Knight of the Grail Code: The Call to Christian Chivalry in a World of Growing Darkness

By Rick Kasparek

In an attempt to discover what has become hidden within the growing darkness of our society, Knight of the Grail Code examines the source of our natural, moral instincts and how following these transcendent morals can lead to physical, mental, and sociological health. We discover the source of our morality and find that--like the Grail--it gives us health and life. And also like the Grail, it is the quest for its discovery that reveals our true nature.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 5, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490862026

Rick Kasparek

Rick Kasparek’s life is intrinsically tied to the promotion of a contemporary form of chivalry, a way of life that instills meaning and direction to those who are inspired by it. As a devoted Christian, fraternal knight, and Council Knight of the International Fellowship of Chivalry-Now, he is dedicated to the shedding new light on the chivalric ideal by promoting its Christian nature. As a father and grandfather, he is concerned about the society our future generations will inherit. Can we change the world we live in through the inspiration of chivalric ideals? Can we fortify young people with a strong grasp of moral truth to prepare them for what is to come? Christian chivalry shows us the way.

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Copyright © 2014 Rick Kasparek.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

WestBow Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4908-6200-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-6201-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-6202-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014921431

WestBow Press rev. date: 12/5/2014

Contents

List of Illustrations

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Who am I?

Concepts and Philosophy

My Unending Quest for Areté

1. Morality, Intuitive Ethics, and Chivalry

Morality Defined

Natural Law/Intuitive Ethics Defined

Chivalry Defined and Refined

The Concept of Honor

2. The Rising Darkness

Divergence from the Ideal

The Darkness Grows

A Call to Arms

3. The Awakening

Realizing the Deception

Discovering a Remembered Truth

Contemplating the Truth

Reaching Heavenward

Seizing the Moment

4. The Grail Code

The Quest

The Code

The Grail and Sword

5. The Calling

Answering the Call

Female Knights

Equipping the Knight

Equipping the Mind

Joining the Quest

Service

6. Becoming

The Knights of the Grail Code—Benevolent Service

The Vows of a Knight of the Grail Code

The Core Values of the Knight of the Grail Code

7. Symbolism and the Grail Code

The Grail

The Sword

The Cross

Armorial

8. Beginning

Our Response to the Call

Protecting the Innocent

Protecting Our Morality

Protecting Our Future

Appendix A: Verses Regarding the Virtues

Appendix B: A Few Suggested Resources

Appendix C: Examples of Female Warriors

Endnotes

Copyright Acknowledgments

The author, editor, and publisher wish to thank the following for permission to reproduce their copyrighted material:

• Professor Richard Abels, PhD, chair of the History Department at the US Naval Academy.

• John Adcox, writer, storyteller, and blogger.

• Daniel A. Biddle, author of Knights of Christ.

• Constance Brittain Bouchard, PhD, distinguished professor at the University of Akron.

• Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap., DD, Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

• Bill Fortenberry, religious and political writer and teacher.

• Dr. Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist at NYU Stern School of Business.

• Joseph D. Jacques, author of Chivalry-Now: A Code of Male Ethics and The Deeper Quest.

• Dr. Andrew Newberg MD, neurotheologist, director of research at the Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

• Stephen Pinker, professor of psychology at Harvard University.

• Mike Shanta, blogger.

• Thomas Tan, blogger and Knight of the Order of Malta.

• Fay Voshell, MDiv, national columnist with articles in National Review, RealClearReligion, American Thinker, and others.

• Kimberly Wagner, author of Fierce Women: The Power of a Soft Warrior.

• The artists that created work used in this book: Lydia Joy Palmer; 123RF’s photographers Andrey Kiselev, nejron, Максим Евдокимов, Dmitriy Cherevko, and stillfx and Tony Coombes.

Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders, but if any have been inadvertently overlooked, the author would be pleased to make the necessary arrangements to rectify the situation at the first available opportunity.

This work is dedicated to my wonderful wife, Claudie—my lady, my true love, my best friend. Her laughter uplifts me, her generosity amazes me, and her love and patience sustain me. She sees me practicing what I have put into words here, but as with all practice, my efforts are far from perfect—I am blessed by her understanding.

List of Illustrations

• Knight by Lydia Palmer*

• Morality**

• Rising Darkness***

• Awakening****

• The Holy Grail†

• The Calling††

• Becoming†††

• Symbolism (sword)††††

• Cross Patonce††††

• Arms*†

• Beginning*††

_____________________

* Thanks to Ms. Lydia Palmer (lydiajoypalmer.wordpress.com) for permission to use her pen & ink drawing of the knight and horse.

** Original image by Andrey Kiselev © 123RF

*** Original image by nejron © 123RF

**** Original image by Максим Евдокимов © 123RF

† Thanks to Mr. Steve Forgette for permission to reprint the shield from his registered assumed arms. Designed by the author with royalty free software called Armorial Gold. (Armorial Gold Heraldry Services). Copyright © 2001–2014.

†† Original image by Andrey Kiselev © 123RF

††† Original image by Dmitriy Cherevko © 123RF

†††† Sword image with assistance from Tony Coombes

*† Arms designed by the author with royalty free software Armorial Gold

*†† Original image by stillfx © 123RF Stock Photo

Foreword

Imagine a full-fledged knight from the middle ages—one who has been trained since age seven by the king’s best personal guard, then aspired through the ranks of page, squire, and finally knight. Imagine this young man set apart from the world and established in all ways that matter—moral code, valor, strength, and physical and spiritual combat skills. Then imagine this knight being teleported into today’s society, where he sees so many of today’s youth distracted in almost every way, forsaking discipline, moral codes, and virtue, and grounded in nothing other than self-pleasure.

What would his response be? I believe the answer is simple: Write a book like this—one that establishes a system, a code for living, and then train youth to follow it. Not a web of some legalistic rules, but a fabric of living in a way that the Creator designed, planned, and wishes for each of us, with the only motivation to please Him. I believe that Rick Kasparek has done just this.

Oh, where are the knights of today? We pray this book acts as a magnet attracting those who hear this calling:

When charity, royalty, truth, justice, and verity fail in the world, then beginneth cruelty, injury, disloyalty, and falseness. And therefore was error and trouble in the world in which God hath created man in intention that of the man he be known and loved, feared, served, and honored. At the beginning, when crime was come to the world, justice returned through fear to the honor in which she was wont to be. And therefore all the people was divided into thousands. And of each thousand was chosen a man most loyal, most strong, and of most noble courage and better taught and mannered than all the others. And after, it was inquired and searched what beast was most suitable, most fair, most courageous, and most strong to sustain travail and most able to serve man. (Ramond Lull, The Book of the Order of Chivalry, 1991)

~ A True Knight Serves All but Loves Only One ~

Sir Daniel Arthur Biddle, author of Knights of Christ: Living Today with the Virtues of Ancient Knighthood

September 23, 2014

Preface

In the days of Moses, accompanied by fire, thunder, and lightning, God descended on Mount Sinai to deliver His holy commandments to the tribes of Israel. He wrote these commandments on tablets of stone to illustrate their immutability in order to establish His moral code to which He expected adherence from His people. Unfortunately, man is an imperfect thing, and we strayed from the path—so God then told of a new covenant.

The days are coming, declares the

Lord

, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, declares the

Lord

. This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time, declares the

Lord

. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the

Lord

,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the

Lord

. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. (Jer. 31:31–34)

God would write His Law on the hearts of His people, and send His Son to fulfill the Law. Jesus said,

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 5:17–19)

Early Greek philosophers identified what they called the law of nature that is pervasive and establishes a moral code for humanity. This moral code has been the seed of various codes of behavior adopted since the beginning of civilization. While some philosophers and psychologists may argue that morality or ethical behavior is merely an evolutionary device that perpetuates the species, or whether we believe that morality is written on our hearts by God, there is a consensus that there is a natural tendency to adhere to a moral code that promotes the well-being of the individual, but more importantly—the group.

Whatever the true nature of morality is, and whatever the nuances of that ethical code, it has been an inherent part of the progress and the reason for the survival of the human species. I believe that God was, is, and always will be the eternal active agent—the source behind everything—and so I believe that this moral code was written on our hearts, embodied and fulfilled in our Savior, and is reflected in all its grandeur in what we call the Grail Code.

Christ embodies and fulfills God’s Law that is written on our hearts. When we nourish ourselves from that grail, that providential source of being, we receive the promise of salvation and everlasting life. This is the essence of the Grail Code and its role in true Christian chivalry.

Acknowledgments

Without guidance from above, none of this would have come about.

My deepest thanks to my wonderful wife; I couldn’t have done this without your support. To my mother, thank you for teaching me the values I learned as a child—love of God, family, and country. These are values that I cherish. To my father, who has been called home, thank you for teaching me patience and for giving me the inquisitive nature that causes me to search for answers. To my brother, whose example of leadership, honor, and standing up for one’s values has been a constant in my life—Semper Paratus! To my sister, who has also been called home, thank you for being a constant source of smiles and laughter, love and support while you were here.

To my three daughters, who taught me how to be a dad, thank you for your patience, love, and laughter. I cherish each of you and could not ask for a greater gift than the three of you—you truly are gifts from God. And to all of my grandkids, I hope you will enjoy this—I love you all and hope you will always live in accordance with the Grail Code written on your hearts.

I would be remiss if I did not thank my friends who helped nurture this work. Davey, thank you for sharing our early dreams of knighthood while were busy being new fathers. Dean, thank you for opening wide the door and exposing the need for chivalry in our time and inspiring my attempt in writing this book. Steve, thank you for being the watchman, for coining the phrase, and for joining me in this endeavor. Jim and Scott, thank you for reminding me to dream the impossible dream. And to all of my fellow knights and companions at the International Fellowship of Chivalry-Now, Areté! my friends!

And last but not least, to all of those from whom I borrowed words, ideas, inspiration, and/or guidance (Dean, Steve, Rev. Kurt, John, Daniel, and all the rest)—thank you!

And to those I neglected to mention, I apologize. There are so many people who have encouraged, motivated, and supported me—it is difficult to list every one of you. I thank you and hope you enjoy this work.

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