St. Stephen the Martyr Council #13468

GRAND KNIGHT'S REMARKS

Charter Presentation

14 April 2005, Middleburg, VA

As Knights, we speak of our wives with great love and respect. We tell our prospective new members that our service to the Order would be impossible without the support of our spouses and children. Yet so rarely do we have the opportunity to acknowledge our wives in such a public way. So tonight, on the occasion of such a celebration, I would like to thank my wife Elizabeth and each of my children for allowing me to participate so actively in this council. Likewise, in a special way, I would like to thank each and every wife and family of this council for allowing their husbands and fathers to lend their time and talent to the Knights. We know that none of this would be possible without their support - and we are grateful.

Recently, I was thinking about the many Biblical examples of ordinary people making extraordinary decisions. I'm not speaking of extraordinary in an everyday, traditional sense of the word…… - I'm not speaking of the greatness of the martyrs….. - Not the bravery of the earliest Christians inside the Roman Empire….. - Not even the exceptional devotion of our late Holy Father I was merely thinking of those who, in the course of their “normal” lives, made a simple, conscious, yet heroic decision to say “yes”.

The story of the Prodigal Son illustrates two such examples. Of course, the unrelenting, heroic love of a father and how that love allowed the father to welcome and forgive his wayward son is rather obvious. But did you ever consider how much meekness it must have taken for the son to swallow his pride, face up to his indiscretions and return to the probable ridicule of his brother. I think both were heroic in completely different ways.

And what about the Good Samaritan? What was it that really happened on that road? In the end, it was very simple, the Samaritan made a conscious decision to say “yes”……A simple, heroic “yes” where others had chosen to say “no”. Of course the Bible is full of such stories, but I point to both of these examples as heroic because the people at the center of these stories, normal every-day people, gave freely of themselves, with no expectation of repayment and with the full knowledge that doing so may come at a personal cost.

As I think back to the day I told my children I was going to be involved in the creation of a Knights of Columbus Council at St. Stephen, the older ones, who knew vaguely of the Knights, asked in amusement if I was going to wear that funny little hat. The younger ones eagerly anticipated the arrival of a sword and my suit of armor. It got me thinking and I knew I had some explaining to do.

Knights throughout history have been staunch, if not militant, defenders of faith. Raised as Squires and Pages, these young men were trained to exemplify extraordinary courage. The concepts of chivalry, bravery and devotion were born of the Knights of ancient times. They were trained to do “the right thing” with the full and complete knowledge that “the right thing” may come at an exceptional personal cost - even death. They were trained to be heroes. Although the shining armor is no longer donned, today the honor of Knighthood is conferred upon those whose lives and actions have so greatly contributed to the kingdoms they have chosen to serve.

So what, if any, links do the Knights of human history share with today's Knights of Columbus? Well we have both lived in kingdoms - but of course the King we serve is very much alive and present in all that we do today. After all, God is the only true King.

We both have lived in tumultuous times. For us it's a time where our society and the societies of much of the world permit the legalized killing of human beings. Where babies, through partial-birth abortion, are “born” for the sole purpose of murdering them. Where those who believe in God are openly ostracized and asked to hide their beliefs, while the ideas of promiscuity, homosexuality and greed are celebrated as they infiltrate our homes, our schools and our places of work. And we live in a society where those who may offer a differing viewpoint are marginalized and labeled as intolerant, bigoted or as a religious zealot.

Every Knight in this room, along with every family that stands behind each man, has made a simple, seemingly ordinary, yet heroic decision to say “yes”. “Yes” in special service to our Lord through our Blessed Mother Mary. “Yes” to the founding principles of this country, defending life from the moment of conception right through to when our Lord decides to end our Earthly service. “Yes” to extending ourselves in support of the less fortunate and fighting on behalf of the down-trodden.

When one man stands up - it's certainly noble and he can lead his home…… When a group of men stand together - they might even change their community….. But when a million plus stand together - they will change the world. With a simple “yes” each Knight not only acknowledged causes “larger than himself” but also pledged to stand with brother Knights everywhere in defense of the Church and in service to her Priests.

With that simple “yes” we will continue to fight for the causes of social justice on behalf of those weaker and less fortunate, as we defend life in each of its sacred stages. In the context of our faith, this service is rather simple, it's called standing up for what is right. In the framework of our society, this service is nothing short of heroic and because of this heroic service, you and our fellow brothers are known as Knights.

May God continue to bless our council and all those who will follow in our footsteps.