The path to the Grail is peppered with noticeable landmarks and the quest is riddled with rites of passage, some formal and some without ceremony. Between these milestones are weeks and months of tedious training and preparation – the banal day-in and day-out grinding. Everyone’s first steps on the path are their own. Sir Galahad was already one of the greatest knights of King Arthur’s court when he began his quest, after pulling the sword from the stone – an impossible feat that brought him even more fame. Sir Percival was a poor farm boy who had never seen a knight nor stepped foot inside a church and, like most of us, started at the bottom. Sir Bors landed somewhere in between, born into the peerage but somewhat of an outcast who always had to prove himself. With trouble always threatening him, he could’ve gone either way.

Each of them had their own beginnings and early challenges. They certainly had their own unique strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures – each of them much different from each other. Yet none of them could have achieved the Grail without first being men of combat, and second, men of Christ. These are the two requirements, and the book-ends that hold everything else in place. No amount of wisdom, talent, experience, or otherwise is useful on the path for one who wishes to achieve the success of Grail Knight without first being in the business of waging war and doing so in the service of God.

Again, this is not metaphorical, nor merely a social identity. Since the beginning of time, for us, it was never acceptable to be a warrior “at heart” but we must be acknowledged by higher ranking Officers and must be employed as warriors. No military branch awards service medals to those who “almost joined.” We are not knights because we want to be and therefore, we stated it in our social media bios. We are knights because we are called to be, and we were made such by those who came before us in the branch, agency, or the order we find ourselves serving in. Anything less is unacceptable.

Since the beginning, it was never acceptable to be a lukewarm Christian, but we must be acknowledged and blessed by our Bishops and Priests, and we must complete all the necessary rites and rituals. No Catholic parish will knowingly allow one who is not baptized and confirmed to receive the Eucharist. We are not Catholics because we appreciate the aesthetics and the culture, so we post photos of the Saints and of Gothic cathedrals. We are Catholics because we believe, are called to be, and we were made such by God and the successors of the Apostles. Baptized, Confirmed, and documented. Anything less is unacceptable.

We went from the grappling mats to the chapel, and from striking pads to lectures on mental illness and disease. 12 of us bonding over weapons tactics, medical training, and lessons in the history of our Order. We spent the summer and autumn of 2021 leaving our public service or other agencies to patch over into the ranks of modern hospitaller guardians – armed men defending our Catholic sites, serving those of all walks of life who come in need of healing and protection. Our weapons and armor blessed by the Priests, our oaths given before Captains and Chaplains; certifications and badges presented to us by Sergeants-at-Arms. We pray like warriors and fight like monks. This is what we meant when we said “Ora et Pugna”; this is where two things become one and we can be forged into Grail Knights. It was time to hoist the black flag and so we did. Anything else is unacceptable.

There are countless adages and expressions that we’ve all heard which propose the idea that “it’s not about what you do, but who you really are on the inside.”

It’s all cathartic nonsense and heartwarming poppycock.

Having the heart of a knight is critical as we begin our quests and it continues to develop as we trek down the path toward the Grail Keep. But we are not champions, soldiers, Vikings, cowboys, crime-fighters, patriots, or part of anything iconic or meaningful merely because we say we are or believe it’s who we are deep down. We must be doers. We must have heart, we must have faith, and we must give feet to these things and take them down the path. We must walk the walk. We must demonstrate that we’ve met the requirements, and we must be recognized by those who hold authority. Only then have we become Grail Knights.

Clothes don’t make the man. A beard doesn’t make one a philosopher. You are not simply because you claim to be. The cowl does not make the monk.

We know you have it in you. Are you ready to become?