{"id":1265,"date":"2020-04-29T23:05:44","date_gmt":"2020-04-29T23:05:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/?p=1265"},"modified":"2020-04-29T23:05:44","modified_gmt":"2020-04-29T23:05:44","slug":"lectionary-readings-for-thursday-april-30th-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/2020\/04\/29\/lectionary-readings-for-thursday-april-30th-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Lectionary Readings for Thursday, April 30th, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

1st Quarter Moon<\/em><\/p>\n

God’s First Book Chapter 18, Chapter 19<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 18<\/span><\/p>\n

1. On the next morning, at sunrise, God spake again to Brahma, saying:
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Consider the fruit of the earth, and the pasturage in the fields. The male and the female
\nfeed on the same grass; the one yieldeth milk, the other is for the yoke; neither can any
\nman change these creations.<\/span>
\n
\n<\/span>3. What man shall say to another: Feed thou on this; or on that? But they take of them that
\nare born in darkness, and raise up priests! The food for the flesh, or even fasting, cannot
\nbring su’is. The air warmeth the earth, and not the earth the air. The spirit enlighteneth the
\ncorporeal part, and not the corporeal part the spirit.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Light is the freedom of all; to know this is the beginning of wisdom. Nevertheless,
\nwithout suffering, some that are bound would not know they are bound, or, if knowing,
\nwould not desire freedom.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

5. At this time, Hog, the youngest born, was greatly moved, whereupon God bade him
\nspeak.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Hog said: O that I could believe these things! O that I could see! O that I could hear! O
\nthe misery of my darkness! O the horrors of the suspense of not knowing a matter! Bitter
\nis my soul, and full of anguish! O the madness of this hour upon me!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Wherein, O Wisdom, forgottest Thou the time of my begetting, to let me spring up as
\nan offensive weed in such a garden of paradise!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

8. And he bowed his head and wept; and then spake Yu-tiv, his mother, that brought
\nhim forth. She said: I perceive Thy light, O Father, but I cannot bear it. Thou didst
\nunlock my members to bring forth these seven Gods! Never woman on the whole
\nearth brought forth so rich a harvest; but yet my soul is tortured to the very center! O
\nthat the light of my soul could be transferred to this God of men! And she also wept.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

9. Now spake Sa’it, saying: Next nearest am I to thee, O my sweet brother, Hog. No love
\nlieth so fondly to thee as mine. And as to thee, Yu-tiv, my Goddess mother, thou hast
\nmost wisely named me A<\/span>BUNDANT<\/span>. For in our love hath Ormazd provided us equal to the
\nhighest of Gods. Because I have witnessed that this purest and best of brothers cannot
\nsee spiritually, my soul is mellowed toward all the world. Yea, my outstretched arms
\nshall receive the darkest of men, and my soul shall go up in praise of Ormazd forever!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

10. Oos spake next; he said: Most wisely am I named S<\/span>PACE<\/span>; for it hath pleased Ormazd
\nto show me the breadth of His Creations. What belief or unbelief is there that He hath
\nnot provided a glory for it! Because my sweet brother, Hog, has been thus blessed
\nwith darkness, he shall be guardian unto me in earthly wisdom all my days. In my
\nfaith I know it is well with him; yet in my love I would that he could see as we all see!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

11. Then spake Git-un, whose name signified T<\/span>IME<\/span>. He said: Behold, I am the fourth born,
\nand, as it were, in the middle. Whose love is so delightfully hedged about as mine! Who
\nso surrounded by the Light of heaven and earth! At one end behold my father, God of
\nmen; the very voice of heaven and earth; interpreter of the Creator’s words! At the other
\nend, the best, sweetest brother ever created on the earth, with all the wisdom of men and
\nangels. O the glory of this hour! O the delight to be with these Gods, and with Yu-tiv,
\nGoddess of women!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

12. Then Vus, the second born, spake. He said: Wherein shall I glorify Thee, O Ormazd,
\nand not glorify myself! I am full to overflowing with delight for the love of these, my
\nbrothers, and father, very Gods! But for Yu-tiv I have more than love. I perceive through
\nmy own sweet mother how the different castes of men are made! O mother, how nearly a
\nrighteous woman dwelleth with the Creator!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

13. Whe-ish said: To rank one’s thoughts and desires ever high; would not this deliver the
\nworld? Vede said: To know the truth and ever speak it in love and kindness, would not
\nthis deliver the world and establish Ormazd?<\/span>
\n
\n<\/span>14. Now woke Brahma from his trance, and he spake, saying: To find the Father; to know
\nHim; to reveal Him; these are all, and for His glory only.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

15. Now again spake God, saying: Wiser than all the rest is Brahma. Who of ye all hath
\nnot spoken of himself or herself? Who hath uttered a word of praise or of thanks, and left
\nout self? Judge ye, then, what is required of men that my spirit may find utterance through
\ntheir lips.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

16. Then the Voice departed for that day; and the angel of God appeared in the door, so
\nall save Hog could see him. The angel said: That ye may see the spirits of the
\nintermediate world, come ye at midnight and sit in the sacred circle in the grove of Ebon.
\nWe will appear in sar’gis.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

17. Hog heard not the angel, but the others told him what the angel said. Accordingly, at
\nmidnight they sat in circle in the grove of Ebon.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 19<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

1. And the angel of God appeared in the midst of the circle, in sar’gis, and talked with
\nthem face to face. And Hog said unto the angel: Of a truth, I know thou art not mortal,
\nand yet thou hast the semblance of flesh, and limbs, and arms, and a very body, and art
\nclothed withal, and thy clothes are like mortal clothes.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Now I tell thee face to face, I believe thou art no angel of the dead, but a very reflected
\nself-substance, produced out of the substance of my father. How sayest thou? The angel
\nanswered, saying:
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Mortal words cannot convince thee; neither the words of a spirit. Behold, I will
\nshow thee a friend of thine who is dead. With that, the angel showed the spirit of Hog’s
\nfriend who was dead, and the man’s name was Aara-acta; and so Hog said unto him:
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Thou art a very counterpart of him I knew. What is thy name? The spirit answered:
\nAara-acta! I tell thee, O Hog, these things are true. I am the spirit of thy friend; yea, I am
\nthat very friend. Hog said: Where dwellest thou? Where hast thou been? Art thou happy?
\nHast thou visited all the heavens?
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

5. The spirit answered him, saying: I dwell on the earth even as before death; around
\nabout. I am happy; the glory of my present world surpasseth the earth. I have not visited
\nthe highest heavens. I am only as yet in the first resurrection. Up above us there are
\nheavens where all the people are Gods and Goddesses. I cannot go there; they are too
\nwhite. The spirit then disappeared, and Hog said:
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

6. What I have seen I have seen; what I have heard I have heard. Yet I believe not that I
\nhave seen a spirit nor heard one. A spirit must in reason be thin and subtle and air-like.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Then spake the angel of God, saying: How shall I please this man, O Ormazd? This day
\nI showed myself in the door of the hut, thin and subtle and air-like, and he saw me not,
\nnor heard me. Who can find a way to open this man’s soul to Thy Wisdom, O Ormazd?
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

8. Now spake Yu-tiv: Great is the glory of Thy angel, O Ormazd! Heavenly are the spirits
\nof the dead. Welcome, O ye angels of heaven! Then spake Whe-ish, saying: Even the
\nlowest of heavens hath great glory! O the delight to dwell in such a paradise! Then Vus
\nspake, saying: Such wisdom and truth! What are Thy kingdoms, O Father, when even the
\nfirst heaven hath such glory. Git-un said: Because I have lived to behold these things, I
\nwill proclaim Thy wonders, O Ormazd, as long as I live! Vede said: Truth is Thy<\/span>
\nmightiest work, O Ormazd! Oos said: How wisely hast Thou framed Thy worlds, O
\nOrmazd! Even Thy lowest of angels are a delight of my soul! Next spake Sa-it; he said:
\nGive us of Thy abundance, O Ormazd. Open wide the gates of the lower heavens. I will
\ntake Thy angels to my arms and rejoice forever!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

9. Brahma then came out of his trance, though he had heard and seen all. He said:
\nWhoever cometh that can make me better, and show me how most to benefit Thy world,
\nhim, O Ormazd, send Thou unto me. And, lo, first of all, Brahma was answered! A light,
\nbright as a sun, stood in the midst of the circle, and it was higher than the clouds, and
\ndisplayed a staff on which was a banner of gold and silver; and on the banner, stars
\nclustered to spell the words, Love, Wisdom and Power!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

10. Presently the scene changed, and the angel of God said: He that spake last (Brahma)
\nhath been answered first, because his words reached to the Fountain Head. Wheresoever
\nye send your prayers, there are ye answered. To which end I will now open the gates of
\nthe lower heavens, and ye shall witness what ye may.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

11. The angel withdrew all the lights around about, so that great darkness might be upon
\nthe circle. Presently, Yu-tiv started as if affrighted somewhat. Then Vus sprang up,
\nsaying: What was that? And then another started, till presently all but Brahma and Hog
\nwere wild and startled, whispering: What do mine eyes behold! O that foul smell! O that
\nvulgar touch! And then one screamed; and another, and another, until all broke and fled,
\nscreaming and crying out in fear and distress; flying in the darkness of the grove, frantic;
\nalmost dead with fear!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

12. Hog ran not; saw nothing to fear; heard nothing to dread; felt nothing to make him
\nashamed.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

13. And his father, Brahma, ran not, nor was afraid, and the twain called to the rest,
\npleaded, coaxed and called in vain; could not stop them; could not find them in the
\ndarkness. They returned to the hut, Brahma and Hog; saw the torches burning brightly,
\nand came in and found Yu-tiv and her sons huddled together in each other’s arms, white
\nand pale as death.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

14. Hog asked the reason. Yu-tiv said: Sh___, are they gone? Sh___, keep them away!
\nThen spake Vus, saying: O my brother, ask not what we saw! Ask not what we felt, and
\nwhat felt us! These things would not be lawful to mention! Say no more, in heaven’s
\nname! The air of heaven is full of demons (druj).
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

15. Now spake Vede, saying: Alas, O my father, I dropped the holy book, the Veda I am
\nwriting. In my fright I let it fall. It is not sized yet, and should it rain ere morning, the holy
\nwords will be lost! And not for a thousand worlds would I go back to the grove this night.
\nOos said: Nor I, for a thousand worlds! Whe-ish said: For all the gold and silver in the
\nworld I would not go there this night.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

16. So they all spake save Hog, and with all the love they bore for Ormazd’s words,
\nnothing doubting they were His very words, not one would venture amongst the evil
\nspirits they had seen, to recover the book.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

17. Then spake Brahma, saying: For many generations Ormazd hath labored for this; I
\nwill go myself; I know He will protect me at all times and in all places. And Brahma rose
\nup to depart; but then spake Hog, saying: Nay, father; thou art old; I am fresh and young,
\nand withal, know there are no spirits but in the imagination of men. I will go alone!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

18. Nor will I bear a lantern nor a torch; nor will I whistle nor sing. I will confront all the<\/span>
\nevil spirits of hell and their captains. I will recover that book this night though I
\nscrape every leaf from Ebon grove! And mark ye, too, I will return unscathed; nor
\nwill I see nor hear a spirit the while I am gone. So, Hog and Brahma only were fearless.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

19. With that Hog departed, and after a while he returned, rejoicing, bringing the book;
\nand he said: I neither saw nor heard a spirit, and I declare unto you, that none of you saw
\nnor heard them, for there are none. By the extreme bent of your minds, these imaginings
\nseem real. And as to the great Light, with the words, Love, Wisdom and Power, which
\nI also saw, I say unto you it is some emanation from this, our holy and most loved
\nfather. How oft have we heard him use those same words! And as to those figures
\nthat talked, and had the semblance of men and women, even to their garments, I say
\nunto you all, they emanate from the same source, even from our father, even Brahma.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

20. Now spake Yu-tiv, saying: O happy unbelief, my son! O that I had been born as thou!
\nO that I had never seen such sights as I saw this night!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

21. Then said Oos: O happy brother, our youngest born! Would that I were like unto thee!
\nO the vulgarity of those hands that came upon me this night!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

22. Vus said: O that I had never known the unseen world! O that I had been born in
\ndarkness like unto thee, our most favored brother!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

23. After that manner they all spake deploringly of their gift of su’is; and when they had
\nthus spoken, the angel of God spake through Brahma, saying: Whilst it is yet night, I
\nspeak. With the dawn, at sunrise, is the Father’s Voice. Hear me, then, briefly, expecting
\nnot much wisdom, for I am not long born in heaven.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

24. Two great men created the Creator, the Faithist and the unbeliever; the one who hath
\npassed through the trials of the flesh, and attained to the Father’s Voice; for in becoming
\none with the Father, he no longer standeth in fear of anything in heaven or earth. The
\nglory of constant resurrection is before him forever.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

25. All men who have not attained to this may be likened unto a man going up a slippery
\nhillside, who oft riseth high, but suddenly slideth low. They glorify themselves for their
\nown light and wisdom and good gifts, rejoicing for self-sake for the glories that have
\nfallen upon them. But they are cowards.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

26. Nevertheless, the Creator created a great man amongst these; and such is the
\nunbelieving man. He hath neither gold nor silver, nor house nor land; and he is without
\nspiritual sight or spiritual hearing; but his glory is in understanding his own
\nunderstanding.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

27. He it is that subdueth the forest, and tameth the beasts of the field to man’s service. He
\ngoeth alone in the dark, fearing naught. He followeth not the course of any man, but
\nsearcheth for himself; the priest cannot make him believe, nor can the angels of heaven;
\nnone can subdue his judgment. He beholdeth the glory of the earth and of manhood. He
\ncalleth to the multitude, saying: Why permit ye others, even priests, to think for you?
\nArise, O thou, and be a man! Arise, O thou, and be a woman!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

28. He inspireth of the earth and for the earth; through his arms are tyrants and evil kings
\noverthrown. Through him are doctrines and religions sifted to the bottom, and the
\nfalsehood and evil in them cast aside. Yea, who but Ormazd could have created so great a
\nman as the unbeliever?
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

29. And these two men, the Faithist and the unbeliever, do mostly all the good that is
\ndone in the world; the one laboreth at the top of the hill, calling upward; the other<\/span>
\nlaboreth at the bottom of the hill, pushing upward.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1st Quarter Moon God’s First Book Chapter 18, Chapter 19 Chapter 18 1. On the next morning, at sunrise, God spake again to Brahma, saying: 2. Consider the fruit of the earth, and the pasturage in the fields. The male and the female feed on the same grass; the one yieldeth milk, the other is … [Read more…]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[46,40,39,34,36,35,38,33,41,31,32,47,50,48,44,45,43,42],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-lightofgod","4":"post-1265","6":"format-standard","7":"category-lectionary-readings","8":"post_tag-calendar","9":"post_tag-daily-readings","10":"post_tag-eloih","11":"post_tag-faithism","12":"post_tag-faithist-church","13":"post_tag-faithists","14":"post_tag-jehovih","15":"post_tag-kosmon-era","16":"post_tag-lectionary-readings","17":"post_tag-oahspe","18":"post_tag-oahspe-bible","19":"post_tag-observances","20":"post_tag-religion-of-light","21":"post_tag-sabbath","22":"post_tag-united-covenant","23":"post_tag-united-covenant-of-light","24":"post_tag-yeshua","25":"post_tag-yoshu"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1265","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1265"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1265\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1266,"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1265\/revisions\/1266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}