Purpose or Pleasure?

Where are the days gone by when a young man looked outside of himself to find something or someone to serve or dedicate his life to? How about a man living life with a purpose? Someone who uses means for an end and does not make an end of the means? There used to be a standard by which a young man measured himself and looked up to it for examples of virtue and manhood. This is called chivalry. The word “chivalry” comes from the French word for a knight, “chevalier.” To be a chevalier, one had to be loyal to his king, willing to sacrifice, defend the weak, and protect and maintain fidelity to Christ. Where do we see those traits today? Not in our modern society. How about the innocence of a man? Do we even remember what the virtue of purity means? I have pulled up two pictures of two different men in two different ages for consideration.


What is the difference between these two? I cannot say that every man of the 15th century looked like this knight, nor do I say that every man today looks like this casual modern man. The question is what is the ideal of each? What do they point their aspirants toward? Where do they lead them? The point is that these are the two ideals of two different ages.


One of the men is leaning comfortably against a car. He is smiling leisurely wearing beach clothes, which help him keep cool in the oppressive heat and of course he is wearing the conventional baseball cap. He is probably on his way to a party or some other outing which occupies the young men of today. Our other young man wears an expression of nobility, seriousness, purpose, and masculine bearing. His suit of armor looks uncomfortable, but necessary for the struggle ahead, for he is a man that defends his principles when attacked and defends the weak when they are oppressed. He is possibly on a way to a tournament to practice his fighting abilities and keep his wits keen or he might even be on his way to a glorious battlefield to defend the honor of his king, country, or faith.

Now what does each represent? What do they stand for? Our modern man is a pleasure seeker. A man of the age, who works to gratify his desire for temporal things which occupy every minute of his day with the modern modes of pleasure. Does he look like one who could control his passions? He does what he feels like, he works to no end, except himself, he is a man without faith, he is a tribal terror, and example of modern morbidity. His law is no law, but where his emotions and feelings lead him.

How about the other? This knight swore an oath of fealty and signed the code of chivalry, which is as follows.
The Ten Commandments of the Code of Chivalry
From "Chivalry" by Leon Gautier(medieval writer)
I. Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches, and shalt observe all its directions.
II. Thou shalt defend the Church.
III. Thou shalt repect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.
IV. Thou shalt love the country in the which thou wast born.
V. Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.
VI. Thou shalt make war against the Infidel without cessation, and without mercy.
VII. Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of God.
VIII. Thou shalt never lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word.
IX. Thou shalt be generous, and give largess to everyone.
X. Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.

Does this man sound like he could be easily brushed aside?
This code explains what this man stood for. A man for other men. A man for God.

Which of these men looks like he takes himself seriously? Who is the jokester and who is the jouster? This might make things easier: which of these two would rather have at your side when things went wrong? Who seems more likely to do what needs to be done?

Now am I saying that we all should wear suits of armor, ride a horse, and that will fix everything? Of course not! My point is that we should look at what they represent and at the eternal ideals of yesterday and apply them for today and not toss them aside as a museum piece or an article to be thrown away. We need to learn from the past to form the future. There was one writer who wrote, “Youth was not made for pleasure, but for heroism.” The man of the Middle Ages aspired to something higher than himself, he aspired to God through chivalry and heroism. How about the man of today? Are his aspirations the same?

St. Bernard, who wrote the rule of the Knights Templar, had this to say about joy and pleasure in this life: "Glory is like a shadow, if we run after it, it flees from us; if we flee from it, it runs after us. There is no true joy but in Our Lord Jesus Christ, that is, in the shadow of the Cross. The more a man is mortified, the happier he is. The more he seeks after pleasure the sadder he is."

The round table is empty, King Arthur sits by himself. But what are we waiting for? The quest continues. Follow it. The Holy Grail awaits.