Friday, April 7, 2023

Easter – the most important and sacred day in the traditional Christian calendar. This Sunday, hundreds of millions of Christians around the world – Catholic, Protestant and others – will celebrate the paschal feast. And the following Sunday, millions of Orthodox Christians will do the same. They will be celebrating one of the oldest beliefs of the Christian Church – the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Contrary to the popular churches, we of this Community observe Easter each year on a fixed date – April 18th – according to the solar, not the lunar, calendar. And, we do so in an entirely different way and with an entirely unique message. Most importantly, we do not recognize or teach the resurrection of the physical body, only the resurrection of the reborn spiritual Light Body.

Although the churches connect Easter to the Jewish Passover (erroneously), we know that it is not. We know this for a variety of reasons, which we will not get into here, but suffice it to say that the calendar plays a vital role – solar versus lunar – as well as the distinct traditions of the Essenes which, of course, Jesus was a part. Needless to say, the Essaei Community operated according to different and distinct sacred numbers in their calendar.

Because most of the Western traditions, cultures and languages connect Easter to the Passover, the word used for this time of the year is common, except in English. For example, in Greek, the Paschal feast is called Pascha; in Hebrew, it is Pasach; in Spanish, Pascua, and so on. But, in English we have the term Easter, which comes from the Anglo-Saxon (Old English) Eostre.

We can trace Eostre to a goddess – an important goddess – called Hausos. The goddess comes from the proto-Indo European religion. And she was known as the Goddess of the Dawn. Her name was reconstructed as Ausos. In India, she is referred to as Usas; in Greek Eos; and in Latin Aurora.

The name was derived from the root “To Shine,” thus, translating to “The Shining One.” The English word “East” is derived from this word, also the Latin “Aurum” meaning gold. The dawn goddess was also the Goddess of Spring. In the Anglo-Saxon world, and also in the Germanic world, this time – this Easter or Eostre – was called Eosturmonath, or Easter Month, which was celebrated for the entire month of April. This Goddess of Spring was involved in the mythology of the Indo-European new year where the Dawn Goddess was liberated by God from imprisonment. She is known in the Rigveda as Indra and in ancient Greek mythology as Dionysus. So we see that it has always been a very important time of the year.

But how do we in the Second Advent/Cosolargy Community reconcile ourselves with this ancient observance? How do we – who do not accept the physical resurrection of the body – harmonize ourselves with this “holy week” which emphasizes the pain, sorrow, and suffering of the man, Jesus? How do we – who do not teach that he was the sacrificial Passover lamb, an offering acceptable to God whose blood is shed daily on the altars of churches around the world everywhere and that the shedding of his blood, however ritualistically, was an atonement for the sins of the world? How do we come to terms with those many, many millions of people who do? And, how do we – who reject that Christ’s crucifixion was “good” or that it was the Will of God, holding instead that it was the murder of a Son of Light by the civil and religious authorities of the day – how do we bring that into accord with our own teaching and theology?

We do so by emphasizing what we know to be Christ’s true message: First, that we are all endowed by the Creator of our spiritual Beings with an eternal and immortal Soul if we but cause that Divine Generative Force – Christ or The Word – to penetrate into that spiritual Womb. Second, that once we consent to the Word of God – the Logos – being allowed to impregnate our Spirit, that Spirit becomes animated by the Thought and Will of God the Father and becomes a living, breathing, conscious Soul, able to reason on heavenly things. Third, that once imbued with Christ Consciousness, the Soul, released from the cycle of generated existence, recalls and remembers its history and origin and consciously participates in the Worlds of Light, continually partaking of a Divine Communion.

This was the message of Christ Jesus. And this is what was symbolized by the Last Supper – the act of the reborn, conscious Soul partaking of the True Communion, feeding off the Word of God – the Bread from Heaven – and drinking from the Cup filled with God’s Living Waters – which is Divine Light. And this is also the message of the Messianic Church of the Second Advent. The beauty of it all is that it can be done in the here and now – that our spiritual immortality and divinity can be realized while we exist and live in this world. And if that is accomplished, one has received the gift of the resurrection – not as something abstract to wonder about after death, but something one can experience and participate in while one lives in this world.

We know that Jesus – the Christ – not only received the Word of God, but that the Logos incarnated within his Spirit. He became the Living Word of God manifest in man. Yes, he was the Messiah of Aaron and of Israel, but he, like so many others of his Christ Brothers, received the mantle of the Office of Christ on Earth. But we also know that Jesus prophesied a future time – a time when Christ, the celestial and mediating force between God and Man, would appear not in human form but out of the heavens in great power and glory. And this prophecy echoed the older prophecies of Isaiah and Malachi.

Malachi is prophesying about the End of Times, when God would come again at the Second Advent, when the Sun of Righteousness would appear out of the heavens in splendor and with a Light which had never been bestowed on Earth before. And this Light would feed and nurture the Spirit at the great and final Messianic Banquet served from the true Temple of God. The message of Jesus is clear. The need for men and women to partake of the super-substantial Food that nourishes the Soul is found in the transubstantiated Sun – the sun of matter which is transfigured into Spirit.

Therefore, in commemorating the traditional Easter Season, we do so in anticipation of True Easter, which we celebrate in the Second Advent Church on April 18th each year, according to the solar calendar. We participate in the glorious communion of the Angels of Light, joining with Jesus and the Essaei and all those of other religions who have been reborn into the Community of Light, which is the Resurrection of the Spirit that comes about only through participation in the glorious and Messianic Communion with the Celestial Christ.

The Easter Season is a time of spiritual renewal, reflection, and rebirth. Communion with God begins here on Earth, for God’s Plan for the renewal and restoration of the Creation cannot be fulfilled without the unified Community and those disciplined who teach, preserve, and live the revealed and sacred Teachings of Light – a teaching which has been practiced and handed down throughout the centuries and restored in our modern times for a special and appointed few. Those who are the Servants of God and Light will receive the Gift of God, which is a blessing He bestows on those who assist Him in His Divine Plan. God reveals Himself to those in Light, and those who are resurrected to Light by means of Light during this life will dwell with Him forever.

Let me close today’s message with these beautiful lines from the Gnostic Gospel of Phillip. I love these words because I believe they describe the resurrection so well and embody the spiritual message not only of this time of year but of what this Community teaches.

These inspired and enlightened words express the message of Jesus and the essence of his teaching. Therefore, let us go from this place, our fellowship renewed and strengthened, and our love and joy for one another regenerated. What a symbolically beautiful time of year for this: Springtime, when all things are made new. And let us give thanks for the promise of the Second Advent, as prophesied by Jesus Christ, which has been fulfilled in our special age. What a blessing it is! For how many countless men and women over these past many centuries have longed for and awaited the Second Coming of God – this powerful and profound spiritual Consciousness that is manifesting in the world and permeating all things with an energy never before felt and experienced by the human Spirit. And we are privileged to be a part of it – to assist God in a new way as servants and workers in the New Covenant, which is destined to bring about a new Heaven and a new Earth. And this is my message to you this Easter Season.

Again, if I may be of any personal service to you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Very truly yours in Light+,

Gene

PANNUCHES HOMILY

Delivered Saturday, March 19, 2023

Chapel of the Holy Child

The Right Reverend Father Gene Savoy, Jr.

Copyright © International Community of Christ

In 2009, in accordance with Sacred Law and the 19th Saying of Jamil, I formally established the Holy Order of Matriarchs and appointed dedicated women of The Community who had attained age and wisdom, and who had devoted their lives and energies to God, as Matriarchs of the Church. Let’s read from the 19th Saying regarding the Matriarchs.

Because God created man and woman in His Image, both are of God and therefore equal. Man and woman beget children which they do not beget separately, but together, as God intended for them to do under the light of the sun, conjointly with God as co-creators, neither being superior to the other by natural law nor by spiritual law.

In many of the former religions, women were subjected to an inferior role because men were not able to serve both the creative spirit in women and God; therefore, they separated themselves from women entirely, fearing that love for women and family would separate them from God.

This Church is of God, and thus of spirit, but in order for it to be universal, it must include women in the ministry, as well as children reared for the ministry; for a Godly life begins at an early age. Indeed, it begins even before birth, for the parents must be of God if a child is to be of God – in both blood and spirit, as animated by the living Image and the Word of God.

There must be good order in the Church of God, and for this reason those admitted into the Church ministry, both men and women, mustneeds submit to the Codes of the Order if the Church would remain stable and be preserved. Let the men and women of the Church see themselves not as men or women, but as spiritual beings, coworkers with God for the creation of a new Earth under God’s rule. And let the sacred marriages be consecrated in Heaven and ruled by Heaven’s order under God.

I have established the ministry by my person, and God will nurture it by His Light. Therefore, as the first Patriarch of the Church is male, ordained of me, let your successors be male offspring of your seed, joined to me by blood and spirit forever, in order to preserve what I have established.

The females who have been admitted into God’s Community of ministers in the new age shall exemplify the spiritual life as God intended them to do from the beginning; therefore, let them take their stations as ministers, following the order established by my person and by my successors, equal with men in all things….

And if women would follow as disciples of the Order you will have established as Patriarch, let them subscribe to the vows after passing the age of 30 years, holding to the same requirements as the Patriarchs, but being called Matriarchs, an order of Progenitors of a new race of man.

And in this Church, the Matriarchs will exemplify the holiest path of devotion, inspiring their companions and offspring in time to come. And they shall be called Holy Mothers of the Church who will emulate the chaste and Holy Women of ancient times. And they will take the necessary vows as a requirement of this sacred office.

And the Patriarchs and Matriarchs shall assume responsibility for every child of Light of the Community. And they shall be aided by their Brothers and Sisters in Light to assure that the children are nurtured by the Light of God for the new creation of which they are a part.

In 1999, my father established the Holy Order of Patriarchs and appointed the first two Patriarchs, in addition to himself as Head Patriarch. Of course, since his physical passing from the world, the Office of Head Patriarch was vacant until I attained my 52nd year last month. Let us now read from the 18th Saying of Jamil concerning the Patriarchs.

Each of the religions of the world is to be given the Teachings by the Ordained. And by means of these Teachings, the older religions inspired by the Image and the Word of God given to the Prophets and Holy Ones in former ages, will be regenerated and fulfilled. And from within these religions and the Ordained, the Enlightened of God will emerge to form a Holy Order of Patriarchs, an Order of Progenitors of a new race of man.

And they shall be called Holy Fathers of the Church. They will emulate the Prophets and Holy Ones of ancient times, and take the necessary vows as a condition of this Holy Office. And they shall inspire the formation of a True Church, a universal Church, brought out of the many churches of the world. This True Church will live the new laws of God and, by so doing, restore the sun and the earth and the cosmos to goodly order for a New Creation in which God’s Image and Word will manifest openly as in the beginning of the First Creation….

And this Holy Order of Patriarchs shall lead the multitudes of churches of the world, inspiring them by their Light and wisdom. And by these means the Patriarchs will become fathers unto the churches, joining the noble family of Holy Men of times past, protecting and safeguarding those in their charge with love and understanding, justice, sympathy, patience, tolerance, generosity, honesty, peace, goodness, and Light as a unified whole, unseparated from one another; of one mind, one body, one spirit – universal and one.

And the Order of Patriarchs will have its beginnings when, upon a pre-ordained time, you shall withdraw from the activities of man and devote your whole life to God within the Community. And by the sign and color of your vestment, the holy members of the Order will recognize that the Order of Patriarchs has been formed. Once the Order is formed, you shall initiate disciples into it, and they shall subscribe to the vows after the passing of 52 years of age….

And let the Patriarchs of the Church [dedicate] their entire lives to the service of the Community as a glory and a power to God, seeking their origins in Light until their final mergence with God at the conclusion of their lives on Earth. Let the Patriarchs live the Image and Word as did I, the Child, emulating the Way. Let the laws and statutes be impressed upon their hearts and minds and spirits, to be lived and not spoken, for the Word of God is neither found on paper nor revealed by the tongue. And by these means, the Holy Race shall be instructed and taught how to receive God in its midst.

“…This Saying teaches us that from out of the multitude of churches in the world that will teach Cosolargy, such as the Communities of Christ, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Brahmanism, and other religions embracing our concepts, something higher will evolve. We do not know how long this evolution will require, but it will begin in our lifetimes. A True Church will evolve which will be divorced from the popular religions of the day and age. It will be a truly universal religion in which men and women can express themselves as a race of spiritual beings. However, this will require a maturity which people today do not have. Therefore, the Teachings of Cosolargy will be given to the popular religions of the world as amendments and supplemental material so that they can be fulfilled as a higher religion. This Church which will evolve out of all churches will be shared by all races and creeds without favoring any particular religion. This is what the Saying tells us.

“The first Patriarchs of this religion will be a select number of enlightened men who will follow in the footsteps of Jesus, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Lao Tzu, and many of the other prophets of times past. And they will be known by their enlightenment. The office they hold will not be one that will be attained by earthly intelligence, but by spiritual enlightenment which will be discerned by all. And these Patriarchs will divorce themselves from the world so they may be able to counsel the leaders of the world. The Patriarchs will lead man as did the founders of the world religions in ancient times. They will represent a spiritual Order. And this Order will own no material thing….”

These lines are from the commentary on the 18th Saying.

Now that I have attained the age of 52 years, I assume the office of Head Patriarch of The Church, thus re-activating the Holy Order of Patriarchs. I have taken this opportunity to appoint two Ministers of The Community as the first to join me in this endeavor, at this time. They are the Reverend Fathers Robert Petrovich and Ted Staver.

These two appointments, which will be followed by the Rite of Ordination, mark a new beginning as we enter the third 20-year cycle in the 61st year of the Second Advent Calendar. More appointments will be forthcoming for both men and women who meet the required qualifications, which include solemn vows to The Order. These qualification and requirements can be found in the commentaries of the 18th and 19th Sayings. There is much to contemplate and discuss as we look to Second Advent Easter and Second Advent Pentecost.

Again, if I may be of any personal service to you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Very truly yours in Light+,

Gene

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

The Twenty-fourth Saying (Part 12)

And The Man continued.

“‘The best defense that one has against the Evil One and the Powers of Darkness is to live The Way. In the traditional Lord’s Prayer, we ask God to forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Our trespasses are of three kinds: The trespasses committed in one’s lifetime; the trespasses of the nation or culture that breeds one; the trespasses of the whole human race. These trespasses bind us.

“‘How does one break these trespasses – the karmic debts, to use a Buddhist theological expression? God has given us the means as an act of Grace and Love. Spiritual rebirth, or the means of attaining it, is a Gift from God. Once we live The Way, we are freed because our spirit, being reborn a Soul and no longer being bound by this world, assumes a new life in the spiritual realms. Our whole life then revolves around the spiritual Way of God. We discipline our sensory body and mind, as well as the psyche, within the earthly Church by our liturgical way of rite and ceremony and by the life of a minister in service to humanity. In this way, the old self does not come back to haunt us.’

“A disciple, the third Companion of The Way to speak, said, ‘What I have to say is really a statement of reassurance. The latest Saying, the Twenty-fourth, points out how the false religions arose because of Man’s weakness. The Church of the First Dispensation failed because of human weakness and oppression. We of the Church of the Second Dispensation are just as weak as the ancients were and we are also oppressed. The cycle repeats itself. But the reassurance comes from the fact that we of this Church have available to us the power of the Image and the Word in the Sun of Righteousness. This fact gives us the superior strength necessary to overcome our human weakness shared by the earlier cultures, which led to State oppression. So we are in a unique situation. It is also reassuring to know that we have available something denied the ancients. We are destined to succeed as long as we trust in the Image and the Word and do not rely strictly on our human powers.’

“The Man said, ‘Your statement is correct. God has come a second time. He has revealed His Image and Word as prophesied. We, in this generation, have the means of overcoming the errors of the secular-minded world fed by the Powers of Darkness and the Evil One. We use the sun of the solar system and God’s Image as Light-bearers and coworkers with God to resist Evil. Since we are involved in the great struggle between the Powers of Light and Darkness at the End Times of the world, we are part of God’s Divine Plan for human redemption. God has taken charge of the destiny of the world – not human saviors, not spiritual mediators, nor founders of religions, nor prophets, nor kings, nor governments – only God Almighty, who is establishing, from the Realms of Heaven, a Universal Theocracy that will govern the affairs of the whole universe by Intelligent Light and Spiritual Power over which no other living thing has control. As Light-bearers, we must let go of the human instinct to preserve our bodies, or material nations, or even races or peoples.

“‘All material things are to perish by the brightness of God. Only the spiritual will survive. The human condition as we know it is to be dissolved. The Powers of Darkness will find no place in the coming new world of spirit. This was the cry of Jesus and the Prophets and Holy Ones from time immemorial. We of the New Church are obliged to trust God and to embrace the Divine Plan. If we fail to do this, then, of course, we will succumb to our human weakness, which is to preserve all those things that perish in the end as does a normal state of materiality. As Light-bearers, we invoke God to shine brightly, to burn up Darkness, to transform the material world, to cast out Evil in every form.

“‘Our religion is, of all things, spiritual, believing in and teaching of the spiritual Kingdom of God. Our Church is not concerned with an ordinary life. Indeed, we are pledged to live a life that will prepare us for the Kingdom, either in this world transformed, or in the higher World of Light upon us. This explains the need for the disciplined liturgical life of the Church of the Second Advent. Our survival as spiritual beings, and as a spiritual race, and as a spiritual Nation is to be determined upon our living in accordance with God’s redeeming Light that has been sent into the world to restore what has been lost. To cling to the past would be the heresy of heresies – the great blasphemy and the gravest of errors.’

“This homily ended the commentary on the Twenty-Fourth Saying.”

Again, if I may be of any personal service to you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Very truly yours in Light+,

Gene