Dear seekers and siblings of the Light, today is our Holy Day. In days of yore, we would gather, confess our sins together to the Elect, and prepare the Sacred Meal. Today, we are gathered digitally; I hope that there are as many as possible, who are trying to celebrate the Monday Ceremony, as outlined in the practical guide. It is part of living the faith. I am writing this homily so that you may hear the teachings of our Prophet; a homily to be read either prior or after the prayer of confession. Therefore, gather and heed the teachings of our father, the illuminator of truths, who speaks of the two essences that were present at the dawn of existence: light and darkness, good and evil, life and death. We, the offspring of creation, are wrought from two ontological essences, a wellspring from which both benevolence and malevolence have flowed; our bodies fashioned out of matter, and our souls the essence of God.
Contemplate, O seekers of wisdom, those among you who proclaim the existence of a sole essence, acknowledging naught but God. Reflect upon the myriad forms of corruption: deceit, perjury, calumny, enchantments for illicit love, thievery, idolatry, plunder, and the infernal blaze that consumes one's being from within, akin to a moth to the flame. Consider the carnal desires that ensnare humanity, the ceaseless battles with unquenchable yearnings, the voracious hunger of Mammon that remains unsated through the ages. These abominations, these phantoms that prowl the night—whence do they come, and who has cast them into the hearts of mortals, causing suffering and demise?
If such evils were begotten by the God of veracity, why then do you spurn them? If they are indeed of His making, embrace them, you must! Else, you shall endure dual afflictions: one for abstaining from these acts, and another for your condemnation of them.
For if it were so that God Himself sired these iniquities, then the perpetrator thereof would bear no sin. Yet, if they emerged not from Him, nor did He decree their enactment, then you, who ascribe these vices to Him, do falsely testify against the Almighty, inviting judgment upon your soul.
For it has been proclaimed by His beloved Son and all the apostles that such malevolent deeds share not the same essence as the divine. They are akin to barren trees that yield no sustenance upon the desolate earth.
The Father sows the seeds of virtue, and verily, they shall thrive, bearing fruit upon the quintet of trees that symbolize Him, His cherished Son, the Holy Spirit, and the vast dominion of the Just. Yet, there are those who declare all malevolence to be of His origin, conceived by Him to cleave the righteous from the shadows.
By such assertions, you shall stand condemned in the sight of the Lord, before His beloved Son and the Holy Spirit, on the final day, at the hour of His return. You shall depart from your mortal coil and behold these verities before the Judge of Truth, who shows partiality to none.
Remember the words of the Third Messenger
"A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit." (Matthew 7:18)
Proclaiming God to be the sole progenitor of all things, creates an idol of evil. God is pure Light, there is no Darkness in Him at all. There is no bad fruit upon the Tree of Goodness. Therefore, contemplate the two essences, this evening. Realize that our world is both beautiful, yet it is ugly.
We see the dualistic principles in our very existence. Therefore, hold on to what is Good. By living the virtuous life. Sustaining our souls with the Bread and Water of Life. We care not for the manna of Moses, which was conditional. Our Father's love is unconditional. The Bread from Heaven is given to all who believe and follow the path revealed by the Messengers.
The Seal of the Prophets concludes the final Message, which is the uncorrupted message of the Paraclete, who confirms all that has been revealed before. We have our Holy Scriptures, Hymns, Prayers, and Icons. Therefore, let us put on the armor of righteousness, praying as one body, we are many branches, but are One with the True Vine. The True Vine only produces fruits of pure Goodness. Thus, let us cultivate this luminous path. Allow the seeds to fall in good soil, which is uncorrupted by Darkness.
Remember our understanding of time: In the First Time, the eternal domains, light and darkness, good and evil, were separated. The Kingdom of Light was unified and harmony prevailed. Then, something caused the Darkness to perceive the Blessed Aeon of Light, and the Rulers lusted after it. In the second era, there arose the great cosmic conflict, heralding the age of the two opposing principles; the perpetual struggle between light and dark forces. This battle is waged across human history, as light slowly disentangles itself from the material plane.
The third era, Redemption and Restoration, began with our revered Prophet, Mani, the ultimate Messenger, who founded the Religion of Light. Mani's teachings implore us to recover the forgotten wisdom of the true faith and gather the last remaining dispersed fragments of light, which, in the end, will herald the new era; Darkness will be cast into the Abyss; Harmony and Unity shall return, and the Darkness will no longer pose any threat.
Why will Darkness lose its power? Because of the perfect Love of the Father and His Glorious Emanations; by sacrificing a portion of his Essence, the Primal Man and the 5 Sons disabled the Dark Rulers. They swallowed the bait, and the incorruptible could not be corrupted. The Great Builder, may he be praised forever, will refashion a new cosmos, where neither death nor decay shall every threaten the eternal bliss that is to come. May the Father of Greatness, The Mother of Life, The Beloved Jesus the Splendor, and the Maiden of Light bless you on this holy Monday. May the Messengers and Heavenly Elect receive your invocations; may they bless you beyond measure this day. Let the Light shine brightly before for you this coming week. For we know not what tomorrow may bring, but we know that in the end all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well.
Amen