Pierced by a Sword (21 page)

Sister Elizabeth looked to her prioress and nodded her head, saying, "The Holy Father is in a coma, Mother. There's not much we can do for him."

"We can pray, Sister Elizabeth, as we have for the last four decades. And you can
study. You know as much about medicine as most doctors, but you're going to have to find out everything you possibly can about treatment for coma patients. I'm sure I can talk Doctor Soames into supplying us prescriptions without letting him know who our patient is–at least for the time being. He's an odd duck, Doc Soames is."

The two nuns exchanged a glance. Sister Mary Bernard turned her gaze
to her dying friend and cursed the dampness of the castle.

Live! Live, you tough old warrior!

She looked at his face.

Live, Angus.

5

Monday Afternoon
9 October
Notre Dame, Indiana

Joanie arrived on a Transpo bus, fresh from teaching. She walked across the campus and found her friends lounging around the "Woman at the Well" courtyard, which featured sculptures by the renowned Ivan Mestrovic. For
a while they made small talk as the new members of the group felt each other out. No one knew what to think about the shocking death of Pope Patrick. Joe was particularly shaken by the event–he had idolized the diminutive pope from Ireland.

Joanie and Father Chet left the group. He heard her confession as they walked along the South Quad and absolved her in front of the Engineering Building. Nathan,
leaning on the well between statues of Jesus and the Woman at the Well, looked on in wonder as he saw Father Chet lay his hands on Joanie's head. Then Chet made a sign of the cross over her. She raised her bowed head and opened her eyes. A lovely smile came over her face.

Wow. Did I just do the same thing?
Nathan thought, feeling happy for himself and Joanie, almost light-headed.
This is the Moral
Universe.

Joanie and Chet returned to the group. She headed right over to Nathan's side and took his hand. He gripped her hand tightly. There was a silence among the young group of Catholics, but not an awkward one. Nathan stifled a sudden and incredibly strong urge to shout with joy, but a sheepish grin did manage to surface to his face.

Chet made a joke about an unrelated subject, and everyone
laughed. Eventually Joe announced that Karl Slinger was going to meet him to formally join the Knights of Immaculata in the Log Chapel. He invited Nathan and Becky to also enroll in Saint Maximilian Kolbe's worldwide lay association. Father Chet briefly explained the purpose of the Knights of Immaculata to Becky and Nathan. Becky agreed to enroll enthusiastically. Nathan agreed to enroll after
looking to Joanie, who nodded at him with a serious look.

Okay, I'll do it. The Wager, right?
Nathan thought as he looked back to her.

+  +  +

The Log Chapel is a tiny structure. As he looked around the room Nathan couldn't help but imagine the original founders of Notre Dame huddling around a fire in the one room building, surrounded almost entirely by wilderness at the time it was built.

Before
the ceremony, which took less than five minutes, Father Chet explained that the Knights were not a fraternal organization, but rather, the supernatural armed forces of Mary.

"You are about to become first degree Knights of Immaculata. There are no official meetings, or dues, or club activities, though you can organize these kinds of things with other Knights if you wish, as Joe has done with the
Kolbe Foundation. Any group of Knights working together are second degree Knights. Our founder, Saint Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan priest, purposely set up the Knights to be a free-flowing organization that could adapt itself to any situation, time, or place.

"By making the Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, you change your status here on earth.
From this moment on, you are the property of Mary and, as such, are the perfect tool of Jesus, who will deploy you to win more hearts for His Kingdom. He is our Supreme Commander, and Mary our General.

"Saint Maximilian often used military terms to describe the Knights, whose Latin name means Militia of the Immaculate Conception,
Militia Immaculatæ.
Kolbe called the Miraculous Medal, which you
will receive today as a sign of your consecration, the 'bullet' we Knights use to fire into the heart of the enemy, Satan."

Becky, Nathan, and Slinger were facing Father Chet, who was standing in front of the modest altar. Joanie, Joe, and Professor Wheat were behind them. Wheat had taken time between classes to attend Slinger's enrollment. The professor had been pleased to find Nathan in the
chapel.

"The Knights of Immaculata are especially like the Marine Corps in two ways..."

Wheat and Slinger smiled when Father Chet mentioned the Marines. Slinger noticed the easy going yet organized way Father Chet expounded upon the Knights.
This Irishman is smoother than Maker's Mark,
Slinger thought.

"...First, because once you are a Knight, you are always a Knight. It's a one time gift of yourself
to Mary–our gracious response to the gift of His mother which He gave us all on Calvary. In this sense, consider your Knighthood a state of being. From now on, it's what you are. Your Knighthood will therefore 'inform' your actions. You will have opened within yourselves a new aqueduct for the grace of Jesus to flow more perfectly to you through Mary. Pope Patrick's elevation of the Doctrine
of Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces confirms this Kolbean teaching so well."

A heavy silence fell as Chet paused. He had casually come upon Pope Patrick like strolling around a corner into a brick wall. The pope was dead. Somehow his death made their event more somber, more relevant for everyone in the room. Tom Wheat pictured the first Christians, fearful and excited in the catacombs, knowing
that their baptism carried with it the probability of martyrdom. Chet continued in a much more sober tone.

"Secondly, your Knighthood is like being in the Marine Corps because it is the job of the Knights of Immaculata to storm the most difficult enemy beaches in search of souls to conquer. We're the advance forces in Mary's Militia. We do the toughest evangelical jobs with confidence. Remember,
we live in times that are highlighted by an unprecedented battle between Satan, the Red Dragon of Revelation, and Mary, the Woman Clothed in the Sun. Mary needs us. We're signed up for the duration of the war. Like Jesus on the cross, and soldiers in battle, our lives are our sacrifice."

Chet looked down at his feet, then looked quickly at Nathan before continuing.

"One final thing. Don't worry
whether or not you 'feel' anything. This is a supernatural event, not an emotional one. Your lives will change forever whether you feel anything this afternoon or not. Let's go for it!"

With that Father Chet led them all in the consecration ceremony. Karl was elated, barely able to control his wide smile despite the serious nature of the short ceremony. Becky found the consecration prayer touching,
and despite what Father Chet had cautioned, felt as if she was beginning an exciting adventure. Nathan, as Father Chet had warned, felt nothing out of the ordinary, but considered himself faithful to the commitment he had made to Joanie when he took Pascal's Wager. By simply reciting the consecration prayer, the words were forever etched into his memory.

Joe Jackson solemnly shook each new Knight's
hand and placed Miraculous Medals around their necks.

Professor Wheat begged their leave to return to teach a class. Slinger asked Father Chet to give him a quick tour of the campus before they all left for Wheat's talk in Saint Joseph Church. Chet was happy to oblige the big Pole.

I wonder which one will be eating out of the other's hand before their little tour is over?
Nathan thought as he
watched the priest and the older man walk toward the lake.

Nathan looked at his three remaining companions and suggested a game of touch football, "After all, this is Notre Dame, isn't it?"

They played the game in front of Howard Hall as the first students started to leave their dormitories and afternoon classes to go to dinner at the dining hall. Many recognized and called to Joe Jackson, who
smiled sheepishly at his fans.

Well, if Mr. Super Bowl isn't embarrassed?
Becky noted pleasantly.
How sweet!

Several students stopped to watch the game. Although both Joe and Nathan were determined to keep the game light and fun, it was a struggle for them to do so. Both men wanted to win–it was part of their natures.

+  +  +

Nathan and Becky won easily, which surprised Joe. Becky and Joanie were
about as good as most women are at football–that is to say, not very good. Joe couldn't help but notice how Nathan coaxed the most out of Becky during the game, and how accurately and gently he delivered the ball to her. Joe could catch but he was just an average passer and that proved the difference. Nathan wore his new Miraculous Medal on the outside of his rugby shirt.

When the game was over,
the Knights of Immaculata were ready to leave for Tom Wheat's talk at Saint Joseph Church. Father Chet returned with Karl Slinger. The priest was singing the praises of Bruno's Pizza, where they all would meet for dinner after the talk.

6

Monday Evening
9 October
South Bend, Indiana

The crowd filled Saint Joseph Church. Joanie, Nathan, and Chet found seats near the front. Anne Wheat sat with Karl
Slinger. Denny Wheat was not in attendance–he was off working in the air somewhere.

Nathan and Becky watched in fascination as an older priest came and began Benediction. The church was filled with incense and beautiful
a cappella
Gregorian chant, "love songs to the Eucharist" composed by Saint Thomas Aquinas. Neither Becky nor Nathan had ever seen or heard a Benediction. Becky, with her trained
adman's eye, noticed that the sight line between priest and Eucharist blurred when the elderly priest elevated the monstrance. Others bowed their heads but Becky stared, transfixed. After a period of adoration, the priest led the congregation in the Divine Praises and then removed the Sacred Host from the monstrance, returning Him to the tabernacle. The crowd was completely silent.

Joe Jackson
came to the lectern and briefly introduced Tom Wheat on behalf of the Knights of Immaculata. Joe was obviously uncomfortable speaking before a large audience.

Tom Wheat left his seat in the front pew and genuflected slowly before the tabernacle. He then walked to the lectern, bowed his head, and prayed with the crowd for the Holy Spirit to come and enlighten their hearts.

"I want to thank the
Knights for inviting me back again to speak this year. It's always a great honor speaking before a group that is consecrated to our Blessed Mother. You are such effective evangelizers for the faith. Your work and prayers have helped reach millions with the urgent messages heaven has for this country and the world. God bless you! I'm proud to be known as a Knight of Immaculata!

"Normally I speak
about the apparitions of Mary throughout history, and what they have in common, starting with Guadalupe in Mexico in 1531, and building up to current alleged apparitions and the messages almost all apparitions seem to have in common."

Tom Wheat paused for effect and slowly looked out at the crowd, focusing in on a particular person for a few seconds in each section of the church. Up to this point
he had used a casual tone but now he began to speak with a deep-timbred voice that came just short of trembling.

"But tonight, to emphasize the importance, to emphasize the urgency, I'm going to tell you now what I usually save for the climax at the end..."

He paused before he delivered the punch line.

"The world is about to experience a great chastisement! A punishment from God far greater than
the flood! It will be the most devastating tribulation in the whole history of the world, from the time of the Old Testament, to the coming of Jesus and the establishment of His Catholic Church on earth, from the struggle over the centuries to Christianize the pagan world right up to our own bloody century."

At this point Tom lowered his voice and began speaking slowly and deliberately.

"The world
is hanging by a thread. These are Our Lady's words, not mine. Mary expresses the same theme in Ireland, Japan, Kibeho in Africa, Hrushiv in Ukraine, San Nicholas in Argentina, and all across the United States, where reports of mystics are so widespread that our bishops don't have the resources to investigate them all. An estimated fifteen million pilgrims have journeyed halfway around the world
to Medjugorje, the site of reported apparitions of Our Lady. Mary, the Woman of Genesis 3:15, is coming to tell us what we can do to form–as Saint Louis DeMontfort calls us in his illumined work, True Devotion to Mary–the
heel
that will crush the head of Satan. This heel we form will mitigate these chastisements for our family, friends, and geographical regions, and help save our country from
the wrath of Divine Justice!

"The world is hanging by a thread, Our Lady says.

"Many of our own families have already experienced what Mary has called 'the birth pangs.' Some of you and your relatives have lost property during the record-setting, hostile weather of recent years, and during the unprecedented natural disasters–Hurricane Katrina, the Great Asian Tsunami, the Japanese Earthquake to
name just a few. Many of you may not know that Europe and other parts of the world have had similar floods, droughts, typhoons, and earthquakes; again, on an un-precedented scale.

"Some of you have experienced internal tribulations as your families suffer divorce and other problems. Many of you have had to deal with your children having abortions, living together, and the general breakdown of
family values that even the dominant liberal media can no longer ignore.

"Others have noted the increased crime rate, the wars multiplying around the world, and the growth of the New Age Movement and cults. No one denies that there is a general spiritual malaise in our society.