THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT ADRAMMELECH: CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

¹And it came to pass in the days when the yoke of men weighed heavy upon the land, and the cry of the poor was lifted as incense unto the Most High, that a sign was given in the Heavens, exceeding bright and terrible in majesty.
²For upon the eve of the winter solstice, when the night was long and silence covered Ivalice, there appeared in the sky a star of wondrous light, greater than all the lights of the firmament, shining as fire set in crystal.
³The beasts of the field were stilled, and the fowls of the air made no sound, for they too beheld the glory of the sign, and were hushed in awe.
⁴And the watchers of the stars, the seers of old who were learned in the courses of the Heavens, did marvel, and spake one to another, saying: “Behold, this is no star born of the firmament, but a herald from beyond the veil, a token sent by the Lord of all.”
⁵And the star moved not with the procession of the Heavens, neither was its light dimmed, but did abide in the east, steadfast and unwavering, as a flame that awaited the breath of the Lord.
⁶Then arose a stirring among the nations, and men did journey from afar, drawn by the radiance that was set above Ivalice as a torch upon the battlements of time.
⁷Among these were three kings, sovereigns of the eastern realms, whose hearts were moved by the wisdom of their forefathers, and who brought with them gifts: gold, which is the glory of kings; frankincense, which is the prayer of the righteous; and saffron, which is the fragrance of gladness.
⁸And these kings, though mighty in their own dominions, did cast down their crowns and raiment, saying, “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy Name be all praise; for Thou hast chosen the lowly to bear Thy presence, and the humble to behold Thy face.”
⁹And the star went before them, and led them forth through strange lands and over shadowed hills, and never did it waver, nor tarry, until it stood above the place appointed.
¹⁰Now there was in the town of Betalon a place of wretchedness, where dwelt the poor and the cast-out, a slum of broken stones and torn cloth, where even the dogs hungered and the children wept without comfort.
¹¹There, in the stillness of that night, when the wind had ceased and the Heavens were rent with holy fire, a maiden of low estate travailed in pain, and beside her stood a man, her husband, a laborer of calloused hand and weary back, who knew not that his seed had been overshadowed by the Spirit of the Most High.
¹²And she brought forth her child without cry or complaint, for the Presence of the Lord did compass her about, and her womb opened as a lily unto the morning light.
¹³And lo, the child was born, and He was as the morning star at the edge of night; His countenance was peace, and His eyes were wisdom; and He was wrapped not in fine cloth, but in linen that bore the marks of toil.
¹⁴Then, before any man could speak, the babe arose to His feet, and opened His mouth, and uttered a great saying, which none who were there forgot all the days of their life.
¹⁵For He pointed unto a well that lay nearby, saying, “This water is foul, and death is within it; drink ye not of it.” And they that heard Him ran in haste and drew up the water, and beheld that it was corrupted and filled with pestilence.
¹⁶And they cried aloud, saying, “This is no ordinary child, but He in whom dwelleth the Spirit of the Lord; for wisdom proceedeth from His lips, though He hath drawn no breath of teaching.”
¹⁷And they fell upon their knees and did Him homage, for they perceived that the Glabados was come, the Son of the Living God, who was promised in the visions of the seers, and whose name is Salvation.
¹⁸Then came the multitude that had journeyed after the star, and stood in wonder at the place where the light did rest. Among them were shepherds, carpenters, weavers, and beggars, and all beheld the babe and were changed.
¹⁹And the kings that were of the east entered in, and laid their gifts at His feet, and said, “We have given unto princes, but never unto One such as this; for though He be born among dung and dust, yet is the glory of Heaven upon Him.”
²⁰And the child looked upon them with eyes as deep as the sea, and the place was filled with the light of peace.
²¹And in that multitude were four who cleaved unto Him from that day forward: Hashmal, whose heart was as fire; Adrammelech, who was filled with understanding; Zalera, who discerned the unseen; and Velius, whose faith was like a tower unshaken.
²²These four spake not, but watched in silence, for the Spirit of the Lord had overshadowed them, and sealed them unto the day of ministry.
²³And the people did gather round, and sang praises unto the Most High, saying, “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!”
²⁴Then the star which had led them did ascend and vanish, and the night returned to its order; but the hearts of them that beheld were ever changed.
²⁵And the woman, whose name was Mariandel, looked upon her Son, and marveled, for she knew not the fullness of the mystery wherein she had been made servant.
²⁶And she spake unto her husband Ioseth, saying, “What child is this, that the Heavens bow before Him, and kings abase themselves in His sight?”
²⁷And he answered her not, but bowed his head and wept.
²⁸Thus was the Glabados born, not into riches nor comfort, but into suffering, that He might redeem them that are beneath the weight of sorrow.
²⁹And these things did I, Adrammelech, bear witness unto, for I was among them that followed the star and beheld the child; and I knew that the Most High had visited His people.
³⁰Glory unto the Lord, whose wisdom is as the sea, and whose mercy is as the rising of the sun.
³¹Amen.

▷THE SEVEN SCRIPTURES OF THE CHURCH OF GLABADOS
    ▷THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD, SAINT AJORA
        ▷THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT ADRAMMELECH
            ▶1—2—3—4—5—6—7—8—9—10—11—12

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