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O Lord, we are filled with thy Presence in this hour. Thy rapture is upon us. We exult in thy resurrection flame and thy victory and thy Universal Christhood on earth as in heaven. Infill us, O God, Thou who art God, with the totality of his Mind and that universal consciousness whereby in Alpha and Omega, as Above so below, we are one.
Let thy Presence with us and in us be thy Sacred Heart in our heart. Let us know through thy heart, O Lord, the pains of the world in order that we might ever maintain our vigil with Thee to nurture and to shepherd life and to pour forth abundantly thy healing unguents descending from thy Tree of Life - our Tree of Life.
Make us one even as we are one, O God. And this day strengthen our hearts by thy Body and thy Blood that we might be on earth the Diamond Heart of thy Blessed Mother - the diamond of God's holy will. O Lord, truly we would be thy instruments for the saving of the soul of a planet, the soul of a people and of the Spirit of the living God forever.
Thou who dost hear our prayer, strengthen us infinitely for thy Word and thy Work. And now, O Lord, in this joy of our moment with Thee, commune with us as in Galilee the breezes blow softly and the waters are made sacred by thy Presence. Carry us, then, to a scene two thousand years ago. Let us gather there for thy Word and thy ministry in this hour in order that in our I AM Presence, in our higher bodies of Light, we may challenge and rebuke again those whom you did rebuke in that hour.
Therefore, let the persecutors of Christ in every nation receive the judgment of thy Blood and thy Body, thy Alpha and thy Omega. Let them know, O Lord, that Thou art come and that we accept not only thy resurrection but thy Second Coming in our hearts in this hour.
O Lord, come into our temples now. Take dominion: Thy heart, my heart - thy Christ, my Christ - thy soul, my soul - thy love, my love - thy peace, my peace. Amen.
From the Gospel of Mark, chapter 16:
And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.
Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
From The Nag Hammadi Library I read to you the Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles. As these are in fragments, sometimes words are omitted.
[ ...] which [ ...] purpose [ ...: after ...] us [ ...] apostles [ ...]. We sailed [ ...] of the body. [Others] were not anxious in [their hearts].
And so the first complete sentence begins:
And in our hearts, we were united. We agreed to fulfill the ministry to which the Lord appointed us. And we made a covenant with each other.
We went down to the sea at an opportune moment, which came to us from the Lord. We found a ship moored at the shore ready to embark, and we spoke with the sailors of the ship about our coming aboard with them. And they showed great kindliness toward us as was ordained by the Lord. And after we had embarked, we sailed a day and a night. After that, a wind came up behind the ship and brought us to a small city in the midst of the sea.
And I, Peter, inquired about the name of this city from residents who were standing on the dock. [A man] among [them] answered, [saying, "The name] of this [city is Habitation, that is], Foundation [ ...] endurance." And the leader [among them ... holding] the palm branch at the edge of [the dock]. And after we had gone ashore [with the] baggage, I [went] into [the] city, to seek [advice] about lodging.
A man came out wearing a cloth bound around his waist, and a gold belt girded [it]. Also a napkin was tied over [his] chest, extending over his shoulders and covering his head and arms.
I was staring at the man, because he was beautiful in his form and stature. There were four parts of his body which I saw: the tops of his feet, and a part of his chest, and the palm of his hand, and his visage. These things I was able to see. A book cover like (those of) my books was in his left hand. A staff of styrax wood was in his right hand. His voice was resounding as he slowly spoke, crying out into the city, "Pearls! Pearls!"
I, indeed, thought he was a man [of] that city. I said to him, "My brother and my friend!" [He answered] me, [then, saying, "Rightly] did you say, `[My brother and] my friend.' What is it you [seek] from me?" I said to him, "[I ask] you [about] lodging for me [and the] brothers also, because we are strangers here." He said [to] me, "For this reason have I myself just said, `My brother and my friend,' because I also am a fellow stranger like you."
And having said these things, he cried out, "Pearls! Pearls!" The rich men of that city heard his voice. They came out of their hidden storerooms. And some were looking out from the storerooms of their houses. Others looked out from their upper windows. And they did not see (that they could gain) anything from him, because there was no pouch on his back, nor bundle inside his cloth and napkin. And because of their disdain they did not even acknowledge him. He, for his part, did not reveal himself to them. They returned to their storerooms, saying, "This man is mocking us."
And the poor [of that city] heard [his voice, and they came to] the man [who sells pearls. They said, "We] beseech you to [show us a] pearl [so that we may], then, [see] it with our (own) eyes. For we are [poor]. And we do not have this price to pay for it. But [allow us] to say to our friends that [we saw] a pearl with our (own) eyes." He answered, saying to them, "If it is possible, come to my city, so that I may not only show it before your (very) eyes, but give it to you for nothing."
And indeed they, the poor of that city, heard and said, "Since we are beggars, we surely know that a man does not give a pearl to a beggar, but (it is) bread and money that is usually received. Now then, the kindness which we want to receive from you (is) that you show us the pearl before our eyes. And we will say to our friends proudly that we saw a pearl with our (own) eyes" - because it is not found among the poor, especially such beggars (as these). He answered (and) said to them, "If it is possible, you yourselves come to my city, so that I may not only show you it, but give it to you for nothing." The poor and the beggars rejoiced because of the man [who gives for] nothing.
[The men asked Peter] about the hardships. Peter answered [that it was impossible to tell] those things that he had heard about the hardships of [the] way, because [interpreters were] difficult [ ...] in their ministry.
He said to the man who sells this pearl, "I want to know your name and the hardships of the way to your city because we are strangers and servants of God. It is necessary for us to spread the word of God in every city harmoniously." He answered and said, "If you seek my name, Lithargoel is my name, the interpretation of which is, the light, gazelle-like stone.
"And also (concerning) the road to the city, which you asked me about, I will tell you about it. No man is able to go on that road, except one who has forsaken everything that he has and has fasted daily from stage to stage. For many are the robbers and the wild beasts on that road. The one who carries bread with him on the road, the black dogs will kill because of the bread. The one who carries a costly garment of the world with him, the robbers will kill [because of the] garment. [The one who carries] water [with him, the wolves will kill because of the water], since they were thirsty [for] it. [The one who] is anxious about [meat] and green vegetables, the lions will eat because of the meat. [If] he evades the lions, the bulls will devour him because of the green vegetables."
When he had said [these] things to me, I sighed within myself, saying, "[Great] hardships are on the road! If only Jesus would give us power to walk it!" He looked at me since my face was sad, and I sighed. He said to me, "Why do you sigh, if you, indeed, know this name `Jesus' and believe him? He is a great power for giving strength. For I too believe in the Father who sent him."
I replied, asking him, "What is the name of the place to which you go, your city?" He said to me, "This is the name of my city, `Nine Gates.' Let us praise God as we are mindful that the tenth is the head." After this I went away from him in peace.
As I was about to go and call my friends, I saw waves and large high walls surrounding the bounds of the city. I marveled at the great things I saw. I saw an old man sitting and I asked him if the name of the city was really [Habitation] ....He said to me, "[You speak] truly, for we [inhabit] here because [we] endure."
[I responded], saying, "Justly [ ...] have men named it [ ...], because (by) everyone [who] endures his trial, cities are inhabited; and a precious kingdom comes from them, because they endure in the midst of the apostasies and the difficulties of the storms. So that in this way, the city of everyone who endures the burden of his yoke of faith will be inhabited, and he will be included in the kingdom of heaven."
I hurried and went and called my friends so that we might go to the city which he, Lithargoel, appointed for us. In a bond of faith we forsook everything as he had said (to do). We evaded the robbers, because they did not find their garments with us. We evaded the wolves, because they did not find the water with us for which they thirsted. We evaded the lions, because they did not find the desire for meat with us. [We evaded the bulls ... they did not find] green vegetables.
A great joy [came upon] us [and a] peaceful carefreeness [like that of] our Lord. We [rested ourselves] in front of the gate, [and] we talked with each other [about that] which is not a distraction of this [world]. Rather we continued in contemplation of the faith.
As we discussed the robbers on the road, whom we evaded, behold Lithargoel, having changed, came out to us. He had the appearance of a physician, since an unguent box was under his arm, and a young disciple was following him, carrying a pouch full of medicine. We did not recognize him.
Peter responded and said to him, "We want you to do us a favor, because we are strangers, and take us to the house of Lithargoel before evening comes." He said, "In uprightness of heart I will show it to you. But I am amazed at how you knew this good man. For he has not revealed himself to every man, because he himself is the son of a great king. Rest yourselves a little so that I may go and heal this man and come (back)." He hurried and came (back) quickly.
He said to Peter, "Peter!" And Peter was affrighted, for how did he know that his name was Peter? Peter responded to the Savior, "How do you know me, for you called my name?" Lithargoel answered, "I want to ask you who gave the name Peter to you?" He said to him, "It was Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. He gave this name to me." He answered and said, "It is I! Recognize me, Peter." He loosened his garment, which clothed him - the one into which he had changed himself because of us - revealing to us in truth that it was he.
We prostrated ourselves on the ground and worshipped him. We comprised eleven disciples. He stretched forth his hand and caused us to stand. We spoke with him humbly. Our heads were bowed down in unworthiness as we said: "What you wish, we will do. But give us power to do what you wish at all times."
So, let us contemplate that teaching of the Master, his word to us, which in the above context his disciples in turn say, appropriately, to him: "What you wish, we will do. But give us power to do what you wish at all times."
Is this not what the Master says to us: "What you wish, I will do. But give me the power to do what you wish at all times"?
Shall we go about wishing for our perfection, for our soul's salvation, for our body's healing, for our enlightenment or shall we, as Jesus said, give to him the power to do what we wish him to do in our lives? Is life not so much more simple when we acknowledge our respective roles and realize that we must by free will empower our Lord to enter our lives, that we must call upon him and be willing to self-empty that he might infill us? And how we know so very well those things of which we must divest ourselves to be a crystal chalice for his/our `wish-fulfillment'.
Therefore, we know that our God has empowered us to be humble, to be pure, to be holy, to be the receptacle of Light and that our God has empowered Jesus to grant unto us, when we shall have fulfilled the requirements of his Law, the "all-power of heaven and earth."1
At the nine gates of the city called Nine Gates we receive the initiations preparatory to our receipt of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit.2 The city is the place prepared for us to also receive the initiations of the "Power of the Three-Times-Three." This is the power of the threefold flame of your I AM Presence multiplying the power of the threefold flame of your Holy Christ Self multiplying the power of the threefold flame in your heart, each multiplication a geometrization of the Word.
And when the three flames become one, and one great heart of Light is the consummation of the heart of your I AM Presence and Christ Self with your heart that beats here below, then you will know the meaning of the Power of the Three-Times-Three in connection with that city that is called Nine Gates, where stand to receive us nine hierarchies of the LORD who are sent to prove and reprove our souls on nine paths of the Holy Spirit.
In all humility, then, moving toward this goal according to the Teachings of the great Buddha and the great Christ, let us know that the path of the bodhisattva lies before us and that in taking the very first step we must remember the mutual empowerment which is the trust of the true Master/Disciple relationship: "What you wish, we will do. But give us power to do what you wish at all times."
We give to our Lord the authority to act in our name as he gives us the authority to act in his. That means being at peace as his joyous, willing instrument as he answers the calls of the multitudes through us and as we answer his call by obeying his command thusly: Lord, thy wish is my command: "Whatever you wish me to do, I will do it. Pray, do Thou give me the Power, Wisdom and Love of the Three-Times-Three - thy heart, my heart - to do what you wish at all times."
In order to be prepared for Jesus' call we ask the intercession of the Divine Mother and her angels to exorcise from us demons of doubt and fear, anxiety and death and those things that would separate us from the love of Christ Jesus which is as near and as close to us as the tear in our Blessed Mother's eye.
"O my Lord, thy wish, my wish always - thy empowerment mine."
He gave them the unguent box and the pouch that was in the hand of the young disciple. He commanded them like this, saying, "Go into [the] city from which you came, which is called Habitation. Continue in endurance as you teach all those who have believed in my name, because I have endured in hardships of the faith. I will give you your reward."
A simple and eternal promise. You need not be concerned ever for recognition or that your due will not come to you or that someone has slighted you or will slight you. Your Lord has said, "I will give you your reward." Be at peace. Enter into the joy of the Lord's work.
"To the poor of that city give what they need in order to live until I give them what is better, which I told you that I will give you for nothing."
Peter answered and said to him, "Lord, you have taught us to forsake the world and everything in it. We have renounced them for your sake. What we are concerned about (now) is the food for a single day. Where will we be able to find the needs that you ask us to provide for the poor?"
The Lord answered and said, "O Peter, it was necessary that you understand the parable that I told you! Do you not understand that my name, which you teach, surpasses all riches, and the wisdom of God surpasses gold, and silver, and precious stone(s)?"
He gave them the pouch of medicine and said, "Heal all the sick of the city who believe [in] my name." Peter was afraid [to] reply for he did not want to ask the second time. So he signaled to the one who was beside him, who was John: "You talk this time." John answered and said, "Lord, before you we are afraid to say many words. But it is you who asks us to practice this skill. We have not been taught to be physicians. How then will we know how to heal bodies as you have told us?"
He answered him, "Rightly have you spoken, John, for I know that the physicians of this world heal what belongs to the world. The physicians of souls, however, heal the heart. Heal the bodies first, therefore, so that through the real powers of healing for their bodies, with- out medicine of the world, they may believe in you, that you have power to heal the illnesses of the heart also.
"The rich men of the city, however, those who did not see fit even to acknowledge me, but who reveled in their wealth and pride - with such as these, therefore, do not dine in [their] house nor be friends with them, lest their partiality influence you. For many in the churches have shown partiality to the rich, because they also are sinful, and they give occasion for others to do (likewise). But judge them with uprightness, so that your ministry may be glorified, and (so that) I too, and my name, may be glorified in the churches." The disciples answered and said, "Yes, truly this is what is fitting to do."
They prostrated themselves on the ground and worshipped him. He caused them to stand and departed from them in peace. Amen.3
Let us sing to our beautiful Saviour who comes to us to transmit to us our mission in this life. Please talk to Jesus in your heart. Pray to him softly now. Open yourself to him and empower him to help you as he does empower you.4
I shall read to you a discourse of our Lord as recorded in the Gnostic Gospel Pistis Sophia, translated by G. R. S. Mead.
Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: "When I shall have gone into the Light, then herald it unto the whole world and say unto them: Cease not to seek day and night and remit not yourselves until ye find the mysteries of the Light kingdom, which will purify you and make you into refined light and lead you into the Light kingdom.
"Say unto them: Renounce the whole world and the whole matter therein and all its cares and all its sins, in a word all its associations which are in it, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from all the chastisements which are in the judgments.
"Say unto them: Renounce murmuring, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the fire of the dog-faced [one].
"Say unto them: Renounce eavesdropping, that ye may [be worthy of the mysteries of the Light] and be saved from the judgments of the dog-faced [one].
"Say unto them: Renounce litigiousness, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the chastisements of Ariel.
"Say unto them: Renounce false slander, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the fire-rivers of the dog-faced [one].
"Say unto them: Renounce false witness, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and that ye may escape and be saved from the fire-rivers of the dog-faced [one].
"Say unto them: Renounce pride and haughtiness, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the fire-pits of Ariel.
"Say unto them: Renounce belly-love, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the judgments of Amente.
"Say unto them: Renounce babbling, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the fires of Amente.
"Say unto them: Renounce craftiness, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the chastisements which are in Amente.
"Say unto them: Renounce avarice, renounce love of the world, renounce pillage, renounce evil conversation, renounce wickedness, renounce pitilessness, renounce wrath, renounce cursing, renounce thieving, renounce robbery, renounce slandering, renounce fighting and strife, renounce all unknowing, renounce evil doing, renounce sloth, renounce adultery, renounce murder, renounce pitilessness and impiety, renounce atheism, renounce [magic] potions, renounce blasphemy, renounce the doctrines of error, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from all the chastisements of the great dragon of the outer darkness.
"Say unto those who teach the doctrines of error and to every one who is instructed by them: Woe unto you, for, if ye do not repent and abandon your error, ye will go into the chastisements of the great dragon and of the outer darkness, which is exceedingly evil, and never will ye be cast [up] into the world, but will be non-existent until the end.
"Say unto those who abandon the doctrines of the truth of the First Mystery: Woe unto you, for your chastisement is sad compared with [that of] all men. For ye will abide in the great cold and ice and hail in the midst of the dragon and of the outer darkness, and ye will never from this hour on be cast [up] into the world, but ye shall be frozen up in that region and at the dissolution of the universe ye will perish and become non-existent eternally.
"Say rather to the men of the world: Be calm, that ye may receive the mysteries of the Light and go on high into the Light kingdom.
"Say unto them: Be ye loving-unto-men, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and go on high into the Light kingdom.
"Say unto them: Be ye gentle, be ye peaceful, be ye merciful, give ye alms, minister unto the poor and the sick and distressed, be ye loving-unto-God, be ye righteous, be good, renounce all, that ye may receive the mysteries of the Light and go on high into the Light kingdom.
"These are all the boundaries of the ways for those who are worthy of the mysteries of the Light.
"Unto such, therefore, who have renounced in this renunciation, give the mysteries of the Light and hide them not from them at all, even though they are sinners and they have been in all the sins and all the iniquities of the world, all of which I have recounted unto you, in order that they may turn and repent and be in the submission which I have just recounted unto you. Give unto them the mysteries of the Light kingdom and hide them not from them at all; for it is because of sinfulness that I have brought the mysteries into the world, that I may forgive all their sins which they have committed from the beginning on."5
Accepting in this hour Jesus' promise of the forgiveness of sin and the balance of karma, let us share together Easter Communion. May our servers please take their stations.
O eternal God, Thou who art one with all life, with the blessed consciousness of everyone who has ever lived upon the planetary body and held sweet awareness of thyself, Thou who has broken the Bread of Life in the midst of the earliest temples of the Brotherhood, Thou who has showered upon mankind awareness of thy kingdom of other worlds, of the strange and beautiful beauty that is in thy consciousness, be now Father, Mother, eternal God unto each one of us. Help us to hold gentle awareness of thy perfection working in these walls of time and serving to remind us that we can indeed make our lives sublime. For Thou hast already prepared the matrice of perfection and endowed each heart and being with that matrice.
Forgive us for our errors, the tragedies that we have created as we have gazed upon Darkness rather than Light. Help us to the newness of discovery of that rainbow of promise shining just beyond the bend in the wall of time. Let us see that hope is everywhere, that hope is real tonight for our world regardless of the appearances of tragedy and takeover and the thrusts of the denizens of darkness.
Reveal to us thy light, thy sweet and subtle light that shineth greater than any light that has ever shown upon land or upon sea. And break Thou the bread of Life with each of us, communing with us this night in memory of our Lord and Saviour, of the eternal Christos, the fountain from Eden that is the Creator and the Tree of Life that from the beginning of the ages was the foundation of the divine seed in man, springing up as immortality and fruition, as maturity and beauty, as the perfection of the plan in the life of each one that will change us effectively from glory unto glory, even as by thy Spirit. In Thee is no Darkness but only the light of Life and that light is the Light of men. So be it.
So do Thou this that we ask of Thee this night. And let thy hand and the hand of the angels change the substance we take into our bodies into the spiritual essence of the sacred fire, that as there passes down into the center of our body these broken fragments we take and partake of in memory of Thee, we may also understand the cup of the mission that is before us each one.
To partake of this is our joy. And may we surrender beautifully and completely not only for this hour, O Father, but for every hour to come when thy perfectionment shall make us all at last one without fear or torment.
It is to thy nearness that we dedicate ourselves, for Thou art with us always, even to the end of the age of cycles and the beginning of the new.
Our Father, so do Thou this thing in the name of the living Christ and to the sacraments of our immortal soul and the light thereof. It is done in the name of God. It is done in the name of Christ. It is done in the name of the Brotherhood Eternal. So be it.
Remember, Communion is the receiving of the Body and Blood of Christ after the confession of sin. As you come forward for Communion, confess to your Lord Jesus, to your Holy Christ Self those things that you are placing on the altar of God nevermore to take up again. His angels, then, clarifying and clearing you, washing you clean, prepare you to receive the Alpha and the Omega of the Ascended Master, the Light Body of Jesus. This light, then, reestablishes your wholeness and your alignment with the Universal Christ.
These readings were given by the Messenger Elizabeth Clare Prophet on Easter Sunday, April 3, 1988, prior to the dictation by Jesus Christ, during the five-day Easter Retreat at the Royal Teton Ranch, Montana.