NOW and THEN...

Chev. Thomas J. Serafin, V.V.

 

"The age of chivalry is gone"; but the age of chivalry will never be wholly past, while faith survives and wrongs remain to be redressed. Wherever, and so far as, the true Catholic faith, and the imitation of Christ and His saints, inspire a population, a class, or an individual, there, and in that proportion, the spirit of chivalry, dormant and entranced as it seems now, will ever live. This is a statement regarding the shameful excesses of the French Jacobins, yet it could very well be applicable today.

This mentality is so sorrowfully absent in this day and age. Historians refer to the period of times within the age of chivalry as the "dark ages." How funny; a time with morals, values, faith, dignity, and honor referred to as dark. Maybe the dark referred to the souls of those who were the object of the crusades.

The International Crusade for Holy Relics was established to return the remains of our Christian saints to the lofty station they so rightly deserve. Throughout the 20th century we witnessed the loss of respect and the veneration due to the lives and legends of our saints. The lives and deeds of saints that were carried on by oral tradition have now by "modern historians and theologians" been wrongfully deemed as legends. The term "legend": from the Latin - legenda, "something to be read." A legend was originally an account of a martyr or other saint to be publicly read on his feast day. When we attack the legend, the oral tradition, we are also attacking the basis of Scripture.

A person can easily find passages in the Bible that instruct us to hold onto oral traditions.

II. Thessalonians, Chapter 2 - 14

Therefore, brethen, stand firm: and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle.

II. Thessalonians, Chapter 3 - 6

And we charge you, brethen, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother walking disorderly, and not according to the tradition which they have received of us.

II. Timothy, Chapter 2 - 2

And the things, which thou hast heard from me before many witnesses, the same commend to faithful men, who shall be fit to teach others also.

 

Unfortunately in today’s society faith has been turned into fairytale. Any reasonable person can understand that stories are always a little embellished for the benefit of both parties. Our intelligence should allow us to sort fact from fiction. It is our lack of faith that blinds us.

It's interesting how an individual in entertainment or sports can be considered a legend. Society judges their accomplishments; behavior, values, morals, and worth as a performer / entertainer totally disregarding the same attributes in their private lives. The excuse that is common place when they fail is, " their only human beings, like you and me." That's fine, but why are they considered legends? "Legends" are people of exceptional life style, a charitable loving and sacrificing virtuous life that has produced fruit. A saint is judged on the entirety of his/her life, the virtues and accomplishments, not how many top 10 hits or homeruns. How can the lives of the saints be referred to as legends/fairytales? Are we to believe that they didn't exist? Or is it because the same values that existed 500 years ago don't exist today and are for the most part considered unnecessary? In the classic, "The Imitation of Christ" we are reminded, "Honor the Saints and follow their examples and you will have friends waiting to receive you into everlasting dwellings when your life here is ended." Chapter 23-8