Christmas And The Spirit of Chivalry

Christmas and New Year's Greeting From TFP Call To Chivalry - Great Lakes

We are now past midway through Christmastide. Many have made their New Year's resolution already and others are still deciding. Hopefully, these considerations will help you decide on one or perhaps add to what you already have.

The first And Most Iconic Christmas Greeting

The modern world's focus on Christmas is the joyful celebrations, the feasting, the family gathering, the shopping, and the decorations. None of these are evil in and of themselves. However they are secondary concerns. The primary concern for Christmas is revealed by the angels who appeared to the shepherds at the birth of Our Lord; "Glory to God in the highest and peace to men of good will." This greeting was proclaimed by a multitude of heavenly host, meaning battalions of heavenly army.

Many forget that when the bible says "host" it doesn't simply mean "a lot of" something. "A lot of" is the multitude part. Then what does host mean. The original word in Latin is sabaoth which is derived from Greek, which root word is tsebah which means "those who wage war."

Warrior Angels or Delicate Angelic Creatures?

Modern man has forgotten that the angels are warrior creatures. From the first instance of their creation until now, one main thing has defined them. This one thing is contained in the very prayer attributed to them by St. John in the book of the Apocalypse (Protestants call it Revelation). The same prayer that they say repeatedly to God as their main canticle. It is a prayer priests repeat at Holy Mass. This prayer is "Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of Hosts (read heavenly armies)." This one thing that defines them is that their perpetual prayer to God is to God as the God of the heavenly armies.

Why Is A Heavenly Army Necessary?

One of the reasons for this is so that man realizes the constant danger we face in this valley of tears. Sin and vice run rampant in our world no longer checked by good customs, traditions and Christian family bonds. We are in a constant state of war with the "principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places."

From this viewpoint, the Christmas greeting of the angels acquires a different meaning. They were trying to console men of good will, people who are engaged in this very spiritual battle on Earth. They were letting us know that the heavenly armies are aware of our struggles against the devil and his armies. In other words, they were letting us know that backup has arrived.

Backup has arrived! A multitude of Heavenly Armies waging on the world, the devil and the flesh.

Primarily, this backup came in the form of an infant. Secondarily, it came in the form of a new era of grace granted to mankind where the angels will be more active. (More on this on another post.)

Jesus became man to redeem mankind, to preach against sin and to announce a way of salvation.

A Christmas Greeting From the Man Who Inspired the Call To Chivalry Camps

In the spirit of the heavenly hosts who announced the coming of our backup in the spiritual warfare against the devil, his armies and the world of sin, we offer this excerpt of a Christmas greeting written by Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira, the very man who inspired the TFP Call To Chivalry Camps. This was published in December of 1946.

Whatever your New Year's resolution is, we hope it reflects the sentiment of this greeting. To be "men" of good will and to bring true peace on Earth, we must continue on Earth the war waged by the angels in Heaven. Only then will there be true peace on Earth. Only then will God be glorified on Earth as He is in Heaven. Only then will Our Lord Jesus Christ finally be proclaimed as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

May the spirit of chivalry born from the angelic choirs fill your year with great a desire to serve Holy Mother Church and help reestablish Christian civilization.