A Surprising Blessing

Given all the chatter and whine and errors being scraped up over weapons, it may be distinctly satisfactory for you to read something serious and solemn and impressive - and quite authentic - about how the Church actually considers such things and their use. Even more: this particular item will appear in a future installment of the Saga, so if you want to see it "in situ" so to speak, stay tuned.



From Pontificale Romanum:
De Benedictione Militis Novis
(For the Blessing of a New Knight - my rough translation)

V. Save your servant, O Lord.

R. My God, I will hope in you.

V. Be to these, O Lord, a tower of strength.

R. From the face of the enemy.

V. O Lord hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto you.

V. The Lord be with you.

R. And with your spirit.

Bishop: Let us pray. Holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, who alone orders all things and disposes them rightly, by your wholesome disposition you permit the use of the sword in the human world to the curbing of malice and the support of justice, and you will the institution of the order of knights for the protection of the people: and you spoke through blessed John to whom in the desert the soldiers came that they may do violence to no one, and they may be content with their pay; by your clemency, we humbly beg, that as you enlarged the ability of your servant David to prevail over Goliath, and you made Judas Machabee to smite the people who would not invoke your name, so also grant to these your servants, whose now place their necks under the yoke of knighthood, power and boldness toward the defence of faith and justice, and give to them an increase of faith, hope, and charity, give your fear and in like manner love, humility, perseverance, obedience, and good patience, and in them dispose all things rightly, that they may harm no one unjustly, with these or other weapons; and that with them they may defend the just and the right: and as they by a minor step to new knighthood are advanced in honor, so putting off the old man by their actions, may put on the new man, that they may fear you and cultivate righteousness, avoid the consort of the wicked, and increase in their charity to their neighbor, obey their superiors in all things rightly, and in all things justly execute their duty. Through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

The very pattern of the cosmos, so to speak, is a pattern of crossed swords.

GKC May 31, 1913 CW29:502

Special news...

Hey, just in case you are desperate for something in these last days before Christmas...

The companion work to the Saga called Quayment Short Stories is now on sale! You do not even need a special code. It is regularly $8.87, but it is MARKED DOWN to $6.91.

It has two very curious stories about what happens at the Weaver home on Christmas, and a bunch of other unusual things - and the best thing is that you do not need to commit yourself to reading the WHOLE Saga... you can bite off just enough to chew, and then swallow. Though I have a feeling you may be wanting more later... and there is plenty more to come.

Indeed, for the literary stewpots are just starting to simmer again, and soon the cook will have to start stirring...

Don't forget to check out the Advent savings on the first five installments of the Saga... see the next posting, and the one after that which lists all presently available parts.

Update: yeah, the sales are STILL GOOD until and including Epiphany, January 6!

Special news for Advent

Happy New (Liturgical) Year!

It's the first Sunday of Advent, and since people may be looking around for Something Good To Read - for themselves, or perhaps to give as a gift - you may be interested in hearing about the Advent special for the Saga.

The first five books of the series are "marked down" for Advent, provided you use this "Discount Code" when you order: YA6LKN5E

The titles included are these:
The Wreck of the PHOSPLOION
The Black Hole in the Basement
The Creatures That Live in the Walls
The Horrors in the Attic
The Tree of Virtues

Also, be sure to check out my new non-fiction, Subsidiarity, which can be ordered here. It has its own blogg too. I should point out that the fictional version of Subsidiarity is now being proofed - it happens to be a PREQUEL to the Saga, the long-awaited Joe the Control Room Guy...

Meanwhile, I suggest you get out your Bible and read the book of the prophet Isaias, who is the definitive Advent writer... for He is coming! Prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight His paths!

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P.S. Note that it says "a" prequel. There are others. And yes, we will meet John Fisher and Joseph Chandler, we will see the Rising Darkness (as John Fisher put it) and learn about his Plan. In another we will meet Al Root, and learn more about the Chandler Bells. Yes, there is plenty to look forward to...

Now Available: The Elements Fight for the Virtuous

For the feast of St. John Damascene...

The tenth part of the Saga De Bellis Stellarum, the last of the five parts of "From Darkness Into Light" - which is titled The Elements Fight for the Virtuous is now available!

You can order it here.

Now available: 13.0.0.0.0

No doubt you are wondering about that title. No, it's NOT an IP address, they only have four numbers between 0 and 255 separated by three periods. No, it's NOT an enzyme identifier, which look the same as IP addresses, though are not limited to 255 and I am not sure if they permit zero.

Actually, it's a date from one of the old Maya calendars, in what archaeologists call the Long Count, which indicate a continuous sequence of dates from some presumably mythical starting point somewhere around 3100 B.C. This particular date, 13.0.0.0.0, is the one which is supposedly coming up very shortly, at least according to one particular alignment of the Maya sequence with ours. Other historians give different correlations, and this particular book, the ninth installment of the Saga De Bellis Stellarum, uses a correlation which makes this end-of-the-baktun fall in December of 2015 - on the birthday of John Collins, no less!

So, if you are curious to hear how the world "ends"... you may wish to check it out. You can rest assured that there are four more installments to come, so you need not look so tragic... but do recall what Chesterton said:

Every short story does truly begin with creation and end with a last judgment.
[GKC The Everlasting Man CW2:379]

The Saga is, of course somewhat more lengthy than a short story... but we shall defer discussion of the other matters to a future time.

Oh yes, if you want to get the book, or find out more, go here.

Now Available: Os Olhos do Condor

Happy feast of St. Albert the Great, patron of Science!

To celebrate, we are releasing the eighth installment of the Saga De Bellis Stellarum today. It is called Os Olhos do Condor, which is Portuguese for "The Eyes of the Condor" - it tells of the adventures of our three heroes during the spring semester of 2015, when the great Espada plant in Brazil is threatened by industrial sabateurs. Meanwhile another sort of danger springs up in Stirling, PA...

But I don't want to reveal too much, of course! There are some very exciting parts... so visit here to learn more or to order the book.

Now Available; What More Do You Want?

Today, the feast of the martyr St. Josephat, part seven of the Saga is now available!Yes, half of the installments are now in print and ready for your enjoyment.

This one is titled What More Do You Want? - it covers the fall semester of 2014. You may order it here.