An Ordained Hierarchy

It is known to you that an ordained hierarchy exists. As man is above beasts, so are the Damned above men. Our numbers are fewer so that our purpose is better effected. - Rule 4

The title of this week's homily comes from the opening line of The Rule of Golgotha 4. The Rule of Golgotha is the third book of the Testament of Longinus. It is here in the text that we transition from the story of the early life and requiem of Longinus to his teachings on how we ought to order our own requiem. Rule 4 concerns the ordering of all things in this world, from beast to man to kindred, as well as within kindred society, as well as the hierarchy of Sanctified.

We recognize also a hierarchy of the Damned. From the lowest of those who cannot see the truth of our Sanctification or the barest neonate, his sire's Vitae still fresh upon his lips, to the most perfect predator and the greatest student of the Dark Prophet, we too have a hierarchy that is part of God's plan. - Rule 4

Our nature, as predators, demands hierarchy. The beasts within us, while they must not rule us, may not be denied either. It is not without reason that when meeting another kindred for the first time, we sense their strength and must master our instinct to fight or flee. Kindred society is built upon an understanding of these facts of our nature, an attempt to impose reason, civilization upon that which would otherwise be simply instinct and chaos. In this there is great wisdom.

Yet how shall we select our leaders, how shall we know them, and what shall we demand of them?

Those who shall serve you as abbot shall be held to the highest standard, for they must show the faithful the proper conduct. Each abbot is merely a servant; he serves the community, the mission of the Dark Prophet, and the purpose of God. Let no Kindred be crowned as a king of the faithful; such things are better left to the patriarchs and emperors of the secular concern. each abbot, like each brother, serves God’s purpose in his own way, and shall be garnered respect as first among equals, as he has earned through the perfection of his predation. There is none more worthy above you, excepting God. - Rule 4

Rule 4 answers this question for the Lancea Sanctum. Those who lead must be held to the highest standard. They must be exemplary, embodying the values of the community and replete in purpose. They must be servants of a higher calling, rather than absolute rulers. Indeed, in comparison to their community they "shall be raised above them only in duty."

While Rule 4 does not give answers to the ordering of the rest of kindred society, there are lessons herein from which many can draw value.

Thus do we acknowledge the first among us, and trust in our brethren in diverse communities to choose leaders wise and worshipful. Let us also aspire to that more perfect predation, and let those who have been chosen to be first among equals be magnanimous in their strictures, be forgiving in their dealings with other Damned, and let them be wise in their law-giving. - Rule 4

Sum Sanctus,

Simon Patterson

Augustus Inquisitor de Lacus Magni

The Holy Spear

This week's reading comes from the Malediction of Longinus. This reading concerns the history of the Holy Spear which slew Christ, that which gives our covenant its name: Lancea Sanctum, the Sanctuary of the Lance.

1 The Spearhead was the weapon that God had destined to strike Christ in the side. It had been made long ago in the days before the Deluge by Tubal-Cain the Smith, the son of Zillah, the second wife of Lamech, the son of Enoch. 2 Tubal-Cain’s son had struck his grandfather Lamech’s face, and Lamech had slain him. Tubal-Cain sought revenge, and prayed to God that his son be avenged. 3 On the night that Tubal-Cain prayed, a stone fell from the sky, and it was hard, and it was black, and Tubal-Cain saw that God had answered his prayer, and from the metal in the stone he fashioned a Spearhead, that he might kill Lamech.

4 But Tubal-Cain failed, for Lamech was a mighty warrior, and Lamech laid his foot on Tubal-Cain’s neck and seized the Spear, and impaled Tubal-Cain through the heart, and Tubal-Cain died. 5 And Lamech took the Spear for his own, and it became a sign for all who would see that Lamech was a mighty warrior before the LORD, and he slew all of his enemies and was made king, 6 and went forth on a war of conquest, and was victorious against every man he faced, until the LORD saw fit to strike down humanity in the flood, and Lamech was drowned, and the Spear was lost.

7 But the Spear was not marred by time, and its head did not rust or decay, and it remained as sharp and as hard as the day it was forged, when a ship captain from Tyre found it lying on a beach in the sand, and traded it to the merchant Phaecus, who gave it to Pontius Pilate that he might not be imprisoned or killed, 8 who gave it to Longinus, that he might strike Christ in the side and incur the curse of God, and become a sign to the Damned of God’s perfect will for them. - Mal. 9:1-8

There is a great deal to consider in these lines. A straightforward reading is that the Holy Spear was destined by God for great things, each of which it fulfilled in turn. Yet there is much more to look at here.

Tubal-Cain sought personal vengeance when he prayed to God. Given to him was a powerful gift. He forged that gift into a weapon. Yet even armed with this weapon, he was struck down. One could read this as a warning that even the righteous can fall, yet I have always read it as a failure in Tubal-Cain's heart. Here he sought to use a gift from God for personal vengeance rather than in service to God. Lamech, on the other hand was a warrior "before the LORD" and was only afterwards rewarded with kingship. Service to others brings the rewards of this world, while personal service using that which God has graced us with brings all low.

The Holy Spear has not yet had its final story told. The Lancea Sanctum keeps it to this night and when the time is right it will come forth again. On that night, like Lamech, we shall stride forth and slay all of our enemies. We must always make certain that what we do is in service to God's plan though, lest we share the fate of Tubal-Cain.

Sum Sanctus,

Simon Patterson

Augustus Inquisitor de Lacus Magni

The Feast of Saint Domitius

On June 1st of each year, the Church of Longinus celebrates the Feast of Saint Domitius.

Many kindred are familiar with the story of Palladius of Ireland. In the waning nights of the Roman Empire, Palladius, a member of the Invictus, set out to Ireland, a place that even Rome had never conquered or civilized. Over the course of a century, with the help of the Lancea Sanctum, the native kindred, who took the form of snakes during the day and worked other strange magics, were defeated to the last. Palladius become Duke of Ireland and ruled as Prince over the entirety of the island.

Less well known is Domitius, a member of the Lancea Sanctum who heeded Palladius' call for allies in the taming of Ireland. Domitius worked tirelessly to bring the Testament to the native kindred of Ireland, to offer a purpose and place in God's Plan for those who would accept it and to destroy those who would not. Domitius converted several of the native kindred, including the prized childe of one of their mightiest warriors. This convert took the name Proserpina and went on to become a great Paladin for the Church. In response to this conversion, a price was put upon the head of Domitius. While several attacks were defeated and the would-be killers destroyed, one eventually succeeded. Domitius was slain for his service to God. Domitius' killer was in turn destroyed by Proserpina, who also went on to destroy her Sire.

On the Feast of Saint Domitius we recall that though any one of us might fall, the Church will carry on. The good works that we do each night prepares others to carry on in the same ways in the nights ahead. The Church of Longinus is not a disconnected group of kindred, but a body, whole and strong; it is a process whereby those whom we tutor and mentor will carry on for us when we are unable, for whatever reason. The Feast of Saint Domitius is also a reminder of the importance of bringing the Testament to those who have not heard or accepted it. We pray that even as Ireland was conquered and civilized, so too will all other places which refute and reject the proper place of kindred in God's Plan.

Sum Sanctus,

Simon Patterson

Inquisitor Generalis de Lacus Magni

The Greatest Mercy

The reading for this week comes from the Malediction of Longinus. At this time Longinus has slain Jesus and been eternally Damned for his acts, but has not yet visited the tomb of Christ and received the word of his purpose from the angel Vahishtael.

1. In the city of Jerusalem, I met others who were Damned as I, but they did not truly understand it, and mocked me, as I had mocked Christ. And they tried to drive me away, for they considered the sheep on whom I had fed to be their herd. And I cursed them:
2. “Woe to you, you elders! for you hoard the Blood to yourselves, and yet you do not understand it.” And for a time, they left me, and considered my words.
3. I no longer lusted after women; I no longer desired wine; I no longer hungered after fine foods. I had no wish for wealth, for I did not need treasures on earth, when I had treasures in hell.
4. But I did not know what I should do, and would have lost my mind, if I had not decided that God wished more of me.
5. And I held the others in contempt: for though I could see that they slept and hunted and fed in the streets of the city, they were like the beasts of the wild.
6. They were Damned, and they stalked inside the walls, and they snarled, and they behaved like wolves or lions, but they did not have the thoughts of men.
7. They were thirsty, to no purpose. I hoped that I might find my Damned Kindred among them, but how could I know what to tell them, until I had heard myself the things I should tell?
(Mal. 13:1-7)

This is the state of kindred existence if we do not have a greater purpose. We feed, we fight, we kill, and we die, but to no ultimate end. Truly existence without cause or reason is the worst form of Damnation. We, who have received a glimpse of eternity, must seek purpose or we do not endure. It is the nature of this physical world to be transitory. In time even the mightiest of us falls. Whether to the predation of another, ennui, or repeated slumber, we are shown that even our longevity endures only so long. That which is truly eternal is not of this world.

The promise of eternal existence without purpose is the state in which all kindred begin. Some find the truth of Longinus' word quickly from their Sire or others who take them in. Others hear of it only years, decades, or centuries later. This truth is not salvation, for salvation is not a hope for the eternally Damned. Yet purpose, having an ordering to our existence, becoming servants of that which is truly eternal, is a powerful blessing. Let us rejoice in it, for it is the greatest mercy that we shall ever know. And let us share that hope of mercy with all other kindred, that they might know it as well.

Easter Mass

Midnight is the appointed hour; a time when one day is transformed into another. The day that is now born in Easter in the year of our Lord 2014.

Introductory Rites

The ceremonial leader enters the room in which the ceremony is being held wearing religious vestments appropriate to his station. The leader bears a worn testament in one hand and a processional cross in the other. While entering, the leader begins the entrance chant. The leader makes their way slowly to the altar at the head of the room. To the right they set the processional cross. Upon the altar they sets the testament.

Leader: "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

All: "Amen"

Leader: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."

All: "And also with you."

The leader brings forth a small aspersorium, holding blood, and an aspergillum.

Leader: "Damned, this blood will be used to remind us of our baptism. Let us ask God to bless it, and to keep us faithful to the Spirit he has given us."

"Lord God almighty, hear the prayers of your predators: we celebrate our creation and damnation. Hear our prayers and bless this blood which give strength to the Damned, and life to man. You chose blood to show Christ's divinity to Longinus and to Damn him eternally. Blood was the symbol used by the angels to foretell your covenant with us. You made the blood of baptism holy through Christ: by it you give us a new birth and grace us, the eternally Damned, with a place in your plan. May this blood remind us of our Embrace, and let us be reminded of our purpose.

"We ask this through Christ our Lord."

The leader dips the aspergillum in the blood. They then step away from the altar and comes before those gathered. They shakes the aspergillum in the air, sending drops of freshly blessed blood across the gathered congregation. Once each has felt the blessed vitae upon their bodies and clothes, the leader returns to the altar and sets aside the aspergillum and aspersorium. 

"May almighty God remind us of our sins, and through the eucharist we celebrate make us worthy to serve His purpose in this world, though we are forever Damned."

"Amen," is the traditional response.

Leader: "Let us now praise God,"

All: Sing Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Leader: "Bow your heads and pray for God's blessing,"

All bow their heads and observes fifteen seconds of silence before the Opening Prayer.

Leader: "May almighty God bless you on this solemn Easter, and may he make all your sins have purpose."

All: "Amen."

Leader: "Through the resurrection of his Son, God has granted us purpose. May he fulfill his promises, and bless you with a place in this world."

All: "Amen."

Leader: "You have mourned for Christ's sufferings; now you celebrate the joy of his resurrection. May you come with joy to the feast which lasts until the day of judgment."

All: "Amen."

Leader: "May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

All: "Amen."

Liturgy of the Word

Leader: "A reading from the Book of Eschaton, Chapter 1, Verses 7 through 13:" 

7 This is the vision imparted to me by the angel Amoniel of the Dominions and the archangel Vahishtael.
8 To all you who read this prophecy, you share in my curse; hear these words, and take them and make them your own, and you are Sanctified.
9 Woe to you, Jerusalem! For you crucified the Savior of the Living, and placed upon the shoulders of the Soldier the burden of carrying the word of the Damned. The curses that await Jerusalem are terrible.
10 War shall take you, war upon war, and the Damned shall rise up from beneath your city and feast upon the blood that shall run through the streets like a river, the blood of the young man, his body impaled on sword and javelin and arrow; and they shall feast upon the blood of the child, his head smashed against the stone walls of the city; and they shall feast upon the woman, violated and dismembered.
10 Woe upon you, seventy woes and seventy times seven, you Damned who reject the true purpose of God,
11 who crucify the dead and face them to the sunrise that they might be consumed!
12 I shall return to you, Jerusalem, and I shall repeat my prophecy of judgment upon you,
13 and I and the progeny of the Sanctified shall lap up your blood, and the blood your wives and your children, and I shall watch them, and I shall laugh.

Leader: "The Word of Longinus."

All: "Thanks be to God!"

All: Responsorial Psalm from Psalm 118:21-24, 28-29.

Leader: "A reading from the Book of Eschaton, Chapter 14:"

1 I did not see Vahishtael or Amoniel again. 

2 And so, know that this last vision is my own, and I ask you who read this and are Damned to heed it. 

3 Listen! My word is the word of one who holds the Spear, the Spear that pierced the side of the Jesus the Living Christ, who lived, and was dead, and rose again and ascended to Heaven, where we cannot go. 

4 He will come back and judge the living and the dead, but he will not judge the Damned, for the Damned were judged on Calvary when Jesus looked down upon the Soldier and gave His blood.
5 No judgment awaits you, for you have already been judged! 

6 And this is my vision: 

7 The Sanctified shall always survive, and this book shall endure, and as long as judgment has been served on us, the Damned shall have the word of this book to stand by.
8 The cities of the living shall become high and wide, and full of blood and sin, and we shall be the vessel through which God shall cast his judgment upon the world, 

9 but no more shall judgment fall upon us, for we were Damned at the beginning.

10 If you heed the word of the Soldier, if you take heart in the Spear, you shall have nothing to fear. 

11 Your Damnation is secure, and cannot be changed. 

12 Know that you are Damned, and rejoice!

Leader: "The Word of Longinus."

All: "Thanks be to God!"

Leader: "Alleluia!"

All: "Alleluia!"

Leader: "Alleluia!"

All: "Alleluia!"

Leader: "The Lord be with you."

All: "And also with you."

Leader: "A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke."

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened. - Luke 24

All: "Glory to you, Lord!"

Leader: "The Gospel of the Lord."

All: "Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!"

Homily

Leader: "My fellow Sanctified, we have gathered to celebrate the resurrection of Christ and to give thanks to God for his mercy in giving us a place in his plan for Creation, though we are eternally Damned. To do so, we must understand some of that plan. We must understand what has gone before and what is to come. We must understand our place in that plan if we are to fulfill God's will for us."

"The Resurrection of Christ was a great sign of the possibility of eternal life in heaven for all mankind. Yet that Resurrection could not occur without the death of Christ. For all who live to have the possibility of salvation, it was necessary that Christ would die at the hands of a man. Christ survived the crucifixion, the terrible wounds, the thirst, and the suffering. It was the Spear, borne by Longinus, that at last slew him. It was Longinus that claimed the life of Christ, that he might have Resurrection and that all mankind might have the gates to heaven opened for them."

"Longinus bore as great a burden as any who once lived and we now share it with him. Though we are Damned, we have the possibility, the responsibility, of saving the living. This world, though we have dominion over it, will one day come to an end. Christ will return and we, the Sanctified, will be there to see it. The Testament of Longinus will endure to that night. Only then, after the last man dies and is judged by Christ will we be free of our duty. We will not enter heaven with those who we have saved, but it is by our hand that heaven will be filled, just as it was by the hand of Longinus that the way to heaven was opened at all."

"Remember this and carry it with you this night and every night."

A minute of reflection follows.

Leader: "Let us together recite the Monachal Creed."

All:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of Heaven and Earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary to redeem Man from Sin through his death and resurrection.
I believe that Longinus, by piercing the Savior’s side as he hung from the Cross, did reveal the divinity of Christ through fulfillment of the prophecies and that, while Longinus was rightly Damned for his blasphemy, his damnation was itself part of God’s Holy Plan.
I believe that those so Damned are the agents of God’s will, chosen to receive the Embrace that we may test the faithful and reveal the divinity within each of them.
I believe that for my sins I am damned to Hell and yet through damnation I may find my purpose in God’s Holy Plan.

Leader: "By raising Jesus, God changed sin and death to grace and life. Confidently we raise our prayers to the Holy One. Risen Christ, Hear our Prayer." 

"For the Church: that we will continue to be instruments of wrath for all who have lived in darkness, of torment for all who inflict pain and suffering, and of redemption for all who can yet be saved."

All: "Lord, hear our prayer."

Leader: "Risen Christ, hear our prayer for kindred society: that the Risen Lord will inspire all leaders to find their purpose in his plan."

All: "Lord, hear our prayer."

Leader: "Risen Christ, hear our prayer for all the newly Embraced: that they may faithfully follow the Testament of Longinus and keep the light of Christ burning in their requiem."

All: "Lord, hear our prayer."

Leader: "Risen Christ, hear our prayer for all who are away from home this Easter, particularly missionaries: that God will protect them, guide them in their service and bring them home safely."

All: "Lord, hear our prayer."

Leader: "Risen Christ, hear our prayer for those gathered here today: that renewed through word and sacrament, we may be strong in faith, confident in hope."

All: "Lord, hear our prayer."

Leader: "God of glory and power, we thank you for the resurrection of your Son. Hear the concerns we offer you through the same Christ our Lord."

Liturgy of the Eucharist

Leader: "Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this blood to offer, fruit of the human vine taken from a sinful man. It will become our spiritual drink."

All: "Blessed be God for ever."

Leader: "Pray, my brothers and sisters, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father."

All: "May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his name, for our good, and the good of all his Church."

Leader: "God, our sustainer, accept all we offer you this day, and feed us continually with the blood that satisfied all hunger, your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ."

All: "Amen."

Leader: "The Lord be with you."

All: "And also with you."

Leader: "Lift up your hearts."

All: "We lift them up to the Lord."

Leader: "Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God."

All: "It is right to give him thanks and praise."

Leader: "Father in heaven, it is right that we should give you thanks and glory: you are the one God, living and true. Through all eternity you live in unapproachable light.

"Source of life and goodness, you have created all things, to fill your creatures with every blessing and lead all men to the joyful vision of your light. Countless hosts of angels stand before you to do your will; they look upon your splendor and praise you, night and day.

"As the wolves of your creation, meant to steer the wayward back to your flock, we too praise your glory as we say:

All: "Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest."

Leader: "Father, you are holy indeed, and all creation rightly gives you praise. All life, all holiness comes from you through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, by the working of the Holy Spirit. We ask you to make this blood holy by the power of your Spirit, that they may become the body and blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, as we celebrate this eucharist."

"He always loved those who were his own in the world. When the time came for him to be glorified by you, his heavenly Father, he showed the depth of his love. His life was taken by Longinus and his blood transformed Longinus into one of the Damned."

"We take up the chalice today, filled with the blood of Christ, to recall that we too are Damned, yet our Damnation serves Your will."

"Take this, all of you, and drink from it: this is the cup of Christ's blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed to sustain you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of Christ and of Longinus.

"Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:"

All: "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again."

Leader: "Father, calling to mind the death your Son endured for human salvation, his glorious resurrection and ascension into heaven, and ready to greet him when he comes again, we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice, the blood of man, that it might be made the blood of Christ."

"Look with favor on your Church's offering, and see the Victim whose blood has reconciled us to yourself. Grant that we, who are nourished by his body and blood, may be filled with his Holy Spirit, and become vessels of the will of Christ."

"May he make us an everlasting gift to you and enable us to fulfill the holy duty you have set before us."

"Lord, may this sacrifice, which has made our peace with you, advance the peace and salvation of all the world. Strengthen in faith and love your pilgrim Church on earth; your servant, [leader's name], [names of local clergy], and all the bishops, with the clergy and the entire Damned your Son has gained for you. Father, hear the prayers of the faithful you have gathered here before you. In mercy and love unite all your Damned in common purpose, wherever they may be."

All:  "Amen.

Communion Rite

Leader: " Let us pray for the coming of the kingdom as the Dark Prophet taught us."

All: "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily blood;
and make our trespasses part of Your plan;
and lead us not into temptation, but give our evil purpose."

Leader: "Deliver us, Lord, from existence without purpose, and grant us dominion over the night. In your mercy fill our sins with meaning and protect us from all that might lead us astray as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of humanity's Savior, Jesus Christ."

All: "For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever."

Leader: "Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you. Let the Damned offer to those who follow you peace and to those who do not signs to steer them to your peace."

All:  "Amen."

Leader: "The Damnation of Longinus is with you always."

All: "And also with you."

Leader: "Let us offer each other a sign of Damnation."

Each gathered kindred displays the strength of their beast, so that all might know of their Damnation.

All: "Lamb of God, though we were Damned by your death: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, though we were Damned by your death: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, though we were Damned by your death: grant us purpose."

All who would receive communion file forward.

Leader: "This is the Lamb of God who Longinus slew. Damned are those who are called to his blood."

All: "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed."

To each who has kneels, the leader offers up the chalice of blood that each might drink of the blood of Christ.

To each they intone: "The blood of Christ."

After drinking, each responds: "Amen."

This continues until all have had communion and returned to their seats.

Leader: "Let us pray."

All bow their head and pray in silence.

Concluding Rite

Leader: "The Lord be with you."

All: "And also with you."

Leader: "May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

All: "Amen."

Leader: "Go in Damnation and Purpose intermingled."

All: "Thanks be to God!"

Our Choice of Prey

This week our reading will look at what the Testament of Longinus has to say about our choice of prey. This is surely our most enduring and persistent of ministrations for the kine, our mortal herd.

I had originally considered that this week's readings would draw from the Torments of Longinus, the second book within the Testament. Upon further reflection I have instead decided to draw from the third book within the Testament, The Rule of Golgotha. Golgotha 3 in its entirety is a tremendous source of information on this subject. I will draw a few short selections from it though and leave it to others to read more on their own.

Thus the Dark Father spake: that what you once were is not what you now are.
As a mortal is a sheep, so are the Damned wolves among them. That role
is defined by nature — wolves feed on their prey, but they are not cruel to
them. The role of predator is natural, even if the predator himself is not.

These words begin Golgotha 3. These words set the stage for what is said thereafter. It begins to offer us the mindset that we must adopt in regards to both ourselves and our prey. The statements that follow are each important, yet it is vital that we understand they spring from this statement.

We are not what we were. We are apart from mortals. That we feed upon them is natural and proper. We must not be cruel though, simply fulfilling our part in God's plan.

Man is like unto the angels with his faculties and compassion. As we were
once men, we have these qualities at hand in every undertaking. We can
show the rich their poverty, we can show the powerful their weakness, we
can show the healthy their decay, and we can show the pious their hypocrisy.
To all men we can show the misery and depredation of the physical
world, so that their souls may yearn more intensely for the kingdom that
may be theirs, through the grace of God.

When we choose our prey, part of our obligation is to offer a reminder of the eternity ahead in exchange for the ephemeral present that we take away. Our predation is not blind, but calculated. Our prey should be chosen with care and the nature of our approach to each fitted to remind them of the temporary nature of this world and of the glory that lays before them if they are but willing to seize it.

You shall not feed on children, for a child may sin but they are sins of ignorance,
not of willful submission to evil. A child must be allowed to grow
to the age of maturity so that his sins will be his own and his responsibility
shall be full.

This is the first of the bans that are laid out in this chapter. It is a logical outgrowth of the purpose of our predation as is the next ban, that against feeding upon the simple or mad. If our predation is to steer our prey to salvation, we can not feed upon those who can not learn from our ministration. Our feeding, while necessary for ourselves, is about the future prospect of our prey and to waive that in feeding upon one who is by their nature ignorant or unknowing, we serve nothing but ourselves. That is not our place.

Thank the Lord your God when you feed, and ask for his blessing on the Vitae

claim to fulfill your anointed purpose.

Feed justly, and with discretion. Feed for hunger and feed for joy. Remember
always you are the hunter and devourer of mankind.

These are the closing words of Golgotha 3. We must always recall, even in the ecstasy of feeding, that we serve a higher purpose. At our best we can but hope to glorify God. The vitae we take is a blessing that allows us to carry on and a task that must always be part of the great duty that rests with each of us. Let us be thankful for that blessing and diligent in our administration of our mandate.

Sum Sanctus,

Simon Patterson

Augustus Inquisitor de Lacus Magni

Our Purpose

This week's reading is once again from the first book of the Testament, the Maledictions of Longinus. Thirty-three years had passed since Longinus became Damned and he had at last gone to the tomb of Christ and seen that it was empty.

6 And there appeared to me a blinding light, and I cowered in the tomb, thinking the sun had risen, but there stood before me archangel Vahishtael, with black wings and the heads of a calf, a serpent and a wolf, and holding a spear like the Spear I still held, and he spoke to me, and said:
7 “Fear me, Longinus. For I am the messenger of your purpose.
8 “The Damned are many, and they are denied salvation.
9 “But the Damned serve as the sign to humanity of the price of sin, and to make mortals fear and to understand that their lives are brief and full of pain, and they can only see the most pitiful reflection of the glories of Heaven, for they do not see clearly, but see as if through a blurred mirror,
10 and the Damned do not see through the mirror at all.
11 “And it is the lot of the Damned to take the blood of mortals, that mortals might know that they will die, and that their only salvation is in the next life.
12 “And it is your lot to go and give this message to all of the Damned, that they might know God’s purpose for them and rejoice.
13 “Now go, Longinus, and spread the Word to all the Damned.”

14 And the angel left me, and I rejoiced, for I knew that I was once lost, and
now I was found, and that I had found my purpose.
15 And I left that place. 

(Mal. 14:6-15)

It is no error that this is the closing chapter of the Malediction of Longinus. In life, a terrible curse lay upon Longinus, for he was born to do what he did and become as he became. In the first thirty-three years of his Damnation though, he was lost and without purpose, blind, even as many of us have been in the past. Though damnation and torment remain after this message from Vahishtael, there is now something more. The malediction, the curse, upon Longinus has ended, for now he has a purpose that is known to him.

Here, in the words of Vahishtael, the messenger of God, we find our own purpose to this very night. We have the duty to steer mortals towards salvation and the glories of Heaven. This world, in which we are ageless, undying, and over which we are given dominion, is but a brief stop for the living. It is our obligation to, through terror and suffering, remind them of the ephemeral nature of this world so that their eyes will remain fixed on the next one.

Sum Sanctus,

Simon Patterson

Augustus Inquisitor de Lacus Magni

An Introduction to the Testament

I have decided to begin a tradition of weekly sharing a reading from the Testament of Longinus. Each week I will pick out a small section of the Testament that I believe is important in some way to events at hand. This week, the first, it seems only fitting to begin at the beginning. While my preference is to use the original language, I have translated the section below into English for the convenience of those not fluent in older tongues.

1 I am God's holy monster. I drink from humanity.
2 I could not see what part I would play for such a long time, because I looked
at it with human eyes, with eyes that would die.
3 So I put forth the truth in this book, for you who seek, just as I have sought.
4 For I am not some Godless beast who hunts beneath the grandeur of sanctity.
5 I am the grandeur; 6 I am sanctified. (Mal. 1:1-6) 

As with the Holy Bible, the Testament of Longinus is separated into several books. The first of these, The Malediction of Longinus, begins with an introduction and an offering to the reader if they seek truth. It is a reminder that in seeking truth, one must first learn how to see.

We are not mortal. We are monsters. We must recognize this about ourselves if we are to find our place and embrace the truth of the world. Without this fundamental assertion, we are left adrift.

Herein also lies the moniker most commonly associated with our covenant: sanctified. "I am sanctified" declares Longinus at the close of the introduction to his Testament. We, too, are sanctified if we learn from the truth shared with us within the Testament.

Sum Sanctus (I am Sanctified),

Simon Patterson

Augustus Inquisitor de Lacus Magni