You know, I was only three, very small in Earth's count of years, when Anne and Joachim took Me to the temple. That temple was very large to a baby's eyes and very impersonal, dear hearts. My mother and father were very real to Me, so was My home and My baby life. Yet that day My parents performed the great service of renunciation and I entered that temple life to remain there until I had attained My maturity. I remember the kindness of those who cared for Me but the disciplines of the temple are never softened for the individual. Not even for My Jesus were the disciplines of Luxor softened, nor for John the disciplines of the Essenes. They were not softened either for a tender child in the temple in which I abode.

It was a lone life for a small child who was introspective in the extreme and those who were kindest of all to Me were the archangels. I had newly come from Heaven, I had not yet forgotten the shine of their wings, the lustre of their hair nor the magnificence of their Presence. In the small cell which was mine often at night the great and shining Presence of Lord Michael would come and sit by My bed. In order to assist and instruct Me He would have a group of small defending angels march up and down across the bed for Me just as you would allow your children to play with toy soldiers. However these were real moving beings. In this manner He taught Me with the gentleness and kindness of a mother the activities of the guardian angels, those whose particular service it was and is to keep the souls of men free from the subtle influences of suggestions of impurity and imperfection. Then as We grew to understand each other, these little figures would act out the various stories which He was giving to My consciousness to show the all-power of God.

Early in My activities in the temple the priests were instructed that I was to be particularly trained in the powers of concentration. I think I was not more than five years of age when with stylus in hand I was given the chore of copying off the letters from the Scriptures and while My maiden friends played in the grasses and enjoyed the dance I would laboriously figure out these letters and endeavor to keep My mind from the shining sun which I adored, from the blue sky and from all the joys of childhood. In the afternoon I would ofttimes go as far away as I could from the groups of individuals to a certain place where I would have the comfort and sweetness of the great Archangel Raphael whose love was so great. I cannot describe to you the happiness of that association, the beauty of that companionship. Later came the experiences with the strength of the mighty Gabriel, the infinite power of his purity and light.

However, having accepted the karma of the race, as I grew in years the remembrance of the angels' wings became more dim. No longer could I hear their voices. Then there came a period, the dark hour of My soul, even as each of you has had or will have such a dark hour when the glory of Heaven seems shut away. During that time I had to ponder in My heart upon the oneness of Our Lord God and Myself. This I continued to do until I was released from the temple.

Then came the days when I was awaiting the appearance of the guardian of My life. I can never forget the day I first met Joseph. I can never forget it beacuse behim Him for the first time in a good many years I saw the blazing figure of the great Archangel Zadkiel. I really did not see the person of Joseph at all but I knew it was He for whom I was meant. Behind and above Him stood the shining one, thus reminding Me of the angelic kingdom which it seemed to Me had receded into the imaginings of childhood.

I remember those days when Joseph and I prepared for the birth of Jesus. I remember making the small garments for that infant and enjoying the association with Joseph who was in Himself both a mystic and a very advanced spiritual man. he was a member of the Essene Brotherhood, one who knew much of the law and who imparted to Me a great deal of that law in those months of waiting. Together We planned Our future, together We prayed that each of Us might have the strength to fulfill Our mission in glory. So We prayed that night in Bethlehem when I curled that first fine hair of Jesus over My finger and Joseph smiling said: "I think now We are over the worst of the experience." We were ready then to settle down into the growing years.

I remember waking in the night and seeing Joseph standing in the doorway I felt that He was troubled. I arose quickly and went to his side. He said: "Mary, I had a warning in the night. I know not whether it is of God and the angels or whether it is the fears of the psychic realm which are pressed against My conscious mind. It seems not possible that He who is born to such a great victory could be so soon subject to such cruelty. Yet I am told We should flee from this land at once." I said: "Joseph, let us get still. Let us pray." We did so and I soon felt within Myself the truth of that message. You know how we took Our babe and left. You know how We entered into the land of Egypt. Behind Us the blood of infants flowed in the streets and I vowed then that We personally would assist everyone of those children to their ascension whose lifeblood wqas a sacrifice, who died that He might live. That vow shall be fulfilled in the name of God!

For a time We lived in Egypt and Our beloved Jesus went quickly and easily thru all the experiences there, all the experiences at Luxor. I was not permitted to go with Him to study within the temple but I was trained in the powers of concentration and privately given the same instruction by beloved Serapis Bey. That instruction was on the resurrection of the body, the suspension of the breath and the preparation for the public manifestation of that resurrection which would take place thru My Son for the blessing of all mankind.

Later came the years when We returned to Jerusalem, when the immediate troubles and dangers were gone. Then came the growing years when We had to fulfill the letter of the Scripture, when Jesus went up to the temple and fulfilled in obedience all the letter of the law, becoming in truth the prince of the house of David. There We enjoyed those sweet years together.

Finally one day Joseph said to Me: "Mary, I am told that I have not yet too many years ahead. There will come a parting when You must go on alone. I have been told by My Teacher that it is time now to introduce Our Son to the Essenes. It is also time for Me to bring James and John into Your Presence and to set them upon their spiritual path. Then I AM to go out to seek those men who My Teacher has told Me will be the strength of You and Jesus in the days that are to come." James and John had been raised by a kindly woman, and Joseph their guardian was concerned within Himself about the boys yet young in years. He said to Me: "Beloved Mary, do You think We should bring James and John into Our home at this time or do You feel that it is wiser that We keep it sanctified for the Presence of Our blessed Jesus?" I said at once: "I shall not make this decision alone, let Us rest it with the Lord."

As We did We found it was best to keep Our beloved Jesus in that uninterrupted sanctified peace. So Joseph said then: "I shall go to these boys and ask which one of them will accept the role as head of the household and which one is willing to take the training preparatory to being the righthand of Jesus in the days that are to come."

Joseph went to the home of the boys. James being stronger, older and more of a practical man took upon Himself the responsibilities of the household. John was delivered to the Essenes where He remained in their training for some years. After John had gone Joseph said to Me: "I think I had best take James with Me down to Galilee. He is young to live so alone and I shall take Him to those men who are to stand with the beloved Jesus in the days ahead. I shall acquaint Myself with those men and according to their capacity to understand I shall endeavor to alert them as to things which are to come, that is if you can spare Me awhile, Beloved." I said: "Joseph, We live but for one thing, for the victory of this ministry, for the education of those who can assist Us. You are as free, Beloved, as though I were not in embodiment." Joseph said: "I will make these journeys as short as I can for My span of years on earth now grows very short. Before I go I want to have as much association as possible with You and this boy whom I love more than life."

Joseph then took James and went down into Galilee. There He came upon Peter and Andrew and talked with them. Now this may be surprising to you but Joseph knew of those disciples for years before Jesus was even aware of who they would be. joseph talked with these men and brought to each one as much as their consciousness could absorb and the law would permit at that time. Then He returned home and We discussed them together. Joseph would say: "mary, there you have a strength in that one, there you will have perhaps a doubt, there you will have a sweetness, look for these men."

I did not personally meet the disciples until some time later but when I did Joseph's wise admonitions were of great assistance to Me. You see I had nothing in my whole life but a desire to concentrate upon the immaculate concept of My Son. Therefore at that time Joseph did for Me and for Jesus the preliminary work in the establishing of the Christian Era. Today you are giving the same kind of service to Him as you serve the cause of St. Germain.

One day Joseph said: "I AM going to take John to join James at Capernaum. Then My work is done." The parting of beloved Joseph and Myself was not a sad one as partings go. he was conscious that his mission was completed, and may I say, completed in beautiful dignity. Jesus was already the wonderful embodied power of the Cosmic Christ, having received that power from Lord Maitreya whom He had now accepted as his cosmic Teacher. During Jesus' growing years Our beloved Joseph's service to his lifestream was to be his Teacher and the example of the Father to Him. When Jesus had developed to the place where Lord Maitreya could be his Teacher, Joseph's work was done.

Thru the contact of the disciples with Joseph they were alerted not to the personality of Jesus but to the coming of the Messiah, and they were in the process of preparation for their part in that great event. They were alerted too to the truth that such a Messiahship was soon to burst upon the screen of life. You see, part of their great initiation would come in recognizing that One whom they were told might come. Joseph did not tell these men that He knew of the actual person who would be that Messiah but that thru the study of the ancient prophecies and teachings of the law He felt that the time for the appearance of this Messiah had arrived.