Father Paul, letter to missionaries, 1970
In God’s creation, in the birth of any living thing, there is bound to be a certain amount of strife, especially when it involves a number of personalities. For the more we work in it, the more we take on the nature of the order, the more real and strong it becomes.
That is why those who are among the founders of the order always travel a rougher path, although the victory is greater — not only the victory over themselves, but the victory over the many obstacles in the path of establishing an order. This is the reason we run across those particular things which seem to indicate that God hasn’t answered our prayers or that we haven’t received something which we feel we deserve. But remember this always: Jesus, our Master, is watching. And if we are endeavoring and if we are performing in accordance with our lights, in doing what he has designated, we will find that things will work out.
There are many times during the course of a young man’s life — or an old one’s, for that matter, it doesn’t make any difference — that he feels that he has somehow failed in his performance. I have heard these remarks in the field. And what I say to him who holds on to such an idea is this: don’t try to judge yourself, but go on doing, and one of these days that which you desire in the order will come into fruition and you will be given the opportunity to serve in a greater capacity.
Many of the greats who formed orders in the past, like the Jesuits, the Franciscans and others, worked for many years without accomplishing that which we have accomplished already. We must not lose faith in what we are doing, and in our brothers, for there are many of us now and there will be many more.
When things just don’t go the way you think they should, just smile and go in the other direction, or the direction which you are to follow, and go ahead. You will find those problems will dissolve themselves.
My personal blessings to you all for your good work. And the blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you and bring you peace.
From Father Paul: History of the HOOM (class 3/6/70)
Q: What is a holy order?
Well, you know the definition of ours. A holy order is an organization of divine origin, according to us anyway, and I think you’ll find this in the ancient script…which serves as an intermediary channel for the Spirit in the sacraments to man…but the order itself is a means by which divine order is handed down, through the framework of it…
Q: How does an order become a holy order?
Through divine revelation. First of all, with our Order, that was eight or nine years ago, there was a group of people, and this group contained doctors of divinity, priests, medical doctors, psychologists; so on, and so forth, and they evaluated what was considered the necessities and greatest needs of man from a spiritual standpoint and also from a psychological and a sociological standpoint. After we spent about four months, two or three nights a week—long nights too–these weren’t just an hour or two, they were until the wee hours of the morning, discussing the situations of the earth and so forth. Most of these people were all in different types of faiths…and we came up with an idea which would have brought us a church; a new type of church.
Then, after this was formed, they took to the woods. Because that was the time when the work began. And there are a lot of people who, as quick as you say “work”, why then of course you don’t find them anymore. And I went ahead teaching and working under this particular mandate. Also had revelation which taught me and indicated that there was going to be not only a church but there would be other work done. And that new priests would be brought into some form of an order—I didn’t know what at the time.
Just about four years later, after having numerous churches and prayer shrines and prayer missions and so on and so forth, and working with other churches as a missionary, the revelation came. And this was the fact of what the name of the order was really going to be. I thought at the time because it was not specified it was going to be a church possibly, because they didn’t say in that respect, they just gave me the name of it.
So I went to work on this basis until all of a sudden one day somebody hit me over the head and said, look, this is going to be a brotherhood. That’s fine—brotherhood, hmm. So we started to work on that. And this was all progression you see, it was teaching all the time in a progression. But in the meantime at a certain date further revelations came through as to the definition of what the name of the order was and why. And I couldn’t believe it myself, to tell you the truth, because it was so unusual. So I kept very quiet. And a very unusual thing happened. There were two men with me, both of them ministers of another church. They were probably the most talkative people in the world, both of them were. And I couldn’t understand at the time why it should be demonstrated in front of them. But the strange thing was, they accepted it as if it was a genuine revelation.
So I said fine and dandy and I put it in a folder and I went over it and let it go at that. Went to work; after all, there was a lot of work ahead. The prayer shrine worked, we worked on the street, we went through the riots, we went through various thins, and all the time the thing was growing, growing, growing, growing, growing. That is, the name was growing. So after that we started to pick up members and we started a brotherhood, which we thought at first—even after I was told, I thought at first it might be part of the church…but then all of a sudden it hit and an outright statement was made. And I didn’t say a word. Just about that same time, the nine brothers that were in there said, “Look, we want an order. We’ve gone this far; why should we stop now? The order is the thing that will do it.” I said, “Interesting”. So we started and we sat down and we spent several weeks forming up what later became the very foundation and incorporate papers of a new order, along with a code of brotherhood, and so forth. And this went into Sacramento [October 23, 1967] and — we functioned first without it, of course, and we found that it couldn’t go the route without it, without the legal “schmegal”, as my friend says over here. And so we put through the order and we went to work on it. [This was the Order of Man, an amendment to the charter of the Science of Man, not the HOOM].
It then started to grow immediately, just as quick as those papers came back — boom! It was 1, 2, 3, 4, they started coming in, one right after another, people that we never solicited — and never have all the way through.
Right about that same time I was given the ordination work. Mother was ordained … in the prayer shrine. I figured, h’m that’s strange; why do they want me … (a passing fire truck drowned out the next words)… be alright, you know. Well, that wasn’t it at all. Here it was, it was laid right in our lap. She was mother of an order. And this is a very ancient rite, because usually this doesn’t exist. It doesn’t exist in the Catholic orders at all, but it did in the ancient rites. There was always a mother of the order.
So I said, fine, this is progressing right along. And then, if I remember right — who was the first one that the ordination ceremonies and the sacraments started coming through..
And I couldn’t understand at first, because nobody said anything, and my being cautious, I wanted some proof of this thing. Here I was setting up an order, holy order, and I didn’t have any proof, you know? And I knew it had to have proof in order to live, because it must be brought. The revolutions — the revelations (that bring about the revolution, you know) the revelations have to be proven out. Well then, finally that came…And I said, well, I can’t rebel against the divine edict. I can’t do that. And they kept boffing me over the head with this and that and the other thing, all the way down the line, you see. So I got to the point where I said to — alright, so what. I’m here and I’ve got the mission, and I know it. And of course I knew that years and years ago, that the teachings of the New Testament and science had to be taught together in order to bring the unification and peace to the world. I knew this.
I was also informed long before the order was ordained that there would be a world congress in this country which would unify the countries of the world. This I was informed of, and a number of other things. And then there were other things came that were proven by the actual acts, things that nobody knew about…
And then I started checking back into some of the old records, and lo and behold, I found that no priest in the old days ever served communion or any of the rituals without having two sisters. And I had been rebelling against sisters right along, because I wasn’t going to get into that at all. Well, I didn’t have much choice, I got into it, you can just bet. And here it was, it came out of the records and what it really was. And one of those people, the first one to come in and work with us, had been a priest before and really knew it. And they’re still around. But this was a constant change-and-proof, change-and-proof, change-and-proof, all kinds of things of this nature. This is going to be written one of these days, because I have notes on it. And when the revelation is proven, then you go to work on the basis of it.
In the corporation papers themselves, it declares the divinity of revelation, you see. That is the State corporate papers. You’ve probably all heard them, I imagine, sometime or other, haven’t you? … Well, we’ll swing that. You see, these are the originals. …
This is the State seal, you see, of California. These are right out of Sacramento, and I’ll read the first paragraph. Primarily the first bit of it is the essential part, the primary purpose: “The specific and primary purpose for which this corporation is formed are the worship of God and the service to God, the great Creative Force of this universe, to preserve the ancient Christian wisdom teachings for the coming generation, as they were taught in ancient of days. This is to fulfill a mission revealed by the higher Order of the Holy Cross.” Revealed by them, you see. Now don’t get that mixed up: “through revelation.” We declared it right in the legal papers.
“Further purposes of this corporation are, to teach and prepare student ministers, lay brothers, lay sisters, for counseling and administering through the seminary for the service of God, by teaching all that was taught by the Master Jesus and other great Masters before him, for the preparation of a full and perfect balance of body, mind and soul.
“To teach Christ without dogmatism or creedal stand. To serve all man for Christ, thus bringing about a world brotherhood, which is the love of God working through man for his brother. To publish and print Truth, establish brotherhouses, seminaries, missions, youth guidance centers, and clinics.” Boy, were we lucky when we got by with that one. “To defend with peace and light the right, according to the word of the New Testament. We are defenders of the Truth.”
Now that was written before that final little gismo came in, about the knights. “To have a holy order of vowed Brothers and Sisters seeking illumination and the realization of God, and are vowed into the service of God, under the Order of Melchizedek, on an apostolic mission of divine origin.” (inaudible question) That’s right. Took me three hours to get it through Sacramento.
“It is also accepted that there is but one world Holy Order of Mans.”
And then the rest of it is the legal jargon which is necessary for a, you know, non-profit corporation. But that’s the premise. Here are the fourteen people that established it. Some of them are still here, believe it or not: Swanson, Wheatley, Harris, Fuchs, Dr. Sam, Anderson, Canright — one of the charter members. I don’t know how we got that.
Well, I wanted to show you that this isn’t something just that a bunch of people got together and said we’re going to have, no. We went through all the kind of shenanigans you could think of, and a lot more. And sometimes, it just boiled down to almost — we wondered. But always right at the time when we wondered, then something happened, as you remember. And it was just a miracle. [to be continued]
Sacraments in the Life of an Initiate:
This is a very general and rough sketch of the Sacraments. Sacraments are tools used by a truly ordained priest or minister to bring the recipient to a more purified and ennobled conscious life. Sacraments were not originated by a church nor any earthly authority. They were the revealed form and pattern from the Hosts above.
Sacramental initiation is not merely tradition nor pious ceremony. In reality the sacraments used by the Science of Man are certain combinations of prayers, lights, incense and other increments all designed to move the creative powers of the Nameless One and bring down the Spirit energy to the benefit of the recipient. The giving and receiving of the sacraments has an uplifting effect upon the planet, a blessing for all who will receive the Christ.
The sacraments are a means for the grace, which means a free gift from God, to be brought to you. The Science of Man uses these sacraments:
- Baptism: Opening of the inner being. Preparation for the Illumination.
- Communion: Transmutation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
- Confession: Used when requested. Releasing of negative vibration, sin, to the priest and receiving full forgiveness.
- Mass of the Christos: Sealing of Christ light into the body, which is the initiation of Illumination.
- Marriage: Unity of God—man—woman.
- Holy Orders: Taking vows as in the ordination of a minister or priest.
- Extreme Unction: Last rites for those approaching transition. Preparation for life in the other world.
Tree of Life Lesson: LOVE I
LOVE is a source of power, though it of itself has no power. Love is the reciprocal action of give and take. Love creates a vacuum that necessitates reaction. Remember, Nature abhors a vacuum, but Nature does not repel love. Nature merely says that if we love — we must be loved.
The Creator naturally loves his creation, and this love keeps the creation satisfied, in all of its many facets of Life.
Jesus said, “if you love me, keep my commandments.” Now we see that the requirement of loving Jesus is the keeping of his commandments. All of his words and sayings are his commandments, and as we grow in Love, we automatically shall keep every one of them.
THE LAW OF LOVE
Love is a part of the Law, the Law that runs the Universe. Love is a divine attribute, having its origin in the act of creation. The creation must automatically manifest it, since the creation is nothing more than the materialized substance of the Creator.
Therefore Truth says divine Love always is, always has, and divine Love always will supply our every need.
Love is functional in the Law. It is the generator by which Law works — as we have said, the source of Power.
RIVER OF LIFE Love is also the River of Life that flows from the throne of God.
Without Love, we cannot see God, for we have to reach to God, the act of Love, to see The Creator, as the Creator functions through love action.
LOVE — BIBLICAL REFERENCES
In Psalms 31, verse 23, “Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, but abundantly requites him who acts haughtily.” Because it is the Lord of Love who preserves the faithful.”
In John 15, verse 17: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” In loving one another, we love the Creator, for the Creator is present in each and every one of us.
Love necessitates giving and sharing, without hope of reward, as we see in John 3, verse 16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believed in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
In John 4, verse 19: “We love, because He first loved us.” We see here that our Love is the result of the Creator’s Love, and the manifestation of all our love is nothing more than the effect of God loving all His creation.
In Romans 8, verse 35: “Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Paul desired to know who was able to separate us from the Love of God — the only answer to that question is we ourselves. Because we are more than conquerors through him that loved us, and neither death, nor Life, nor angels, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all Creation will be able to separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In Romans 13, verse 10: “Love does no wrong to a
neighbor, therefore Love is the fulfilling of the Law.”
The night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of Light, and we will demonstrate Love.
In I John 4, verse 18: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love.”
In Galatians 5, verse 22: “But the fruit of the Spirit is Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faitfulness.
In Ephesians I, verse 5: “He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His
will.”
In I Corinthians 13, verse 13: “So faith, hope, love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is Love.”
In I Corinthians 13, verse 1: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not Love, I am a noisy gong, or a clanging cymbal.”
In I Corinthians 8, verse 3: “But if one loves God, one is know by Him.” Here again that love of God — he has knowledge of God.
LOVE THROUGH KNOWING
Love of the Creation gives us knowledge of the Creation. Love of man gives us knowledge of man. It is spiritually correct to say that we cannot know anything without loving it. Love is a controlling factor. It restrains in many instances from doing damage to creation of God, and His Creation as seen in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 14: “for the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all, therefore all have
ITS VALUE Truly Love is a thermostat, and keeps our vehicle of expression well under control.
Let us pray for Love, let us seek Love, and when we receive it, let us exercise it, let us hold fast to it.
For it is a precious stone, a valuable part of our functioning here.
Jesus said in John 15, verse 5: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love.” So Jesus stated that he loved mankind in the same respect and regard and in the same manner as the Creator loved it. This is the secret of true loving.
It is not something that is simply there to be used, but it is something we ourselves create, through proper use of Universal Mind.
GOD LOVE The Creator creates the creation, and in turn, the creation continually recreates the Creator.
This is the Father Mother God having divine activity of give and take, within its own androgynous Being. This is Love expressed cosmically.
In reality, this is what man and woman experience sexually on the individual level.
This, too, is an expression of the divine Will of the Father.Whether it is expressed physically, mentally, spiritually, or materially, it is never sinful, but always virtuous.
Our prayer for you is that you allow the Love of God to be shed abroad in your heart in perfect peace.
“So abundant and novel are the objects of interest in a pure wilderness that unless you are pursuing special studies it matters little where you go, or how often to the same place. Wherever you chance to be always seems at the moment of all places the best; and you feel that there can be no happiness in this world or in any other for those who may not be happy here.”
― John Muir, Travels in Alaska