The Founding of the Christian Community

GA 344 — 13 September 1922, Dornach

Eighth lecture

[ The stenographer only recorded parts of this meeting.]

Rudolf Steiner: Tomorrow, we will need the candelabrum and the picture of Christ again for the ceremony. As you (turning to Friedrich Rittelmeyer) carry out the ceremony, you will also become immersed in it. Today, what was presented yesterday should be repeated so that you are immersed in it to begin with, and then I will be able to continue the ceremony. It is not to be completed today, but we will see that it can be taken a stage further. Tomorrow we will need: a censer, the two pictures of Christ, then the oil and the two water jugs with a tray and the chalice. We can form bread. We should have that tomorrow.

Today I will try to get everything out of my mind for the time being, and no one needs to think that the ceremony is not complete because some things that are connected to it are still missing. Dr. Rittelmeyer will figure out the rest. I already explained yesterday how the whole ceremony is to be thought. It is not possible – it has been weighing heavily on my mind – to perform the ordination in the simple way [suggested last year]; [we will perform it as] it has now been revealed from the spiritual world. And so I will carry out [the beginning] to a certain extent, and then Dr. Rittelmeyer can continue the ceremony under my assistance tomorrow.

The first thing will be for you to provide the vestments here; the first task is to consecrate the vestments themselves, so that they may appear suitable for the purpose for which they will serve. In this case, I will try to invoke the blessing upon them.

In the name of the Father of God, who is in us,
In the name of the Son of God, who works in us,
In the name of the Holy Ghost, who enlightens us:
The power that should be in all the work of those
who have dedicated themselves to the divine service here,
the power of Christ is symbolized by these robes.

Friedrich Rittelmeyer is now given his robe and alb, and Gerirud Spörri his vestment.

Now the first part of the Act of Consecration of Man is read [in the expanded form for priestly ordination, as had already been indicated the previous day. During this, Friedrich Ritielmeyer is given the stole. After that, he reads the Gospel of John 1:1-14.

Rudolf Steiner: Dear Friends! We have completed the first part of the consecration ritual. Since the consecration ritual will not be completed today, it will be possible to carry out the second part here in spirit without actually performing the ceremony, and this should now follow on from the first part. I am entitled to assume that a fully valid act will now be carried out.

[ Rudolf Steiner now reads the offertory (see CW 343, page 416 ff.), combined with the words of the ordination (see the facsimile on page 100), during which Friedrich Rittelmeyer is given the surplice.]

Rudolf Steiner: Having spoken the word that gives strength, I empower you with the symbol of the reading of the Act of Consecration of Man.

[ Rudolf Steiner hands the chasuble to Pastor Dr. Rittelmeyer. The following words are spoken three times: “The Father-God...”]

Rudolf Steiner: This completes the second part of the act of consecration. The person to be consecrated has thus received the power to read with full justification the part of the mass that has just been read up to this point. And tomorrow the consecration of the next of you will have to be done by the one who has just been consecrated, and the one who has just been consecrated will receive the completion of the consecration at the end of the sacrifice of the mass tomorrow. Then tomorrow he will perform the act of consecration, and the consecration of the shepherds of souls will gradually be carried out in stages.

The next step is to continue in such a way that transubstantiation is now celebrated, that after transubstantiation the Paternoster is prayed, and after praying the Paternoster, before Communion, the third part of the priestly ordination will be performed tomorrow on the newly ordained. But tomorrow we will first perform the further ordinations, and for each one the ordination will be completed in the same way. So after the one ordained today has received the ordination in full, he will in turn continue the ordination for the others, so that the complete ordination as a pastor of souls will be carried away by each of you from here.

That is what I wanted to do with you today. Now we will conclude the ceremony so that our dear Dr. Rittelmeyer can recover a little. Tomorrow at a quarter to three.

There follows the answering of a few questions by Rudolf Steiner.

— The person performing the consecration must wear the robe.

— The oil that has just been used can be stored in such a way that it remains for this purpose and is not used for anything else or even poured away.

— We can use ordinary bread. - A goblet could be used, a chalice-like glass, simple white glass, which is a bit wide at the bottom.

— Squeezing ripe grapes? An eighth of a liter may suffice. Only a few drops are needed. Ripe grapes are just right.

— It takes only one to be ordained, and he can pass on the ordination. Anyone ordained a priest can pass on the ordination.

— They must have the opportunity to perform the cult at all times.

— The ceremony performed after the prayer for the relay must be for each individual, as must the ceremony with anointing after the offertory.

— The act of consecration itself is inserted as often as there are candidates for ordination. The Mass is celebrated as far as the Gospel reading, then the sequence of actions following the Gospel as the actual act of consecration is performed in such a way that everyone reads the Gospel. The offertory is then completed, followed by the brief act of consecration with the anointing.

On the following pages, the words of the ordination are given in Rudolf Steiner's handwriting (reduced in size).