Divine Protection
Today’s Intent on the Fourth Sunday of Easter is “Divine Protection”, which is a characteristic of many religions. In the ancient world, the instructions to the dead, or Books of the Dead, referred to divine protection in the context of protecting the soul during its journey through the Underworld.
In the Old Testament book Exodus, God sends manna and quail to Moses and the people in the desert. In the New Testament, Jesus calls on God to feed 4,000 people with seven loaves and some small fish. These are only two examples in the Hebrew and Christian traditions of divine protection by providing sustenance for the physical body in the world of the living.
In Islam, a saint is commonly known as a “wali”. This word has a root meaning of nearness in the context of a patron, protector, or friend. It is applied in the Koran to God as the protector of the Faithful, to angels or idols who are supposed to protect their worshippers, and to men who are regarded as being specially under divine protection. [1]
The protection of Divine patrons and Past Masters is present in the Initiatic Orders that have long been associated with the Gnostic Church. Louis-Claude de Saint Martin, upon whose teachings and initiation the Ordre Martiniste was founded by our Bishop Papus, wrote,“I have…numerous proofs of the divine protection over me, especially during our revolution, of which I was not without indications beforehand. But, in all this, everything has been done for me, as they do for children.” [2]
It is worth noting here that the most common telepathic experience is the precognition of danger, such that it seems that we receive warnings mysteriously and sometimes vividly. [3]
Personal experiences of divine protection can potentially bring one to gnosis. Perhaps the initiatic Orders initiate gnosis partly by activating the protection of divine patrons in our lives. Divine protection is one way of experiencing the presence of God, not just a directionless field of consciousness, nor as an angry and punishing god, but an intentional helping and guiding force in our lives.
In closing, let us offer this prayer for divine protection, taken from the consecration of a Knight Beneficent of the Holy City:
“Eternal and Almighty God who takest all men under Thy Protection, we pray for those of us who are present or absent and particularly for those who are in sickness, in pain, or in adversity. Grant them Thy Divine Protection, direct and conserve their thoughts and actions to Thy greater Glory and the advancement of mankind, that they may be led to true happiness both present and eternal. Continue also to enlighten and instruct us that we may know, respect, and faithfully practise the Holy and Divine Truths unto eternal life. Amen.”
Sources:
1. Nicholson, R. A. (1914). The mystics of Islam. London: G. Bell and Sons.
2. Theosophic Correspondence, Letter LX.
In the Old Testament book Exodus, God sends manna and quail to Moses and the people in the desert. In the New Testament, Jesus calls on God to feed 4,000 people with seven loaves and some small fish. These are only two examples in the Hebrew and Christian traditions of divine protection by providing sustenance for the physical body in the world of the living.
In Islam, a saint is commonly known as a “wali”. This word has a root meaning of nearness in the context of a patron, protector, or friend. It is applied in the Koran to God as the protector of the Faithful, to angels or idols who are supposed to protect their worshippers, and to men who are regarded as being specially under divine protection. [1]
The protection of Divine patrons and Past Masters is present in the Initiatic Orders that have long been associated with the Gnostic Church. Louis-Claude de Saint Martin, upon whose teachings and initiation the Ordre Martiniste was founded by our Bishop Papus, wrote,“I have…numerous proofs of the divine protection over me, especially during our revolution, of which I was not without indications beforehand. But, in all this, everything has been done for me, as they do for children.” [2]
It is worth noting here that the most common telepathic experience is the precognition of danger, such that it seems that we receive warnings mysteriously and sometimes vividly. [3]
Personal experiences of divine protection can potentially bring one to gnosis. Perhaps the initiatic Orders initiate gnosis partly by activating the protection of divine patrons in our lives. Divine protection is one way of experiencing the presence of God, not just a directionless field of consciousness, nor as an angry and punishing god, but an intentional helping and guiding force in our lives.
In closing, let us offer this prayer for divine protection, taken from the consecration of a Knight Beneficent of the Holy City:
“Eternal and Almighty God who takest all men under Thy Protection, we pray for those of us who are present or absent and particularly for those who are in sickness, in pain, or in adversity. Grant them Thy Divine Protection, direct and conserve their thoughts and actions to Thy greater Glory and the advancement of mankind, that they may be led to true happiness both present and eternal. Continue also to enlighten and instruct us that we may know, respect, and faithfully practise the Holy and Divine Truths unto eternal life. Amen.”
Sources:
1. Nicholson, R. A. (1914). The mystics of Islam. London: G. Bell and Sons.
2. Theosophic Correspondence, Letter LX.