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The Twenty-Second Sunday After Trinity
Intent: The Right Attitude toward the World
THE COLLECT
We give glory to thee, the way; we give thee glory, the seed, the word, the salt, the true gem, the holy storehouse, the plough, the net, the greatness that has been sent for us children of men. We give thee glory, O truth, rest, splendor, power, commandment, frankness, freedom, our place of refuge. For thou art the lord, the root of immortality and the fountain of incorruption and the strength of the Aeons; for thy name has been set on all things so that through these we too might call on thee.
Amen.
THE LESSON
The lesson is taken from the words of Hermes the Thrice Great Lord:
Now the universe is first of all living beings, while man as a living creature, is next after the universe but first of mortals. Being mortal he is not only not good but also evil; while the universe is not good as being movable but not evil in that it is deathless. Thus there are these three: God, the universe, and man; God holds the universe, and the universe man. Now God sent man down here to examine heaven, and to know divine power, and to witness the forces of Nature, and to infer what is good and bad, and to find out every kind of cunning workmanship. Having mind according to the father’s will, man is beyond all other living creatures on earth and delight in divinity, giving God the utmost praise and thanks, while revering His image; not unaware that he is himself a second image of God.
THE GOSPEL
The gospel is taken from the Gospel according to St. Philip:
Be not fearful of the flesh, nor love it. If thou fear before it, it will become master over thee. If thou love it, it will swallow and paralyse thee. Either will he be in this world or in the resurrection or in the places of the midst. God forbid that I be found in them. In this world there is good and evil. Its good is not good, and its evil is not evil. But there is evil after this world, which is truly evil, namely what they call the midst. This is death. While we are in the world it is fitting for us to acquire for ourselves the resurrection, in order that when we strip off the flesh we may be found in rest and walk not in the midst. For many go astray on the way. For it is good to come forth from the world before man yet sinned.
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