‘He first formed her in his inner chambers in quiet and in silence; but when she was needed, then was she called and came forth from the father of greatness; she looked after all the aeons of the light.’ ~ Kephalaia of the Paraclete
Paraclete (Latin. paracletus) means advocate and helper. At Pentecost, seven weeks, or fifty days after Easter, orthodox tradition holds that the reception of the holy breath of God, the paraclete, by the Apostles of the New Testament took place, with resultant blinding fire often depicted above the disciples heads, in images and icons.
With heads and hearts thus alight and aflame, the Christian tradition recounts that the disciples found they could do naught but share, each in their own way, the inner gnosis which was birthed within them, at this incredible meeting point, of spirit, soul and flesh.
Pentecost marks a half-way cycle point in the liturgical calendar, a vital descent of the feminine essence of Sophia, celebrated in the Feast of Mary Magdalene, the Assumption and the return of Bath Qol, the holy dove, in the next coming months.
Please come and join us for Contemplative Liturgy, on Sunday 12th June at the Unitarian Chapel in Francis St Darlinghurst, to revel in silence in community, where we might richly engage with the intertwining of the descent of the feminine with the ascending of the masculine just marked, in Ascension Sunday.
Service ~ 6:30pm Contemplative Eucharist
The service will be the Contemplative Liturgy, celebrated and written by Reverend Tim Mansfield. The service alternates engagement and stillness, provoking a meditative attitude and the cultivation of deeper perceptions. The service features prayer and contemplative practice, including a period of silent meditation, as well as sharing of the Body and the Blood, in the form of bread and wine.
We follow the service with some conversation, hot drinks and snacks. Please come along and join the discussions, sharing in fellowship and hospitality.
Trish Nowland