THE MYSTERIES OF ETERNAL LIFE
The First Day of Spring - Palm Sunday
In the Gnostic Ceremonial, the First Day of Spring is the Sunday that coincides with or follows the spring equinox.
“The sun makes its passage from the lower hemisphere to the upper hemisphere. Heat, light, and life, Christ, prevail over cold, darkness, and death. Nature as a whole resurrects and adorns itself with beautiful colors: plants emerge from the earth, buds sprout on branches, hibernating animals awaken. It is at this time of the Passage or Easter that our church celebrates the sublime mysteries of eternal life, the liberation from the yoke of death, and rebirth. This constitutes our holy week of spring.
Image: “Christ at the column, in a garland of flowers” by Frans Ykens and Jan van den Hoecke, circa 1650.
|
On this day, Ieshu is acclaimed, received in triumph, and all of nature joins man in rejoicing:
"New sun, the world beholds you emerge with brilliance from your rest. Come, the universe on this day is your temple, gather the transport of your children, all the earth moved revives at your sight, offering itself to you with these flowers (Repeat). Our joyful songs, our incense, and our hearts. "Let us acknowledge Ieshu, the gentle aesthete. Offering him the graceful bouquet of flowers where dawn reflects the infinity of the heavens. May he receive this token of our time as homage. "O King of heaven! Sacred fire of the earth! We honor you with delight. Who wouldn't love such a generous brother, such a good master, such a benevolent god. Ah! Descend into our souls, burn them with your flames. And may we forever offer you, sweet savior, our songs, our incense, and our hearts. "O King of heaven! Sacred fire of the earth! We honor you with delight. Who wouldn't love such a generous brother, such a good master, such a benevolent god. Ah! Descend into our souls, burn them with your flames. And may we forever offer you, sweet savior, our songs, our incense, and our hearts." |
Gospel Reading for the First Day of SpringAs Ieshu approached Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples, saying to them: Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say, 'The Lord needs it.' Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, 'Why are you untying the colt?' They replied, 'The Lord needs it.' They brought it to Ieshu, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Ieshu on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 'Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!' 'Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!' Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Ieshu, 'Teacher, rebuke your disciples!' 'I tell you,' he replied, 'if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.' As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you.' When Ieshu entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. 'It is written,' he said to them, 'My house will be a house of prayer'; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.'
|
The Entry into Jerusalem by Giotto, c.1305
|
In the biblical story Jesus rides into Jerusalem in a provocative act, openly assuming the role of the Messiah. He is declaring himself claimant to the throne of Israel by pantomiming the prophesy of Zechariah (9:9): "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."
The absurd image of a man riding two animals should lead us to consider this story for its esoteric meaning. Jerusalem, or Hierosolyma, means sacred wholeness (hiero means sacred, and shalem means peace or wholeness). The triumphant entry into sacred wholeness suggests the soul’s return to its homeland, the Celestial City. In several forms of initiation, both ancient and modern, this is represented by the candidate entering the eastern gate.
The soul is carried into the gates of the Holy City by the animal portion of its nature. There are two generations of the animal (a colt and an ass). It is the phases of corporeal life (youth and adulthood), and also the succession of lifetimes, that take up the labor of carrying the soul into the celestial gates.
The absurd image of a man riding two animals should lead us to consider this story for its esoteric meaning. Jerusalem, or Hierosolyma, means sacred wholeness (hiero means sacred, and shalem means peace or wholeness). The triumphant entry into sacred wholeness suggests the soul’s return to its homeland, the Celestial City. In several forms of initiation, both ancient and modern, this is represented by the candidate entering the eastern gate.
The soul is carried into the gates of the Holy City by the animal portion of its nature. There are two generations of the animal (a colt and an ass). It is the phases of corporeal life (youth and adulthood), and also the succession of lifetimes, that take up the labor of carrying the soul into the celestial gates.
Nizier Anthelme PhilippeThe famous injunction of Jesus was to love one’s neighbor as oneself. This was the simple philosophy of Master Philippe of Lyon, a gentle healer who we remember on this day. Master Philippe was one of several significant influences who shaped the life of our Bishop Papus, the founder of the Martinist Order. Philippe asked his followers to remember him on Palm Sunday, and on this day they would visit his grave.
After entering Jerusalem, it was said that Jesus “…went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." (Matthew 21: 12-13) Palm Sunday narratives often highlight this outrageous act of Jesus throwing the money changers out of the temple, but what did he do there after he threw them out? The next verse (Matthew 21:14) tells us, "And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.” This was the basic commission of Jesus to his disciples, and may it be a lesson to ourselves: “…into whatsoever city ye enter…heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” (Luke 10: 8-9) |
Nizier Anthelme Philippe.
O gracious and loving Shepherd of the sheep, we remember before thee at this time Thy wondrous servant, Nizier Philipe, a master and wonder-worker on earth, who in his great humility called his person the dog of the good Shepherd; and we pray that strengthened by his glorious example, we too may, according to our several abilities, render unto thee the loving and loyal service thou askest us to give to thy suffering world. Amen.
|