Our prayer should involve at least some sort of visualization.
A common and perhaps effective means by which to do this is to visualize the Soul Star above one's head and direct the prayers to this Soul Star. This will naturally connect with and contact the Divine. Prayer shouldn't merely be the recitation of words but also the lifting of the mind to God. This is almost more important than the particular words we use, though the words can carry power in and of themselves. Let us pray more deeply. In Christ, Steve
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Though we're a bit past Candlemas, I thought this prayer was quite beautiful. - Steve Lord Jesus Christ,
You are the true Light enlightening every soul born into this world. Today we celebrate the feast of Candlemas. Before Holy Mass, the priest blesses the candles, whose wax is the humming summer's work of countless bees. The flames of these candles will shed their light upon the altar at the Holy Sacrifice. Help us to realize, this day and every day, that our own humdrum daily work, if it is done for love of You, and in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, will be a supernatural work, and will shine brightly before You for all eternity. Help us realize, too, each time we see the blessed candles at Holy Mass, or at the bedside of the sick, that they are a symbol of Yourself, the Light shining in the darkness of this world. Help us to live in that Light, to make it our own, and to kindle it in the souls of others, increasing the area Of light and lessening the darkness in the World This, dear Lord, help us do, through the merits of Your own dear mother, Mary, who did everything for love of You, from the moment she brought You into this world till the day she joined You in the realms of light at her death. Then we, too, working for You, shall be light-bearers who will help to spread Your kingdom on earth, and increase the number of those who dwell in heaven, the city of eternal light. Amen. Thanks to Father Sergio drawing my attention to the existence of the Raccolta, I acquired a copy after many months of deliberation.
The Raccolta contains an incredible number of prayers for the Christian devotee, but perhaps most charmingly, many of the prayers are written both in English and in Latin. I've shared some on here recently and will continue to do so. Why pray in another language? There's something beautiful about praying in Latin (or Hebrew and Greek and so on). Many Evangelicals appreciate the language of the King James Version of the Bible because the words have a regal, authoritative sound. Latin and Greek do something similar for me, though I would associate Greek with being somewhat more mystically inclined. Nonetheless, I do suggest to people to at least learn basic pronunciation for something like Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, especially if they're coming from the Christian tradition. There's a power in the language, and part of the Latin bypasses our ordinary linguistic processes and connects with us on a deeper level. In Christ, Steve
from the Raccolta
from the Raccolta
And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him one-tenth of everything. -The Book of Genesis, Chapter 14, verses 18-20, New Revised Standard Version This brief set of verses takes place at an interesting point: most of Genesis 14 centers around a war narrative of various kings and armies going to battle, of Abram going to battle and regaining the people stolen from him and such. King Melchizedek, a priest-king, appears just before another figure, the King of Sodom, and interrupts the narrative.
The name "Melchizedek" sounds like "King of Righteousness" in Hebrew. Salem here probably refers to Jerusalem, and it's possible this story is meant to mark an ancient precedent for Jerusalem being the holy city God. "God Most High" is "El Elyon" in Hebrew. "Elyon" is often added to the names of deities in this era, and it's probably a way of denoting majesty. Interesting from the Christian perspective is that the ordination rites in the Apostolic Succession feature a phrase along the lines of, "Thou art forever a priest after the order of Melchizedek." Also interesting is that Melchizedek brings forth bread and wine, possibly a precedent to later rituals involving bread and wine, including the Shabbat and the Holy Eucharist. Abraham giving a tenth of what he owned seems to lay a precedent for tithing. In Christ, Steve "O Hidden Life, vibrant in every atom; O Hidden Light, shining in every creature; O Hidden Love, embracing all in Oneness; May all who feel themselves as one with Thee, Know they are therefore one with every other." -by Annie Besant
From the Aquarian Catholic Spiritual Community to all of you,
brightest blessings in the Lunar New Year! My Queen,
My Mother, I offer myself entirely to thee. And to show my devotion to thee, I offer thee this day, my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, my whole being without reserve. Wherefore, good Mother, as I am thine own, keep me, guard me as thy property and possession. Amen. Holy Mary,
help those in need, give strength to the weak, comfort the sorrowful, pray for God's people, assist the clergy, intercede for religious. Mary, all who seek your help experience your unfailing protection. Amen. We turn to you for protection,
holy Mother of God. Listen to our prayers and help us in our needs. Save us from every danger, glorious and blessed Virgin. As a typical and easy prayer to recite, the Three Hail Marys comes highly recommended. Times for sheer devotion include the morning and around sunset, as per traditions that have developed in Europe. But the Three Hail Marys can be offered for basically any petition, any prayer, any problem. It's quick, easy, and effective practice that comes highly recommended from me. According to St. Gertrude (1256–1301),
the Blessed Virgin Mary promised the following: "To any soul who faithfully prays the Three Hail Marys, I will appear at the hour of death i n a splendor of beauty so extraordinary that it will fill the soul with heavenly consolation." There's an immense amount of wisdom contained within the Tarot, and a number of means of reading Tarot cards exist.
The language of the Tarot is something internal that must be learned; it can only be understood through practice. One learns the individual meanings of cards, though the best reading comes from a knowledge of traditionally associated meanings (of which there are all kinds of variations) and use of one's own intuition. The process can also not be forced. It's best to allow each of the cards to absorb into one's mind, bypassing the conscious mind's attempt to slay meaning and to allow the inner self to grasp the archetypal meanings of the cards. Curiously, I had an argument with someone long ago about the transmission of complete pieces of knowledge through imagery and ritual. His assertion was that one can only do that through the conscious mind, while I (correctly) asserted that the mind absorbs far more than we realized. No doubt, one may learn things from a conscious perspective; that's obvious and not in question. But we learn much more than from this means. That doesn't mean the transmission of knowledge can't be abused- it can be. Guard your thoughts, guard your mind. Always maintain the utmost of integrity and ethical standards. In Christ, Steve "There is a thinking in primordial images-- in symbols which are older than historical man, which have been ingrained in him from earliest times, and, eternally living, outlasting all generations, still make up the groundwork of the human psyche. It is only possible to live the fullest life when we are in harmony with these symbols; wisdom is a return to them. It is neither a question of belief nor of knowledge, but of the agreement of our thinking with the primordial images of the unconscious. They are the source of all our conscious thoughts, and one of these primordial thoughts is the idea of life after death.... They are indispensable conditions of the imagination; they are primary data." --C.G. Jung, Modern Man in Search of Soul
Have mercy, O Lord, upon all those whom Thou hast associated with us in the bonds of friendship and kindredship, and grant that they, with us, may be so perfectly conformed to Thy Holy Will, that being cleansed from all stain, we may be found worthy, by the inspiration of Thy love, to be partakers together of the blessedness of Thy heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. -from the Old Gallican Sacramentary, adapted for the Aquarian Catholic Spiritual Community
O Sovereign and Almighty Lord, bless all Thy people and all Thy flock. Give peace, Thy help, Thy love unto us, Thy servants the sheep of Thy fold, that we may be united in the bond of peace and love, one body and one spirit, in one hope of our calling, in Thy Divine and boundless love; for the sake of Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep. Amen. -from the Liturgy of Saint Mark
O God of Light, Father of Life, Giver of Wisdom, Benefactor of our souls, who givest to the fainthearted who put their trust in Thee those things into which the angels desire to look; O Sovereign Lord, who hast brought us up from the depths of darkness to light, who hast given us life from death, who hast graciously bestowed upon us freedom from slavery, and who hast scattered the darkness of sin within us, do Thou now also enlighten the eyes of our understanding, and sanctify us wholly in soul, body, and spirit. Amen. -from the Liturgy of Saint Mark
O Almighty God, we are confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in us, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: we pray that our love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that we may approve things that are excellent; that we may be sincere and without offense, till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. Amen. -an adapted version of the Epistle to the Philippians, Chapter 1, Verses 27 through 29
Lord God, of might inconceivable, of glory incomprehensible, of mercy immeasurable, of benignity ineffable; do Thou, O Master, look down upon us in Thy tender love, and show forth, towards us and those who pray with us, Thy rich mercies and compassions. Amen. -from the Liturgy of Saint Chrysotom
Bless all who worship Thee, from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same. Of Thy goodness, give us; with Thy love, inspire us; by Thy spirit guide us; by Thy power, protect us; in Thy mercy, receive us now and always. Amen. -an Ancient Collect
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who hast nourished me from my youth up, who givest food to all flesh. Fill our hearts with joy and gladness, that we, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work in Christ Jesus our Lord, through whom to Thee be glory, honour, might, majesty, and dominion, forever and ever. Amen. -The Clementine Liturgy
O God, Who art the unsearchable abyss of peace, the ineffable sea of love, the fountain of blessings, and the bestower of affection, Who sendest peace to those that receive it; open to us this day the sea of Thy love, and water us with the plenteous streams from the riches of Thy grace. Make us children of quietness, and heirs of peace. Enkindle in us the fire of Thy love; sow in us Thy fear; strengthen our weakness by Thy power; bind us closely to Thee and to each other in one firm bond of unity; for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen. —Syrian Clementine Liturgy
“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery." -The Gospel according to Saint Luke, Chapter 16, Verse 18, New Revised Standard Version Various forms of Christendom have taken this verse entirely literally, to the extent that the Roman Church officially doesn't sanction divorce and remarriage (though annulment does happen).
At face value, the verse is extremely harsh; what's Jesus trying to get across here? Is divorce entirely wrong at any time? Is it truly an absolute? This is where context matters entirely, as well as rhetorical devices. Jesus often speaks in hyperbole in the Gospels. That's difficult to square away for many of us, but that also comes from thousands of years worth of accretion around the man Jesus, the culture in which Jesus lived, and so on. The humor, the exaggeration, the "attitude" all gets lost, especially in translations like the King James Version. The context here is important- the notes in the New Oxford Annotated Study Bible clue us in on what's really going on: the point isn't about divorce happening at all, but divorce with the specific intent to remarry someone else. Jesus is taking aim at a political enemy, specifically Herod Antipas, who had done the exact thing mentioned: divorcing a wife to remarry another woman instead. This kind of contextualization is the reason I encourage people to study the Scriptures- you learn that things aren't always as they appear. In Christ, Steve "We beseech You, Master, to be our helper and protector.
Save the afflicted among us; have mercy on the lowly; Raise up the fallen; appear to the needy; heal the ungodly; Restore the wanderers of Your people; Feed the hungry; ransom our prisoners; Raise up the sick; comfort the faint-hearted." There is a problem endemic to Christianity and many religious traditions, which is to say that the theological perspectives are often built upon other theological perspectives which are at best specious.
The people making various kinds of theological arguments often have their hearts in the right place. However, those arguments often have little to do with encountering God directly. But we run into yet another problem: without the theology (and here I include the ritualism and mythology in the definition), we have no hope of understanding or creating even the idea of encountering the Divine. Yet another problem: without theological training, the direct encounter of the Great Mystery that is God can render a person unstable. Even with proper theological training, there are accounts of people developing all kinds of mental conditions. I've even happened upon people who claim some form of enlightenment...who are also genuinely terrible in other ways. These are all issues to be dealt with and confronted. A balance must be struck. I pray, then, that the Holy Spirit would be present in our Church and with each of our members, that we may be guided to what is appropriate to us as a community and what is appropriate to us as individuals. In Christ, Steve |