3rd Trinity IV 2022, Enduring Form

November Trinity

Revelation 21:1-27 

And I beheld the events in the spirit out of which a new heaven and a new earth proceeded. For the earlier heaven and the earlier earth were gone, and the billowing ocean is no more. 

Maronite

And further, I saw the Holy City, untouched by the Briearthly, coming forth out of the being of God, descending out of the spiritual worlds: the New Jerusalem. She appeared in her beauty like a bride who has adorned herself for the bridegroom. 

And I heard a powerful voice coming from the throne that said: "Behold the dwelling of God in the midst of humanity. He will indeed dwell in your midst, and the people will be His people.

God himself will be with them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eye. There will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain for the old world is gone." 

And He who was seated on the throne said: "Behold: I am creating all anew." 

And He said, "Write, for it is these words that shall make faith and knowledge into true reality." 

And He said to me: "It is accomplished! I AM the Alpha and the Omega, World Beginning and World Goal. To the thirsty, I will give from the springs of the waters of life, outside the workings of destiny, as grace. Whoever overcomes shall inherit all this. 'I will be His God, and to me, He will be like a son.' 

And there came to me one of the seven angels who have the seven bowls filled with the last seven plagues of the world, and he spoke with me and said, "Come, I will show you the eternal Feminine, the bride, the wife of the Lamb." 

But as for the fearful souls, those who have no faith, who pervert the image of the human being, those who spread death around them, who tread impure paths of soul, make use of dark magic forces and serve demonic powers, as well as all frauds—the fiery swamp of the abyss opens for them and flames of sulfur blaze. That is the second death. 

 And he carried me in spirit-form up to a great high mountain, and let me see how the Holy City, Jerusalem, the City of Peace, descended out of the spiritual worlds, coming forth from the being of God, wrapped in the most intimate splendor of the revelation of God. 

Her shining [or, gleaming] is like that of a precious gemstone, like the stone jasper, clear as crystal. 

Her walls are of mighty size and height; she has twelve gates and at the gates stand twelve angels. On the gates are written the names of the twelve sons of Israel: three gates from the East, three gates from the North, three gates from the South, and three gates from the West. 

And the wall of the City rests on twelve sacred foundations, and the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb work in them. 

Ottheinrich Apocalypse

And he who spoke with me carried a golden
measuring rod to measure the City and her gates and her walls. 

And the City is spread out in a square; her length is the same as her width. And he measured the City with the measuring rod. It measured twelve thousand miles; the length and breadth and height were alike. And he measured her walls at one hundred forty-four cubits [ells], the measure of a human, which now the angel was using. 

The covering of her walls was of jasper, and the City herself of purified gold, clear as glass. And the sacred foundations of the walls were adorned with every precious stone: 

the first, a jasper,

the second, a sapphire,

the third, a chalcedony,

the fourth, emerald,

the fifth sardonyx,

the sixth, carnelian,

the seventh, chrysolite,

the eighth, beryl,

the ninth, topaz,

the tenth, chrysoprase

the eleventh, hyacinth,

the twelfth, an amethyst. 

The twelve gates were twelve pearls, and each of the gates made of a single pearl. And the City was of purified gold, like a transparent crystal. 

I did not see a temple in the City, for the Lord God, Ruler of All, is her sanctuary, and the Lamb. 

And the City needs neither sun nor moon, for she shines from within; for the shining revelation of God is streaming brightness in her, and her light is the Lamb. 

And all nations shall walk in her light, and the rulers of the earth will carry their spiritual treasures into her. And her gates will never be closed by day, for there, the night will be no more. 

And all the shining treasures of the revelations of the world, and all the spiritual worth of the nations and all achievements of the soul will be brought into her. 

And nothing can enter that is not spiritualized [or, is not consecrated], nothing that perverts the image of the human, nothing that remains under the power of the Lie, but rather only those who are written into the Book of Life of the Lamb.

3^rd Trinity IV

November 13, 2022

Revelation 21:1–27 

“The wall of the city rests on twelve sacred foundations, and the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb work in them.” Rev. 21:14 

The heavenly Jerusalem, a city of peace, is the future residence of humanity. It rests upon the working of the twelve apostles, on human efforts. Even today, human virtues flowing into and from Christ are creating the basis, the foundation of our future residence. 

Patient self-control, enduring courage, compassionate and courteous unselfishness are some of the virtues that sustain our future. Our efforts in these areas are born out of our love for humanity and for the world of the spirit. In this work toward the future, we join Christ’s apostles, the ones He sends out to do His work. 

In every effort to create virtue, Christ joins His power to ours. We offer Him our best efforts, and however imperfect they may be, Christ adds the power of his strength and endurance to them. Through Him, they are solidified and become enduring foundation stones. 

In consecrating the human being, we are given
the opportunity, week by week, to offer Him our endeavors. In the offering, a fire is enkindled in which human love and divine love intermingle. This love-fire is not destructive; it is creative. The flames of this love give vitality to what we offer. Our offerings of the work of virtue are kiln-fired at the altar to give them strength and holding power so that their goodness endures. They become living gemstones. 

We bring our inner materials to the altar. There we offer them into Christ’s flame of love. Our raw efforts are given a finish and fired, transforming them into an enduring form, into the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem, the city of Peace. 

www.thechristiancommunity.org

 

3rd Trinity IV, Divine Courage, Freedom and Light

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14th-Century Tapestry

November Trinity
Revelations 21:1-27


And I beheld the events in the spirit out of which a new heaven and a new earth proceeded. For the earlier heaven and the earlier earth were gone, and the billowing ocean is no more.
 
And further, I saw the Holy City, untouched by the earthly, coming forth out of the being of God, descending out of the spiritual worlds: the New Jerusalem. She appeared in her beauty like a bride who has adorned herself for the bridegroom.

And I heard a powerful voice coming from the throne that said: “Behold the dwelling of God in the midst of humanity. He will indeed dwell in your midst, and the people will be His people.
 
God himself will be with them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eye. There will be no more [bodily pain, nor soul pain, nor any other burdens of the inmost being] death, nor sorrow, nor weeping [uproar] nor any other sound of pain, for the old world is gone.”
 
And He who was seated on the throne said: “Behold: I am creating all anew.”
 
And He said, “Write, for it is these words that shall make faith and knowledge into true reality.”
 
And He said to me: “It is accomplished! I AM the Alpha and the Omega, World Beginning and World Goal. To the thirsty, I will give from the springs of the waters of life, outside the workings of destiny, as grace. Whoever overcomes shall inherit all this. ‘I will be His God, and to me, He will be like a son.’
 
And there came to me one of the seven angels who have the seven bowls filled with the last seven plagues of the world, and he spoke with me and said, “Come, I will show you the eternal Feminine, the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
 
But as for the fearful souls, those who have no faith, who pervert the image of the human being, those who spread death around them, who tread impure paths of soul, make use of dark magic forces and serve demonic powers, as well as all frauds – the fiery swamp of the abyss opens for hem and flames of sulfur blaze. That is the second death.
 
 And he carried me in spirit-form up to a great high mountain, and let me see how the Holy City, Jerusalem, the City of Peace, descended out of the spiritual worlds, coming forth from the being of God, wrapped in the most intimate splendor of the revelation of God.
 
Her shining [gleaming] is like that of a precious gemstone, like the stone jasper, clear as crystal.
 
Her walls are of mighty size and height; she has twelve gates and at the gates stand twelve angels. On the gates are written the names of the twelve sons of Israel: three gates from the East, three gates from the North, three gates from the South, and three gates from the West.
 
And the wall of the City rests on twelve sacred foundations, and the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb work in them.
 
And he who spoke with me carried a golden measuring rod to measure the City and her gates and her walls.
 
And the City is spread out in a square; her length is the same as her width. And he measured the City with the measuring rod. It measured twelve thousand miles; the length and breadth and height were alike. And he measured her walls at one hundred forty-four cubits [ells], the measure of a human, which now the angel was using.
 
The covering of her walls was of jasper, and the City herself of purified gold, clear as glass. And the sacred foundations of the walls were adorned with every precious stone:

the first, a jasper,
the second, a sapphire,
the third, a chalcedony,
the fourth, emerald,
the fifth sardonyx,
the sixth, carnelian,
the seventh, chrysolite,
the eighth, beryl,
the ninth, topaz,
the tenth, chrysoprase
the eleventh, hyacinth,
the twelfth, an amethyst.

The twelve gates were twelve pearls, and each of the gates made of a single pearl. And the city was of purified gold, like a transparent crystal.
 
I did not see a temple in the City, for the Lord God, Ruler of All, is her sanctuary, and the Lamb.
 
And the City needs neither sun nor moon, for she shines from within; for the shining revelation of God is streaming brightness in her, and her light is the Lamb.
 
And all nations shall walk in her light, and the rulers of the earth will carry their spiritual treasures into her. And her gates will never be closed by day, for there, the night will be no more.
 
And all the shining treasures of the revelations of the world, and all the spiritual worth of the nations and all achievements of the soul will be brought into her.
 
And nothing can enter that is not spiritualized [is not consecrated], nothing that perverts the image of the human, nothing that remains under the power of the Lie, but rather only those who are written into the Book of Life of the Lamb.

3rd November Trinity
November 15, 2020
Rev 21:1-9
 
To create a building, we need a clear idea of its purpose so that the architect can create an appropriate design, and the builders can work accordingly.

At earth's beginning, Adam's sons had to learn how to build dwellings on earth in which to live. So too, does humanity as a whole need to learn to build a future collective dwelling place. But this future dwelling place of humankind will not be on the earth. It will exist in the spirit and will include God and His Son.

This dwelling place will arise out of the collective heart of humanity. It is imaged as a place of many mansions, a city. It will be a place where all the beauteous inner treasures of humankind are gathered as gem-like building stones. This heart-city will be a place where the divine enters and dwells like a groom enters the bridal bower.

Paradoxically, this heart-city that we are building also emerges from the heart of God. For all of our noblest thoughts and feelings, all our love and devotion, all our striving and work, we can offer to God. He treasures it in His own great heart until the time comes when humankind's heart-city is complete. It will be a place where Christ's light is our daylight; a place where mercy and comfort abound; a place where grace makes everything anew. For in the words of the poet:

We have not come here to take prisoners,
But to surrender ever more deeply
To freedom and joy.
 
We have not come into this exquisite world
To hold ourselves hostage from love….
 
For we have not come here to take prisoners
Or to confine our wondrous spirits,
 
But to experience ever and ever more deeply
Our divine courage, freedom and
Light!*
 
*Hafiz, "We Have Not Come to Take Prisoners," in The Gift—Versions of Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky

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3rd Nov Trinity 2017, Enveloped in Love

3rd November Trinity

Revelation 21: 9-27

And he carried me in spirit-form up to a great high mountain, and let me see how the Holy City, Jerusalem, the City of Peace, descended out of the spiritual worlds, coming forth from the being of God, wrapped in the most intimate splendor of the revelation of God.

Her shining [gleaming] is like that of a precious gemstone, like the stone jasper, clear as crystal.

Her walls are of mighty size and height; she has twelve gates and at the gates stand twelve angels. On the gates are written the names of the twelve sons of Israel; three gates from the East, three gates from the North, three gates from the South, and three gates from the West.

And the wall of the City rests on twelve sacred foundations, and the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb work in them.

And he who spoke with me carried a golden measuring rod, in order to measure the City and her gates and her walls.

And the City is spread out in a square; her length is the same as her width. And he measured the City with the measuring rod. It measured twelve thousand miles; the length and breadth and height were alike. And he measured her walls at one hundred forty-four cubits [ells], the measure of a man, which now the angel was using.

The covering of her walls was of jasper, and the City herself of purified gold, clear as glass. And the sacred foundation of the wall were adorned with every precious stone:
the first, a jasper,

the second, a sapphire,
the third, a chalcedony,
the fourth, emerald,
the fifth sardonyx,
the sixth, carnelian,
the seventh, chrysolite,
the eighth, beryl,
the ninth, topaz,
the tenth, chrysoprase
the eleventh, hyacinth,
the twelfth, an amethyst.

The twelve gates were twelve pearls, and each of the gates made of a single pearl. And the city was of purified gold, like a transparent crystal.

I did not see a temple in the City, for the Lord God, Ruler of All, is her sanctuary, and the Lamb.

And the City needs neither sun nor moon, for she shines from within; for the shining revelation of God is streaming brightness in her, and her light is the Lamb.

And all nations shall walk in her light, and the rulers of the earth will carry their spiritual treasures into her. And her gates will never be closed by day, for there, night will be no more.

And all the shining treasures of the revelations of the world, and all the spiritual worth of the nations and all achievements of the soul will be brought into her.

And nothing can enter which is not spiritualized [consecrated], nothing which perverts the image of Man, nothing which remains under the power of the Lie, but rather only those who are written into the Book of Life of the Lamb.

3rd Nov Trinity

Nov 12, 2017

As we approach the ending of the year, we are given a mighty picture of the future of humankind. The image is that of a city, built on a twelve-fold foundation. These twelve foundations are pictured as twelve precious stones. They represent the soul and spiritual qualities, the virtues of all humankind. These precious gems of the virtues, the foundations of our own future, are

The amethyst of devotion, the hyacinth of equilibrium, the chrysoprase of perseverance; topaz of unselfishness, beryl of compassion; chrysolite of courtesy, carnelian of contentment, sardonyx of patience; chalcedony of courage, sapphire of discretion, the emerald of truth and the jasper [heliotrope form] of generosity of spirit.

It is the common task of humanity to develop these virtues, so that our next dwelling place, the new creation of the city of Peace, will have a firm foundation in goodness.

The jasper of magnanimous generosity holds a special place. It will rise as wall

s of love that will surround and protect us. And the openings through those walls of love are the twelve gates of pearl, that lustrous substance created in response to suffering. For it is through our suffering that we will ultimately enter the city of peace.

All these spiritual treasures of the soul of humanity make us into the Bride, the wife of the Lamb of God, who is Christ. For that is our ultimate goal – to choose, in love and devotion, to be wed to Christ whose fullness of Life is enveloped in Love.

4th November Trinity 2016, Openings into Peace

4th November Trinity

Revelation 21: 9 -27

And there came to me one of the seven angels who have the seven bowls filled with the last seven plagues of the world; and he spoke with me and said, “Come, I will show you the eternal Feminine, the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

And he carried me in spirit-form up to a great high mountain, and let me see how the Holy City, Jerusalem, the City of Peace, descended out of the spiritual worlds, coming forth from the being of God, wrapped in the most intimate splendor of the revelation of God.

Her shining [gleaming] is like that of a precious gemstone, like the stone jasper, clear as crystal.

Her walls are of mighty size and height; she has twelve gates and at the gates stand twelve angels. On the gates are written the names of the twelve sons of Israel; three gates from the East, three gates from the North, three gates from the South, and three gates from the West.

And the wall of the City rests on twelve sacred foundations, and the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb work in them.

And he who spoke with me carried a golden measuring rod, in order to measure the City and her gates and her walls.

And the City is spread out in a square; her length is the same as her width. And he measured the City with the measuring rod. It measured twelve thousand miles; the length and breadth and height were alike. And he measured her walls at one hundred forty-four cubits [ells], the measure of a man, which now the angel was using.

The covering of her walls was of jasper, and the City herself of purified gold, clear as glass. And the sacred foundation of the wall were adorned with every precious stone:

 

the first, a jasper,

the second, a sapphire,

the third, a chalcedony,

the fourth, emerald,

the fifth sardonyx,

the sixth, carnelian,

the seventh, chrysolite,

the eighth, beryl,

the ninth, topaz,

the tenth, chrysoprase

the eleventh, hyacinth,

the twelfth, an amethyst.

The twelve gates were twelve pearls, and each of the gates made of a single pearl. And the city was of purified gold, like a transparent crystal.

I did not see a temple in the City, for the Lord God, Ruler of All, is her sanctuary, and the Lamb.

And the City needs neither sun nor moon, for she shines from within; for the shining revelation of God is streaming brightness in her, and her light is the Lamb.

And all nations shall walk in her light, and the rulers of the earth will carry their spiritual treasures into her. And her gates will never be closed by day, for there, night will be no more.

And all the shining treasures of the revelations of the world, and all the spiritual worth of the nations and all achievements of the soul will be brought into her.

And nothing can enter which is not spiritualized [consecrated], nothing which perverts the image of Man, nothing which remains under the power of the Lie, but rather only those who are written into the Book of Life of the Lamb.

4th November Trinity

November 20, 2016

Revelation 21: 9 -27

This is the last Sunday of the liturgical year, and so it is fitting that we look toward our goal, toward what will definitely appear at the end of earth evolution. What John sees is a beautiful city. A city is constructed by human effort and creativity. The New Jerusalem, the City of Peace, is not a material city. It is a vast and ordered time/space, transparent and shining with life. It is created out of the spiritual values and shining revelations of all the nations of the world. 

The spiritual gemstones for the foundations of the city will  have been mined from the spiritual and moral work of hard-won virtue.

The gateways, the openings into this vast human/spiritual creation are made of pearl. When a grain of sand enters an oyster, it is not expelled. Rather, it is endured. The creature produces layer after layer of lustrous substance to transform this pain into a shining thing of beauty.

The portals into the beautiful spirit city, the gates of pearl, are always open. They are the achievement of human suffering rightly endured. We are reassured that all our pain, all of our losses and suffering are meant to become openings into a place of peace. They lead us to a place of light, a place of triumphant joy, where the bejeweled soul of humanity weds her Bridegroom. 

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4th November Trinity 2015, Spiritual Gemstones

4th November Trinity

Revelation 21: 9-27

And he carried me in spirit-form up to a great high mountain, and let me see how the Holy City, Jerusalem, the City of Peace, descended out of the spiritual worlds, coming forth from the being of God, wrapped in the most intimate splendor of the revelation of God.

Her shining [gleaming] is like that of a precious gemstone, like the stone jasper, clear as crystal.

Her walls are of mighty size and height; she has twelve gates and at the gates stand twelve angels. On the gates are written the names of the twelve sons of Israel; three gates from the East, three gates from the North, three gates from the South, and three gates from the West.

And the wall of the City rests on twelve sacred foundations, and the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb work in them.

And he who spoke with me carried a golden measuring rod, in order to measure the City and her gates and her walls.

And the City is spread out in a square; her length is the same as her width. And he measured the City with the measuring rod. It measured twelve thousand miles; the length and breadth and height were alike. And he measured her walls at one hundred forty-four cubits [ells], the measure of a man, which now the angel was using.

The covering of her walls was of jasper, and the City herself of purified gold, clear as glass. And the sacred foundation of the wall were adorned with every precious stone:

 

the first, a jasper,

the second, a sapphire,

the third, a chalcedony,

the fourth, emerald,

the fifth sardonyx,

the sixth, carnelian,

the seventh, chrysolite,

the eighth, beryl,

the ninth, topaz,

the tenth, chrysoprase

the eleventh, hyacinth,

the twelfth, an amethyst.

The twelve gates were twelve pearls, and each of the gates made of a single pearl. And the city was of purified gold, like a transparent crystal.

I did not see a temple in the City, for the Lord God, Ruler of All, is her sanctuary, and the Lamb.

And the City needs neither sun nor moon, for she shines from within; for the shining revelation of God is streaming brightness in her, and her light is the Lamb.

And all nations shall walk in her light, and the rulers of the earth will carry their spiritual treasures into her. And her gates will never be closed by day, for there, night will be no more.

And all the shining treasures of the revelations of the world, and all the spiritual worth of the nations and all achievements of the soul will be brought into her.

And nothing can enter which is not spiritualized [consecrated], nothing which perverts the image of Man, nothing which remains under the power of the Lie, but rather only those who are written into the Book of Life of the Lamb.

4^th Nov Trinity

Heavenly Jerusalem, Maronite

Revelation 21: 9-27

November 22, 2015

All endings are also new beginnings. As we finish the liturgical year, we are given a mighty picture of the future of humankind. The image is that of a city, built on a twelve-fold foundation. These twelve foundations are pictured as twelve precious stones. They represent the soul and spiritual qualities, the virtues of all humankind. 

These precious gems of the virtues, the foundations of our own future, are

The amethyst of devotion, the hyacinth of equilibrium, the chrysoprase of perseverance; topaz of unselfishness, beryl of compassion; chrysolite of courtesy, carnelian of contentment, sardonyx of patience; chalcedony of courage, sapphire of discretion, emerald of truth and the jasper of generosity of spirit.*  

It is the common task of humanity to develop these virtues, so that our next dwelling place, the new creation of the city of Peace, will have a firm foundation in goodness.

The jasper of magnanimous generosity holds a special place. It will rise as walls of love that will surround and protect us. And the openings through those walls of love are the twelve gates of pearl, that lustrous substance created in response to suffering. For it is through our suffering that we will ultimately enter the city of peace.

All these spiritual treasures of the soul of humanity make us into the Bride, the wife of the Lamb of God, who is Christ. For that is our ultimate goal – to choose, in love and devotion, to be wed to Christ whose fullness of Life is enveloped in Love.

*The Apocalypse, Friedrich Benesch 

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4th November Trinity 2014, Creating All Anew

4th November Trinity

Revelations 21: 1-27

And I beheld the events in the spirit out of which a new heaven and a new earth proceeded. For the earlier heaven and the earlier earth were gone, and the billowing ocean is no more. And further I saw the Holy City, untouched by the earthly, coming forth out of the being of God, descending out of the spiritual worlds: the New Jerusalem. She appeared in her beauty like a bride who has adorned herself for the bridegroom. And I heard a powerful voice coming from the throne that said: “Behold the Dwelling of God in the midst of humanity. For He will indeed dwell in your midst, and the people will be His people. God himself will be with them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eye. There will be no more [bodily pain, nor soul pain, nor any other burdens of the inmost being] death, nor sorrow, nor weeping [uproar] nor any other sound of pain, for the old world is gone.” And He who was seated on the throne said: “Behold: I am creating all anew.”

And He said, “Write, for it is these words that shall make faith and knowledge into true reality.” And He said to me: “It is accomplished! I AM the Alpha and the Omega, World Beginning and World Goal. To the thirsty I will give from the springs of the waters of life, outside the workings of destiny, as grace. He who overcomes, he shall inherit all this. ‘I will be His God, and to me He will be like a son.’

“Those however who were cowardly [the spineless], and who had no trust [the faithless, unbelieving], who were servants of evil and perverted the image of Man [the despicable, vile, foul], who wanted to destroy the sacred [murderers], who went along impure paths of soul [sexually immoral, whoremongers], who worked with forces of evil [witches, practitioners of the magic arts], who bound themselves to evil beings [idolaters, idol-worshippers]—and all who served the Lie [liars of every kind]—their share will be on the lake which burns as with fire and sulfur; that is the second death, the death of the soul [the death after death].”

And there came to me one of the seven angels who have the seven bowls filled with the last seven plagues of the world; and he spoke with me and said, “Come, I will show you the eternal Feminine, the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”  And he carried me in spirit-form up to a great high mountain, and let me see how the Holy City, Jerusalem, the City of Peace, descended out of the spiritual worlds, coming forth from the being of God, wrapped in the most intimate splendor of the revelation of God.

Her shining [gleaming] is like that of a precious gemstone, like the stone jasper, clear as crystal.Her walls are of mighty size and height; she has twelve gates and at the gates stand twelve angels. On the gates are written the names of the twelve sons of Israel; three gates from the East, three gates from the North, three gates from the South, and three gates from the West. And the wall of the City rests on twelve sacred foundations, and the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb work in them.  And he who spoke with me carried a golden measuring rod, in order to measure the City and her gates and her walls. And the City is spread out in a square; her length is the same as her width. And he measured the City with the measuring rod. It measured twelve thousand miles; the length and breadth and height were alike. And he measured her walls at one hundred forty-four cubits [ells], the measure of a man, which now the angel was using.

The covering of her walls was of jasper, and the City herself of purified gold, clear as glass. And the sacred foundation of the wall were adorned with every precious stone:

the first, a jasper,

the second, a sapphire,

the third, a chalcedony,

the fourth, emerald,

the fifth sardonyx,

the sixth, carnelian,

the seventh, chrysolite,

the eighth, beryl,

the ninth, topaz,

the tenth, chrysoprase

the eleventh, hyacinth,

the twelfth, an amethyst.

The twelve gates were twelve pearls, and each of the gates made of a single pearl. And the city was of purified gold, like a transparent crystal. I did not see a temple in the City, for the Lord God, Ruler of All, is her sanctuary, and the Lamb. And the City needs neither sun nor moon, for she shines from within; for the shining revelation of God is streaming brightness in her, and her light is the Lamb. And all nations shall walk in her light, and the rulers of the earth will carry their spiritual treasures into her. And her gates will never be closed by day, for there, night will be no more.  And all the shining treasures of the revelations of the world, and all the spiritual worth of the nations and all achievements of the soul will be brought into her.  And nothing can enter which is not spiritualized [consecrated], nothing which perverts the image of Man, nothing which remains under the power of the Lie, but rather only those who are written into the Book of Life of the Lamb.

4^th November Trinity

November 23, 2014

Revelations 21: 1-27

We have arrived at a kind of seam in the cycle of the year. This is the last Sunday of the liturgical year; next Sunday starts a new beginning. The reading offers both comfort and joy. At the end of the cycles of time, God will collect all our tears of suffering. Like the Prodigal son returning we will be showered with the grace of the living waters, filled with God’s living essence. And the meaning of all our lives will be revealed to us. For we will see the Great City of Peace, built out of human suffering. Our tears will be transformed into gates of pearl. Suffering becomes the gateway. The interior of the city will also be built by human virtue, ‘all the spiritual worth of nations and all achievements of the soul.’ Rev. 21:26 And it will be illuminated by the transparent gold of the Light of Christ.

We have come to the end of the year’s cycle. But the end also always signals a new beginning. For Christ is always ‘creating all anew.’  Rev. 21:5 A mighty vista of our future home has been revealed to us. And here we are graced with yet another cycle, another year in which to continue to work to build the divine city, the city in which we will all dwell at the end of time. 

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