Dames!
Are you by any chance a Dame of Malta? Or maybe a Knight of Malta?
I ask because if you are, you know that yesterday was your big party day. The feast of St. John, the official feast day of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Or the Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, the group's fuller moniker.
Quick history (from the Knights of Malta website):
"The order was originally established as a community of monks responsible for looking after the sick at the Hospital of St John in Jerusalem. They later became a military order, defending crusader territory in the Holy Lands and safeguarding the perilous routes taken by medieval pilgrims. The Knights were drawn exclusively from noble families and the Order acquired vast wealth from those it recruited."
Today, of course, the Knights stick to doing good works. They build hospitals and help the poor all over the world. And they dedicate themselves to living lives of Christian virtue. Great guys and gals.
But as far as I know that bit about being drawn from the ranks of the loaded still holds. Hey, it's expensive building hospitals.
Which was why I and my fellow parishioners at Our Lady of Peace Through Strength were so surprised to see them at the 11:00 mass yesterday.
Don't get me wrong. OLoPTS is a great parish. Salt of the earth, OLoPTSers. But the word "nobility" doesn't exactly spring to mind. Neither does the phrase "vast wealth." Heck, we switched to cheapo donuts a few weeks ago. Hardly the after-mass treats you could offer to the nobility.
At first we assumed there had been some kind of mistake. Maybe the Maltese got the address wrong. Maybe somebody took a wrong turn on the highway and the rest just followed.
But at the end of mass the pastor officially welcomed the Knights of Malta to our little church. So however it happened, it was done on purpose.
Living life as a Catholic you get pretty used to dealing with mystery. The KoMs showing up at OLoPTS? Another mystery. Why no one was willing to consider joining Desperate in hitting them up for a few bucks before they took off? Another mystery.
Why Desperate herself will never be a Dame of Malta?
No mystery there whatsoever.
I ask because if you are, you know that yesterday was your big party day. The feast of St. John, the official feast day of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Or the Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, the group's fuller moniker.
Quick history (from the Knights of Malta website):
"The order was originally established as a community of monks responsible for looking after the sick at the Hospital of St John in Jerusalem. They later became a military order, defending crusader territory in the Holy Lands and safeguarding the perilous routes taken by medieval pilgrims. The Knights were drawn exclusively from noble families and the Order acquired vast wealth from those it recruited."
Today, of course, the Knights stick to doing good works. They build hospitals and help the poor all over the world. And they dedicate themselves to living lives of Christian virtue. Great guys and gals.
But as far as I know that bit about being drawn from the ranks of the loaded still holds. Hey, it's expensive building hospitals.
Which was why I and my fellow parishioners at Our Lady of Peace Through Strength were so surprised to see them at the 11:00 mass yesterday.
Don't get me wrong. OLoPTS is a great parish. Salt of the earth, OLoPTSers. But the word "nobility" doesn't exactly spring to mind. Neither does the phrase "vast wealth." Heck, we switched to cheapo donuts a few weeks ago. Hardly the after-mass treats you could offer to the nobility.
At first we assumed there had been some kind of mistake. Maybe the Maltese got the address wrong. Maybe somebody took a wrong turn on the highway and the rest just followed.
But at the end of mass the pastor officially welcomed the Knights of Malta to our little church. So however it happened, it was done on purpose.
Living life as a Catholic you get pretty used to dealing with mystery. The KoMs showing up at OLoPTS? Another mystery. Why no one was willing to consider joining Desperate in hitting them up for a few bucks before they took off? Another mystery.
Why Desperate herself will never be a Dame of Malta?
No mystery there whatsoever.
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