Knighthood for the 21st century

In the war against the “culture of death”, there are many battles that need to be fought and won. These battles, like the crusades of our past, need Catholic men—chivalrous knights—to stand on the front line and battle the forces of evil. But what does it mean to be a “Catholic knight.” TheMarch edition of Columbia, the official magazine of the Knights of Columbus, presents two articles that offer several inspiring guidelines and ideals for forging a new Catholic knighthood.

In his article, Knighthood Perfected, Amateo Seno explains Fr. McGivney’s vision for a new perfected knighthood.

“[Father McGivney had envisioned a new perfected knighthood], a vision of Knights who have forsaken all earthly lords to humbly serve the Lord of lords and the King of kings. It was a vision of Knights who would be devoted not just to any lady of the nobility, but to Our Lady, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary…These Knights would have beaten their swords into plowshares so as to work peaceably by sharing their charitable aid to those in need. They would crusade against injustices not by force, but by the power of the cross guiding their words and deeds.” -Amateo Seno

Stratford Caldecott, in his article The Universal Knight, finds in St. Joseph the very epitome of chivalry.

“As modern knights of Christ battle the culture of death and fight for the soul of the age, St. Joseph can serve as a special inspiration—the patron of a new chivalry for the 21st century…[T]he greatest paragon of chivalry, the true ‘universal knight’ in a spiritual sense, is Joseph of Nazareth. Long before chivalry was partially and imperfectly rediscovered by the soldiers and saints of the West, it was present in Joseph. In him, justice was combined with tenderness, strength and decisiveness with flexibility and openness to the will of God.” -Stratford Caldecott

The war which began in the Garden of Eden is now playing itself out in our governments and in our homes. And though we know what side wins in the end, we all have an obligation to take part in the battle. We need a troop surge of “universal knights.” A surge of Catholic men modeled after St. Joseph.

The “Catholic knight” is called to “serve the Lord of lords and the King of kings.” His devotion should rest in no mere “lady of the nobility, but to Our Lady, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary.”

As Amateo explains, “The word knight itself is derived from the Old English cniht meaning youth or servant.” So, as Knights, as men, as Christians, we are His servants.