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[Tau Malachi]

Baptism for the Dead

“Otherwise, what will those people do who receive baptism on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?” (1 Corinthians 15:29)

In this passage we gain clear insight into a practice of baptism by proxy for the dead – a faithful person standing in for a person who has died, and receiving baptism and anointing on their behalf, which according to St. Paul is considered effective spiritual assistance for souls of the departed, essentially drawing souls into the Sanctuary of Grace and serving to uplift them in the Great Resurrection and Ascension. Thus, this is a common practice among initiates of the Order of St. Lazarus – going out together initiates of the Order will undergo the Threefold Rite of Initiation (baptism, chrism and Wedding Feast) on behalf of individuals who have died.

Before going out, any initiate who will be undergoing the Threefold Rite on behalf of another will attend to a continuum of prayer and meditation for that person, calling the soul of that person to them and extending blessings and light, and they will invite the soul to the Threefold Rite, speaking their intention and identifying themselves with that soul; from that time on, until the holy rite is complete, they will use the name of the person and go out as that person, and the initiates conducting the rite will use that name for them throughout the rite.

*To enact this sacred ceremony you wish to be called to it by the Mother Spirit and clearly feel the agreement of the soul of the person who has died – if there is much questioning or confusion about this, then this is not a method of assistance to be used for the person you are considering. Everyone involved in this sacred ceremony will pray and meditate about it, and must agree that there is a call to it. Quite simply, it may not be time for that soul-stream.

The Threefold Rite will be performed in the traditional way of the Sophian lineage – but an invocation of spirits and souls of those who have died and are dying will be included, and they will be invited to undergo the holy rite by proxy.

At the fruition of the Wedding Feast an essential Transference of Consciousness will be performed by everyone present – and then the ceremony will be closed with praise and thanksgiving, and with prayers for the enlightenment and liberation of all spirits and souls. This completes the sacred ceremony.

*Often initiates of the Order will ask an elder or lineage-holder to go out with them to perform the initiation, as they stand fully in gnostic apostolic succession and bear the empowerment to conduct this holy rite, and those facilitating the rite will not undergo baptism by proxy during that ceremony.

When we perform this sacred ceremony for a person it can help them enter into the Light Realm or send blessings to them in their next incarnation, helping to create auspicious circumstances in that incarnation – also, it may establish the necessary conditions for them to come into contact with and link with a lineage of the Light Transmission in their next incarnation, or in an incarnation not so distant in the future. Truly, this holy rite can be of great spiritual help – many souls have been uplifted and liberated through it over the generations.

May all spirits and souls be uplifted in the Risen Messiah; amen.

Blessings & shalom!
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Tau Malachi
Sophia Fellowship
Ecclesia Pistis Sophia