Montsegur Day

On the 16th March 1244, approximately 220 Cathars and their defenders were marched out of their stronghold, Montsegur Castle, were gathered into a nearby field, and were burned by the Catholic Crusaders.

The act, akin perhaps to an idea of 13th century terrorism, puts some context around the words of the Collect for today, from the Ecclesia Gnostica Lectionary:

Remember them, O Lord in Thy kingdom. The faithful who did not adore the Beast and whom the Beast has slain. The faithful who served Thee because they could do no other, who lived in an age when the right to seek Thee was bought with their lives. Remember those who gave more than they could, more indeed than they possessed; more then they ever should have given. They could do no other. Mercy, Lord on all the burned ones of this world. Mercy on all who loved beyond this world. On all who have loved. On all who have had some true thing to love.
Amen.

http://www.gnosis.org/ecclesia/lect124.htm


The Cathars were dualists, and for as much as we can make sense of the scant historical record of their existence, we understand that they saw the world, that arises, exists and passes away as the realm of the Satan, distinct from the realm of spirit, as immutable, unchangeable, that to which we long towards, that to which we will return, the indivisible Godhead.

While there is mitigated and absolute Catharism, the implied dichotomy of darkened world versus the realm of light puts me in mind of John's Gospel and Nicodemus visiting Jesus in the night and learning:

(John 3:6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

http://www.latinvulgate.com/verse.aspx?t=1&b=4&c=3

The principle that Jesus quotes to Nicodemus promises that a renewal of life in adulthood is possible, and in Christianity this is the process of adult Baptism. In Jungian psychotherapy, this is achieved through the process of individuation, by finding the gold that is life purpose and orienting all life energy, all Flow, in harmony with it's course.

As an aside, one other principle that the Cathars held that I've recently read of is that Mary gave birth to Jesus 'adombrad' - neither adding, nor subtracting to his Being, rather providing a pure container, a vessel, a clear environment, in which the Christ could seek nurturance into life.

Allowing the purity of the Light to shine forth,
neither seeking to impose, or influence,
rather,
heeding the Call,
as presented.