wpeb.jpg (32274 bytes)The Liberal Catholic Church

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A tri-annual magazine exploring the deeper aspects of religious thought, experience and practice in the world today

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Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachtani

Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachtani never meant "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?", but meant, indeed, originally, the reverse. They are the sacramental words used at the final initiation in old Egypt, as elsewhere, during the Mystery of the putting to death of Chrêstos in the mortal body with its animal passions, and the resurrection of the spiritual man as an enlightened Christos in a frame now purified (the "second birth" of Paul, the "twice-born" or the Initiates of the Brahmans, etc.). These words were addressed to the Initiate’s "Higher Self", the Divine Spirit in him (let it be called Christ, Buddha, Krishna, or by whatever name), at the moment when the rays of the morning sun poured forth on the entranced body of the candidate and were supposed to recall him to life, or his new rebirth. They were addressed to the Spiritual Sun within, not to a Sun without, and aught to read, had they not been distorted for dogmatic purposes:

"My God, my God, how thou dost glorify me!"

Collected Writings, Volume IX,
H.P. Blavatsky