“We will do everything in our power to protect Saint Peter against the forces of darkness,” said Melchior to the abbot whose long grey hair was moved by his energetic movements.
Voices were resonating from the courtyard. Marc, Simon, Ruth and Margaret were the star singers standing underneath the window singing the new Advent song.
The Hunter Becomes the Hunted
Brother George was conducting the mass in the evening. He was very enthusiastic and started the ceremony with the words:
“Do not store up treasures here on earth where they can erode away or may be stolen. Store them in heaven where they will never lose their value, and are safe from thieves. If your profits are in heaven your heart will be there too.
“Our will is a tool forming our souls to the beat of God. Before God created the earth he constructed vessels to carry us to the sea of love after our death. The vessels are waiting at the shore of the river in the harbor of faith. God sends the Holy Spirit, the wind blowing into the sails of the vessel carrying it into the sea of love. Can you feel the joy of heaven? Can you feel God in his infinite love who wants to welcome his children back home in the sea of love? Before we can embark on the vessels we have to cross the sea of death. God have mercy with King Bloodstone and all the creatures of the valley of death when we arrive. They are driven by hate and destruction and will be defeated by the Archangel Michael and his army at All Saints Day. We have to stand firm and protect the Law of God until the Day of Judgment arrives. When the end arrives King Bloodstone and his followers will realize that there is no vessel carrying them to the sea of love. -There will be boats for some of his companions but they will soon realize that the boats have holes and will sink. Others will sink as they are built of paper. God have mercy on their poor souls as they will drown and never reach the New Jerusalem. We carry God’s Love in us. It is never too late to repent. If you see them drifting in the water take them in your vessel and bring them to the sea of love. A friend made in Jesus Christ is a friend for a life time,” said Brother George finishing the ceremony. His last words were accompanied by screaming coming from outside.
The wind howled in the narrow streets of Saint Peter as Brother Benedict made daily visits. That evening a boy ran to Brother George’s.
“Quick, quick. Come to the church. Jack and his friends have closed up themselves in the church,” said the little boy from the orphanage struggling for breath.
At the church, Brother Benedict, who was already there told Brother George that Jack and his friends had broken into the church with a big supply of liquor they had distilled in the old barn despite Brother George’s and Peter’s warnings.
“Come out of the church,” yelled an old man.
“We will stay here as long as we want,” said Jack.
“I want you to leave the church immediately,” said Brother George standing in front of the wooden gate.
“No way. We will stay in the church as long as we like.”
“We will blow up the church as soon as somebody enters. The liquor we made from last year’s fruit is strong,” replied Jack in an angry voice.
“How do you want to light the alcohol? I took all the candles out of the church,” said Brother George triumphantly.
“You forgot the eternal light. I will put a piece of cloth in the liquor bottle and light it on the eternal light. Then I will throw it on the altar and burn the whole church down,” said Jack, laughing.
“He is serious. Somebody needs to go inside and talk to him,” said Brother Thomas.
“I will go inside and teach them the right way,” said the old man angrily.
“If you go in I guarantee that the church will burn down,” said the abbot.
“Don’t do anything you are going to regret later! Remember the carnival is coming up soon and you need to be in good shape to participate in the games,” said Brother George.
“We are going to take a hammering. There are only losers living in Saint Peter,” said Jack.
“We are not losers, Jack. I will make sure that we are going to win the games. And do you know how?” asked Brother George trying to focus the attention on the upcoming games.
“By waiting for a miracle. We had enough of your preaching. How wonderful everything is with God. We have had no work in the last few months apart from building a fountain in the monastery,” replied Jack.
“We want to be free and independent and not become slaves,” said a friend of Jack in the church.
“You and your friends will be the front runners in our football team. You will be fighting first line with Steve, Brother Benedict and Martin,” said Brother George.
“Can I really play in the attack?” asked Jack.
“Yes, you can,” said Brother George.
His breath made white clouds into the cold air and his shoes crunched in the white snow. The moon was hanging motionless over the mountains. The pause was grueling.
“We are still not coming out,” said Jack.
“What more do you want?” asked Brother George. His face was close to the wooden church gate.
“It is not about what we want. It is about what we do not want. We had enough of doing nothing. The winter is still long and there is no work for us farmers,” said Jack.
“Wait until Mary’s Light Mass! The days will be longer and the nights shorter. I will show you what a blacksmith can do with a piece of metal when the days get longer.” Brother George felt a touch on his shoulder. He turned around and looked at Brother Benedict.
“We are not blacksmiths. We are farmers and are meant to bring good food on the tables of families,” said Jack.
“But it is still winter and dark and nothing will grow,” said Brother George.
“That shows how little you understand of farming. Onions, garlic, rye, beans and asparagus are growing in winter,” said Jack.
“There will not be darkness for much longer. We are going to set the church alight,” said a friend of Jack in the church.
“The church will burn like a big candle. The whole country will see it and will call it the burning candle of Saint Peter,” said Jack.
“Do not burn the church down. All our dreams and hopes rest in these walls. It is our vessel taking us to the Promised Land,” said a lady walking gracefully towards the church.
“I know how you feel, Brother Jack.” Peter the fisherman spoke in a loud voice. “Before I came to Saint Peter I did not have any work. But the people of Saint Peter helped me to overcome my anger and grief. Come with us fishing my brother. Watch the sun rise in the morning and sing with us the songs of freedom and peace when we drag the nets filled with fish in our boats. We are a brotherhood of fishermen and help each other. We work, pray and enjoy live together.”
Silence descended on the church again. There was no answer from the inside of the church. People had already brought buckets of water from the river and were preparing for the worst.
Marc, the adopted son of Jack, went straight to Brother George. Tears were in his eyes. Brother George stroked his hair.
“Jack do not kill yourself! You are my father. If you die I will lose my father and I have already lost one. I do not know what I am going to do without you. You are the only person who cares for me.” Tears were rolled over Marc’s cheeks burning holes in the cold snow.
Jack was still in the grip of the alcohol. He heard the sad voice of Marc which flowed through his heart. He did not want anything bad happen to the orphan who shared the same destiny with him. The tears of Marc freed the village from the dark spirit of alcohol for a while.
Time fell into a deep silence. The northerly wind chased a grey smoke swath over the snow. The chimneys of the houses were blackened with smoke and the air was filled with drifting ashes from burnt wood. The winter evening sank like a heavy stone to the bottom of the ocean. The sky became darker and darker but night was nowhere near. The daylight had disappeared completely. The wind started howling again. Black clouds hung over Saint Peter and moved slo
wly towards the village. Noise resounded from the church. Snow crunched under the foot as Brother Leo lifted his tired leg. He looked around as if he had done something wrong.
The wind became stronger as if it was controlled by a powerful demon. Brother George was looked around to locate the source of the wind. The earth was trembling and it was as if the storm was coming from deep in the earth like the voice of a hungry beast. Brother George turned around.
A black horse reared on its back legs. Its rider was dressed in a dark armor, holding a fireball in his iron gloves stood behind him. A big black wolf flashed its teeth. Brother George stared into the glowing eyes of the knight. George lifted Ascalon in his right hand to confront the Dark Knight whose cynical laughter filled the cold air. White smoke rose from the nostrils of his black horse. The growling of the wolf became stronger.
“Is that King Bloodstone?” asked a boy from the orphanage curiously.
Nobody answered as the handle of the church door began moving slowly downwards with a squeak. The gate opened and Jack and his friends came out. When the Dark Knight realized that the men had resisted the evil spirits of alcohol, he became angry and threw the fireball at the church. He turned the reins of his horse around and rode towards the mountains of death. The moon shine fell on his armor. He disappeared in the night like an arrow.
Jack had realized what he had done and was ashamed of himself. There was no time for punishment now as everybody was helping to fight the fire.
When the fire was under control Brother George whistled. A noise came from the barn near the church. The door of the barn smashed open. It was as if a hurricane had opened the wooden door. Pegasus appeared. His mane blew in the wind when the horse approached the church.
Brother George swung on the back of the horse and followed the Dark Knight.
“The hunter becomes the hunted,” said Brother Thomas watching Brother George disappearing into the dark forest.
The sky hung like led over Saint Peter. The mighty trees bowed under the strength of the northerly wind. The howling of the wind was terrible like the cry of a dying animal. The Dark Knight was riding towards Wolf’s Creek. Brother George moved quickly to catch him before entering the gate of hell. He was riding like the wind into the eye of the storm holding Ascalon in his right hand ready to strike down the enemies of Saint Peter.
The sky became darker. He could see the shadows of the dragons falling on the grey granite ground in the north.
When he realized that he had lost track of the Dark Knight he brought his horse to a standstill. Huge rocks which had broken off the mountains millions of years ago towered over the pastures. Brother George carefully observed the landscape. He felt like a trapped animal. He looked into the dark caves glowing like black eyes in the night. They led into the Underworld. Yellow clouds crept over the rocks. The caves were releasing sulfur. Brother George realized that he was trapped in a volcano. The voices of dragons which had been trapped in the mountains for millions of years rose from deep below. Lights shimmered in the depth of the volcano. The lights were slowly moving towards him. The womb of death gave live to the dragons which died millions of years ago. Dragons left the prison of time. A huge starfish was creeping out of the volcano.
The starfish wrapped his tentacles around the neck of one of the dragon. The dragon opened its eyes which were shining like the glow of a dying fire. The sea star was feeding the dragons with its blood. The Dark Knight appeared on a rock. His laughter mixed with the roaring of the awakening dragons. A dragon shook its head and stuck its nostrils in the air. The dragons could only sense the smell of animal and human blood.
The dragons were murderers who had learnt to kill over millions of years. Brother George’s body was wrapped in sulfur clouds. The eyes of a dragon were staring at Brother George.
The dragon attacked the brave man as he reached for his sword. Pegasus reared up against the dragon. Pegasus was a warhorse trained to defend the monks against their enemies. He stood on his back feet. Brother George swung his sword and hit the dragon on its nose. The beast was hurt. His squealing sounded like millions of razor blades scratched on metal.
The Dark Knight stood on the rock smiling. He took pleasure in their suffering. His power grew with the misery of humans and animals. The dragon moved backwards but was still alive. The arms of the giant sea star moved wildly. Brother George realized that the dragon was controlled by the sea star, which was older than the dragon.
“Where is your God?” said he Dark Knight. “Where are the Beatitudes you are preaching at church? I will fall on Saint Peter tonight and torment your people until they denounce Jesus Christ. They will be glad to follow me to hell. But first I have to take your souls and send it into the Underworld.” The dark knight forced his black horse to jump from the rock.
“The forces of evil will not prevail against Saint Peter. You will not touch one of my Brothers and Sisters and lead them astray,” said Brother George holding his sword in the air. From a distance it looked like a cross.
“Preaching to the poor and vulnerable, opening their hearts to the Kingdom of God and helping them to forget the misery they are living in. The spirit dies, blood prevails. The blood of King Bloodstone and the army of the reptilians.”
“Our visions will become true.. They are the calling of God in heaven. Our souls are born in the spiritual and not material world and will go back to their birth place. The Holy Spirit will lead us to heaven,” answered Brother George. Pegasus was rising on his back legs ready to confront an attack.
Dragons crept out of the volcano enclosing Brother George. Their anger had been growing from the day they had been thrown into hell millions of years ago. They had become predators of human beings, incarnations of the sin of the world, driven by hatred and the desire to take revenge on the earth.
The strongest dragons made their way forward in the front ranks. They attacked Brother George who fought against the evil creatures of darkness. The steel blade of his sword flashed in the dark night striking down the ferocious beasts. Pegasus hoof smashed the head of a dragon. Thick black blood trickled out of the skull.
A dragon charged through the air to strike Brother George. Suddenly, a whistle crept through the night. The whistle became stronger. The Holy Lance flew through the dark night like a shooting star and hit the dragon in its armored chest.
The dragon fell on the hard ground like a black stone. Maurice appeared in the night together with Martin, Benedict and Julian. Maurice immediately attacked the dragons, which were approaching from all sides. The smile in the face of the Dark Knight disappeared as it occurred to him that his army of evil was overpowered by the weapons Brother George had crafted. Maurice rode through the ranks of the dragons and mowed them down like weeds.
The Dark Knight headed to the caves in the Underworld. He was riding fast. Suddenly he heard a noise. He turned back and saw a bright light approaching fast. The Holy Lance struck him before he could enter the Gate of Hell.
“You have saved my life!” said Brother George when Maurice came back.
“The Archangel Michael must have been on a break so I thought I would protect you until he returns,” said Maurice to his brother-in-arms.
There was mourning in the Underworld over the death of the Dark Knight, who was one of King Bloodstone’s strongest warriors. King Bloodstone swore revenge against the Christians. His fist rose in the dark sky as he cursed Brother George and the people of Saint Peter.
Brother George, Julian, Maurice and Martin arrived in Saint Peter early in the morning. They went straight to the monastery where Brother George explained what happened.
“The Dark Knight conspired against us,” the abbot said. “He gave money to the farmers promising more if they distilled more alcohol. Then the Dark Knight came back and bought three quarters of the alcohol. He said that he would come to get the rest later. Then he went to other villages giving the alcohol to people for free. Meanwhile the farmers of Saint Peter started drin
king the alcohol. When they had finished, they produced more. The Dark Knight came and bought half. He distributed the alcohol to the villages for free. The next time the Dark Knight came, he bought three quarters of the liquor distributing it to the villages. He did not need to come again as everybody in the villages was addicted and they started to burn their own brandy.”
The Illumination at Mary’s Light Mess
The days became longer and the nights shorter. The monks in the monastery were busy crafting the new candles for Mary Light mess the last celebration of the Christmas cycle.
The liturgical year flew through the seasons. Mary Light Mass was the next station of the festive year. Mary Light mass had a unique texture. It felt like a harbor embarking with the memories of Christmas and sailing to the sea of love. The songs of the choir accompanied the soul of the parishioners on their quest to find Jesus Christ and Mary. The flames of Christmas were still burning in the church showing the way to eternity.
The monks in the monastery were busy crafting the candles for the liturgical year. The altar candles were big and mighty symbolizing the seven spirits of God. The altar candles and the new candles for the liturgical year were consecrated at the feast of Mary’s Light Mass. The candles had different colors and scents. The monks extracted the fragrances from herbs.
The workshop in the monastery turned into a spring field. The candles smelled like flowers as the monks mixed rose and geranium mixed with olive oil into the wax. The praying candles smelled of rosemary and blue elder. The praying candles were also used to pray against storm and sickness. The light of the candle symbolized Jesus Christ, who was bringing help from heaven.
Darkness faded away as winter came to an end. The soul painters drew sun flowers and put up the pictures in the church. The colors in the church fell into people’s dreams like the blossom of the cherry trees and chased the dark colors of the dying winter away.
The dying winter had coughed the bleak paintings on the walls and floors of the homes. People were busy cleaning their homes to forget about winter and to invite the new season of spring, which was perceived as the renewal of the Holy Spirit.