Showing posts with label Revelations 22:12-21. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Revelations 22:12-21. Show all posts

Sunday, November 24, 2019

5th November Trinity 2019, Power to Create

November Trinity
The end of the Book of Revelation 22: 12-21

Jean Fouquet
“Watch, I am coming soon, and I will have my rewards with me so as to give to each person what his deeds amount to. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the goal.”

Blessed are those who cleanse their garments so that they will have power in the realm of the Tree of Life, which overcomes death, and may go through the gates into the Holy City. Outside shall remain those who are bound to low senses, those who serve evil powers, who walk impure paths of soul, who spread death around them, who give themselves up to demonic forces, and who, through their ways and deeds, falsify their true being.

“I, Jesus, sent my angel to report these things to your assembled communities. I AM the root and stock of David, the star who unfolds his brightness in the morning”.

And the Spirit and the Bride, the Holy City, say, “Come!

And may he who hears also say, “Come!” And may the thirsty come and may everyone wh
Maronite
o wants it get to drink the Water of Life freely, as grace.

Everyone who hears can find his inmost being strengthened in the prophetic words of this book. Whoever does not yet sense its greatness and truth, God will lead him to full knowledge through the trials of destiny which are written in this book.

And whoever diminishes the words of this prophecy, God will remove from him his share in the Tree of Life that overcomes death, and his share in the Holy City written about in this book.

He who lends these words their power says:
“Yes, I am coming quickly!”

Ye, so be it. Amen:
Come, Jesus our Lord

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all!


5th November Trinity
November 24, 2019
Revelation 22: 12-21

When we go through an airport, there are certain items that are not allowed. If we have thoughtlessly brought them, we have to leave them behind before we can proceed on our journey.

Merlaya Allwood
The gospel reading speaks of certain human qualities of soul, soul baggage that we have to leave behind at the gates of the Holy City. These soul qualities are not allowed to enter, for they serve the forces of mortality and death. They cannot enter, because the Holy City, the city of mankind’s future existence, is a realm of life. It is a realm where the Tree of Life grows and blossoms and bears fruit; a realm where the Water of Life flows freely and endlessly; where the Star of the Morning shows illumines all.

This is the last week of the church year. We have come to a kind of portal. We are about to enter a new beginning. What baggage shall we leave behind?

At this threshold we meet the One who calls Himself the Door. We enter through Him. He calls himself both the beginning and the goal. He is the place where endings and beginnings come full circle and meet. He encourages us to wash our garments, to continue to purify our souls through prayer and sacraments and meditation, to purify our life’s bodies through our striving to overcome the death forces in ourselves and to create habits of virtue.

He is the root and the star. He is the source out of which we all grow and blossom and become fruitful; He is the morning star which announces the beginning of a new day. ‘Come’ He calls. ‘Let go of the old; enter into My realm of the ever-flowing, ever-creating newness. For I wish to give you My power to create.’


Sunday, November 18, 2018

4th November Trinity 2018, Come!

Bamberg Apocalypse
November Trinity
The end of Revelations 22: 12-21

“Watch, I am coming soon, and I will have my rewards with me so as to give to each person what his deeds amount to. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the goal.”

Blessed are those who cleanse their garments so that they will have power in the realm of the Tree of Life, which overcomes death, and may go through the gates into the Holy City. Outside shall remain those who are bound to low senses, those who serve evil powers, who walk impure paths of soul, who spread death around them, who give themselves up to demonic forces, and who, through their ways and deeds, falsify their true being.

“I, Jesus, sent my angel to report these things to your assembled communities. I AM the root and stock of David, the star who unfolds his brightness in the morning”.

And the Spirit and the Bride, the Holy City, say, “Come!

And may he who hears also say, “Come!” And may the thirsty come and may everyone who wants it get to drink the Water of Life freely, as grace.

Everyone who hears can find his inmost being strengthened in the prophetic words of this book. Whoever does not yet sense its greatness and truth, God will lead him to full knowledge through the trials of destiny which are written in this book.

And whoever diminishes the words of this prophecy, God will remove from him his share in the Tree of Life that overcomes death, and his share in the Holy City written about in this book.

Angers Apocalypse Tapestry
He who lends these words their power says:
“Yes, I am coming quickly!”

Ye, so be it. Amen:
Come, Jesus our Lord

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all!

4th November Trinity
November 18, 2018
Revelation 22:12-21

When we receive a wedding invitation, first of all, we rejoice for the bride and groom. They have found love in one another and are joining forces. Then we must decide whether we will attend; and what we shall wear.

Carolsfeld
This part of the Revelation to John is extending a wedding invitation to us. ‘Come!” it says. The invitation comes from the Spirit Bridegroom, whose very being is love; and it comes from the bride, the Holy City, the community of all those who have joined their lives to the Holy Spirit.

Come! they say. Join us in the great and joyous wedding of the God of Love and the Soul of Humanity. Drink the Waters of Life with us. Gather strength for what is always coming towards you from the future. Join us in preparing for what follows the wedding—the gracious birth—the arrival of the Son of Man.

We all receive the invitation, a standing invitation that arrives daily, weekly, yearly. Daily as an invitation to quiet prayer and contemplation; weekly as an invitation to the divine service that dedicates the souls of individuals and the soul of the community itself as an offering to the divine—the Act that consecrates the human being. And every year, at this time, the invitation is renewed as we are reminded of the great goal of humanity’s existence—union with the Divine.


In answering these invitations, we are attiring ourselves for the great wedding, in soul garments clean and radiant. We are preparing ourselves both for the wedding and the New Birth of the One who calls Himself the Alpha and the Omega, the Bright Morning Star, the Initiator and the Goal.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

5th November Trinity 2007, Waters of Life

4th  or  5th November Trinity
The end of Revelation 22: 12-21

“Watch, I am coming soon, and I will have my rewards with me so as to give to each person what his deeds amount to. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the goal.”

Blessed are those who cleanse their garments so that they will have power in the realm of the Tree of Life, which overcomes death, and may go through the gates into the Holy City. Outside shall remain those who are bound to low senses, those who serve evil powers, who walk impure paths of soul, who spread death around them, who give themselves up to demonic forces, and who, through their ways and deeds, falsify their true being.

“I, Jesus, sent my angel to report these things to your assembled communities. I AM the root and stock of David, the star who unfolds his brightness in the morning”.

And the Spirit and the Bride, the Holy City, say, “Come!

Water of Life, Blake
And may he who hears also say, “Come!” And may the thirsty come, and may everyone who wants it get to drink the Water of Life freely, as grace.

Everyone who hears can find his inmost being strengthened in the prophetic words of this book. Whoever does not yet sense its greatness and truth, God will lead him to full knowledge through the trials of destiny which are written in this book.

And whoever diminishes the words of this prophecy, God will remove from him his share in the Tree of Life that overcomes death, and his share in the Holy City written about in this book.

He who lends these words their power says:
“Yes, I am coming quickly!”

Yea, so be it. Amen:
Come, Jesus our Lord

The grace of the Lord Jesus, be with you all!




5th Sunday November Trinity
November 29, 2007
The end of the Book of Revelation, 22:112-21

In this festive season, we may attend celebrations which inspire us to wear our holiday best. Clean fresh festive garments help elevate us to the level of celebration.

“Blessed are those who cleanse their garments so that they will have power in the realm of the Tree of Life that overcomes death, and may go through the gates into the Holy City.” [1]

We have God-given powers of soul, soul garments, which have become sullied through coarse earthly work and pleasures. We are fortunate if through grace we can cleanse these soul garments and purify them so that we are fit to present ourselves in the realm of the Tree of Life at the gates of the Holy City.

We purify our soul garments by developing our use of the senses in such a way that they reveal the divine in the world. We strive to keep ourselves from being enslaved to mere earthly pleasures that are connected with demonic beings; from being enslaved to forces of destruction and lies.
 
Through our cleansing of the soul garments, our true being shines forth. Through our cleansing of soul we fit ourselves to be at the foot of Him who is the Tree of Life, He who is rooted in a divine-human ancestral line and is crowned with the morning star. There we find ourselves graced to be partaking of the effervescence of His Waters of Life.

Joy fulfiller…our spirits refresh as well:
So that God’s fruits of grace…we enjoy.[2]

We find ourselves graced to be at the great gathering, entering the bridal Holy City of God.






[1] Rev. 21:14.
[2] Catharina Regina von Greiffenberg, “On the Fruit-Providing Autumn Season”, in Women in Praise of the Sacred, ed. by Jane Hirschfield, p. 153.

Monday, November 25, 2013

5th November Trinity 2012, The Joyous Wedding



4th  or  5th November Trinity
The end of Revelation 22: 12-21

“Watch, I am coming soon, and I will have my rewards with me so as to give to each person what his deeds amount to. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the goal.”

Blessed are those who cleanse their garments so that they will have power in the realm of the Tree of Life, which overcomes death, and may go through the gates into the Holy City. Outside shall remain those who are bound to low senses, those who serve evil powers, who walk impure paths of soul, who spread death around them, who give themselves up to demonic forces, and who, through their ways and deeds, falsify their true being.

“I, Jesus, sent my angel to report these things to your assembled communities. I AM the root and stock of David, the star who unfolds his brightness in the morning”.

And the Spirit and the Bride, the Holy City, say, “Come!

And may he who hears also say, “Come!” And may the thirsty come, and may everyone who wants it get to drink the Water of Life freely, as grace.

Everyone who hears can find his inmost being strengthened in the prophetic words of this book. Whoever does not yet sense its greatness and truth, God will lead him to full knowledge through the trials of destiny which are written in this book.

And whoever diminishes the words of this prophecy, God will remove from him his share in the Tree of Life that overcomes death, and his share in the Holy City written about in this book.

He who lends these words their power says:
“Yes, I am coming quickly!”

Yea, so be it. Amen:
Come, Jesus our Lord

The grace of the Lord Jesus, be with you all!




5th November Trinity
November 25, 2012
Revelation 22:12-21

When we receive a wedding invitation, first of all, we rejoice for the bride and
Roland Tiller
groom. They have found love in one another and are joining forces. Then we must decide whether we will attend; and what we shall wear.

This ending of the Revelation to John extends to us a wedding invitation. ‘Come!” it says. The invitation comes from the Spirit Bridegroom, whose very being is love, and the bride, the Holy City, the community of all those who have joined their lives to the Holy Spirit.

“‘Come!” they say. Join us in the great and joyous wedding of the God of Love and the Soul of Humanity. Drink the Waters of Life with us. Gather strength for what is always coming towards you from the future. Join us in preparing for what follows the wedding—the gracious birth—the arrival of the Son of Man.

We all receive the invitation, a standing invitation that arrives daily, weekly, yearly. Daily as an invitation to quiet prayer and contemplation; weekly as an invitation to the divine service that dedicates the souls of individuals and the soul of the community itself as an offering to the divine—the Act of Consecration of Man. And every year, at this time, the invitation is renewed as we are reminded of the great goal of humanity’s existence—union with God.

In answering these invitations, we are attiring ourselves for the wedding, in soul garments clean and radiant. We are preparing ourselves for the wedding and the New Birth of the One who calls Himself the initiator and the goal.

www.thechristiancommunity.org






Friday, November 22, 2013

4th November Trinity 2008, Tree of Life

4th  or  5th November Trinity
The end of Revelation 22: 12-21

4th Seal, Arild Rosenkrantz
“Watch, I am coming soon, and I will have my rewards with me so as to give to each person what his deeds amount to. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the goal.”

Blessed are those who cleanse their garments so that they will have power in the realm of the Tree of Life, which overcomes death, and may go through the gates into the Holy City. Outside shall remain those who are bound to low senses, those who serve evil powers, who walk impure paths of soul, who spread death around them, who give themselves up to demonic forces, and who, through their ways and deeds, falsify their true being.

“I, Jesus, sent my angel to report these things to your assembled communities. I AM the root and stock of David, the star who unfolds his brightness in the morning”.

And the Spirit and the Bride, the Holy City, say, “Come!

And may he who hears also say, “Come!” And may the thirsty come, and may everyone who wants it get to drink the Water of Life freely, as grace.

Everyone who hears can find his inmost being strengthened in the prophetic words of this book. Whoever does not yet sense its greatness and truth, God will lead him to full knowledge through the trials of destiny which are written in this book.

And whoever diminishes the words of this prophecy, God will remove from him his share in the Tree of Life that overcomes death, and his share in the Holy City written about in this book.

He who lends these words their power says:
“Yes, I am coming quickly!”

Yea, so be it. Amen:
Come, Jesus our Lord

The grace of the Lord Jesus, be with you all!




4th November Trinity
November 23, 2008
Rev. 22: 12 – 21

Life on earth unfolds itself in cyclic rhythms. In the fall, just where the leaf is attached to the branch, the new buds for next year’s growth are already formed. The new life pushes the old leaves off the branch. They fall to earth to help form the soil. The buds, still tightly closed, over-winter and unfold the following spring. This is a cycle of apparent destruction, but also the expression of an eternal hope. New life forms within the destruction of the old.

Today’s gospel reading from the end of the entire Apocalypse, stresses this same pattern in cosmic time: destruction of what is no longer capable of life, in service of what is moving into the future.


The picture is given of a crowd of people in white. They are in a monumental realm in the world of spirit, a city, wherein stands a living tree that overcomes the death process. One can imagine this as the World Tree. Some myths picture it with leaves of sun-gold and moon silver, sparkling with star-diamond fruit. In the midst of this radiant tree, we may discern the human form of the wounded Sun-God, he who overcame death, arms outspread in a universal embrace of love.

The Selfless Self, the I AM, through His blood flowing from the tree of the cross, rid human blood of the excess of selfish human egotism. He resurrected the diamond of Divine Self as pure sacrificial love for all. He invites us to join him in the creation of cosmic fruit.

Just as last year’s leaves fall away, so also must our leaves and layers of egotism  be shed. They had their necessary time in human evolution, but now no longer serve. To join Him, we strip ourselves of the negative aspects of having an ego. We work to free ourselves from our enslavement to the lower senses. We struggle to rid ourselves of the desire to exercise power over others through self-assertion. We struggle to rid ourselves of the killing impulses contained in the aggression and hatred in our words and deeds. We turn to the world in interest and love.

This is the work of cleansing the garment of selfhood. This is the work that overcomes the cross of the death-force that we are all obliged to carry. It takes some effort to turn our interest and attention outward, away from ourselves. It takes creativity to put ourselves lovingly in service to others. This creativity around the good is what generates the budding new life for the next cycle. This creativity cleanses the garment of our egohood, and helps the wounded Divine Human create the diamond fruit of the future on the cosmic Tree of Life.

www.thechristiancommunity.org

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

4th November Trinity 2010, The Day-Star

4th  or  5th November Trinity
The end of Revelation 22: 12-21

“Watch, I am coming soon, and I will have my rewards with me so as to give to each person what his deeds amount to. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the goal.”


Blessed are those who cleanse their garments so that they will have power in the realm of the Tree of Life, which overcomes death, and may go through the gates into the Holy City. Outside shall remain those who are bound to low senses, those who serve evil powers, who walk impure paths of soul, who spread death around them, who give themselves up to demonic forces, and who, through their ways and deeds, falsify their true being.

“I, Jesus, sent my angel to report these things to your assembled communities. I AM the root and stock of David, the star who unfolds his brightness in the morning”.

And the Spirit and the Bride, the Holy City, say, “Come!

And may he who hears also say, “Come!” And may the thirsty come, and may everyone who wants it get to drink the Water of Life freely, as grace.

Everyone who hears can find his inmost being strengthened in the prophetic words of this book. Whoever does not yet sense its greatness and truth, God will lead him to full knowledge through the trials of destiny which are written in this book.

And whoever diminishes the words of this prophecy, God will remove from him his share in the Tree of Life that overcomes death, and his share in the Holy City written about in this book.

He who lends these words their power says:
“Yes, I am coming quickly!”

Yea, so be it. Amen:
Come, Jesus our Lord

The grace of the Lord Jesus, be with you all!




4th November Trinity

November 21, 2010
The end of Revelation 22: 12-21


From the beginning, sailors have created their sea highways. They set their course according to the sun during the day, and by the stars at night. Amid the slow wheeling of the stars, and the wandering of the planets, there is one star that remains fixed—the north star, the pole star, around which every other revolves.

On the seas of life, we too have our guiding star. Each of us has a higher being that shines above our heads like a star. We meet with this higher being every night at the midnight hour of our sleep. This star being is our polestar, shining amid the firmament of our ideals, ideals such as sharing, equal rights, religious tolerance. It helps us chart our own course on earth, in reference to our ideals.

In today’s reading, Christ calls Himself  ‘the star who unfolds his brightness in the morning’. Revelations 22:16  He is a Day-Star. He rises and illuminates each new beginning, each new day. Our own star inspires us to ideals at night. Christ is our guide during the day, on earth, to our daytime activity. He walks before us, as a perceptible guide, on the earth, on the seas of life.

Christ is the Day-Star of sacrificial love, the love that underlies all our ideals. He shows us the way to bring our ideals to realization on earth, in a loving and human way. May we perceive His light, shining in our day waking consciousness; may we see His light of love in our daylight.