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The Assumption of the Holy Sophia
(August 15)
THE COLLECT
We thus call upon the Holy Sophia, the supernal mother of our souls, and celestial bride of our spirits: Daughter of Infinite Light, born of enlightened love; merciful and compassionate, embodiment of perfect wisdom; begotten in Eternity, beyond time and space. With what words shall we praise Thee, or with what thought comprehend Thy majesty? Utterance must profane Thee; Silence itself can but bear witness to Thee. How shall we extol Thee? In what shall we shadow forth Thy great glory among us? And our Lady Sophia answers, saying: Ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise. For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit, and mine also joy on earth. Let my worship be in the heart that rejoiceth. wherefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you, now and for evermore.
Amen.
THE LESSON
The lesson is taken from the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon:
O God of my Fathers, who hast made all things with Thy word, give me wisdom, that sitteth by Thy throne. For wisdom was with Thee, which knoweth Thy works, and was present when Thou madest the world, and knew what was acceptable in Thy sight, and right in Thy commandments. O send her out of Thy holy heavens, and from the throne of Thy glory, that being present, she may labour with me, that I may know what is pleasing unto Thee. For she knoweth and understandeth all things, and she shall lead me soberly in my doings, and preserve me in her power; so shall my works be acceptable. so the ways of them which lived on earth were reformed, and men were taught the things that are pleasing unto Thee through Wisdom.
THE GOSPEL
The gospel is taken from the Book of the Saviour, also called the book Pistis Sophia:
As Sophia came into the midst of the invisibles, in their midst she sang praises unto God, saying: I will give thanks unto Thee, O Light, for thou art a saviour; thou art a deliverer for all time. I will utter this song to the Light, for it hath saved me out of the hand of the rulers, my foes. And thou hast preserved me in all the regions, thou hast saved me out of the height and the depth of the chaos and out of the aeons of the rulers of the sphere. And when I was come out of the height, I wandered round in the regions in which is no light, and I could not return to the thirteenth aeon, my dwelling place. For there was no light in me nor power. My power was utterly weakened. And the light saved me in all my afflictions. I sang praises unto the light, and it hearkened unto me, when I was constrained. It guided me in the creation of the aeons to lead me up into the thirteenth aeon, my dwelling-place. I will give thanks unto thee, O Light, that thou hast saved me, and for thy wondrous works unto the race of men. When I failed of my power, thou hast given me power; and when I failed of my light, thou didst give me purified light. I was in the darkness and the shadow of the chaos, bound with mighty fetters of the chaos, and no light was in me. And thou hast shattered the upper gates of the darkness and the mighty bolts of the chaos. And thou didst let me depart out of the region in which I had transgressed, and my light was taken, because I have transgressed. And I ceased from my mysteries and went down to the gates of the chaos. And when I was constrained, I sang praises to the Light. It saved me out of all afflictions. Thou sendest thy stream; it gave me power and saved me out of all my afflictions. I will give thanks unto thee, O Light, that thou hast saved me, and for thy wondrous works in the race of men. This then is the song which Sophia hath uttered in the midst of the four and twenty invisibles, desiring that they should know all the wondrous works which the Saviour hath done for her.
A Homily for the Assumption of the Holy Sophia
presented by the Most Reverend Stephan A. Hoeller, bishop of the Ecclesia Gnostic
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