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Frankincense hung in the air already as the community entered the cathedral. The sweet, armoatic smoke filled the air, making every beam of light visible that suffused the entire chamber with its warmth. As the congregation made its way in, every single one was sprinkled with sacred water from a simple bowl with a bundle of palm leafs.
The imposing structure was already enough to humble everyone that entered, so more traditional ablutions and feet washings would have been kind of redunant, or rather they even would have distracted from experiencing the God-gloryifing architecture in white marble - complete with golden pyerite inclusions.
While people came in and made their way to the pews the "Glory to God in the highest" was sung by a male-female choir (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1yd9JhLPyM). Once everyone found their place and the chant ended, the officiating cleric raised her hands, wearing the black-and-gold solar-eclipse-scepter-and-crown-symbol adorned habit of SFRIM-alinged clergy, asking for silence. Not long did it take until the congregation stopped all the rustling and scrooping. Then a moment of total silence came to be after the last echos of noises died down in the cathedral.
"In the beginning all things were as one.
God parted them and breathed life into his creation
Divided the parts and gave each its place
And unto each, bestowed purpose"
Cited the woman leading the congregation from the Scriptures, and it went without saying that every single last of the assembled people recognized this as Book I 1:4.
"In the beginning", Nicoletta repeated, "These are the first three words of Book I of the Scriptures. We should not be surprised. All good stories start at the beginning. And that is where we are just now, too. In the beginning. Today I have the honor to celebrate this divine service with you for the first time in these walls. When you walk within these walls, take a look around. In fact, take a look around just now! How each stone has it's place and purpose. Each window, painting, thuribule... I could go on. While others might think that all those things are seperated, we know that they are only in the way of being parts of something greater.
"And so are we. After all, all the stones and windows, the lovely works of art, they wouldn't be here without us. That is, neither would they be here if ILAW wouldn't have made an effort to build this magnificent temple to glorify God. Nor would it have any meaning if we wouldn't be here, right now, to celebrate and glorify God, to breathe life into this building and fulfill its purpose. Without people making use of them, buildings are dead."
Nicoletta made a pause, looking over the assmbled people.
"Think about that, for a while, considering that the temple, the church is symolic of all of creation. If in this church, at this very moment, we are the ones responsible for making this place coming really *alive*, to make the purpose it promises coming manifest, then what does that mean for the world out there and our relation to it?
"Of course there is little secret to it. Rather it is quite straightforward. We are the ones responsible for making the purpose of all of creation manifest. To make this world a better place by ensuring that every part finds its place and fulfills the purpose God bestowed it with. This, of course is where it gets convoluted. What is the purpose of which part? Since the fall of humankind there has been one beacon of light in the darkness of confusion: The Amarr Empire.
"Yet, we should remind ourselves that even in the edifice of the Empire, which certainly is as magnificent as this church, much work is left to be done. As the Imperial Seal makes us realize the Empire is humankind rejoined with God, albeit imperfectly. The Reclaiming is our duty to God: And it is one we have towards the others, as well as towards ourselves. In fact it starts with ourselves, with the work to refine ourselves to be pure vessels for the divine spark inside us: To nurture this spark through our faith into a flame fit to bring light into the darkness, but also in righteous action humble ourselves to not obstruct the light of these flames."
Nicoletta recieved a simple white candle from aone of the altar boys and walked towards the iconostasis, reverently opening the door to the holiest of holies.
"God in his greatness and trenscendence is hidden from our worldly eyes." She quickly vanished behind the iconostasis, the candle aflame as she returns. "But he revals himself to us through the light within us, which he placed there." The altar boys and girls were distributing simple white candles as she spoke. "Let these candles be symbols of ourselves, let us light them up with this flame, as we want to be enflamed by faith. And let us carry them with us as we leave, just as we want to spread the light in a world of darkness.
"All things were created by the Divine, and so the glory of our faith is inherent to us all;
When thine heart shines with the Light, thou shalt know no hardship;
When thine actions are in Light's name, thou art immortal.’"
She cited the Scriptures, Book of Trials 2:1 and went on:
"Burn, live, don't fear:
Your light is required.
Become light.
"Amen!"
And with that she left the congregation to answer, to light thier candles and to take time for closer look at the new magnificent church building. And to leave, eventually, hopefully carrying that light out into the dark void capsuleers dwelled in so often.
The imposing structure was already enough to humble everyone that entered, so more traditional ablutions and feet washings would have been kind of redunant, or rather they even would have distracted from experiencing the God-gloryifing architecture in white marble - complete with golden pyerite inclusions.
While people came in and made their way to the pews the "Glory to God in the highest" was sung by a male-female choir (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1yd9JhLPyM). Once everyone found their place and the chant ended, the officiating cleric raised her hands, wearing the black-and-gold solar-eclipse-scepter-and-crown-symbol adorned habit of SFRIM-alinged clergy, asking for silence. Not long did it take until the congregation stopped all the rustling and scrooping. Then a moment of total silence came to be after the last echos of noises died down in the cathedral.
"In the beginning all things were as one.
God parted them and breathed life into his creation
Divided the parts and gave each its place
And unto each, bestowed purpose"
Cited the woman leading the congregation from the Scriptures, and it went without saying that every single last of the assembled people recognized this as Book I 1:4.
"In the beginning", Nicoletta repeated, "These are the first three words of Book I of the Scriptures. We should not be surprised. All good stories start at the beginning. And that is where we are just now, too. In the beginning. Today I have the honor to celebrate this divine service with you for the first time in these walls. When you walk within these walls, take a look around. In fact, take a look around just now! How each stone has it's place and purpose. Each window, painting, thuribule... I could go on. While others might think that all those things are seperated, we know that they are only in the way of being parts of something greater.
"And so are we. After all, all the stones and windows, the lovely works of art, they wouldn't be here without us. That is, neither would they be here if ILAW wouldn't have made an effort to build this magnificent temple to glorify God. Nor would it have any meaning if we wouldn't be here, right now, to celebrate and glorify God, to breathe life into this building and fulfill its purpose. Without people making use of them, buildings are dead."
Nicoletta made a pause, looking over the assmbled people.
"Think about that, for a while, considering that the temple, the church is symolic of all of creation. If in this church, at this very moment, we are the ones responsible for making this place coming really *alive*, to make the purpose it promises coming manifest, then what does that mean for the world out there and our relation to it?
"Of course there is little secret to it. Rather it is quite straightforward. We are the ones responsible for making the purpose of all of creation manifest. To make this world a better place by ensuring that every part finds its place and fulfills the purpose God bestowed it with. This, of course is where it gets convoluted. What is the purpose of which part? Since the fall of humankind there has been one beacon of light in the darkness of confusion: The Amarr Empire.
"Yet, we should remind ourselves that even in the edifice of the Empire, which certainly is as magnificent as this church, much work is left to be done. As the Imperial Seal makes us realize the Empire is humankind rejoined with God, albeit imperfectly. The Reclaiming is our duty to God: And it is one we have towards the others, as well as towards ourselves. In fact it starts with ourselves, with the work to refine ourselves to be pure vessels for the divine spark inside us: To nurture this spark through our faith into a flame fit to bring light into the darkness, but also in righteous action humble ourselves to not obstruct the light of these flames."
Nicoletta recieved a simple white candle from aone of the altar boys and walked towards the iconostasis, reverently opening the door to the holiest of holies.
"God in his greatness and trenscendence is hidden from our worldly eyes." She quickly vanished behind the iconostasis, the candle aflame as she returns. "But he revals himself to us through the light within us, which he placed there." The altar boys and girls were distributing simple white candles as she spoke. "Let these candles be symbols of ourselves, let us light them up with this flame, as we want to be enflamed by faith. And let us carry them with us as we leave, just as we want to spread the light in a world of darkness.
"All things were created by the Divine, and so the glory of our faith is inherent to us all;
When thine heart shines with the Light, thou shalt know no hardship;
When thine actions are in Light's name, thou art immortal.’"
She cited the Scriptures, Book of Trials 2:1 and went on:
"Burn, live, don't fear:
Your light is required.
Become light.
"Amen!"
And with that she left the congregation to answer, to light thier candles and to take time for closer look at the new magnificent church building. And to leave, eventually, hopefully carrying that light out into the dark void capsuleers dwelled in so often.
