Mass Of The Mother With Candle Ceremony

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The Procession
The people stand as the Celebrant enters in procession,
singing the following responsively with the congregation:

Celebrant:
God the Father, seen of none,
God the Mother, Radiant Sun,
Holy Child, The Three in One,
Hear us, Holy Trinity.

Cong:
Thou, whose life and strength pervade
Whatsoever Thou hast made,
All-Preserver, strong to aid,
We, Thy Church, adore Thee.

Celebrant:
Word of God and Source of Light,
Throned in glory, robed in might,
Morning Star, serene and bright,
Queen of Heaven, we hail Thee.

Cong:
Thou, whose beauty, like a star
Throbbing in the void afar,
Only earth-born clouds can mar,
We, Thy Church Adore Thee.

Celebrant:
Thou, whose universal might
Saints acclaim with mystic rite,
Clad in robes of dazzling light,
Christ our Lord, we hail Thee.

Cong:
Thou, whose wisdom all things planned,
Held by whose almighty Hand
All things in their order stand,
We, Thy Church, adore Thee.

Celebrant:
Thou, for whom, in heavenly choir,
Angel forms of living fire
Wake the everlasting lyre,
Three in One, we hail Thee.

All:
God the Father, seen of none,
God the Mother, Radiant Sun,
Holy Child, The Three in One,
Hear us, Holy Trinity.

The Invocation
The people remain standing while the Celebrant intones:

Celebrant. Per Omnia Secula Seculorum. R%. Amen.

In the name of the Father + and of the Mother
and of the Holy Child, Christ Melchizedek.
R%. Amen, Amen, Amen.

The Lighting of the Candles
The Celebrant stands aside, facing the altar at a 45 degree angle.
The celebrant intones:

Celebrant:
There was Space;
the One willed, and Space became Form.

The Canticle of Wisdom All say:

O Mother of the Universe, the worlds have risen
from the deep of thy Wisdom; and at the end
of time they will return again to Thee.

From the very beginning I was there;
before the earth existed.

When there were no depths
I was brought forth;
when there were no springs
abounding with water.

When the heavens were prepared, I was there;
when the foundations of the Un-iverse were laid.
Then I was rejoicing always before God.

O Mother of the Universe, the worlds have risen from the deep of thy Wisdom;
and at the end of time they will return again to Thee.

The Meditation

All:
Mother of the World, Queen of the Angels, with all our hearts we pour out our love and devotion at thy feet, and we offer ourselves as channels of thy wondrous tenderness, as agents of thine ever ready help.
Ave Maria.

The Lighting of the Altar Candles
The server moves to the altar, genuflects, and lights the taper.

Celebrant:
The Earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

During the following sentence the two small candles on the tabernacle are lit, first the left one:

Celebrant:
And the Spirit of Silence moved upon the face of the waters;

During the next sentence the second Ray candle is lit:

Celebrant:
And God said: Let there be Light.
And there was Light.

The other six Ray candles are lit during the words:

Celebrant:
And there were seven Lamps of Fire burning before the throne, the Seven Spirits of God; and before the throne there was a sea as made of glass, like unto crystal;

The four candles on the altar cloth are then lit:

Celebrant:
And in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne were four Living Creatures, full of eyes before and behind, not resting night nor day, saying,
"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."

All Chant:
Kodosh, Kodosh, Kodosh, Adonai Elohim.
Kodosh, Kodosh, Kodosh, Adonai Elohim.
Kodosh, Kodosh, Kodosh, Adonai Elohim.

After a moment of silence, the server genuflects and withdraws.
The Celebrant moves to the center and the Service of the Holy Eucharist continues.

Asperges
The Celebrant makes the sign of the cross with the aspergill, saying:

Celebrant:
Purify me + that I may serve Thee well.

The Celebrant then sprinkles the place of service, cleansing the four directions.

Celebrant.
In Thy strength we fill this sacred space with the Light of Christ and the Love of the Mother;
Let Thy Glory hallow this altar.
We release all limiting thoughts and beliefs
As we are surrounded with Thy Light and Love,
And set this place aside for Thy work;

And we ask Thee to send Thy Holy Angel to build for us a spiritual temple through which Thy strength and blessing may be poured forth upon Thy people; through Christ our All. R%. Amen.

Veni Creator

Deacon:
Let us kneel and invoke the presence of the Holy Spirit, our Divine Mother, that she might fill and direct each of us this day.

All kneel and sing:

Come, Thou Creator Spirit blest,
And in our souls take up Thy rest;
Come with Thy grace and heavenly aid,
To fill the hearts which thou hast made.

Great Mother Goddess of the Earth,
Thou, in Thy love dids't give us birth;
We humbly at Thy feet do rest,
Of Thee, we are forever blest.

All glory while the ages run
Be to the Father and the Son,
And Thou, Wise Mother of us all,
Help us each hour to heed Thy call. Amen.

The Canticle
All stand:

Deacon:
We are about to take a journey up the Holy Hill, enter into the Sacred Temple, and worship at the Holy Altar. It is a journey within for the Altar of God is in the secret place in our heart. Let us join together on this joyful journey.

All sing:
I will go unto the altar of God: even unto the God of my joy and gladness.

Celebrant:
I was glad when they said unto me:
All Sing:
we will go into the house of the Lord.
2. I will be glad and rejoice in Thee: I will sing of Thy name, O Thou most highest.
3. O send out Thy light and Thy truth, that they may lead me: and bring me to Thy holy hill and to Thy dwelling.
Glory be to the Father and to the Mother: and to the Holy Child.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

I will go unto the altar of God: even unto the God of my joy and gladness.

Celebrant: + Our help is in the name of the LORD:
Cong: Who hath made heaven and earth.

Celebrant: Turn us again, O Mother, and quicken us:
Cong: That Thy people may rejoice in Thee.

Celebrant: Trust ye in The Christ for ever:
Cong: For The Rock of Ages is our peace.

Confiteor
Everyone Kneels. Spoken slowly and with mindfulness. All say:

O Christ, I rest in Thy Eternal Life.

I recognize and accept the perfection of everything that has brought me to this moment.

I forgive everyone and everything I have judged as wrong.
Pour out Thy Love upon them.

I open myself to Thy forgiveness, and accept myself just as I am right now.
I rest in Thy eternal perfection.

Now and forever more. Amen.

Celebrant:
In the name and power of the Christ I + absolve you from the bonds of the past and welcome you into the purity of this eternal moment. Rest with open hearts, surrounded by the Love + of the Father, the Grace of the Mother, and the Joy of the Holy Child. R%. Amen, Amen, Amen.

The people rise.

Celebrant: With praise and with prayer shall our temple be built.
Cong: To God alone be the Glory.

The people are seated.

The Censing

Celebrant: Be thou + blessed. (Said over the incense)

The Celebrant censes the altar, after which the people stand.

Celebrant: Dominus vobiscum. (The Lord be with you.)
Cong: Et cum Spiritu tuo. (And with thy Spirit.)

Kyrie
The Celebrant bows.

Deacon:
Let us kneel and recognize the Divine Life which is pouring down upon us.

The people kneel and sing, with palms held upwards:

Kyrie eleison.
Kyrie eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Christe eleison.
Christe eleison.
Christe eleison.

Mater eleison.
Mater eleison.
Mater eleison.

Gloria, part 1 Gloria, part 2 Gloria, part 3
All stand and say or sing:

Glory be to God in the highest and on earth peace to those of ¸ goodwill. We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee; we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory; Thou art our Father God, and Thou art our Holy Mother.

Praise the Christ, the Word who dwells among us; O Lord God, indwelling light, Child born within us, whose wisdom mightily and sweetly ordereth all things, pour forth Thy love; Thou whose strength upholdeth and sustaineth all creation, receive our praise;
Thou whose beauty shineth through the whole universe, unveil Thy Glory.

For Thou art most Holy; Thou art the Radiant One;
Thou only, O God, endless Flame of Life;
+ art revealed in the glory of all creation. Amen.

Celebrant: Dominus vobiscum. (The Lord be with you.)
Cong: Et cum Spiritu tuo. (And with thy Spirit.)

An Act of Faith
Remain standing and repeat:

We believe that God is love and power and truth and life; that perfect justice rules the world; that all are returning to the Light, whatever path they take. We hold the unity of All -- In God we live and move and have our being. We know our service to others is truly service to God. So shall we live in + peace and joy for evermore.
Amen, Amen, Amen.

Offertorium
The people are seated. The Celebrant offers the host, raising the paten and saying:

Celebrant:
We adore Thee, who art the source of all life and goodness and with true and thankful hearts we offer unto Thee this token of Thine own life-giving gifts bestowed upon us. We join our offering with that of All Nature, for the regeneration of the world, O Thou who art the giver of all.

+ The Celebrant makes the sign of the cross over the altar stone with the paten and wafer. Wine and water are poured into the chalice.

According to immemorial custom, we now mix water with this wine, praying that we may evermore abide in Christ as Christ abides in us.

We offer unto Thee this chalice with joy and gladness; may the worship which we offer ascend before Thy divine majesty as a sacrifice, pure and acceptable in Thy sight; + through Christ our All. R%. Amen.

The Second Censing
The Celebrant again censes the altar, this time beginning with the words: I bind these elements to me in spirit, substance, and matter; in the name of the Father and of the Mother and of the Holy Child. Amen. After the censing, the Celebrant says:

Celebrant:
As this incense rises before Thee so let our prayer be set forth in Thy sight. Let Thy holy angels encompass Thy people and breathe forth upon them the spirit of Thy blessing.

All Say:
May the fire of divine love and the flame of everlasting charity be enkindled within us.

The Celebrant washes while the clergy and people are censed. The people stand as the thurifer approaches them and bow before and after being censed.

Orate Fratres
The people remain standing

Celebrant:
As we grow into union with The Silence and all creation, we gladly sacrifice our limited, lower self to the Holy Child within. Pray that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to Almighty God.

Cong:
May the Eternal High Priest receive the sacrifice at thy hands and sanctify our lives in service.

Celebrant:
We lay before Thee these Thy creatures of bread and wine, + linking them spiritually with ourselves and praying Thee to receive through them our offering of praise and thanksgiving; for here we offer and present unto Thee ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a holy and continual sacrifice unto Thee.

In surrender we find victory; in dying we find life; in service we know freedom. We recognize our oneness with Thy Mystical Body, which is the blessed company of all beings. We rejoice in Thee. R%. Amen.

The Canon

Celebrant: Dominus vobiscum. (The Lord be with you.)
Cong: Et cum Spiritu tuo. (And with thy Spirit.)

Sursum Corda

Celebrant: Lift up your hearts.
Cong: We lift them up unto the Lord.

Celebrant: Let us give thanks unto our Glorious God.
Cong: It is good and right so to do.

Preface

Celebrant:
It is very good, right and our joyful duty, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto Thee, O God, our Father, and our ever bless'ed Mother.

Therefore, with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers, with Cherubim and Seraphim and with all the company of heaven, we praise and magnify Thy glorious name, evermore praising Thee and saying:

Sanctus
The people kneel.

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts, heaven and earth are full of Thy glory; glory be to Thee, O Lord most high.

Blessed is the one who cometh in the name of The Word.
+ Hosanna in the highest.

The Prayer of Consecration

P. Wherefore, O most loving Father, glorious Mother, these our oblations have served as tokens and channels of our love and devotion towards Thee; but now we + break the link with all lower things and we pray Thee to + receive, to + purify and to + hallow them as earthly channels of Thy wondrous power.

P. We send forth the blessing of this holy sacrifice for the healing and transformation of the world, for all beings, and especially for.... The Celebrant reads the names and concerns on the prayer list. Then we pause while each silently names their own specific concerns. The Celebrant ends by saying "Amen."

The Consecration

The people remain kneeling.
They may participate in the consecration by holding their palms forward and focusing on the offerings.
The Celebrant, hands spread over the offerings, says:

We pray Thee to look down on and accept these offerings, which we Thy servants and Thy whole household do make unto Thee, in obedience to the command of Jesus the Christ;

Epiclesis

O God, let Thy Spirit come upon these gifts to + bless, + sanctify and
+ consecrate them that they may become for us the most precious + Body and + Blood of Thy Christ.

The Celebrant takes the wafer in both hands.

The day before he suffered Jesus took bread into his holy and venerable hands and, with his eyes lifted up to heaven, giving thanks to Thee, he + blessed, brake and gave it to his disciples, saying:
All take and eat of this, for

THIS IS MY BODY

In like manner, after he had supped, taking also this noble chalice into his holy and venerable hands, again giving thanks to Thee, he + blessed it and gave it to his disciples, saying:
All take and drink of this, for

THIS IS MY BLOOD

As oft as ye shall do these things, ye shall do them in remembrance of me.

The people who are participating in the consecration may now put down their hands. All now sing:
Thee We Adore:
Thee we adore, O hidden splendour, Thee,
Who in Thy sacrament dost deign to be;
We worship Thee beneath this earthly veil
And here Thy presence we devoutly hail.

The people kneel or are seated.

All Clergy:
We Thy humble servants offer unto Thee this, the most precious gift which Thou hast bestowed upon us, in token of our + love and of the perfect + devotion and + sacrifice of our + minds and + hearts to Thee; and we pray that thou wouldst command Thy holy angel to bear our oblation to Thine altar on high, there to be offered by the Eternal High Priest, who is for ever poured out as the eternal sacrifice.

And we pray for Thy servant who ministers at this altar that, rightly celebrating the mysteries of Thy most holy + Body and + Blood, Thy servant may be + filled with Thy mighty power and blessing.

Likewise we pray Thee to sanctify Thy people here present with these Thy heavenly gifts and through these mysteries do Thou + hallow, + quicken and + bless them, that both in their hearts and in their lives they may show forth Thy praise and glorify Thy holy name.

The Celebrant holds the host over the chalice, making the sign of the cross over the chalice three times, while saying:

Celebrant:
All these things we ask in the name and through the mediation of the Christ. We acknowledge and confess with our hearts and lips that + Thou hast made all things in heaven and earth, + Thou art the indwelling life through which all things exist and + in Thy transcendent glory all things live and move and have their being:

Then horizontally three times between chalice and breast.

To Thee, O mighty + Father, in union with the Divine + Mother and the + Holy Child be ascribed all honour and glory, throughout the ages of ages. R%. Amen.

The Celebrant here holds the host directly over the chalice and raises both to eye level, then covers the chalice and Genuflects. The people may now be seated.

The Commemoration of the Saints

The Celebrant holds the paten, edge resting on the altar.

All Clergy:
We give Thee high praise and heartfelt thanks for the wonderful grace and virtue declared in the holy Lady Mary and in all Thy glorious saints from the beginning of the world who have been the choice vessels of Thy grace and a shining light unto many generations.

The Celebrant crosses self with paten.

And we + join with them in worship before Thy great white throne, whence flow all love and light and blessing through all the worlds which Thou hast made.

The Celebrant takes the Host from the paten and holds it over the chalice.

Celebrant:
O Christ, who showest Thyself this day upon a thousand altars and yet art one and indivisible, in token of Thy great sacrifice we break this Thy Body,

The Celebrant breaks the host in half over the chalice and with a small particle makes the sign of the cross thrice over the chalice and finally at the words "One in Thee" drops the particle into the chalice.

praying that by this action, ordained from of old, Thy + strength, Thy + peace and Thy + blessing, which Thou dost give us in this holy sacrament, may be spread abroad upon ¸ Thy world; and as Thou, O Christ, is made known to Thy disciples in the breaking of bread and the Magdalene is made known through the Chalice, so may Thy many children know themselves to be One in Thee, even as Thou art One with all that is. R%. Amen.

The Salutation of Peace

The people stand. The Celebrant faces the people.

Celebrant: Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum. (The peace of the Lord be always with you.)
Cong: Et cum Spiritu tuo. (And with thy Spirit.)

Silent Meditation
All are now seated, silently meditating in their own way, allowing themselves to be uplifted by the loving and spiritual radiations from the exposed sacrament.
When complete, the Celebrant says "Amen."

All Clergy:
O Thou who in this adorable sacrament hast left us a living memorial and pledge of Thy marvelous love for ¸ all beings and dost therein graciously draw us into wondrous and mystic communion with Thee, help us to so receive the sacred mysteries of Thy Body and Blood that our souls may be lifted into the immensity of Thy love and that, being filled with Thy Life, we may ever be mindful of Thine indwelling presence and live in the joy of holiness. R%. Amen.

The Communion
The Celebrant Genuflects, receives communion, and communicates those serving on the altar.
The Celebrant then blesses the people, saying:

Celebrant:
+ Ye that desire to partake of the Divine Life, come forward
and receive this most holy sacrament.
All are welcome to receive communion.

As communion is administered to each, the Celebrant says:

The Body + and Blood of The Christ keep thee unto life eternal.

The Celebrant replaces the ciborium and performs ablutions.
The people should remain in prayer and meditation.
When ready, the Celebrant says:

Under the veil of earthly things now have we communion with Thee. Soon shall we behold Thee face to face and, rejoicing in Thy Glory, be transfigured into Thy image. Then shall we live with joy unspeakable in the presence of Thy Divine Glory.

Communio
Celebrant moves to the epistle side. All stand and sing:

Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

Postcommunio

Celebrant: Let us pray.
The people kneel. All pray aloud:

All Say:
We who have been refreshed with Thy heavenly gifts do pray that Thy grace may be so grafted inwardly in our hearts that it may continually be made manifest in our lives. Amen.

The Celebrant moves to the center.

Celebrant: Dominus vobiscum. (The Lord be with you.)
Cong: Et cum Spiritu tuo. (And with thy Spirit.)

Celebrant: Ite, missa est. (Go, the Mass is complete.)
Cong: Deo gratias. (Thanks be to God.)

THE BENEDICTION

Celebrant:
May the Holy Ones, whose pupils you aspire to become, show you the Light you seek, give you the strong aid of their compassion and their wisdom. There is a peace that passeth understanding; it abides in the hearts of those who live in the Eternal. There is a power that maketh all things new; it lives and moves in those who know the self as one. May that peace brood over you, that power uplift you, till you stand at the altar of initiation, till you see the + Light shine forth. R%. Amen.

The people remain seated until after the altar candles are extinguished as follows: The Celebrant stands aside. The server who is going to extinguish the candles, stands below the altar steps, in the center.

Celebrant:
The Sacrifice of God is mirrored in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. When the mighty scheme of evolution has come to fruition, and God's plan has been fulfilled, creation comes to an end.

The server ascends the footpace and extinguishes the four candles on the altar.

Celebrant:
The four Living Creatures, the Guardians of the Law, and their fiery hosts vanish again into the Fire of God.

During the following sentence the seven Ray candles are extinguished:

Celebrant:
The Seven Spirits of God and their angel hosts merge into the Light of Light.

Then the two small candles on the tabernacle are extinguished:

Celebrant:
And humanity perfected returns to the eternal home in transcendental bliss.

Celebrant:
The whole of Creation has then returned into the Silence of the All-One.

After some minutes of complete silence, the procession is formed and moves out.

Advent 1997

Note: The ceremony is intended to be a symbolical representation of the creation and the end of the manifested world. The Holy Eucharist can be seen as symbolizing the birth, the life, and the end of a universe.

The candles used in this ceremony symbolize different stages in the process of creation. The light of the Sanctuary Lamp represents the unmanifested Deity. The two candles on top of the tabernacle are symbols of the duality of spirit and matter. The six altar candles and the central candle on the tabernacle symbolize "the Seven Spirits before the Throne" (Rev. 4:5) and the four candles on the altar "the four living creatures" in the vision of Ezekiel (Ez. 1:5-14) and the "four beasts" of Revelation (4:6-9).

This Form for the lighting & extinguishing of the candles was adapted from the work of Bishop Maryn Brandt of St. Michael's, Naarden, Holland.