The Eighteenth Sunday After Trinity
Intent: Commemoration of the Saints
On this day the Gnostic Church remembers the Saints by drawing on readings from the Gospel of Matthew and the Book of Enoch, which is Canonical in the Ethiopian Church.
Unlike All Saints, which is a Major Feast Day of the Church, this day serves as another reminder during the Church Calendar of the presence of the Universal Church in our midst.
The reading from the Gospel according to St.Matthew and the parable of the men given talents by their Lord, remind us not to squander the gifts of the Spirit and of Gnosis and to share these gifts with others. That we are called to help the presence of the Divine Light grow around us and to help transform our world into a better one by speaking to others about the possibility of a faith centered on the Divine Light, on compassion and on tolerance.
Unlike the exoteric churches, the Gnostic Church has traditionally taken a very open view of what constitutes a Saint. The universality of the idea of sainthood can be seen by its presence in many spiritual traditions. For example, the Jewish tradition has its Tsaddikim, the Mahayana Buddhist tradition has its Bodhisattvas, the Magical Tradition has its Adepts and Secret Chiefs, and the Theosophical Tradition has its Mahatmas. The consistent message in all of these traditions is that the human being is capable of attaining holiness and sainthood here on earth, since we all have the Divine or Enlightened Nature indwelling within us.
Therefore, let us pray in the tradition of the Book of Enoch as One Gnostic and Universal Church : May we all grow in sainthood, may we exist in the light of the sun, may we obtain righteousness with the Lord of Spirits and may our light increase before this Lord of Spirits, for before the Lord of Spirits the light of righteousness shall increase forever. Amen.
Unlike All Saints, which is a Major Feast Day of the Church, this day serves as another reminder during the Church Calendar of the presence of the Universal Church in our midst.
The reading from the Gospel according to St.Matthew and the parable of the men given talents by their Lord, remind us not to squander the gifts of the Spirit and of Gnosis and to share these gifts with others. That we are called to help the presence of the Divine Light grow around us and to help transform our world into a better one by speaking to others about the possibility of a faith centered on the Divine Light, on compassion and on tolerance.
Unlike the exoteric churches, the Gnostic Church has traditionally taken a very open view of what constitutes a Saint. The universality of the idea of sainthood can be seen by its presence in many spiritual traditions. For example, the Jewish tradition has its Tsaddikim, the Mahayana Buddhist tradition has its Bodhisattvas, the Magical Tradition has its Adepts and Secret Chiefs, and the Theosophical Tradition has its Mahatmas. The consistent message in all of these traditions is that the human being is capable of attaining holiness and sainthood here on earth, since we all have the Divine or Enlightened Nature indwelling within us.
Therefore, let us pray in the tradition of the Book of Enoch as One Gnostic and Universal Church : May we all grow in sainthood, may we exist in the light of the sun, may we obtain righteousness with the Lord of Spirits and may our light increase before this Lord of Spirits, for before the Lord of Spirits the light of righteousness shall increase forever. Amen.