis of the interrelationship between Christianity and Gnosticism.

Making any definitive statement about Gnosticism as a whole is fraught with much difficulty considering the varying definitions of the subject itself as well as variations within this particular religious tradition. As such, I have tried to remain inclusive of Jewish, Christian and non-Christian variations and perspectives of Gnosticism while still trying to present it as part of a continuum of related ideas.

*I’m sorry Patheos writers for not coming up with my own wording, I was being lazy. You guys rock.

Christianity		Gnosticism
Quick Facts
Symbol	+	⊕
Formed	33CE	2nd Century BCE
Adherents	2,100,000,000	Unknown
Origin	Palestine	Near East, Egypt
Deity	God (Trinity)	God (Remote, supreme monadic divinity and/or Trinity)
Sacred Text	Bible	Bible, Nag Hammadi Library, miscellaneous texts
Headquarters	None	None
Details
Origins	Christianity Origins	Gnostic Origins
Beginnings	Christianity originated in the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who was born circa 4 BCE in Roman-occupied Palestine, a Jewish province of the Roman Empire.	Gnosticism appears to have occurred as early as the 2nd century BCE, eventually fusing with Christianity by the 2nd Century CE around Alexandria, Egypt.
Influences	The Jewish, Greek, and Roman cultures of the formative first two centuries of the Common Era had a deep and lasting influence on the new faith of Christianity.	The Jewish, Greek, Egyptian and, later, emergent Christian cultures between the 2nd Century BCE and 2nd Century CE had a deep and lasting influence on the development of Gnosticism.
Founders	Christianity is founded in the life and teachings of Jesus, and was established in Jerusalem and propagated throughout the Roman Empire in the 1st century CE by enthusiastic evangelists.	Gnosticism was founded in the diverse social and religious milieus of Hellenized Palestine and Egypt and by the 2nd Century had fused primarily with Christianity by enthusiastic philosophers.
Scriptures	Christian scriptures are gathered in the Christian Bible, which contains the Jewish scriptures in addition to the twenty-seven books of the New Testament.	Gnostic scriptures are gathered in the Christian Bible, which contains the Jewish scriptures in addition to canonical and non-canonical scripture of the New Testament as well as Greek and Egyptian philosophical texts collectively known as the Nag Hammadi Library.
Historical Perspectives	What scholars do and do not believe with regard to Christianity influences the ways in which they interpret its history, both past and present. There has been an increasing consciousness of the global diversity of Christianity.	What scholars do and do not believe with regard to Gnosticism as a religion or continuum of related philosophical ideas influences the ways in which they interpret its history, both past and present. Gnosticism is difficult to define as a distinct religion or philosophy.

The Way of Prayer: Five Types of Prayer

In my previous entry on revisiting the Lyon Ritual of the Cathars, I mentioned one of the things that drew me to the ritual itself beyond being a historical example of a gnostic method rite of initiation is the direct method of transmitting the knowledge of prayer. Many may question why the transmission or instruction in prayer is necessary – shouldn’t it come naturally? Well, despite the fact that we live in a culture in which prayer is often taught at a young age and demonstrated in public and private spheres, now as in the past, very few people actually know how to pray.

As I was composing my previous entry last night, by an act of synchronicity I received a Facebook message from one of my sisters in my fraternity asking about my feelings and observations of various religious systems relating to the topic of prayer. She writes:

“For example, as a Thelemite, I personally have complete respect for other religious practices (prayer included) and on occasion participate in. My best friend has been a Christian for many years, and now more recently, a Mormon. When we would have meals, depending on who is present, we either do Will, or I ask that her and her Husband lead us in prayer (as this is their custom). I definitely have the intention present in mind of blessing the food as well the well wishes and intent of the particular prayer they speak.”

To this I responded in all sincerity, that this is a topic very dear to my heart and that it is something I’ve struggled with and am still very much exploring myself. As we exchanged correspondence via Facebook and text messaging, I was moved to write this essay to outline an enchiridion on the way of prayer from a Western perspective, although exploring other examples when appropriate.

Simply defined, using the Wikipedia entry on the topic:

“Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of a hymn, incantation, formal creed, or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person. There are different forms of prayer such as petitionary prayer, prayers of supplication, thanksgiving, and worship/praise. Prayer may be directed towards a deity, spirit, deceased person, or lofty idea, for the purpose of worshipping, requesting guidance, requesting assistance, confessing sins or to express one’s thoughts and emotions. Thus, people pray for many reasons such as personal benefit or for the sake of others.”

In the West, but also in other cultures, prayer is primarily a conscious effort to make contact with intelligence beyond that of the person performing the prayer and can be performed either singularly by an individual or as an expression of corporate religiosity. Broken down, according to traditional Roman Catholic teaching there are five essential types of prayer:

• Prayer of Praise and Adoration

“Praise to a higher power or powers as an act of devotion. In Vedic practice, this could also encompass the most basic type of bhakti.”

• Prayer of Penitence

“Prayer aimed to a higher power or powers in recognition of personal fault or misdeed. In Jewish, Christian and Muslim practice, it typically manifests as a form of individual confession aimed at removing or absolving sin. In Buddhist and Vedic practice, this form of prayer may also conditionally encompass expatiatory prayer aimed at removing the harmful effect of misdeeds.”

• Prayer of Petition

“Prayer aimed at petitioning a higher power or powers to bring about some kind of spiritual, emotional, or physical assistance. By far the most common type of prayer across different cultures. “

• Prayer of Thanksgiving

“Prayer aimed at thanking a higher power or powers for bringing about some kind of fortune or provision.”

• Prayer of Intercession

“Prayer aimed at a higher power or powers on behalf of a third party or parties for the purpose of bringing about some kind of spiritual, emotional or physical effect.”

The five types of prayer exemplify the most common aims individuals have during the act of prayer. In practice, many prayers involve one or more of these elements. In ritual or liturgy, it is often common to use all of these types of prayer at varying intervals to help connect the individual or group consciousness with their agreed upon or recognized definition of a higher power or power.

From the perspective of applying a magical theory to these types of prayer we can create the following table of correspondence:

	Type of Prayer	Element	Power of the Sphinx	Evangelist
1.	Prayer of Praise and Adoration	Air	To Know	Matthew
2.	Prayer of Penitence	Earth	To Will	Luke
3.	Prayer of Petition	Fire	To Dare	Mark
4.	Prayer of Intercession	Water	To Keep Silence	John
5.	Prayer of Thanksgiving	Æthyr	To Go	Holy Paraclete[1]

The above list is largely speculative, but I feel represents from a certain Gnostic perspective the elements of prayer in an esoteric perspective. In the course of my discussion with my sister, we came upon the interesting point which would have made penitential prayer seemingly useless from a Thelemic perspective unless we considered, alchemically, that penance as a correspondence to elemental earth is also connected to the alchemical element of Salt which, in chapter four of Book 4, Crowley considers the following attribution:

                “The Christian idea that sin was worth while because salvation was so much more worth while, that redemption is so splendid that innocence was well lost, is more satisfactory. St. Paul says: “Where sin abounded, there did grace much more abound. Then shall we do evil that good may come? God forbid.” But (clearly!) it is exactly what God Himself did, or why did He create Satan with the germ of his “fall” in him?

Instead of condemning the three qualities outright, we should consider them as parts of a sacrament. This particular aspect of the Scourge, the Dagger, and the Chain, suggests the sacrament of penance.

The Chain is Salt: it serves to bind the wandering thoughts; and for this reason is placed about the neck of the Magician, where Daath is situated…

The Scourge keeps the aspiration keen: the Dagger expresses the determination to sacrifice all; and the Chain restricts any wandering.”

Even though Thelema (and presumably some schools of Gnosticism) outright decry the ontological nature of “sin” as commonly understood by exoteric Christianity, it functionally exists and could be understood to represent the point from which we wander away from our connection with our understanding of the Divine.

It is also worth considering that these five methods of prayer may also have a correspondence to the “orthodox” sacramental system mentioned in the gnostic Gospel of Philip:

“The Lord did everything in a mystery, a baptism and a chrism and a eucharist and a redemption and a bridal chamber. [...] he said, “I came to make the things below like the things above, and the things outside like those inside. I came to unite them in the place.” [...] here through types [...]and images.”

The sacramental pentad of presented in the Gospel of Philip could be considered in the following way:

	Type of Prayer	Sacrament	Element
1.	Praise and Adoration	Bridal Chamber	Air
2.	Petition	Chrism	Fire
3.	Intercession	Baptism	Water
4.	Penitential	Redemption	Earth
5.	Thanksgiving	Eucharist	Æthyr

How this all ties into the Lyon Ritual is my profound interest in the Pater Noster, or Lord’s Prayer which was the central mystery (if it could be called such) of the Cathar sacramental system. Unique among the some of the various Gnostic schools the Cathars, in general, formed an anti-sacerdotal party in opposition to the Catholic Church, protesting against what they perceived to be the moral, spiritual and political corruption of the Church.

The organization of Cathar religious hierarchy bears a very strong resemblance to later evangelical and Anabaptist schools and seemed, primarily, to be focused on prayer and evangelism in addition to the administration of two primary sacraments: the traditio, or transmission of prayer in which the postulant to the Cathar faith would be instructed in prayer and become a credent (believer), and the consolamentum which functioned both sacramentally and sacerdotally whereby the credent would become a parfait (perfect, or elder) who could function as a minister among Cathar communities and would often preach and administer the sacraments to others. Among the perfects, were also regional bishops; but their role varied from Catholic bishops, not relying on apostolic succession but instead was relegated to being functional overseers of other perfecti.

The rite of traditio mirrors in many ways the origins of Christianity as a dually exoteric and esoteric religious tradition. Exoteric in that Christians, as early as the apostolic age, were recognized distinctly in many ways from mainstream Judaism of the first and second centuries, and esoteric in that certain rites would only have been engaged in by members of the early Christian community. This is already apparent in the time of the earthly ministry of Jesus in the synoptic gospels when Jesus is asked by his apostles about the method of Prayer:

“Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

‘Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

Immediately, he continues with further instructions:

“And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

The Lord’s Prayer, as I have previously noted, is perhaps the best known Christian prayer and is frequently the first prayer that children raised in Christian cultures are taught. It is unique on many levels, not the least of which is that in fifty two words (in English, not including the doxology which raises the word count to 66) it fulfills all five types of prayer and encompasses so much of the Christian experience that it has inspired theologians for centuries to the present day.

For me personally, it is one of the primary prayers that I personally pray throughout the day after I had been taught to pray it without knowing that when I received it as the only act of penance one day, I was being taught how to pray in a way that, I imagine, would have been similarly meaningful to Cathar postulants. All that was required of me was that I, “pray the Lord’s Prayer slowly”; effectually turning the Lord’s Prayer into an act of lectio divina. For this, I would take each line and contemplate it individually, slowly adding on the other verses up until I would reach the doxology – the “eucharist” of the prayer – and have inflamed myself in prayer. It is a cathartic, and purifying experience and has brought me much pleasure and inspiration and it is for this simple fact I am a proponent and student of prayer.

 

A Cathar coin

 

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[1] As the inspirer of scripture.

The Lyon Ritual Revisited

Lately, as I’ve been spending a lot of time researching the enigmatic sect known as the Cathars. While there is much that we do know based on the historical accounts and by what little literature remains from their liturgies, there is still much that we don’t know. What makes this research even more difficult is that it is difficult to make a sweeping generalization of what was once such a popular movement spread over a relative large geographic region which, in turn, makes it difficult to ascertain the degree of agreement in various beliefs between one community and another as well as how their liturgies were practiced.

For the purposes of this entry, I have attempted to reconstruct the Cathar Rite known as Traditio, which was a rite for the transmission of prayer during which the postulant or person approaching the Cathars would be instructed in directed prayer using the Pater Noster (Lord’s Prayer) as its basis. This rite is of particular interest to me for many reasons, but primary above all is that I imagine it would have more meaning to the believer and people would actually learn efficacious prayer instead of learning it by rote.

The reconstruction below  is based off the Lyon Ritual, (ms. Lyon, Bibliothèque municipale, PA 36, 235v-241) as found in the Cathar Texts and Rituals portion of the Gnostic Society Library. Where there were textual omissions, I have attempted to fill in the blanks and notate as such wherever possible. In order to provide an idea of what the ritual could look like when performed, I have included ritual directions in italics based off instructions provided in the Lyon Ritual itself or off precedents of similar Christian and initiatory ritual.

A Reconstruction of the Cathar Rite commonly called, Traditio

The Postulant, dressed in plain clothes, is brought before the Elder dressed in a black robe who is standing next to a table upon which there is a Bible opened to the Gospel of John.

The Witness, or sponsor, of the Postulant stands behind them on their right.

The Assembly, if any, are seated behind the Postulant in a semi-circle wearing their robes.

Elder               O child of God, [Name of Postulant][1], you must realize that when you are before the Church of God you are before the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, as the Scriptures teach. For Christ said in the Gospel according to Saint Matthew: “Wheresoever two or three are gathered together in my name there I am in the midst of them.”[2]

And in the Holy Gospel according to Saint John he said, “Wheresoever two or three are gathered together in my name there I am in the midst of them.”, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him.”[3]

And Saint Paul says in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, “Ye are the Temple of the Living God, as God hath said by Isaiah, his prophet; I dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord; and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”[4]

And in another place he says, “Seek ye the proof of Christ Who speaketh in me.”[5]

And in the First Epistle to Timothy he says, “These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly; but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the House of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”[6]

And he said also to the Hebrews, “But Christ is a Son over His own house, Whose house we are[7].”

That the Spirit of God is with the followers of Jesus Christ, Christ has shown thus in the Gospel according to Saint John, “If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him; but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you[8].”

And in the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew He said, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.[9]“

And Saint Paul said in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the Temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.[10]“

Christ shows it thus in the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew, “For it is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.[11]“

And Saint John says in his epistle, “By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, for He has given us His Spirit.[12]“

And Saint Paul said to the Galatians, “Because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying “Father! Father![13]“

Wherefore be it understood that your presentation made before the sons of Jesus Christ confirms the faith and teaching of the Church of God as the Holy Scriptures tell us. For in former times the people of God separated themselves from the Lord their God. And they abandoned the will and guidance of their Heavenly Father through the deceptions of the wicked spirits and by submission to their will.

And for these reasons, and many others, we are certain that the Heavenly Father would have pity on His people and receive them again in peace and concord by the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ, and now is the time.

For you are here before the disciples of Jesus Christ in the place where Father, Son and Holy Ghost have their spiritual abode as is shown above, to receive that Holy Prayer which the Lord Jesus gave to His disciples, so that your prayers might be granted by our Heavenly Father.

Therefore must you learn that if you would receive this Holy Prayer you must repent your sins and forgive all men. For Our Lord Jesus Christ says, “If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Heavenly Father, forgive your trespasses.[14]“

Hence it is meet and right that you be resolved in your heart to keep this Holy Prayer all your life according to the custom of the Church of God, in purity and truth, and in all other virtues which God would bestow upon you.

Wherefore we pray the good Lord who bestowed upon the disciples of Jesus Christ the virtue to receive this Holy Prayer steadfastly that He may grant to you also the grace to receive it steadfastly, in His honour and for your salvation.

The Elder then says the Lord’s Prayer and the postulant follow him phrase by phrase.

Our father, which art in Heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our supplementary bread,

And remit our debts as we forgive our debtors.

And keep us from temptation and free us from evil.

Thine is the kingdom, the power and glory for ever and ever.

Amen.

 

Pater noster qui es in celis,

sanctificetur nomen tuum;

adveniat regnum tuum.

Fiat voluntas tua sicut in celo et in terra.

Panem nostrum supersubstancialem da nobis hodie.

Et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.

Et ne nos inducas in temptationem sed libera nos a malo.

Quoniam tuum est regnum et virtus et gloria in secula.

Amen.

After which the Elder will say:

Elder               “We deliver you this Holy Prayer that you may receive it of us and of God and of the Church, that you may have the power to say it all your life, day and night, alone or in company, and that you must never eat or drink without first saying it. If you omit to do so you must do penance.”

Postulant         “I receive it of you and of the Church.”

Then he turns and give thanks and make his melioramentum [15](bowing at the feet of the Elder).

Then the Elder asks the postulant:

Elder               “My brother, do you desire to give yourself to our faith?”

The postulant being asked three times, and answering “Yes” on all, makes a bow and advances one step between each, saying “Bless me,” to which the Elder replies, “God bless and keep you.”

At the third time bowing thus the postulant adds:

Postulant         “Lord, pray to God for me, a sinner[16], that He will lead me to the good end,”

The Elder replies:

Elder               “God bless you and make you a good Christian and bring you to the good end.”

The Elder then inquires of the Postulant.

Elder               “Do you give yourself to God and the Gospel?

Postulant         “Yes”

Elder               “Do you promise that henceforth you will eat neither meat nor eggs, nor cheese, nor fat, and that you live only from water and wood (i.e. vegetables and fish), that you will not lie, that you will not swear, that you will not kill, that you will not abandon your body to any form of luxury, that you will never go alone when it is possible to have a companion, that you will never sleep without breeches and shirt and that you will never abandon your faith for fear of water, fire or any other manner of death?”

Postulant         “Yes”

Elder               [Do] you wish to receive the spiritual baptism whereby the Holy Spirit is given in the Church of God with the Holy Prayer by the laying on of hands of the Good Men. Of this Baptism Our Lord Jesus Christ said in the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew:

“Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” And in the Gospel of Saint Mark he said,”Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned”.[17]

And in the Gospel of Saint John He said to Nicodemus, “Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God[18].”

And John the Baptist spoke of this baptism when he said, “I indeed baptize you with water, but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loosen; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.”[19]

This gift of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands has been instituted by Jesus Christ as Saint Luke tells, and he said that his friends would confer it as Saint Mark says, “They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.[20]“

And Ananias conferred this Baptism on Saint Paul when he was converted. For Saint Luke says thus in the Acts of the Apostles, “Now when the Apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God they sent unto them Peter and John, who when they were come down, prayed for them that they might receive of the Holy Spirit, for as yet He was fallen upon none of them[21].”

Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. This Holy Baptism by which the Holy Spirit is given the Church of God has kept from the Apostles until now, and it has come from the Good Men to the Good Men until now and shall do till the end of the world.

And you must understand that power is given to the Church of God to bind and to loose, to forgive sins and to retain them, as Christ said in the Gospel of Saint John, “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this he breathed on them and saith unto them “Receive Ye the Holy Ghost”; whatsoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them, and whatsoever sins ye regain, they are regained.”[22]

And in the Gospel of Saint Matthew he said to Simon Peter, “I say unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven[23].”

And again, “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven. For wheresoever two or three are gathered in my name there am I in the midst of them[24]“

And in another place he said, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils[25]“

And in the Gospel of Saint John he said, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do he shall do also.[26]“

And in the Gospel of Saint Mark he said, “These signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.[27]“

And in the Gospel of Saint Luke he said, “Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you.[28]“

And if you wish to receive this power you must keep all the commandments of Christ and the New Testament according to your ability. And know that He has commanded that man shall not commit adultery or murder or lie, that he must not swear any oath, that he shall not seize or rob, nor do to others what he would not have done to himself, that man must forgive whoever wrongs him and love his enemies, pray for his detractors and accusers and bless them; and if anyone strike him on one cheek, turn to him the other also, and if anyone takes away his cloak, to leave him his coat also; and that he should neither judge nor condemn, and many other commandments which the Lord made for His Church.

Also you must hate this world and its works and the things of the world, for Saint John says in his epistle: “O my beloved, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life , is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passeth away and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.[29]“

And Christ said unto the Gentiles, “The world cannot hate you, but me it hates because I bear witness of it that its works are evil.[30]“

And in the Book of Solomon[31], it is written, “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and vexation of Spirit[32].”

And Jude the brother of James said for our instruction in his Epistle, “Hate the solid garment of flesh[33].”

And by these witnesses and any others you must keep the commandments of God and hate the world. And if you continue well to the end, we have the hope that your soul shall have life eternal.

And the Credent shall say:

Credent           “I have this will, pray to God for me that He will give me His power”

The Elder directs the Postulant to kneel. Elder and Witness lay their hands on the head of the postulant.

Witness, say:

Witness           “Parcite Nobis[34]. Good Christians we pray you by the love of God that you grant this blessing, which God had given you, to our friend here present.”

The Postulant, now known as the Credent, after making his melioramentum says:

Credent           “Parcite Nobis. For all the sins I have ever done in thought, word and deed. I ask pardon of God, of the Church, and of you all.”

Assembly of Cathars and Witnesses say:

Assembly         “By God and by us and by the Church, may your sins be forgiven and we pray God to forgive you them.”

Adoremus, Patrem, et Filium et Spiritum Sanctam.[35]

Adoremus, Patrem, et Filium et Spiritum Sanctam.

Adoremus, Patrem, et Filium et Spiritum Sanctam.

 

Here may follow a hymn such as Veni Creator Spiritus, this followed by a homily on the Pater Noster and or one of the readings given in the ritual.

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[1] My reconstruction.

[2] Matthew 18:20

[3] John 14:23

[4] 2 Corinthians 6:16-18

[5] 2 Corinthians 13:3

[6] 1 Timothy 3:15

[7] Hebrews 3:6

[8] John 14:15

[9] Matthew 28:20

[10] I Corinthians 13:17

[11] Matthew 10:20

[12] I John 4:13

[13] Galatians 4:6

[14] Matthew 6:15

[15] Literally, “betterment” – penance. In practice, a full prostration on the ground, arms likely spread out in cruciform position.

[16] The Prayer of the Heart: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

[17] Matthew 28:19

[18] John 3:5

[19] Luke 3:16; Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:7

[20] Mark 16:18

[21] Acts 8:14

[22] John 20:21-23

[23] Matthew 16:13-19

[24] Matthew 18:19-20

[25] Matthew 10:8

[26] John 14:12

[27] Mark 16:17-18

[28] Luke 10:19

[29] I John 2:15-17

[30] John 7:7

[31] Ecclesiastes, commonly attributed to Solomon, “son of David”.

[32] Ecclesiastes 1:14

[33] Jude 1:23

[34] “Spare us, [O, Lord].”

[35] “Let us worship the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

A Little Gnostic Divine Office for Evening

Continuing from my post yesterday on my work toward a Gnostic Liturgy of the Hours, I put together a Little Gnostic Divine Office for evening again under the inspiration of the service for the same as found in the BCP. As an ecumenical service for Gnostics across different traditions, there are some further considerations to be made, especially in regards to the rotation of readings.

A Little Gnostic Divine Office for Evening

An Act of Confession

Officiant                   We have come before God and before you and before the ordinances of the Holy Church that we may receive pardon and penance for all our sins in thought, word and deed from our birth until now and we ask of God mercy and of you that you pray for us to the Holy Father of Mercy that He forgive us.

People                       Lord, have mercy.

Officiant                   By our tongues we fall into idle words, vain talk, mockery and malice, detraction of our brothers and sisters whom we are not worthy to judge nor to condemn their faults.

People                       Lord, have mercy.

Officiant                   For numerous are the sins by which we daily offend God, night and day, in thought, in word and deed, wittingly and unwittingly, and especially by the desires the evil spirits bring to us in the flesh which clothes us.

People                       Lord, have mercy.

Officiant                   May the almighty and ineffable God, have mercy on us, forgive us our short-comings and draw us nearer to the light of gnosis. Amen.

The Invitatory and Psalter

All stand

Officiant                   God, come to my assistance.

People                       Lord, make haste to help us.

Officiant and People

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as

it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Except in Lent,    Alleluia    may be added.

O Gracious Light                                Phos hilaron

O gracious Light,

pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,

O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!

 

Now as we come to the setting of the sun,

and our eyes behold the vesper light,

we sing thy praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Thou art worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,

O Son of God, O Giver of life,

and to be glorified though all the worlds.

Then follows

The Psalm or Psalms Appointed

At the end of the Psalms is sung or said

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

The Lessons

One or two lessons, as appointed, are read, the Reader first saying

A Reading (Lesson) from _______________.

A citation giving chapter and verse may be added.

After each Lesson the Reader may say

The Word of the Lord.
Answer                    Thanks be to God.

Or the Reader may say

Here ends the Lesson (Reading)

A Hymn of Grace for Gnosis            from the Hymns of Hermes

We give Thee grace, Thou highest and most excellent! For by Thy Grace we have received the so great Light of Thy own Gnosis. O holy Name, fit Name to be adored, O Name unique, by which God only must be blest through worship of our Sire, of Thee who deignest to afford to all a Father’s piety, and care, and love, and whatsoever virtue is more sweet than these, endowing us with sense, and reason, and intelligence;-with sense that we may feel Thee; with reason that we may track Thee out from appearances of things; with means of recognition that we may joy in knowing Thee.

Saved by Thy Power divine, let us rejoice that Thou hast shown Thyself to us in all Thy Fullness. Let us rejoice that Thou hast designed to consecrate us, still entombed in bodies, to Eternity.

For this is the sole festival of praise worthy of man-to know Thy Majesty.

We know Thee; yea, by the Single Sense of our intelligence, we have perceived Thy Light supreme,-O Thou True Life of life, O Fecund Womb that giveth birth to every nature!

We have known Thee, O Thou completely filled with the Conception from Thyself of Universal Nature! We have known Thee, O Thou Eternal Constancy!

Form the whole of this our prayer in worship of Thy Good, this favour only of Thy Goodness do we crave: that Thou wilt keep us constant in our Love-of-knowing- Thee, and let us ne’er be cut off from this kind of Life.

The Prayers

The People stand.

Officiant                   The Lord be with you.
People                       And also with you.
Officiant                   Let us pray.

The Lord’s Prayer

Officiant and People

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our tresspasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

O Holy Mother                                    a 13^th Century Cathar prayer

Officiant and People

O Holy Mother

Rightful Queen of all the faithful souls

Who never erred

Who never lied

Follower of the rightful course

Who never doubted

Lest we should accept death

In the realm of the false god;

As we do not belong to this realm

And this realm is not ours:

Teach us Thy Gnosis

And to love what Thou lovest.

Amen.

Prayer of Thanksgiving                     from the Nag Hammadi Library

Officiant

The thanksgiving of one who attains to You is one thing: that we know You. We have known You, intellectual light. Life of life, we have known You. Womb of every creature, we have known You. Womb pregnant with the nature of the Father, we have known You.

People

Eternal permanence of the begetting Father, thus have we worshiped Your goodness. There is one petition that we ask: we would be preserved in knowledge. And there is one protection that we desire: that we not stumble in this kind of life. Amen

Then may be said

Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Optionally, the Officiant may lead the Dance

The Hymn of Jesus & Dance

Officiant

I have recognized myself and gathered myself
together from all sides. I have sown no children to the ruler of
this world, but have torn up his roots;
I have gathered together my limbs that were scattered
abroad and I know thee who thou art.

Officiant

and People                Amen. Amen. Amen.

Officiant                   For the Logos danceth.

People                       Amen!

Officiant                   And the Sophia danceth.

People                       Amen.

Officiant                   The Ogdoad playeth to our dancing.

People                       Amen.

Officiant                   The Dodecad danceth above us.

People                       Amen.

Officiant                   The Heptad danceth with us.

People                       Amen.

Officiant                   Yea, and we all dance the dance!

Officiant

and People                He who danceth not, knoweth not
what is being done.
Officiant                     May we all within the All forever dance.

Officiant

and People               Amen. Amen. Amen.

At present the suggested format for readings is to loosely follow those outlined according to the A, B, C yearly cycle in the Revised Common Lectionary. Naturally, some variations will need to be modified as a more comprehensive liturgical format is innovated or used in accordance to one’s pre-existing Gnostic community.

The current format, according to the Revised Common Lectionary is as follows:

Year A:  2007-2008, 2010-2011, 2013-2014

Year B:  2008-2009, 2011-2012, 2014-2015

Year C:  2009-2010, 2012-2013, 2015-2016

Readings for the Gnostic Gospels can be chosen from those suggested in A Gnostic Book of Hours, combining the readings of Laudes, Prime, and Terce for the Morning Office and None, Vespers and Compline for the Evening Office. These, naturally, can change according to one’s specific liturgical tradition.

Ethiopic-inspired painting of St.Tekle Haimanot by Laura James