It is time to officially announce this year's Feast Of Tabernacles, symbolizing the coming of the Lord (the time of year when God's Spirit is Greatest on earth)!  As the Feast of Tabernacles approaches, and we keep the Feast of Trumpets and Day of Atonement leading up to it, we should start preparing physically, mentally, and spiritually for this event.  This can include focusing more on spiritual practices, reading and contemplating the Scriptures, eating more Satvic food, etc.  It might also be helpful to re-read the section in THOTH about Feasts and Holy Days of the Lord.

This year's Feast will begin at sunset on Saturday September 29, 2012 (Maya 15, 011995 MC), and finish the evening of Sunday October 7, 2012 (Maya 22, 011995 MC).  As explained in Maitreya's 'Nough Said article for this Newsbrief, we expect Mission members to take more of the Mission duties and practices into their own hands; therefore, the schedule of events provided online from the Mission Center will be simplified this year.  Indeed, it should always be that individual Mission members and communities celebrate the Feast and other Holy Days to the utmost in their own areas and internally, and not rely on the Mission Center for programs and services.  If this is your religion, then it is your responsibility to keep the Feast holy, with or without our help!

The schedule of what we will offer has not yet been finalized but will be similar to last year's schedule (although with less programs and more automated events, etc.).  When the schedule is finished, it will be listed at the top of the Feast Announcement page (check during the week before the Feast begins).  If anyone would like to prepare a program for our schedule, organize an event, etc. we are open to it, so please contact us.

There are a few things we already know about the schedule that can be announced here:

1. Maitreya will be available on Paltalk for two sessions to answer questions (times TBA).  This is the only time of the year Maitreya is available to the public for Satsang and answering questions live, so these sessions are a very rare and great privilege.  However, the rules for these sessions have changed for this year.  Maitreya's explanation from His article 'Nough Said for this Newsbrief is copied here:

In this spirit of you becoming more engaged in teaching and spreading the Mission, there will be a new policy for the Question and Answer Sessions at the Feast Of Tabernacles.  You will have to send your questions to the Mission in advance in order for them to be answered.  The questions have to be unique (have never been asked before).  They have to be sent, at least, one day before the session.  The idea is that you will search for answers to your questions and will ask only if you cannot find them in the website.

If no questions are sent to the Mission, we will assume that there are no questions left out there and therefore my presence in the session is not needed.  Instead, the attendees can pose questions they might have to each other and brainstorm the correct answers.

Therefore, if you have a new and unique question for Maitreya, please email it to us at least one day before the Question and Answer Session (and preferably before the Feast begins).  We will notify you if Maitreya has decided to answer your question.  During each session, Maitreya will answer those questions that have been sent in, and any follow-ups; however, He will not take any new questions from the room.  If no questions are sent in for a session, it will take a different format without Maitreya's presence, as Maitreya explains above.
 

2. As in previous years, we will need volunteers for various roles during the Feast.  The greatest need is for live readers of Mission literature on Paltalk in the mornings, evenings, and possibly a few other times during the day.  We also need a volunteer to give the Welcome Message at the beginning of the Feast (explanation and examples) - if no one volunteers to do this, we might not have a Welcome Message at all this year.  Finally, we are not sure we will hold an evening event such as Talent Night or Spiritual Stories Night this year, but if we do we will need a moderator.  Please let us know if you are interested in any of these roles, and please also include when you will be free during the week of the Feast to help us in our planning.
 

So let us prepare ourselves to put aside our egos, come together into communities (in person and online), and celebrate this most Holy Feast of God!