The Mariavite Rule
of the Societas Sacerdotalis Mariae Vitae (SSMV)
Blessing of St. Francis (1226):
May whoever observes all this be filled in heaven with the blessing of the most high Father, and on earth with that of his beloved Son, together with the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
The Rule of Life
Chapter 1
The Mariavite family, as one among many spiritual families raised up by the Holy Spirit in the Church, unites all who seek to know the Truth, and thus thirst after God, who recognize that they are called to follow the Logos, Jesus Christ in the footsteps of the Holy Sophia, Mary, most particularly taking the example of the Life of Mary Herself, and that of Blessed Francis of Assisi, Blessed Maria Franciszka of Poland, the saints of Carmel, the saints of the Gnosis and the Holy Messengers of Light in every age. In various ways and forms but in life-giving union with each other, they intend to make immanent the Spirit of Mary Sophia, Her Son Jesus Christ and their devoted child Francis in the life and mission of the Church.
Chapter 2
The Society consists of initiate fraters and sorors, prefects and Mothers and Fathers, led by the Spirit of Truth, who strive for perfect freedom, noetic awareness and charity in their own lives. By their profession they pledge themselves to pursue the holy light of gnosis in a manner and upon a path inspired and informed principally by the example of the Holy Sophia Mary, and secondly, by Saint Francis through means of this rule.
Chapter 3
The present rule, succeeding prior Franciscan rules, such as "Memoriale Propositi" (1221) and the rules approved by the Roman Pontiffs Nicholas IV and Leo XIII, constitutes the Holy Rule of the Societas Sacerdotalis Mariae Vitae, also called the Priestly Society of the Life of Mary, or even more simply, the Mariavite Society. This rule is derivative of the Franciscan charism, conforming to the needs of her members and expectations of the Holy Gnostic, Catholic and Apostolic Church in the conditions of changing times and the progressive revelation of the Aeons and Ages.
This Rule is a discipline conducive of noetic apperception and is operative reparation for the inquisitorial sins of those children of Francis who persecuted the Righteous. Its interpretation belongs to the Society and its application may be made by General Constitutions and particular statutes.
The Way of Life
Chapter 4
The rule and life of the Mariavites is this: to observe the Gospel of the Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, by following the example of Christ, and the earthly life of the Holy Sophia Mary and the inspiration of Blessed Francis of Assisi, Blessed Maria Franciszka of Poland, the Carmelite and Gnostic Saints who made Christ the inspiration and the center of a life with God and people.
Sophia overshadowed Mary with Her Holy Spirit, and the two were united, and together became one, and brought forth the Word, the Christ, who is the gift of the Father’s love, and is the way to the Pleroma, the Fullness, the Truth into which the Holy Spirit leads us, and the life which the Word has come to show us that we might live it abundantly.
Mariavites should devote themselves especially to careful study and living of the Gospel Light as revealed in the life of the Word in Christ Jesus, and in imitation of the life of the Wisdom in Sophia Mary, and in the progressive revelation of Truth throughout the ages, going from Gospel to life and life to the Fullness.
Chapter 5
Mariavites, therefore, should seek to encounter the living and active Divine Light in their brothers and sisters, in Sacred Scriptures, in the hidden traditions of the Gnosis, and in liturgical and theurgical activity, thereby coming into the knowledge that they are to be Christ in the world and for the world. They are to seek Holy Wisdom so as to enflesh the Holy Word, laboring so that the world will be transformed and restored to the Fullness.
The Mariavites, should take nourishment for their souls and contemplative refuge within the Most Sacred Heart of Mary, and in the study and contemplation of the life of Mary of Nazareth, the Most Holy Sophia, who in giving her “Fiat,” became the Temple and Altar of the Word, the Supreme Athanor for the transformation of the entire world. The Mariavites, therefore, are to seek the Holy Word so as to enflesh the Holy Sophia, that is the Holy Wisdom, further laboring to give birth to the Word so that the world will be transformed and restored to the Fullness.
To these ends, the life of Blessed Maria Franciszka of Poland, the first Mariavite, and of Blessed Francis, also, who often said “I see nothing bodily of the Most High Son of God in this world except his most holy body and blood,” the lives of the Carmelite saints, and the examples of the holy saints of the Gnosis should be an inspiration and pattern of their Eucharistic and mystical life.
Chapter 6
They have been made living members of the Church by being buried and raised with Christ in baptism and chrismation; they have been united more intimately with the Church by profession, and some by apolutrosis. Therefore, they should go forth as witnesses and instruments of the Gnosis among all people, proclaiming Christ, the Word, and Mary, the Wisdom, by their life and words.
Called like Francis and Maria Franciszka to rebuild the Church by living a life of true holiness and service, and inspired by their example, let them devote themselves energetically to living in unity and love with their fellows and by fostering an open and trusting dialogue of apostolic effectiveness and creativity.
Chapter 7
United by their vocation as “brothers and sisters of penance,” and motivated by the dynamic power of the Gospel, let them conform their thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by means of that radical interior change which the Gospel itself calls “conversion.” Human frailty makes it necessary that this conversion be carried out daily.
On this road to renewal the sacrament of reconciliation is a privileged sign of the Father’s mercy and the source of grace, and so, the Mariavites should avail themselves of this sacrament.
Chapter 8
As Jesus and Mary are true children of the Mother Trinity, so let prayer and contemplation be the soul of all that the Mariavites do and are.
Let them participate in the sacramental life of the Church, above all in the Holy Mass and in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Let them join in liturgical and paraliturgical prayer in one of the forms proposed by the traditions of the Church, reliving the mysteries of the lives of Mary Sophia and of Christ, and especially, in respect to the ability of each of the Society, let there be a perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, in every temple where Mariavites of sufficient number gather.
Moreover, ancient disciplines of prayer and fasting should be the life giving sustenance of the Mariavites. Hence, traditional fast rules, either Western or Eastern, should be observed where practicable, with a further preference given to simplicity and moderation of consumption as the norm, though appreciating the gifts of bounty where present.
Chapter 9
The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Sophia, humble servant of the Fullness, was open to Our Lord’s mission, and Sophia’s call to Her. Yet it was Her sustaining strength and wisdom which nurtured Our Lord and aided in the consummation of His Sacrifice and Victory.
Our Lady was embraced by Francis with indescribable love and declared the protectoress and advocate of his family. The Mariavites should express their ardent love for Her by imitating Her strength and self-giving love, and by praying earnestly and confidently.
Chapter 10
United themselves to the redemptive will of Jesus, Who was born from our Mother's womb, and Who placed His will into the Secret Father’s hands, let them faithfully fulfill the duties proper to their various circumstances of life. Let them also follow the poor and crucified Christ, and witness to Him and His Mother even in difficulties and persecutions.
Chapter 11
Trusting in the Divine Light, both Mary and Jesus chose for Themselves a poor and humble life, even though each valued created things attentively and lovingly. Let the Mariavites seek a proper spirit of detachment from temporal goods by simplifying their own material needs. Let them be mindful that according to the Gospel they are stewards of the goods received for the benefit of God’s children.
Thus, in the spirit of “the Beatitudes,” and as pilgrims and strangers on their way to the home of the Mother of All, they should strive to purify their hearts from every tendency and yearning for possession and power.
Chapter 12
Witnessing to the good yet to come and obliged to acquire purity of heart because of the vocation they have embraced, they should set themselves free to love God and their brothers and sisters, for this is Perfect Freedom.
Chapter 13
Each is born from the same Mother of All, and the Secret Father sees in every person the features of Himself, for each is His child. So the Mariavites with a gentle and courteous spirit accept all people as a gift of the Lord and Our Lady, and an image of the Christ, the Divine One.
A sense of community will make them joyful and ready to place themselves on an equal basis with all people, especially with those who suffer, for whom they shall strive to create conditions of life worthy of people shown the path of restoration and reintegration into the Divine Light of the Fullness.
Chapter 14
Mariavites, together with all people of good will, are called to build a more fraternal and evangelical world so that the Sovereign Realm of the Divine may be brought about more effectively. Mindful that anyone who follows Jesus, the perfect man, and Mary the perfect woman, becomes more of a man or woman him or herself, let them exercise their responsibilities competently in the Christian spirit of service.
Chapter 15
Let them individually and collectively be in the forefront in promoting justice by the testimony of their human lives and their courageous initiatives. Especially in the field of public life, they should make definite choices in harmony with the peace of the Fullness.
Chapter 16
Let them esteem work and craft both as a gift and as a sharing in the creation, restoration, and service of the human community.
Chapter 17
Let them esteem scholarship and humble curiosity as a gift from the Most High, and as a calling to contemplate and embrace the mysteries of creation, and to use knowledge toward service of the human community and the restoration of the world to the Fullness.
Chapter 18
In their family they should cultivate the Mariavite spirit of peace, fidelity, and respect for life, striving to make of it a sign of a world already renewed in Christ.
Those living the grace of parenthood, in particular, should bear witness in the world to the love of Mary for all of Her Children. They should joyfully accompany their children on their human and spiritual journey by providing a thorough and open-minded education and being attentive to the needs and gifts of each child.
Chapter 19
Moreover they should respect all creatures, animate and inanimate, which “bear the imprint of the Most High,” and they should strive to move from the temptation of exploiting creation to the blessing of universal kinship.
Chapter 20
Mindful that they are bearers of peace, which must be built up unceasingly, they should seek out ways of unity and fraternal harmony through dialogue, trusting in the presence of the Divine seed in everyone and in the transforming power of love and pardon.
Like Mary, they should be messengers of perfect joy and consolation in every circumstance, they should strive to bring joy and hope to others.
Since they are immersed in the Assumption of Mary and the Resurrection of Christ, which gives true meaning to Sister Death, let them serenely tend toward the ultimate encounter with the Secret Father, and the most ancient Mother of All.
Life In Fraternity
Chapter 21
The Mariavite Society is to be divided into Cenacles. Each of these are to be coordinated and united according to the norm of this rule and of any applicable statutes.
Chapter 22
On various levels, each cenacle is animated and guided by a council and Magister, or Magistra, who are nominated by the professed, or appointed by the prerogative of the Magistry Council, or by such other means determined by the statutes.
Their service, which lasts for a definite period, is marked by a ready and willing spirit and is a duty of responsibility to each member, professed or otherwise, and to the community.
Within themselves the cenacles are to be structured in different ways according to the norm of the rule, the limitation of applicable statutes, and according to the various needs of their members and their regions, and under the guidance of their respective council.
Chapter 23
The Cenacle is to be established in accordance with the rule and statutes. It becomes the basic unit of the whole Society and a visible sign of the Church, the community of love. This should be the privileged place for developing a sense of Church and the Mariavite vocation and for enlivening the apostolic life of its members. The name of the Cenacle is chosen by its members and approved by the Magistry Council.
Chapter 24
Requests for admission to the Mariavite Society must be presented to the Cenacle maintaining local governance, whose council decides upon the acceptance of new members.
Admission into the Society is gradually attained through a time of initiation, a period of formation, and acceptance or profession of the rule. The entire community is engaged in this process of growth by its own manner of living. The age for profession and the distinctive Mariavite sign, the distinctives of initiation, and the disinctives of membership are regulated by the statutes.
Initiation into the Society is based upon personal and complete Consecration to Mary the Holy Sophia, and is characterized by the placing of the initiate under the mantle of Her protection and on the path of Her guidance and in imitation of Her.
Profession by its nature is a firm commitment to this consecrated life and to the Mariavite Rule. Professed members make an avowed commitment of total, unlimited and perfect consecration to Mary and to live according to the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience.
Members who accept and wish to live according to the spirit of the Society and this rule, but who do not wish to profess vows pursuant to the rule, may become associate members of the Society and any local cenacle in accordance with the statutes.
Members who find themselves in particular difficulties should discuss their problems with the council in fraternal dialogue.
Withdrawal or permanent dismissal from the Society, if necessary, is an act of the cenacle council according to the norm of the rule and applicable statutes.
Chapter 25
To foster communion among members, the council should organize regular and frequent meetings of the community as well as meeting with other Mariavite groups as appropriate. It should adopt appropriate means for growth in Mariavite and ecclesial life and encourage everyone to a life of fraternity. This communion continues with deceased fraters and sorors through prayer for them.
Chapter 26
Regarding expenses necessary for the life of the cenacle and the needs of worship and theurgy, of the apostolate, and of charity, all the fraters and sorors should offer a contribution according to their means, and in accord with the statutes. Local cenacles should contribute toward the expenses of the higher councils in accord with the statutes.
Chapter 27
As a concrete sign of communion and co-responsibility, the councils on various levels, in keeping with the constitutions, shall ask for suitable and well-prepared clerics for spiritual assistance. They may call forth from their ranks such persons who they deem admirable and worthy, and submit them to the Ordinary, or request the sending of clerical assistance from the Ordinary.
To promote fidelity to the charism as well as observance of the rule and to receive greater support in the life of the cenacle, the magistra or magister, with the consent of the council, should take care to ask for a regular pastoral visit by the competent religious superiors as well as for a fraternal visit from those of the higher cenacles, or councils, according to the norm of the rule and the statutes.
Appendix A
The Ancient Prologue: Exhortation of St. Francis to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance (circa 1210-1215)
* Concerning Those Who Do Penance
All who love the Lord with their whole heart, with their whole soul and
mind, with all their strength, and love their neighbors as themselves and
hate their bodies with their vices and sins, and receive the Body and
Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and produce worthy fruits of penance.
Oh, how happy and blessed are these men and women when they do these
things and persevere in doing them, because “the spirit of the Lord will
rest upon them” and he will make “his home and dwelling among them”, and
they are the sons of the heavenly Father, whose works they do, and they
are the spouses, brothers, and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are spouses, when by the Holy Spirit the faithful soul is united with
our Lord Jesus Christ, we are brothers to him when we fulfill “the will
of the Father who is in heaven”.
We are mothers, when we carry him in our heart and body through divine
love and a pure and sincere conscience; we give birth to him through a
holy life which must give light to others by example.
Oh, how glorious it is to have a great and holy Father in heaven! Oh how
glorious it is to have such a beautiful and admirable Spouse, the Holy
Paraclete.
Oh, how glorious it is to have such a Brother and such a Son, loved,
beloved, humble, peaceful, sweet, lovable, and desirable above all: Our
Lord Jesus Christ, who gave up his life for his sheep and prayed to the
Father saying:
“Oh holy Father, protect them with your name whom you gave me out of the
world. I entrusted to them the message you entrusted to me and they
received it. They have known that in truth I came from you, they have
believed that it was you who sent me. For these I pray, not for the
world. Bless and consecrate them, and I consecrate myself for their
sakes. I do not pray for them alone; I pray also for those who will
believe in me through their word that they may be holy by being one as we
are. And I desire, Father, to have them in my company where I am to see
this glory of mine in your kingdom.”
* Concerning Those Who Do Not Do Penance
But all those men and women who are not doing penance and do not receive
the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and live in vices and sin and
yield to evil concupiscence and to the wicked desires of the flesh, and
do not observe what they have promised to the Lord, and are slaves to the
world, in their bodies, by carnal desires and the anxieties and cares of
this life.
These are blind, because they do not see the true light, our Lord Jesus
Christ; they do not have spiritual wisdom because they do not have the
Son of God who is the true wisdom of the Father. Concerning them, it is
said, “Their skill was swallowed up” and “cursed are those who turn away
from your commands”. They see and acknowledge, they know and do bad
things and knowingly destroy their own souls.
See, you who are blind, deceived by your enemies, the world, the flesh
and the devil, for it is pleasant to the body to commit sin and it is
bitter to make it serve God because all vices and sins come out and
“proceed from the heart of man” as the Lord says in the Gospel. And you
have nothing in this world and in the next, and you thought you would
possess the vanities of this world for a long time.
But you have been deceived, for the day and the hour will come to which
you give no thought and which you do not know and of which you are
ignorant. The body grows infirm, death approaches, and so it dies a
bitter death, and no matter where or when or how man dies, in the guilt
of sin, without penance or satisfaction, though he can make satisfaction
but does not do it.
The devil snatches the soul from his body with such anguish and
tribulation that no one can know it except he who endures it, and all the
talents and power and “knowledge and wisdom” which they thought they had
will be taken away from them, and they leave their goods to relatives and
friends who take and divide them and say afterwards, “Cursed be his soul
because he could have given us more, he could have acquired more than he
did.” The worms eat up the body and so they have lost body and soul
during this short earthly life and will go into the inferno where they
will suffer torture without end.
All those into whose hands this letter shall have come we ask in the
charity that is God to accept kindly and with divine love the fragrant
words of our Lord Jesus Christ quoted above. And let those who do not
know how to read have them read to them.
And may they keep them in their mind and carry them out, in a holy manner
to the end, because they are “spirit and life”.
And those who will not do this will have to render “an account on the day
of judgement” before the tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Appendix B
Mariavites should strive to follow a rule of daily life aptly summarized as Five Precepts for daily discipline:
1. Devotion: Eucharistic devotion through frequent communion, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, taking the sacrament to the sick and infirm, and daily devotion to Our Lady and Lord through prayer and sacramentals, and the recitation some approved form of daily office, at least diurnally.
2. Rule: Living according to the Mariavite Rule.
3. Service: Assisting those in need.
4. Study: Frequent study of Mariology, Sophiology, esotericism and the promotion of the Mariavite Gnostic tradition.
5. Consecration: Consecrationis Imitatio Mariae Vitae—living a life in consecration to and imitation of Mary.
of the Societas Sacerdotalis Mariae Vitae (SSMV)
Blessing of St. Francis (1226):
May whoever observes all this be filled in heaven with the blessing of the most high Father, and on earth with that of his beloved Son, together with the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
The Rule of Life
Chapter 1
The Mariavite family, as one among many spiritual families raised up by the Holy Spirit in the Church, unites all who seek to know the Truth, and thus thirst after God, who recognize that they are called to follow the Logos, Jesus Christ in the footsteps of the Holy Sophia, Mary, most particularly taking the example of the Life of Mary Herself, and that of Blessed Francis of Assisi, Blessed Maria Franciszka of Poland, the saints of Carmel, the saints of the Gnosis and the Holy Messengers of Light in every age. In various ways and forms but in life-giving union with each other, they intend to make immanent the Spirit of Mary Sophia, Her Son Jesus Christ and their devoted child Francis in the life and mission of the Church.
Chapter 2
The Society consists of initiate fraters and sorors, prefects and Mothers and Fathers, led by the Spirit of Truth, who strive for perfect freedom, noetic awareness and charity in their own lives. By their profession they pledge themselves to pursue the holy light of gnosis in a manner and upon a path inspired and informed principally by the example of the Holy Sophia Mary, and secondly, by Saint Francis through means of this rule.
Chapter 3
The present rule, succeeding prior Franciscan rules, such as "Memoriale Propositi" (1221) and the rules approved by the Roman Pontiffs Nicholas IV and Leo XIII, constitutes the Holy Rule of the Societas Sacerdotalis Mariae Vitae, also called the Priestly Society of the Life of Mary, or even more simply, the Mariavite Society. This rule is derivative of the Franciscan charism, conforming to the needs of her members and expectations of the Holy Gnostic, Catholic and Apostolic Church in the conditions of changing times and the progressive revelation of the Aeons and Ages.
This Rule is a discipline conducive of noetic apperception and is operative reparation for the inquisitorial sins of those children of Francis who persecuted the Righteous. Its interpretation belongs to the Society and its application may be made by General Constitutions and particular statutes.
The Way of Life
Chapter 4
The rule and life of the Mariavites is this: to observe the Gospel of the Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, by following the example of Christ, and the earthly life of the Holy Sophia Mary and the inspiration of Blessed Francis of Assisi, Blessed Maria Franciszka of Poland, the Carmelite and Gnostic Saints who made Christ the inspiration and the center of a life with God and people.
Sophia overshadowed Mary with Her Holy Spirit, and the two were united, and together became one, and brought forth the Word, the Christ, who is the gift of the Father’s love, and is the way to the Pleroma, the Fullness, the Truth into which the Holy Spirit leads us, and the life which the Word has come to show us that we might live it abundantly.
Mariavites should devote themselves especially to careful study and living of the Gospel Light as revealed in the life of the Word in Christ Jesus, and in imitation of the life of the Wisdom in Sophia Mary, and in the progressive revelation of Truth throughout the ages, going from Gospel to life and life to the Fullness.
Chapter 5
Mariavites, therefore, should seek to encounter the living and active Divine Light in their brothers and sisters, in Sacred Scriptures, in the hidden traditions of the Gnosis, and in liturgical and theurgical activity, thereby coming into the knowledge that they are to be Christ in the world and for the world. They are to seek Holy Wisdom so as to enflesh the Holy Word, laboring so that the world will be transformed and restored to the Fullness.
The Mariavites, should take nourishment for their souls and contemplative refuge within the Most Sacred Heart of Mary, and in the study and contemplation of the life of Mary of Nazareth, the Most Holy Sophia, who in giving her “Fiat,” became the Temple and Altar of the Word, the Supreme Athanor for the transformation of the entire world. The Mariavites, therefore, are to seek the Holy Word so as to enflesh the Holy Sophia, that is the Holy Wisdom, further laboring to give birth to the Word so that the world will be transformed and restored to the Fullness.
To these ends, the life of Blessed Maria Franciszka of Poland, the first Mariavite, and of Blessed Francis, also, who often said “I see nothing bodily of the Most High Son of God in this world except his most holy body and blood,” the lives of the Carmelite saints, and the examples of the holy saints of the Gnosis should be an inspiration and pattern of their Eucharistic and mystical life.
Chapter 6
They have been made living members of the Church by being buried and raised with Christ in baptism and chrismation; they have been united more intimately with the Church by profession, and some by apolutrosis. Therefore, they should go forth as witnesses and instruments of the Gnosis among all people, proclaiming Christ, the Word, and Mary, the Wisdom, by their life and words.
Called like Francis and Maria Franciszka to rebuild the Church by living a life of true holiness and service, and inspired by their example, let them devote themselves energetically to living in unity and love with their fellows and by fostering an open and trusting dialogue of apostolic effectiveness and creativity.
Chapter 7
United by their vocation as “brothers and sisters of penance,” and motivated by the dynamic power of the Gospel, let them conform their thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by means of that radical interior change which the Gospel itself calls “conversion.” Human frailty makes it necessary that this conversion be carried out daily.
On this road to renewal the sacrament of reconciliation is a privileged sign of the Father’s mercy and the source of grace, and so, the Mariavites should avail themselves of this sacrament.
Chapter 8
As Jesus and Mary are true children of the Mother Trinity, so let prayer and contemplation be the soul of all that the Mariavites do and are.
Let them participate in the sacramental life of the Church, above all in the Holy Mass and in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Let them join in liturgical and paraliturgical prayer in one of the forms proposed by the traditions of the Church, reliving the mysteries of the lives of Mary Sophia and of Christ, and especially, in respect to the ability of each of the Society, let there be a perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, in every temple where Mariavites of sufficient number gather.
Moreover, ancient disciplines of prayer and fasting should be the life giving sustenance of the Mariavites. Hence, traditional fast rules, either Western or Eastern, should be observed where practicable, with a further preference given to simplicity and moderation of consumption as the norm, though appreciating the gifts of bounty where present.
Chapter 9
The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Sophia, humble servant of the Fullness, was open to Our Lord’s mission, and Sophia’s call to Her. Yet it was Her sustaining strength and wisdom which nurtured Our Lord and aided in the consummation of His Sacrifice and Victory.
Our Lady was embraced by Francis with indescribable love and declared the protectoress and advocate of his family. The Mariavites should express their ardent love for Her by imitating Her strength and self-giving love, and by praying earnestly and confidently.
Chapter 10
United themselves to the redemptive will of Jesus, Who was born from our Mother's womb, and Who placed His will into the Secret Father’s hands, let them faithfully fulfill the duties proper to their various circumstances of life. Let them also follow the poor and crucified Christ, and witness to Him and His Mother even in difficulties and persecutions.
Chapter 11
Trusting in the Divine Light, both Mary and Jesus chose for Themselves a poor and humble life, even though each valued created things attentively and lovingly. Let the Mariavites seek a proper spirit of detachment from temporal goods by simplifying their own material needs. Let them be mindful that according to the Gospel they are stewards of the goods received for the benefit of God’s children.
Thus, in the spirit of “the Beatitudes,” and as pilgrims and strangers on their way to the home of the Mother of All, they should strive to purify their hearts from every tendency and yearning for possession and power.
Chapter 12
Witnessing to the good yet to come and obliged to acquire purity of heart because of the vocation they have embraced, they should set themselves free to love God and their brothers and sisters, for this is Perfect Freedom.
Chapter 13
Each is born from the same Mother of All, and the Secret Father sees in every person the features of Himself, for each is His child. So the Mariavites with a gentle and courteous spirit accept all people as a gift of the Lord and Our Lady, and an image of the Christ, the Divine One.
A sense of community will make them joyful and ready to place themselves on an equal basis with all people, especially with those who suffer, for whom they shall strive to create conditions of life worthy of people shown the path of restoration and reintegration into the Divine Light of the Fullness.
Chapter 14
Mariavites, together with all people of good will, are called to build a more fraternal and evangelical world so that the Sovereign Realm of the Divine may be brought about more effectively. Mindful that anyone who follows Jesus, the perfect man, and Mary the perfect woman, becomes more of a man or woman him or herself, let them exercise their responsibilities competently in the Christian spirit of service.
Chapter 15
Let them individually and collectively be in the forefront in promoting justice by the testimony of their human lives and their courageous initiatives. Especially in the field of public life, they should make definite choices in harmony with the peace of the Fullness.
Chapter 16
Let them esteem work and craft both as a gift and as a sharing in the creation, restoration, and service of the human community.
Chapter 17
Let them esteem scholarship and humble curiosity as a gift from the Most High, and as a calling to contemplate and embrace the mysteries of creation, and to use knowledge toward service of the human community and the restoration of the world to the Fullness.
Chapter 18
In their family they should cultivate the Mariavite spirit of peace, fidelity, and respect for life, striving to make of it a sign of a world already renewed in Christ.
Those living the grace of parenthood, in particular, should bear witness in the world to the love of Mary for all of Her Children. They should joyfully accompany their children on their human and spiritual journey by providing a thorough and open-minded education and being attentive to the needs and gifts of each child.
Chapter 19
Moreover they should respect all creatures, animate and inanimate, which “bear the imprint of the Most High,” and they should strive to move from the temptation of exploiting creation to the blessing of universal kinship.
Chapter 20
Mindful that they are bearers of peace, which must be built up unceasingly, they should seek out ways of unity and fraternal harmony through dialogue, trusting in the presence of the Divine seed in everyone and in the transforming power of love and pardon.
Like Mary, they should be messengers of perfect joy and consolation in every circumstance, they should strive to bring joy and hope to others.
Since they are immersed in the Assumption of Mary and the Resurrection of Christ, which gives true meaning to Sister Death, let them serenely tend toward the ultimate encounter with the Secret Father, and the most ancient Mother of All.
Life In Fraternity
Chapter 21
The Mariavite Society is to be divided into Cenacles. Each of these are to be coordinated and united according to the norm of this rule and of any applicable statutes.
Chapter 22
On various levels, each cenacle is animated and guided by a council and Magister, or Magistra, who are nominated by the professed, or appointed by the prerogative of the Magistry Council, or by such other means determined by the statutes.
Their service, which lasts for a definite period, is marked by a ready and willing spirit and is a duty of responsibility to each member, professed or otherwise, and to the community.
Within themselves the cenacles are to be structured in different ways according to the norm of the rule, the limitation of applicable statutes, and according to the various needs of their members and their regions, and under the guidance of their respective council.
Chapter 23
The Cenacle is to be established in accordance with the rule and statutes. It becomes the basic unit of the whole Society and a visible sign of the Church, the community of love. This should be the privileged place for developing a sense of Church and the Mariavite vocation and for enlivening the apostolic life of its members. The name of the Cenacle is chosen by its members and approved by the Magistry Council.
Chapter 24
Requests for admission to the Mariavite Society must be presented to the Cenacle maintaining local governance, whose council decides upon the acceptance of new members.
Admission into the Society is gradually attained through a time of initiation, a period of formation, and acceptance or profession of the rule. The entire community is engaged in this process of growth by its own manner of living. The age for profession and the distinctive Mariavite sign, the distinctives of initiation, and the disinctives of membership are regulated by the statutes.
Initiation into the Society is based upon personal and complete Consecration to Mary the Holy Sophia, and is characterized by the placing of the initiate under the mantle of Her protection and on the path of Her guidance and in imitation of Her.
Profession by its nature is a firm commitment to this consecrated life and to the Mariavite Rule. Professed members make an avowed commitment of total, unlimited and perfect consecration to Mary and to live according to the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience.
Members who accept and wish to live according to the spirit of the Society and this rule, but who do not wish to profess vows pursuant to the rule, may become associate members of the Society and any local cenacle in accordance with the statutes.
Members who find themselves in particular difficulties should discuss their problems with the council in fraternal dialogue.
Withdrawal or permanent dismissal from the Society, if necessary, is an act of the cenacle council according to the norm of the rule and applicable statutes.
Chapter 25
To foster communion among members, the council should organize regular and frequent meetings of the community as well as meeting with other Mariavite groups as appropriate. It should adopt appropriate means for growth in Mariavite and ecclesial life and encourage everyone to a life of fraternity. This communion continues with deceased fraters and sorors through prayer for them.
Chapter 26
Regarding expenses necessary for the life of the cenacle and the needs of worship and theurgy, of the apostolate, and of charity, all the fraters and sorors should offer a contribution according to their means, and in accord with the statutes. Local cenacles should contribute toward the expenses of the higher councils in accord with the statutes.
Chapter 27
As a concrete sign of communion and co-responsibility, the councils on various levels, in keeping with the constitutions, shall ask for suitable and well-prepared clerics for spiritual assistance. They may call forth from their ranks such persons who they deem admirable and worthy, and submit them to the Ordinary, or request the sending of clerical assistance from the Ordinary.
To promote fidelity to the charism as well as observance of the rule and to receive greater support in the life of the cenacle, the magistra or magister, with the consent of the council, should take care to ask for a regular pastoral visit by the competent religious superiors as well as for a fraternal visit from those of the higher cenacles, or councils, according to the norm of the rule and the statutes.
Appendix A
The Ancient Prologue: Exhortation of St. Francis to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance (circa 1210-1215)
* Concerning Those Who Do Penance
All who love the Lord with their whole heart, with their whole soul and
mind, with all their strength, and love their neighbors as themselves and
hate their bodies with their vices and sins, and receive the Body and
Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and produce worthy fruits of penance.
Oh, how happy and blessed are these men and women when they do these
things and persevere in doing them, because “the spirit of the Lord will
rest upon them” and he will make “his home and dwelling among them”, and
they are the sons of the heavenly Father, whose works they do, and they
are the spouses, brothers, and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are spouses, when by the Holy Spirit the faithful soul is united with
our Lord Jesus Christ, we are brothers to him when we fulfill “the will
of the Father who is in heaven”.
We are mothers, when we carry him in our heart and body through divine
love and a pure and sincere conscience; we give birth to him through a
holy life which must give light to others by example.
Oh, how glorious it is to have a great and holy Father in heaven! Oh how
glorious it is to have such a beautiful and admirable Spouse, the Holy
Paraclete.
Oh, how glorious it is to have such a Brother and such a Son, loved,
beloved, humble, peaceful, sweet, lovable, and desirable above all: Our
Lord Jesus Christ, who gave up his life for his sheep and prayed to the
Father saying:
“Oh holy Father, protect them with your name whom you gave me out of the
world. I entrusted to them the message you entrusted to me and they
received it. They have known that in truth I came from you, they have
believed that it was you who sent me. For these I pray, not for the
world. Bless and consecrate them, and I consecrate myself for their
sakes. I do not pray for them alone; I pray also for those who will
believe in me through their word that they may be holy by being one as we
are. And I desire, Father, to have them in my company where I am to see
this glory of mine in your kingdom.”
* Concerning Those Who Do Not Do Penance
But all those men and women who are not doing penance and do not receive
the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and live in vices and sin and
yield to evil concupiscence and to the wicked desires of the flesh, and
do not observe what they have promised to the Lord, and are slaves to the
world, in their bodies, by carnal desires and the anxieties and cares of
this life.
These are blind, because they do not see the true light, our Lord Jesus
Christ; they do not have spiritual wisdom because they do not have the
Son of God who is the true wisdom of the Father. Concerning them, it is
said, “Their skill was swallowed up” and “cursed are those who turn away
from your commands”. They see and acknowledge, they know and do bad
things and knowingly destroy their own souls.
See, you who are blind, deceived by your enemies, the world, the flesh
and the devil, for it is pleasant to the body to commit sin and it is
bitter to make it serve God because all vices and sins come out and
“proceed from the heart of man” as the Lord says in the Gospel. And you
have nothing in this world and in the next, and you thought you would
possess the vanities of this world for a long time.
But you have been deceived, for the day and the hour will come to which
you give no thought and which you do not know and of which you are
ignorant. The body grows infirm, death approaches, and so it dies a
bitter death, and no matter where or when or how man dies, in the guilt
of sin, without penance or satisfaction, though he can make satisfaction
but does not do it.
The devil snatches the soul from his body with such anguish and
tribulation that no one can know it except he who endures it, and all the
talents and power and “knowledge and wisdom” which they thought they had
will be taken away from them, and they leave their goods to relatives and
friends who take and divide them and say afterwards, “Cursed be his soul
because he could have given us more, he could have acquired more than he
did.” The worms eat up the body and so they have lost body and soul
during this short earthly life and will go into the inferno where they
will suffer torture without end.
All those into whose hands this letter shall have come we ask in the
charity that is God to accept kindly and with divine love the fragrant
words of our Lord Jesus Christ quoted above. And let those who do not
know how to read have them read to them.
And may they keep them in their mind and carry them out, in a holy manner
to the end, because they are “spirit and life”.
And those who will not do this will have to render “an account on the day
of judgement” before the tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Appendix B
Mariavites should strive to follow a rule of daily life aptly summarized as Five Precepts for daily discipline:
1. Devotion: Eucharistic devotion through frequent communion, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, taking the sacrament to the sick and infirm, and daily devotion to Our Lady and Lord through prayer and sacramentals, and the recitation some approved form of daily office, at least diurnally.
2. Rule: Living according to the Mariavite Rule.
3. Service: Assisting those in need.
4. Study: Frequent study of Mariology, Sophiology, esotericism and the promotion of the Mariavite Gnostic tradition.
5. Consecration: Consecrationis Imitatio Mariae Vitae—living a life in consecration to and imitation of Mary.
