On Sundays and Festival Days, in rooms owned and designated for the purpose, hours of collective veneration of God serve as a special help for our inner life. Framed by music, a lecture from the Grail Message is spoken. The reading is followed by a prayer that Abd-ru-shin has given. Many consider these brief Hours of Worship, mostly held on Sundays, to be the high point of their weekly life.
About the meaning of the Hour of Worship Abd-ru-shin said:
“Above all make use of the joint gatherings as Hours for the solemn worship of God. But do express Divine service in the entire activity of your being, in life itself; for it is with this that you shall serve your Creator, thankful and jubilant for the grace of being allowed to exist!
“Make everything you think and do into a service to God! Then it will bring you that peace which you long for.”
- The Grail Message, vol. 3 – Lecture: “Christmas”
In addition to the Hours of Worship Abd-ru-shin instituted three Grail Festivals.
The 30th May each year is the Festival of the Holy Dove. This Festival is closely connected with the Event of Pentecost, but above all with the activity of the Holy Grail and the Holy Spirit. The Dove is the visible Sign of the Holy Spirit, of the Will of God. Abd-ru-shin explained that the “Grail” and the “Grail Castle”, familiar from numerous myths and legends, do in fact exist, yet not as earthly vessel and edifice respectively but as the starting-point of the sublime Creation-Work.
“The Festival of Pentecost has been instituted by Christians in memory of this occurrence, without their ever suspecting that at this approximate time each year the Day of the Holy Dove occurs in the Grail Castle, that is, the day of the renewal of power for Creation by the Holy Spirit. Naturally this does not always correspond exactly with the Whitsuntide holiday as figured out on earth, but at its approximate time!”
- The Grail Message, vol. 2 – Lecture: “The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit”
On the 7th September each year, the Festival of the Pure Lily is celebrated. This Festival is to bring to mind in particular a commandment of the Grail Message without whose observance any spiritual ascent is impossible:
“Keep the hearth of your thoughts pure, by so doing you will bring peace and be happy!”
- The Grail Message, vol. 1 – Lecture: “Awake”
In a broad sense, the aspiration towards purity – whose symbol is the Lily – pertains to the duties of every human being who strives to live in accordance with the Grail Message.
The 29th December is the Festival of the Radiant Star. It is closely connected with the biblical event of the birth of Jesus, attended long ago by the shining forth of the Bethlehem Star, and with His Mission to bring mankind the Truth in His Message of Love.
As once through the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, so also on this day is a Ray of God’s Love sent, as a Help for us human beings.
Therefore the Festival of the Radiant Star is also called the Festival of the Rose, because this is the symbol of love.
“And wherever there is true purity, genuine love can also enter, for God’s Love works in the ray of Purity. The ray of Purity is the path It treads. It could not possibly walk on any other.
“The ray of Divine Love can never find its way to him who has not absorbed the ray of Purity!”
- The Grail Message, vol.1 – Lecture: “Childlikeness”
Apart from these three High Festival Days, Grail Festivals take place also at other times and in many countries.