Our Philosophy

The Seven Sacraments

Some deep truths cannot be communicated through words, but when they are pictured through symbols and ritual they can touch unconscious depths within us. When our bodies, emotions, minds and spirits are fully involved in a ritual, we move into a finer level of consciousness which enables us to penetrate the outward form and grasp the spiritual reality which the ritual portrays.

Throughout the centuries ritual has been used to convey spiritual truth and grace; this is certainly the case with the seven sacraments. These ancient rituals are a great source of truth, power and strength. In our Centre there is great respect for their value, both for the individual human soul and the community. We have revived their inner meaning and made them accessible to those who ask for them and need them.

Infant Baptism

Our infant baptism service recognises, welcomes and blesses the soul of the new born infant, declaring it to be a free entity with all the rights of a human being. The sacrament of infant baptism does not make the child a member of the church or even a Christian, for only the mature individual can make such choices. Rather, this sacrament is administered to welcome and strengthen the soul and to bestow upon it a name which is an indication of its unique purpose.

The sacrament of baptism keeps the soul of the child in touch with the heavens for longer. The unformed aura of a child is studded with stars, a sign of the heavens from which it has come. Baptism strengthens the stars so that they remain longer, enabling the child to maintain its link with the heavens and retain an awareness of its heavenly origins and the purpose for which it has incarnated.

Baptism, as a strengthening for the incoming soul, should be administered as soon after birth as possible. We prefer to baptise the child before it is three months old, although a blessing may be given to an older child.

Confirmation

In The Centre, confirmation takes place in two stages. At around seven years of age, or when the first teeth are lost, a Realisation Service can be celebrated. This service recognises that the child is moving from the period where the building of the physical body was primary to the period where the etheric body is to be developed. It is a significant time of change for both the parents and the child. The service confirms what has taken place so far and strengthens the child for the next phase of development.

The rite of confirmation is administered at the next significant milestone in a child’s life, the onset of puberty. It is around the age of fourteen that the astral of the child develops and the body, mind and emotions begin to mature. Through confirmation, the spirit is given every opportunity to manifest freely so that the child grows into an integrated and harmonious adult. In this rite a new power is given which enables the child to enter into a closer relationship with their spiritual self and to express this more freely in their lives.

The Confirmation service may only be celebrated by the Meritus of The Centre for children between the ages of twelve and sixteen who, together with their parents, request this sacrament.

The Mass

The sacrament of holy communion is one of two sacraments which spiritually strengthen and sustain us in our daily lives. The other is the sacrament of grace.

The mass is essentially a worship service embodying both ritual and teaching. It is a time of fellowship, learning, devotion and communing with God and your real spiritual self.

The sacrament of holy communion causes us to “remember” again the Christ being, who is now the real self of every individual. As such, the mass is a time when the highest in us can rise and be nurtured. In taking in the consecrated elements of bread and wine, we affirm that we want to be totally identified with Christ and become an expression of his power in this world.

We call our mass "cosmic" because it is celebrated with “all the people of God, both in spirit and flesh”. Our mass is not partisan; participation in the bread and wine is open to anyone who wishes to identify with Christ and avail themselves of his power and grace.

The Sacrament of Grace

This sacrament involves little ritual or ceremony. It is the Sacrament of the Word. It is a conversation between a priest and a person - with the priest wearing their cross and stole to indicate that this is not an ordinary conversation. Words are not used idly. Every word is uttered as if in the presence of God. And through the power of the word - in prayer, confession, admonition and blessing - problems, challenges, decisions and the soul's higher purpose can be perceived in divine context. The aim of this sacrament is not to receive advice, confess sins or "get something off our chests." The purpose of this sacrament is to bring our problem or situation before the Throne of Grace, to hold it up in Christ’s light and see it from the perspective of spirit and the purposes our own higher selves have set before us.

Marriage and Covenant of Love

Marriage is the public declaration of the love two people feel for each other – an act which has both earthly and spiritual repercussions. Those who wish a sacramental marriage consciously recognise that they are spiritual beings, that there is a spiritual dimension to their relationship and that the decision to marry was prompted from above. The wedding service is a blessing upon this decision, giving not only strength for the years ahead but also a spiritual understanding of the relationship and the new “community” which is formed by the marriage.

The Centre’s wedding services acknowledge the freedom of each individual and the gifts they bring to the union. The Centre has different marriage ceremonies which reflect the ideals and purposes of the couple, from a simple service to a full Nuptial Mass.

The Covenant of Love ceremony is available for couples who - for various reasons - are not able to legally marry. This service gives public recognition to their love for one another and bestows a blessing upon their union.

Unction and the Last Rites

Within The Centre, holy unction occurs during the Spiritual Healing Service. Extreme unction or the last rites is given during the Service for the Very Ill.

Both unction and the last rites are forms of anointing with holy oil and are intimately linked with spiritual healing. The healing ministry was a strong feature of Christ’s life on earth, and spiritual healing, since the days of the early church, comprises the laying on of hands, prayer and anointing with holy oil.

In our Centre, the Last Rites is primarily for a person who is very ill. When they ask for this sacrament it indicates their conscious engagement with this process. The service is also for whoever attends it. Relatives or friends may attend this service if the sick person so desires. It provides a way of being quietly together, to pray, and also to think differently about the person who is ill. In this sense, this service can be a healing for the friends and relatives who attend. It can lift up and change their relationship with the one who is dying significantly.

The Last Rites frees and strengthens the soul, so it is truly free to choose life in the spirit or life on this earth. It may happen that through the grace of this service the soul decides not to depart. As such, whenever we celebrate this sacrament it is important that there is complete freedom within us for any outcome.

The service seeks to make the recipient conscious of the new life that is commencing, and to replace the fear of losing their physical body and identity with a knowledge of the guardianship and companionship of Christ. It highlights the presence of Christ and speaks of a new life in the spirit. There is an acceptance and peacefulness inherent in this service.

Death is the last great event of life and just as in birth the soul needs spiritual help, so in death the soul needs words and deeds which will strengthen it for the new life it is about to enter. The Last Rites, the Funeral Service and the Cosmic Soul Mass, are all ways in which a departing soul can be strengthened for the life ahead.