What we know of Mani and his teachings today, we cull from fragments of surviving writings and the words of those who wrote against the Manichaeans and their beliefs.  The vestiges of Manichaeism would survive in the East (China) well into the 14th Century.  There is some dispute over its continued existence even today.  Even if the actual faith has faded into the annals of time, its mark remains in the practice of many modern Gnostics.

Manichaeans believed that the world was locked in a struggle between light and darkness, spirit and material, good and evil.  The light of the world, the light that exists within us all, they believed would one day return unto the divine light from whence it emanated.  Life and the struggle against evil were preparatory to that return.

On this day, we remember our Brother in the Gnosis and give thanks for the strength of his faith.  Even today, it enriches us and our practice.

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Thanks to all who came to last night's celebration of the Eucharist.  This was not our usual observance of the Oriental Rite.  In place of his homily, His Grace, Mar Thomas welcomed one of our members into the sacred order of the subdiaconate.  The Rev. Mr. John DiGilio is resident here in the city and runs our monthly Reading / Study Group.

Below are some great pictures of the occasion, courtesy of brother Alan Salmi.

See the full gallery on Posterous

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Come join Mission Fabré-Palaprat of the Apostolic Johannite Church as we celebrate our Oriental Rite and ordain one of our members to the sacred order of the subdiaconate. We are inclusive, esoteric, and Christian. Come experience Gnostic Christianity in action. All are welcome.

For more information, please visit our Meetup site.

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Hello Everyone!

Just a little reminder that our monthly Reading / Study Group is scheduled to meet this Saturday morning at 11 AM. Please let us know if you are going to be able to join us.

For those who are reading, we will be discussing Part II of Richard Smoley's Inner Christianity. Others are welcome to join us for good coffee and fellowship. Come and see what we are all about!

We will also be discussing whether to move our Reading / Study Group meetings to a week night for the summer. We welcome your input!

Hope to see you all on Saturday!

Blessings & Light,

John DiGilio, Mission Leader

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by John J. DiGilio

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Song of the Pilgrim
by John J. DiGilio, 2012

Our time is short and our road is long.
Our steps, they are often unsteady.
We are but pilgrims on this plane.
Children of a distant home.
Emanations of a light unto which
We shall return.
Amen!

Progeny of Word and Wisdom,
We are the siblings of Saklas.
We create and recreate this world,
Manifesting its joys, embodying its sorrows,
We are the womb and the seed
Of its laughter and tears.
Amen!

We will trample stone and thorn.
Amen!

We will subdue crag and chasm.
Amen!

Impermanence and illusion afflict us.
Amen!

Cypher and symbol make for us a salve.
Amen!

The Fullness and the Light are our birthright.
Amen!

Yea, our time is so very short.
And yea, this road is so very long.
Though our steps, they grow heavy,
Our triumph is within our view and grasp.
For we are pilgrims on this weary plane.
It is unto the Light that we return.
Amen!

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© 1983, 2010 by Rosamonde Miller

Gnostic Sanctuary Holy Eucharist

I have been apart and I have lost my way.

The archons have taken my vision.

At times I am filled with Thee,

but often I am blind to Thy Presence,

when all I see is this world of form.

My ignorance and blindness are all I have to offer,

But these I give to Thee, holding back nothing.

And in my hours of darkness,

when I am not even sure there is a Thou, hearing my call,

I still call to Thee with all my heart.

Hear the cry of my voice, clamoring from this desert,

for my soul is parched

and my heart can barely stand this longing.

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On this Valentines Day, fellow seeker Michael Strojan has offered some fascinating insights into one of Gnosticism's greatest teachers - Valentinus.  His blog is definitely worth a look.  

He begins,

While many Christians take the fourteenth of February to celebrate the Feast of Saint Valentine – or one of the saint Valentines – many contemporary Gnostics have taken this day to memorialize the great Gnostic teacher and bishop Valentinus who the best known as the most successful early Christian gnostic theologian.

Recognized as a brilliant theologian even by his contemporaries who would later repudiate his teachings as unorthodox, Valentinus attracted a large following in Rome which would later become divided into an Eastern and a Western or Italian branch.

You can read the rest HERE.

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Below is a wonderful piece by His Grace, Bishop Thomas Langley of the Alexandrian Gnostic Church that highlights the significance of this day.

February 2 is celebrated as The Feast of The Presentation of Jesus Christ in the Temple (also known as The Meeting of the Lord, or Hypapante). See The Gospel of Luke 2:22–40 for the traditional story associated with the date.

The Presentation in the Temple is also the source of the Nunc Dimittis, or Canticle of Simeon, which is traditionally used in Vespers or Evensong Services (and it is sung by the celebrant near the end of the AGC's Liturgy of Divine Wisdom):

"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel."

In the Liturgical Calendar, this Feast marks the end of the Epiphany season.

We also celebrate it with the blessing and lighting of beeswax candles at the beginning of Liturgy, followed by a procession. 

Candlemas is rich in meaning, and is in some ways a transitional day. On one hand, we're continuing to celebrate the arrival of the Christ, as we celebrate his Presentation in the Temple. On the other hand, we're also looking forward to the penitential season of Lent - and the Crucifixion - which is soon upon us, with Simeon's prophecy to Mary that " a sword will pierce your own soul too."

With these words "and a sword will pierce through your own soul also," we're also looking forward to the work of observation and watchfulness (solve) that should be intensified during the coming season of Lent. I see it as a gentle reminder that, while Christmas was grand, it's now time to get to work on nurturing the Light that was born on Nativity and continue the absolutely essential regular, daily practice as we continue to work toward purification, illumination, and theosis.

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The Mission Fabré-Palaprat, a community of the Apostolic Johannite Church, is pleased to announce a schedule of Gnostic services in Chicago.  There will be a Gnostic liturgy and celebration of the Eucharist on the fourth Monday of each month at 7 PM.  Services will be held in the Rogers Park neighborhood within minutes of the Morse stop on CTA's Red Line.

We invite you to join us for a monthly evening of fellowship and spiritual celebration.  The first celebration will take place on Monday, February 27.

For more information on the location, please contact us directly.

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The members of the Mission Fabré-Palaprat of the Apostolic Johannite Church have selected the first book for their new Reading / Study Group.  

For the months of February, March, and April we will be reading and discussing Richard Smoley's Inner Christianity: A Guide to the Esoteric Tradition.  We will cover the work in three sections:

• Part One - February
• Part Two - March
• Part Three - April

To join us or for more information, please contact us

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The Apostolic Johannite Church has established its first Mission in the City of Chicago.  Under the pastoral direction of His Grace, Mar Thomas, Archbishop and Primate of the United States of America, and the day to day leadership of the Rev. Mr. John DiGilio.   

The Mission Fabré-Palaprat is an informal community of the AJC.  Local members meet for study, fellowship, and the occasional Gnostic service.   Currently, two meetings are planned monthly.

For more information on how you can participate in the Mission Fabré-Palaprat, e-mail us or visit our Meetup page.

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新年快樂/恭喜發財! to all our brothers and sisters celebrating the Lunar New Year. May the Year of the Dragon bless us all with health and happiness!

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Rev. Donald Donato of the AJC has posted a rather nice overview of our namesake on his blog.  You can read it here!

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