Third Sunday Before Lent: Septuagesima
Intent: The Gift of Wisdom
Today we are reminded as Gnostics of that Great Master of the Jewish Gnosis: King Solomon. The composer of the Song of Songs, Proverbs and Ecclesiastics. We learn from his great example that we must seek after wisdom passionately:
“Wisdom has been my love. I courted her when I was young and wanted to make her my bride. I fell in love with her beauty. She glorifies her noble origin by living with God, the Lord of all, who loves her. She is familiar with God's mysteries and helps determine his course of action. Is it good to have riches in this life? Nothing can make you richer than Wisdom, who makes everything function. Is knowledge a useful thing to have? Nothing is better than Wisdom, who has given shape to everything that exists.”
As Gnostics we know this Wisdom as the Aeon Sophia, the Hagia Pneuma, the third Tridyname of the Holy Trinity. And we are told in the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon that she is “the breath of the power of God, and a pure effluence from the glory of the Almighty; therefore can nothing defiled enter into her. For she is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspoiled mirror of the power of God, and the image of His goodness.”
Therefore, in many ways Gnostic are true philosophers or “lovers of wisdom.” As the mystic and sophiologist Jacob Boehme put it:
“the noble Sophia draweth near in the Essence of the Soul, and kisseth it in friendly Manner, and tinctureth its dark Fire with her Rays of Love, and shineth through it with her bright and powerful Influence. Penetrated with the strong Sense and Feeling of which, the Soul skippeth in its Body for great Joy, and in the Strength of this Virgin Love exulteth, and praiseth the great God for his blessed Gift of Grace.”
Wisdom is a marvelous gift indeed!
Let us therefore pray as One Gnostic Community and One Universal Gnostic Church that all our souls may be kissed by Her Divine Presence and so embraced shine forth Rays of Her celestial and worldly Divine Wisdom. Amen.
- Reverend Mr. Mathieu Ravignat
“Wisdom has been my love. I courted her when I was young and wanted to make her my bride. I fell in love with her beauty. She glorifies her noble origin by living with God, the Lord of all, who loves her. She is familiar with God's mysteries and helps determine his course of action. Is it good to have riches in this life? Nothing can make you richer than Wisdom, who makes everything function. Is knowledge a useful thing to have? Nothing is better than Wisdom, who has given shape to everything that exists.”
As Gnostics we know this Wisdom as the Aeon Sophia, the Hagia Pneuma, the third Tridyname of the Holy Trinity. And we are told in the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon that she is “the breath of the power of God, and a pure effluence from the glory of the Almighty; therefore can nothing defiled enter into her. For she is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspoiled mirror of the power of God, and the image of His goodness.”
Therefore, in many ways Gnostic are true philosophers or “lovers of wisdom.” As the mystic and sophiologist Jacob Boehme put it:
“the noble Sophia draweth near in the Essence of the Soul, and kisseth it in friendly Manner, and tinctureth its dark Fire with her Rays of Love, and shineth through it with her bright and powerful Influence. Penetrated with the strong Sense and Feeling of which, the Soul skippeth in its Body for great Joy, and in the Strength of this Virgin Love exulteth, and praiseth the great God for his blessed Gift of Grace.”
Wisdom is a marvelous gift indeed!
Let us therefore pray as One Gnostic Community and One Universal Gnostic Church that all our souls may be kissed by Her Divine Presence and so embraced shine forth Rays of Her celestial and worldly Divine Wisdom. Amen.
- Reverend Mr. Mathieu Ravignat