Sgrios Mass: Cocoon of Darkness; Cocoon of Light

What is it for us, as Aislings, to metamorphosize? Each day we watch the world cocoon itself in the gentle black of night before ripping through the chrysalis of day with its garish wings of light before settling, again, to reshape itself once more come nightfall. We, too, find an infinity of life as we shape and reshape our existence. This is sometimes at the insistence of enlightenment, though more typically comes in the form of a dark night; a cold embrace that cradles our sparks and hides them from all but their owners.

In this life we find an endless parade of challenges and in them we are given the opportunity to improve our circumstances, or mire ourselves in the tide of our demise. When we take a fatalistic view of our lives and appreciate that a day will come when Sgrios will take us into His embrace and leave naught but dust it can feel futile to strive to live well, but just because our inevitable end will reach us all does not mean that He, in His divine wisdom, does not wish for us to live good lives.

Ultimately we must accept that change and death are unshakable constants in our lives, and, armed with this realization, we can then brave the world with an armor against the pains of metamorphosis. If we love ourselves as we are today, we must love ourselves after the darkness makes its mark on our lives or when the sun’s goodwill bleaches the stains from our bones. The treasured sparks that Sgrios so tenderly cares for give us the freedom to accept our circumstances, to value ourselves as He does. Though we may not walk the land with the same direction from day to day, we must learn that our hearts move the same blood to our feet and our spark still burns in our breast. For this we must be thankful.

There is an expectation of us as Sgrians that we must navigate the same dangerous shadows that house our temple, or that we must let every assault on our souls drive us further into darkness; but we must remind ourselves that even the light can be oppressive when midday blinds us to our options - the shade can offer a temporary respite and it is only through the conjunction of the two forces that we are able to find our ways in life. This is one of many lessons we can glean by housing ourselves in this forsaken pit. Praise His willingness to sacrifice for us so we might find the wisdom in His teachings.

Though I am unable to give sermons as often as my heart desires, I hope this lecture will take root in the cellars of your heart and grow into a stout tree of wisdom, twisting gently into the canopy of your mind. No matter who you were yesterday, who you are today or who you will become in the time until our next meeting, I encourage you to take a step back and learn that your life is an irreplaceable treasure; that if Lord Sgrios so cares for our sparks, then we, too, must find it within ourselves to love and nurture that gift in whatever form it takes.