11 October 2005

Higher Education and the Quest of Gawain (Revised)



Scholastic studies. Are they really necessary? Maybe if that's what we were taught in today's classrooms. Ahh, what a penance it is for me to go to school. Hundreds of young adults are assigned into rooms of white washed walls, tile ceilings and neon lights to absorb the drivel that pours from our hailed professor's mouths. What's worst is that I recognize the brainwashing these professors are accomplishing which is effecting these impressionable intellects and is thus corrupting the future of our society. It makes me want to stand atop my desk and shout, "What hypocracy! How you claim to teach free thinking and tolerance to all thought expressions save to those who comes along and question your own false logic. Oh where now are those who preached the questioning of beliefs and behaviors? Why can we not now question those who impel us to accept immorality and encourage us to doubt all we believe to be sacred and true?" Sadly, I'm afraid if I ever found that gumption that my voice would go unheard and I'd be labeled a fanatic and get sentenced to campus counseling so my mind would be more attuned to the spirit of the school's environment. Shamefacedly however, I succumb to the pressures of our cultural norms and keep my mouth shut. Ugh!
I once heard a wise man say "the reason evil triumphs is because good men do nothing." How true, how true, and again how true. There is this sense of indifferentism which is diseasing our culture to the point that few there are who even recognize it exists. And to those who do, well, many of them have jumped the "nothing I do will make a difference" bandwagon. But in the meantime, our adversary is checkmating the entire world. Where are the pawns,the bishops,the knights? Is this fight to be fought by heaven forbid, the King himself? Where is our Sir Gawain? (Sir, who?)
Sir Gawain, the humble knight from the Arthurian legend of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." Excellent story, great moral. For those who don't know the plot-line I'll give you a brief interlude. The story involves the adventures of young Gawain, a knight and nephew of King Arthur, who is challenged by a monstrous Green Knight to cut off the monster's head and then meet him in one years time to have his own head cut off as well. Pure clean fun in Camelot, no? It does get better.Anyway, my reason for bringing this up is because of the plight it sets up for us. When the Green Knight first came to Arthur's court and challenged one of his knights to cut off his head, none dared to face him. Arthur eventually offered himself as the one to do the task which revealed the cowardice of his revered knights. But then arrived Gawain, who took the sword and sacrificed himself for the honor of his king. Seeing himself least among the knights due to his stature and ability, he became the prey of this curious beast and spared his king's reputation. Hail, good Sir Gawain!
I cite this tale because it reflects perfectly what I'm seeing happen to us as a culture. There is a monster (communism, modernism, indifferentism, pluralism, ecuminism, whateverism etc...) who wishes to challenge us in our loyalty to our God and King. Is there one who is willing to take the risk to say or do something to protect the honor due to our king, the King of Heaven, by showing this monster for what he truly is? Are we armed and ready to fight this deceitful foe who wants to tell us nothing we do will matter? Are we willing to meet him anywhere, be it at a Starbucks, college classroom even in our own parishes? Haven't we had enough of the lies that fill the innocent minds of people around the world who deserve a right to the truth? Though Gawain never existed his ideal does and for those who are ready to join in that quest we must be there to take up our arms and fight for that King and defend that Truth until that Green Knight's head we too shall claim.
(Please note, I am not advocating manslaughter or anything that even resembles it. The point I want to make is that people should try and do something, be it spiritual or otherwise, to help fight the evil one who is ravaging our lands. Not everyone is a St. Vincent Ferrare, I'm not, but that doesn't mean we can't be that sign of contradiction in our simple little everyday lives and speak by our example. However, if God does give us the grace to speak with prudence, wisdom and charity to someone you see being mislead then we must approach them. We must try to lead them towards Truth. This is what I when I speak of my quest. I hope that clears things up. Now by George it's late! Time to go to bed. Buona Notte!)

6 comments:

Dale's Gmail said...
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Anne Marie said...

How do I get these people off of my blog? It's getting to be ridiculous...

Jamie Carin and Claudio Romano said...

Hey Anne,

You know how I feel about this. Going to school does not need to be a penance. I wholeheartedly believe that college is what you make of it. Focus on the good and make the best of the bad. Remember you will win over more classmates with honey than vinegar...leave your sword at home and focus on just getting your classmates talking. You are more likely to get someone you have befriended (despite your differences) to come to Mass with you then someone you debated with and wrote off as a non-thinking Communist.

Anne Marie said...

Dearest Judeth,
Thank you for posting. Perhaps I should have been clearer about the approach one should take in trying to kill this monster that seeks to destroy our catholic faith and culture from being known and/or loved. I firmly agree with you that it is by sweetness that one draws the flies,of course; but my point is that more people shouldn't be so afraid to speak up when they hear their beliefs mocked and spoken of as wrong or "old fashioned." There is a holy anger that should touch the hearts of all catholics, but this hatred must not make us angry at those who are ignorant, rather it is a motive to inform them of what is true, but in a the style of a St. Thomas More or St. Francis de Sales. Good, clean, calm debating which is respectful and upholds fraternal charity. It is not the person we want to kill, just the ideas they assume which distort their reasoning from seeing clearly. I do admit, holiness and grace can do more to convert a sinner than profound words and zealous heart.

Jamie Carin and Claudio Romano said...

I see what you are saying, but I would would move with the assumption that no ones understands that what they are doing is wrong...and for the most part that is true. I know I was just like that when I started college. Don't assume people are afraid to speak up, assume they don't know they should. And speak with prudence...Speaking up is NOT always the right thing to do (as Father Perricone has told me often).

Anne Marie said...

Well spoken, friend. Zeal without prudence is fanatisicm.You've learned well. A presto...