Diary of an Individual (in Mesopotamia) - Essay Example

?Short Biography of My Character The setting was around 12th A.D. in France at the height of the Crusade. And as it was the aspiration of almost all young men during that time to be a Knight, I assumed the character of a young man from his investiture to his actual involvement in a famous military order during that time, the Knights Templar. To be worthy to become a knight, I came from nobility with a very religious background. Knights Templar were a religious military order founded on 1119 under the name Commilitones Christi Templique Salomonic (Poor Cosoldier of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon). “As monks, they took the monastic vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and lived under a rule with regular devotional services and prayer. As Knights, they were highly skilled in warfare, trained in their bodies to be ready for battle at any moment day or night, trained in their wills to selfless subordination and cooperation.1 Letter 1 (Letter to parents) Dear Father and Mother, With the grace of God, I arrived at a Templar’s Priory safe and without any difficulties along the way. Perhaps, it is really the will of God, that I should serve his crusade to protect the Holy Land from the infidels who makes false claims about their faith. I am just waiting for my investiture, which I have heard so much about but none really has seen, and from then on, I shall be at the disposal of God’s Will. I thank you for bringing me out in this world and taking care of me to be the man that I am today. I know that it worries you so much for me to join this Holy Crusade. But God has purpose for every one of us, and mine is to serve Him and to protect the Faith. Please don’t feel bad as this service will surely earn His Grace and will absolve our sins. If man has to do penance for, it would be better to do it for his service of His crusade. I promise you I will be safe. Please do not worry, God is on my side and He will protect me. Whatever that will happen to me will be according to His Will. For I leave everything to him now, from everything that I own to my own life. For there is no greater glory in this life than to serve the purpose of God. Your beloved son Letter 2 (letter to a fiancee) Dear Camilla, I am writing to you in excitement and in pain. I am excited because any moment now, I will be dubbed as a Knight and will be joining the illustrious ranks of men who serve the Glory of God. I cannot tell you enough how happy I am to be in this Priory. Just this morning, I made my prayer to the Almighty bidding you good health and happiness. I already made the necessary preparations of cleansing my soul to be ready to receive the glory of God. From then on, I shall be forbidden to cleanse my physical body for what would matter after that would be the purity of my soul. I love you. I cherish the moments we had and every time I feel lonesome, I just say my prayers and think about you. And all of my worries are gone. But I have to take a code that I am not to covet any earthly possession and woman for I will serve solely God’s Will. I will be sworn to poverty, obedience and chastity. And to that, in as much as my heart bleeds, I know that God has a purpose for both of us. I thank your love, and I have not loved any woman as much as I have loved you. But my calling demands that I have to release you from your engagement to me. For I will become a monk, who will serve only but God. It pains me to release you for I loved you, but I know that in time, this pain will be healed by his Grace. I bid you happiness and health. And may you find a man who will love and cherish you as much as I do. And have a family which I cannot provide. I am breaking up not because of the lack of love, but because of a greater love. Love that encompasseth all things to join a crusade to protect the Faith. Your beloved Letter 3 (letter to a friend) Dear Faust, I am sorry I was not able to say my final bidding when I left. It came to me that you were looking for me and quite worried for me. Please worry not for I am safe and in the Grace of God. I have been summoned in the Temple to serve His Will of which you know has been my aspiration since we were little boys. I arrived here at Templar’s Priory safe and sound. And though I am forbidden to disclose the details of this encampment, I can tell you that the place is rather austere despite of all the things that has been said. The Temple is also full of prayer, where we have to pray seven times a day to adore God. After that, we spend the rest of our day in training preparing to be summoned in the fields for combat and to dispense God’s Will. It is a glorious undertaking that I look forward. I have already surrendered all of my earthly belongings to the Order as a true servant of God. I do not have any earthly possession now except for few knightly garb, two combat horses, my lance and a sword. All may have been given but I now have the glory of God. I am particularly blessed for I will be joining the illustrious knights who would be doing the squadron charge. That is our close formation where we will break enemies will by sheer force and faith. The enemy will always break for each of our charge is ordained by God. It will break their line and will dig a hole in their defense to give the rest of the brethren to attack their scattered force. I will continue to be your friend and cherish the moments we had since we were little boys. Tell the rest of our friends that I am well and bid them the grace of God. Your best friend, Personal Diary of a Knight Templar on the Battle of Montgisard in 1177 Today I have just served the Glory of God having been a part of that glorious battle of Montgisard. God is indeed on our side as we defeated an army much larger than ours. Saladin and his infidels just suffered a crushing defeat under God’s army.2 We met Saladin’s army of 26,000 near the coast at Ascalon with our King Baldwin IV and his entourage of 500 brave knights. Saladin was pushing South towards Jerusalem and met with another group of our brethren of only 80 valor knights at Gaza. The proud infidel thought it was not worthy of a fight and pushed for Jerusalem as we are few. Even pillaging the town of the faithfuls on their way to the Holy Land. But we met him again at Montisard near Ramla where we exacted our revenge. Where he refused to fight before thinking we are unworthy of a fight, we showed him with our might, and despite lacking in numbers of our 600 knights compared to his 26,000, crushed him with resounding defeat. Our valor knights never faltered, that even outnumbered three to one, our commander never gave the sign to retreat and our flag stood tall. Only a tenth of Saladin’s army survived God’s wrath, and had the infidels persisted, we could have annihilated them all. That infidel thought that the sheer number of his army will bring trepidation in the hearts of my brethren. Without knowing that he is facing the Soldiers of Christ that his Cherub protects us; that when we assaulted on a squadron charge, the enemy easily faltered. Suddenly the number of Saladin’s army no longer matter as their spirit gave in easily, seeing that we are charging with His Will. I knew and I felt after the initial charge that Saladin’s army will disintegrate. As my horse gallops through the enemy, I saw the uncertainty and unfaithfulness in their eyes. I saw them without God, and such, beating them became only a matter of time. Diary of a Knight Templar Doing a Banking Business Today is indeed a glorious day for the Order. Now we no longer have to depend solely on the donation of the estates of our noble brethren. Our cause can now perpetuate itself without the disquiet anxiety of where to get our resources. We now can assure the faithful that our effort to serve Thy Will to protect the pilgrim and to shield faithful from the onslaught of the infidel Turk and Saracen will now be carried out without any impediment. By mere employing some of the codes used by the brethren and employing the security of our preceptories, we were able to make generous sum of resources to take up your cause. It was just a simple scheme and device of imprinting a code whereby one traveler may deposit his possession in this preceptory or another and then withdraw the sum in a different preceptory. ‘Tis will free them from the worry of the bandits of the road whereby the same may be taken away from them. Thy wisdom my Lord is really infinite for by mere employing some of Thy insight of hidden communication, we are able to provide security and convenience with a favorable return to us. Diary of a Templar on That Fateful Day March 13, 1307 Where All Templars Were Arrested Dear God, they came so fast with a resolve of a demon. Bringing all this horrendous charges leveled against our illustrious Order. News was heard that all Templar Preceptories in the whole of France were sieged and all of my brethren were rounded up arrested. The charges leveled against us Thy Lord, until now I cannot comprehend. How could a treacherous King in connivance with his puppet Pope Clement could come up with such charges as blasphemy to an Order dedicated solely to the will of God. And sorcery, what man cannot understand often they ascribe to the devil. When it was just the product of diligent study and patient observation of nature. Lord thy God, this was all monstrous accusations but it is happening right now. Several brethren have already been burned at the stake and others tortured. Those who refused to confess were either burned, tortured and maimed. And our Grand Master Jacques DeMolay, old as he is, was not even spared. Brought to a false trial and forced to make false confessions together with three of his Preceptors, Guy of Auverne, Godfrey de Godeville and Hugh deParalde. Dear Lord My God, this is not to impugn malice nor to cast undue accusation but what other motives may I think against such a monstrous attack against us? With a king that is indebted to our coffers making such an accusation whom he himself in his heart of hearts is not true, is to think that it is our coffers that he really desires. But of what method O Lord, the magnitude of such brutality, the treacherous design and murderous scheme he has to employ just to get such. If only ‘tis our worldly wealthy that he truly covet, he could have just asked that we can freely forgive. ‘Tis true that the Order has gathered wealth compared to the estates of Kingdoms, but that was for your service. To be able to sustain a crusade and protect the faith, the pilgrims that they may continue to do their pious duty without being molested by the infidel Turk and Saracen. But if ‘tis our fate O Lord, we can only abide thee. As your soldier and your true servant, I can but only heed what you will for. If ‘tis is your will, we will be gladly accept. Believing that in thine kingdom, justice forever prevails. That you may judge us there, with your unfailing justice, and not with a king and pope who are not only treacherous but also deliberate and false in their claim. References: Gervers, Michael. Christian History, 1993, Vol. 12 Issue 4, p39, 3p, 3 Black and White Photographs; Reading Level (Lexile): 1140 Gold, Sarah F.; Chenoweth, Emily; Zaleski, Jeff. Publishers Weekly, 6/23/2003, Vol. 250 Issue 25, p55, 2p; Reading Level (Lexile): 1230 The fighting monks. By: Gervers, Michael, Christian History, 08919666, 1993, Vol. 12, Issue 4 Read More