In the year 39, several days after the Triumvir Cailean's voyage to Antigonia, I had the privilege to bear witness to a profound and sacred baptism ceremony within the heart of The Solisian Church, The Sapientia Divina, nestled in the realm of Arescod. This holy site, erected by the unwavering hands of The Ecclesia in Ascalon, stood as a testament to the enduring devotion of the faithful.
As I entered the Sapientia Divina, I was immediately struck by the vibrant hues adorning the congregation's vestments: a tapestry of red, white, and gold, unlike the customary white and gold of The Ecclesia. It was a matter of curiosity, and so I inquired of a Congregation leader, who graciously shared their reasoning. They explained that their choice of colors was a manifestation of unity with the nation in which they resided, an expression of their unwavering faith woven with the threads of their earthly existence. To my amazement, they revealed that The Ecclesia did not, in fact, proscribe such variation in vestments; they had received approval from none other than Solar Ecclesiarch Helia I herself.
The ceremony itself was a symphony of elements, a divine tapestry woven by ash, fire, smoke, and water. With the hushed reverence of the gathered assembly, a priest, robed in the resplendent attire of crimson and gold, cradled a tender soul in his arms. He invoked the holy flame, an emblem of the divine's purifying grace, to kindle a sacred fire, whence a fragrant smoky offering ascended towards the heavens. With solemn care, the priest anointed the infant with ash, symbolizing the transmutation of the spirit, all the while imparting a blessing and invoking Aeternum Solis to safeguard the young soul.
Following the baptismal rite, a profound stillness descended upon the congregation, as if Caelum held its breath in reverence. It was a moment of divine transcendence, where the past, present, and future converged in harmonious unity.
Soon, the assembled faithful raised their voices in unison, as the priest led the congregation in a hymn from the Veritas Eterna. The song reverberated through the Sapientia Divina, its resonant strains permeating the very foundations of the cathedral, reaffirming the unity of the congregation with the divine.