As always, sermons are done IC on the server, regardless of how many attend. The below is a transcript of todays event held in Patina:
Patina Sermon 2.16.24
Mass Held by: Sultana Lerina Fletcher
Location: Gallia – Patina
The Sultana approaches the alter for the opening prayer, all rise:
Eternal Gods, open up my lips so my mouth may declare your glory!
We stand here today before you, in your honor, with your love, and in your guidance.
May the divine watch over all here, and may you grant us the salvation we seek.
A clergy member then recites the prayer for the ruling family:
Divine, with all our honor, love, courage and compassion
We ask you to shine upon our mortal leaders
Grant them the strength to lead us and the power and glory to spread thy words.
Everyone then sits. Lerina takes the alter and goes into the first prayer, the mourners prayer reciting it first in Elvish then in common:
Mother, and Grey Lady. Hear the prayers of the weak and weary,
the ones who spread your gifts of life and lessons.
Mother, you have gifted us life. Blood.
And now, times come to take this from us.
Grey Lady, please I pray for my soul to be pure and for you to spare your judgment.
All Mother, mother of compassion and love, giver of life. Shine your glory upon us, I ask that you help your humble servants. For the gods are the true kings and queens. Rulers of the sky, Altera and beyond.
Please, Mother and Lady hear our cries and help us so we may continue to spread your glory.
Lerina would pause for a moment, before starting the second prayer. In Elvish then in common:
Mother and Lady I call to you in our time of need.
Before you lies many of your children, gravely ill
All Mother, who gives us the gift of life I ask you to watch over your children.
Grey Lady, keeper of judgment I beg as your humble servant to delay judgment on the fallen, for they have need to make up for their trespasses before they meet you.
Mother and Lady I ask for your divine presence to lead me to heal the fallen.
Lend me your hands Goddess of Life and Death so that I may help your children, so they may continue to spread your phrase across Altera.
Another pause takes place, a third prayer is recited in Elvish and common:
O’ divine who shine upon us, hear us and see us
Your children gather In masses to honor thy will
Your children of life, honor and glory
May your wisdoms shine through us
May your will take our hands and let us be a vessel for thou
May your grace be known to all
For you are the almighty Kings and Queens
O’Divine hear our praise!
A prayer for the Elves is said, only in Elvish:
O’ divine above. Bless your children of pure elven blood
Let us be shown as your creation to all of Altera
May our purity grow, may our words not stutter and may our actions be swift and decisive, for we are the creatures of the Mother, who shines life into us all.
The sermon:
Gallians. We unite today to purge our lands of sin and trespasses. We have all been through so much, pain, illness, suffering. Yet, we rise. We rise and march forward. And here we are. Tonight, gathered to cleanse our lands of impurity and curse. We gather united as Gallians for a new start. The cold months slowly end, and the warm comes to our lands once again.
As we have mourned to Winter recently, we must now move on and acknowledge the other gods and angels that protect us. Tonight, we offer a goat to the divines above. Each part of the goat a symbolic gesture to a different divine. A ritual, never done before but needed.
Through grief, comes acceptance. And through acceptance comes rebirth.
The rebirth of who we are, on this time line. And a rebirth of thought.
*Lerina would leave the alter and bring a goat before all, with a knife in hand. The floor panels before her open, with a fire pit blazing.*
Lerina recites the ritual prayer
Divine Gods. I stand before you with pure heart and intentions. You have given us life, and love. You have given us death as well. And for life to continue, death must follow. For the cycle has no end.
Huntress, in your honor we have taken this animal. May your blessing of the hunt and animals be a remembrance to us all.
All Mother, giver of life. Goddess of Gods. Tonight we remember your gift as well as the gifts of the other gods. We ask for your love as this animal is given in the honor of you and others.
*The goat is then killed with a quick slash to its throat, it falls limp as it is slowly dismembered before all. Its parts casted into the fire 1 by 1 as the following is recited:
Divines above! We offer you a sacrifice!
With this Head - We honor the gift of sight and knowledge. Visage bless us.
With this Tongue - We honor Valiant and hold true to thy given word
With this Heart - We honor the all mother, for the life given to us.
With these Legs - We honor the huntress, for the swift ability to run and hunt.
With these Guts - We honor Valiant and the angel Courage.
With the Lungs - We honor Korog, who we are blessed with as we craft with every breath.
And with the Blood - We honor the Grey Lady, for may the blood of sinners flow into the river of judgment.
*Some blood is gathered into a cup and thrown into the fire*
A prayer is said n Elvish first then common:
We have fallen.
So that we have now rosen.
We will fall again.
So we may rise again.
We will fight.
We will Heal.
We will silence.
We will love.
We will walk.
We will rise!
We will rise above the ashes of the fallen, and spread the glory of the gods!
*Lerina returns to the alter for more prayers in Elvish and Common:
All Mother, Queen of Queens. Goddess of Gods and the giver of life. I stand here to praise your glory.
Mother, mother, mother, goddess.
Mother, mother and helper.
Mother, mother, mother life.
Shine your love upon me.
Grant me the strength to spread your love!
Mother, mother and creator!
May your wonders be known to all!
Mother, Goddess, Hear me rejoice in your image.
Lerina ends the prayer:
May we end tonight’s ritual with confessional.
Grey Lady, hear my cries. I am but a sinner on my knees here to confess. I have broken thou tenets and seek forgiveness had your delayed judgment.
[At this time it is directed people go into silent prayer to confess, people are asked to kneel]
[After a couple minutes the prayer resumes]
It is with your glory I now rise. I ask for your guidance so I may protect the realms with unclouded judgment. In thy name give me your hand so I may walk a path of purity.
[Everyone rises and the mass ends]
