The Feast of St. George

Today is the feast day of St. George...

The Cross of St. George:
Argent, a cross gules.

Anyone who is interested in knighthood will be celebrating this day, lifting a toast to that great martyr who fought and defeated the dragon:

The timidity of the child or the savage is entirely reasonable; they are alarmed at this world, because this world is a very alarming place. They dislike being alone because it is verily and indeed an awful idea to be alone. Barbarians fear the unknown for the same reason that Agnostics worship it - because it is a fact. Fairy tales, then, are not responsible for producing in children fear, or any of the shapes of fear; fairy tales do not give the child the idea of the evil or the ugly; that is in the child already, because it is in the world already. Fairy tales do not give a child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon.
[GKC "The Red Angel" in Tremendous Trifles]

Hence it seems fitting to ponder how even Modern knights can be fighting Dragons, even in our Real World - and what better way to ponder this than by means of the Saga...

"Many of you will be wondering about all these men in robes, with swords at their sides – older men, mostly. Or about these four young men with swords... those four you may have already encountered here in Stirling, and you knew they were bold young men, ready and willing to do the hard jobs, to defend the defenseless and protect the innocent, to help in unusual circumstances. It may sound like some sort of exaggeration to call them modern Knights, especially since knights get some bad press in these decadent ages – but they really are Knights. Don't go by the fantasy stories and movies – don't expect to see them jousting on horseback.... but when dragons come to destroy, they will be in the forefront of battle. Dragons! You scoff. Maybe not the fire-breathing lizards of mythology, but these dragons are worse, for they are the kind which lurk in human disguise. Yes: they are Knights, not because they ride horses, wear armor, or have swords, but because they are men sworn to virtue."
[PJF Et In Luna Pax]

Let us be perfectly clear about this, my friends. We are sworn to virtue, by the vows we took at Baptism, and by our Confirmation. This is the sort of knighthood which does not make the particular demands made by formal knighthood: it is open to all, male or female, young or old, physically agile or disabled... It is about Virtue:

"The world has such need of exemplars like them: young men sworn to virtue. Not merely to 'law', or to 'might'... we've had enough of that in the last century. Virtue is not popular, but it is necessary."
[Ibid]

There are dragons out there, and they are attacking the innocent. What will you do about it?

Ahem! Oh yes, Et In Luna Pax is the 13th installment of the Saga, and it is even now being readied for printing. Please be patient a little longer.