 
The Golden Legend

The Company of the Morning Star

Table of Contents

1. A little village in the Mountains Page 5

2. The River of Life Page 8

3. The Pilgrim of Death Page 12

4. The Mystery of Advent Page 14

5. The Pilgrimage of Life Page 16

6. The Disappearance of the Morning Star Page 18

7. The Visit to the Abbot Page 26

8. The Arrival of Maurice and the Theban Legion Page 28

9. The Holy Lance of Christ Page 31

10. The Prophecy of Maurice Page 36

11. The Orphans of Saint Peter Page 40

12. The Mother of the Orphans Page 42

13. Julian Returns from Mount Jesus Page 44

14. The Departure for the Underworld Page 49

15. The Salvation of Christian from the Reptilians Page 51

16. The Rescue of the Lost Souls at All Souls Day Page 62

17. The Liturgical Year Page 66

18. The Feast of Saint Barbara Page 69

19. The Appearance of Saint Barbara Page 73

14. The Rescue of George, Maurice and Julian Page 75

13. The Castle of the Queen of Darkness Page 81

14. Saint Nicolas Visits the Orphans Page 88

15. The Morning Star rises over Saint Peter Page 97

16. The Eyes in the Darkness of Death Page 102

17. Christmas Celebration Page 103

18. Saint Stephen's Day Page 107

19. The Twelfth Night Page 110

20. The Dark Knight Emerges from the Valley of Death Page 120

21. Epiphany Page 126

22 The Hunter becomes the Hunted Page 130

23. The Illumination at Mary's Light Mass Page 142

24. The season of Pilgrimage Page 162

25. A Season for Love Page 163

26. The Graveyard of the Fallen Angels Page 188

27. The Dragon Abducts Jack Page 205

28. A Pilgrimage to Mount Mary Page 208

29. The Soldiers of Skulls and Bones attack the Orphans Page 216

30. Lights in the Night Page 224

31. The Return of the Enemy Page 227

32. The Monastery of Mount Mary Page 236

33. The Purification of the Virgin Mary Page 239

34. The Weeping Madonna Page 242

35. Brother George Slays the Dragon Page 252

36. The Adventure of Jack Page 255

37. The Beatitudes Page 259

38. Life goes on Page 263

39. The Discovery of the Temple of the Angels Page 268

40. The Flood Wave Page 270

41. The Good Samaritan Page 271

42. Preparations for the Fifth Season Page 276

43. A Pleasant Surprise Page 278

44. The Spring Carnival Begins Page 280

45. Winners and Losers Page 281

46. The Opening of the Games Page 283

47. Saint Peter Verses Saint Matthew Page 285

48. Saint Peter Beats Saint Matthew Page 288

49. Brother Timothy's Invention Fails Page 289

50. The Giants of Village Football Page 291

51. The Great Final Page 292

52. The Joy of the Carnival Page 297

53. The Mystery of the Black Widows Page 299

54. Let the Feast Continue Page 302

55. The Victory Ceremony Page 305

This book is dedicated to my father and mother and all my friends who opened my heart to the spiritual world of Jesus Christ, Mary, the angels and saints. Many thanks to Peter Higgins from the Catholic Education Office and all my friends who helped me to write this book.

Introduction

The feast of All Saints has passed. The people of Saint Peter are waiting for the Morning Star to guide them into the new liturgical year. The Star initiates the emerging of a new liturgical cycle with the beginning of Advent and the birth of Jesus Christ.

The star connects the human soul with the angels, who dwelled on earth millions of years ago and opens the door to divine visions pouring from heaven at Christmas.

The morning star does not appear. Queen Jezebel abducted the morning star together with Christian. Catherine is very sad, when Steve leaves Saint Peter to follow George Julian and Maurice and the monks of the nearby monastery to find the morning star. They fight the Romans at hells gate and the reptilian army at All Souls day. They are confident to bring the morning star back to the children of Saint Peter before Christmas. But then George, Maurice and Julian get caught by the Queen of Darkness.

A Little Village in the Mountains

The church of Saint Peter was built in the mountains of Helvetia on a rock overlooking Lake Geneva. The snow melt trickled through the heather and high meadows of the mountains, down channels and gullies, along streams, creeks and rivulets that came together to form the headwaters of a mighty river. Still high in the mountains the waters of this river flooded a large valley to create a deep and dark lake before spilling over the lip of the mountain to flow westward down to the lowlands.

This river was called the Rhone and its life-giving waters had for millennia supported communities along its banks. The stream meandered through valleys in Gaul to the Provence, where the river divided into the Little and Big Rhone. The Little Rhone merged with the Mediterranean Sea in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.  
It was the third century AD. The Christians were fighting against the occult rites of the Romans and other barbaric tribes, which stirred up the beasts from the depths of the abyss in the prison of the universe where God had imprisoned the enemies of mankind he killed in a battle millions of years ago. The bodies of the beasts were dead but their spirits were alive. They became the archetype of evil destroying the earth and haunting human beings.

Antony, the abbot of the monastery of Saint Peter, was busy studying the sacred texts brought to him by pilgrims from all over Europe. Many of the scriptures were Gnostic texts written by Jewish, Greek and Egyptian scholars. The abbot had just finished studying the Apocrypha of the apostle John, Mary Salome, the mother of John, saved the book from being destroyed by the Romans, when she escaped from the Holy Land to travel to Saintes-Maries-de-la Mer. A pilgrim returning from a pilgrimage to Santiago di Compostella, discovered the book at a fair in Avignon. The book had travelled along the shores of the Rhone River to the monastery of Saint Peter. The Romans did not like the liberating teachings of Jesus Christ, which replaced the cruel gladiator fights with a more liberating life style.

Hundreds of sacred texts lined the wooden bookshelves in the library of the monastery, which was the oldest in Northern Europe, not far away from Lake Geneva. Brother Thomas, a monk, was walking fast up the small way to the monastery. He was carrying a collection of sacred scriptures under his arms. Half way to the monastery he met a hermit who just came from the market with basket filled with fruit and vegetables. The hermit was living in a little house in the mountains not far from village of Saint Peter.

"Good morning, Brother Thomas. How are you today?" asked the hermit.

"I am fine," answered Brother Thomas.

"What are you carrying under your arm?" asked Brother George.

"I have gathered all the important scriptures of Jesus Christ. I will sort them and publish them in a book.

"The word of God is like millions of snow flakes falling from heaven into a river to melt in the water. Your book will freeze the word of God into a big ice block. Once the snow flakes are frozen, the dreams of God will cease to exist and you will never find the truth."

"What is the truth in your opinion?" asked Brother Thomas.

"The truth is written in our souls. We will have to find our souls to find the truth. The soul has been given to us by Jesus Christ. I do not know when, where and why. However, I will find out. The only way to do that is to find my inner self connecting me with God and the universe."

"And you think you can do that with your soul?" said Brother Thomas.

"Your soul has been created in another world. Not here on earth. The world of the soul is spiritual. If you can connect with your spiritual world you are united with God. We do not know much about the spiritual world. That is why we use symbols. You cannot see the salt in your bread but you can taste it.

"Can you explain further?"

asked Brother Thomas.

"Your soul knows the way to God. It is like a wagon waiting for you to bring you to God after you die."

"What do you mean with symbols?" asked Brother Thomas.

"Symbols are relics. They shine like stars in the darkness because our souls have seen them in the spiritual world. The Morning Star is the light of Jesus Christ and the Holy Lance is the tool with whom the devil was defeated," said the hermit.

"I am sorry but I have to go now. I have a lot to do today," said Brother Thomas.

The River of Life

It was morning in Saint Peter. The sun climbed over the mountains announcing the beginning of a new day.

Saint Peter church was standing on the rocks inviting the congregation to a new adventure. The seasons were flowing through the church like the mild wind in the Mediterranean Sea. The feast days were like islands on a journey through joy and sadness. Saint Peter church was something very special and the spiritual home of everybody. It was a place to rest and follow the tranquility into a spiritual journey to meet with the Saints and Jesus Christ.

The celebration of All Saints, nearing the end of the liturgical year, had just finished. It followed the feast of Saint Michael, who fought against the army of evil at the End of All Times. The End of Times was like a wave rolling from an ancient world in the past into the present, and only Jesus Christ, Mary the Angels and Saints could rescue the world at the feast of All Saints. The feast of All Saints was dramatic and one of the most exciting celebration in the liturgical year. The victory over evil opened the way to Advent, the festival of lights shining into Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ, signaling a new aeon and the season of winter.

When the sun lost its power and the nights become more powerful than the days; when darkness becomes a stone falling from heaven into hell; out of the heart of the night in the middle of winter and the end of times emerges the Morning Star, followed by Jesus Christ creating a new liturgical year.

Steve, a young man from Saint Peter was standing on a rock looking on the village. It was cold. Winter was approaching fast this year.

Steve could hear the voice of the choir from the nearby monastery resonating in the twilight of the evening. They were singing a song for the consecration of the Morning Star. The voice of Catherine rose above the rest. Her voice was beautiful like wings carrying the day to heaven to rest for the night.

Steve parents had been killed by Maximian, a Roman emperor, who ruled Western Europe together with Diocletian. The persecution of Christians, which had started under Nero in 64AD, was at its peak. The Romans raided the Christian villages and burnt Christians at stakes.

The Christians fled the persecution and were hiding in the mountains. They had built churches decorated with paintings of the Old and New Testaments, dedicated to the disciples of Jesus Christ and the martyrs who gave their life for Him. The small churches stood in the green meadows. They were brides standing in front of celestial altar of the mountains.

Steve was contemplating the frescos in the church of Saint Peter, which invited him on a spiritual journey. The journey took him through the celebrations of the liturgical year passing through his mind like a mystical river. He was caught by the Holy Spirit passing through his mind like divine clouds through a supernatural season beyond time. He could feel the joy of the Holy Spirit, inviting him to pilgrimages in the mountains to catch the visions God had put in his soul before he was born.

Visions of winter passed through Steve, images born in the immense richness of the Holy Scriptures molded by the seasons, nature and God. The frescos in the churches followed Steve through every step of his life.

He visualized the manger in the church of Saint Peter. The Holy Family and people from Bethlehem and the three wise men gathering around baby Jesus appeared in his mind. The contemplations and prayers of people were slowly descending on Saint Peter like a snow flake falling from the sky changing Saint Peter into a place of divine inspiration.

The Christmas play was crafted by the Lady of the Mountains, who was looking after her sick husband and four children. Her Christian art work decorated the church of Saint Peter like flowers in spring.

Today was a very special day: the consecration of the Morning Star and the beginning of the advent season. The lady of the mountain would carry the Morning Star from Mount Mary to Saint Peter's church, initiating the beginning of the festive season.

It was getting dark. Marc, an orphan, was piling wood in front of the orphanage. He had lost his left leg in an accident. Jack had made crutches for him out of oak, the hardest wood he could find in the dark forests in the mountains. Marc had been picked up by Brother Martin and brought to Saint Peter on a cold autumn night before the celebration of All Saints. Jack was an orphan too. Abbot Antony had found him lying in the forest of Sapinar at the foot of the Mountain of the Angels half dead. Jack was like a father to Marc. They sat in church together and worked on the fields together.

Jack was full of fancy stories. He gathered the stories in the church or in the fishermen's den. His stories were often not true but fascinating. It was as if he had access to the world of hidden mysteries. Some people thought that he could tell the future as many of his stories often became true. He gathered his stories by listening to the pilgrims coming from Mount Mary, the Mountain of the Angels and Mount Jesus.

He told Steve about warrior monks living in the monasteries of Jesus and Saint Michael and that they would climb into fountains in the night of Halloween and travel millions of years back in time to fight dragons and demons and the army of evil. He told him that they were fighting a war not against flesh and blood but against evil spirits rising from the abyss.

The Pilgrim of Death

Steve was looking into the mountains to discover the light of the morning star appearing in the evening sky. A noise rose in the darkness. Jack had told him the story of the black monk who lived in a cave in the mountains. He left the mountains to kill people at midnight. Warrior monks locked him once in a cave but he could escape into the underground. He had been spotted in his black cloth roaming the villages last night His dark eyes were glowing under his black hood. He had been seen with the sickle of death in his hands he had received from King Bloodstone, an evil King, living in the deepest innings of hell. There were not only the good relics of God such as the Holy Grail the Lance of Christ and the Holy Cross helping people to improve their lives but also evil ones bringing war, sickness and death over humanity. The sickle of death and the black cross of swastika were some of the most terrible weapons of destruction.

The snow was crunching under the hoof of a horse. The horse came closer. Hally, Steve's sheep dog, opened its snout to bark. Steve kept the snout together with his hand. The noise became louder.

"What are you doing here? Go back where you belong and leave us alone," said a voice.

"See here! A monk coming back from the inauguration ceremony of the Morning Star?" said the black monk, who drew his weapon which looked like a sickle in the darkness.

The deadly weapon rustled through the cold night air like the wave of death rolling over the sea of death at midnight. The sharp blade was creating an ear piercing sound.

Brother Benedict escaped the deadly blow and reached for his sword. Brother George had crafted the weapon for him. The long sword was suitable to fight enemies sitting on their horses.

Steve was watching his friend fighting against the pilgrim of death, who surrendered quickly.

"I will be back soon together with the whole army of evil," said the pilgrim of death and disappeared.

"Are you hurt?" said Steve, who run to his friend.

"A little," replied Brother Benedict holding the left elbow.

"I will go to Brother Leo after later," said Brother Benedict.

"What brought you here?" asked Steve.

"I was wondering where you were. Somebody told me that you went into the hills," said Brother Benedict still holding his sword in his right hand.

"Let's forget about the incident and watch the appearance of the Morning Star. I hope the light of the Morning Star is very strong this year," said Brother Benedict and sat on a stone close to the fire.

The Mystery of Advent

The Morning Star was a torch and a symbol of the light Jesus Christ brought in the world. The strength of the light indicated the intensity of the Advent Time. The brighter the light the more dramatic the Advent Season was going to be. The lights were falling in the darkness of winter.

People were scattered around the church like bees around a beehive, carrying visions of the Bible through the doors of the church. The visions opened the honeycombs to the mysteries of the Advent time.

A pine tree from the forest of Sapinar stood next to the manger in the church decorated with apples symbolizing the Garden of Eden. Plays about the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden were held at the monastery of Saint Peter in the advent time to open people's hearts for the birth of Jesus Christ.

The Lady of the Mountains had created the settings showing how beautiful the Garden of Eden must have been with the close relationship to God. The mind opened to the sacred visions of heaven.

The Morning Star was fixed on the crown of the Tree of Life. After the Advent mass, the congregation usually gathered in front of the church to meditate on Christmas. The meditation was conducted by Brother Benedict who ran the orphanage.

Time was passing quickly but there was no sign of the Morning Star.

"The light must appear any moment," said Steve full of excitement.

Brother Benedict had doubts. He knew about the cowardice of King Bloodstone's reptilian army. They executed quick assaults and escaped from the crime scene into hell like snakes under a stone.

Brother Benedict had left the monastery to spend more time studying the Bible and become a hermit. He was setting up a little hermitage in the forest. However, God had other plans with him. He soon became the father of the orphans coming to Saint Peter in search of a new home. He was not happy with God's plan and fought against it because he was longing to travel to Egypt, the home of some of the oldest Christian monasteries. In the desert of Scete, where Anthony the great used to live, lay the revelation for a higher understanding of the bible and Jesus Christ. The world's most famous Gnostics came from Egypt. Brother Benedict admired the Christian mystics who were in denial of the material world and searching for a spiritual world transcending the human soul into heaven. These ascetic monks who could neither read nor write were searching for God by finding the inner self connecting the soul to God. The soul became a dove flying to a divine well and drinking from the spirit. The well was fed with prayers. If nobody was praying, the well was drying up and the souls were dying.

The Pilgrimage of Life

A pilgrimage was a travel through the archaic memory to find the sea of love like some of the fish travelling all the way from the Black Sea into the mountain lakes. The shrines in the mountains were sanctuaries where the soul met God, Mary and the angels; a world more powerful than the words in the Sacred books could describe; an inner visual world of sacred dreams.

A painting showing Jesus Christ washing the feet of his disciples hung in the kitchen of the orphanage.

The meditation of the morning star in the church started with the visualization of Christmas. The star shone over Jesus Birthplace in Bethlehem. The morning star guided the shepherds and the wise men from the East to the stable.

A noise rose out of the silence of the quit night.

"What was that?" asked Steve.

They noise came from the small path leading to Mount Mary where they expected the Star to appear. But it was dark. The evening sank slowly into the night as did Steve's thoughts.

A light appeared in the mountains. It was not as intense as the light of the Morning Star. The small path leading from the house of the Lady of the Mountains to the forest appeared in the distance. Brother George, one of the priests of Saint Peter, had gone to the hostel of the Lady of the Mountains. The light disappeared and the house was wrapped in darkness again.

There was no sign of a light becoming stronger and revealing itself as the Morning Star signaling the opening of the Advent season. The people in front of the church became very agitated as Brother George returned from the hostel with the Lady of the Mountains.

Brother Benedict and Steve looked into each eyes knowing that something terrible happened. They ran down the hill to the church.

The Disappearance of the Morning Star

The Lady of the Mountains stood exhausted in front

of the church together with three of her sons.

"My son Christian has been kidnapped.... and the Morning Star," she gasped.

"You are all exhausted. Come into the church and have a cupper," said Brother Martin and put his coat over her shoulders.

Christian was the youngest of her four sons.

The village people were shattered. The Advent season had sunken into darkness. This event was a precursor of something very evil. Death was moving through the liturgical year destroying Christmas. The Advent time was going to be gloom and Christmas doom.

The assembled people decided the Romans were responsible for the crime but the brothers of the monastery read the signs of the attack, which pointed to something more evil than the Romans.

Brother Benedict, Brother George, Brother Thomas and Brother Martin gathered in the church to discuss the disappearance of Christian and the Morning Star.

The stained-glass window in the south of Saint Peter's church showed a dove with a leave in its beak. The window in the north showed Jesus Christ holding some earth in his hands. A straw of wheat grew out of the earth. The voices of the children playing outside in the snow came through the windows.

"The world will fall into chaos if we cannot find the Morning Star before Christmas," said Brother Benedict looking at the floor.

"It is sad. Advent and Christmas have fallen into darkness." Brother Martin watched the icons of the crossway of Jesus Christ on the stone wall of the church of Saint Peter.

"We do not know, where Christian and the Morning Star disappeared," said Brother George.

"I think I know. I found the answer in Revelation 2." Brother Thomas had sorted the Holy Scriptures into Chapters and verses.

"In the letter to Thyatira written by John the Apostle, the son of Zebedee and Mary Salome, Jesus says that the Morning Star would be given to the people of Thyatira who do not follow Queen Jezebel and her husband King Ahab. Jesus also said that he would give the Morning Star to the people who win victory and keep on obeying him until the end."

"But the Romans are behind the crime," said Brother Martin.

"I am not sure. We are not fighting against flesh and blood. We are fighting against evil spirit. It appears that the attack is coming directly from the underworld and its ruler King Bloodstone. He is the oldest enemy of mankind and one of the darkest soul in the underground. He has taken the Morning Star into the Underground," said Brother George.

"But the underworld is far away from Saint Peter," replied Brother Martin.

"It is not. It is actually very close. The gate of perception separates us from hell," said Brother George.

"The demons are looking for the gates to enter our world and steal our relics. The relics God has given us. If they find the door of perception they will destroy us and the earth."

"I hope that we will have found the Gate of Heaven to escape from the earth when All Saints Day comes over us," said Brother Martin, pointing to the frescos at the ceiling of the church depicting Jesus Christ next to the Archangel Michael.

"The Gate of Heaven is the Ark of the Covenant," said Brother Benedict.

"So what is the Ark of the Covenant then?" asked Brother Thomas.

"The new Ark of the Covenant is the Queen of Heaven, Mary," replied Brother Benedict.

"Do you think that King Bloodstone has abducted Christian and the Morning Star?" asked Brother Benedict.

"That is just a conspiracy story. Nobody has seen the creator of all sins yet. He lives in the Underworld. Our ancestors believed he was a demon hunting the human race since Adam and Eve," said Brother George.

"That would mean that King Bloodstone is among us and has already entered our perception," said Brother Benedict.

"Sin permeates through the walls of Hell like the beams of a dead sun. The underworld is an ancient world of fallen spirits. A prison build by God to capture these fallen spirits whose intention is to destroy the earth. These spirits are separated from us through the gate of perception but they try to escape to conquer the world," said Brother Benedict.

"They will succeed. Revelation tells us," said Brother Thomas.

"The King of Darkness, or King Bloodstone, as he was called by our ancestors, is the incarnation of evil. He rules the sea of death," said Brother Benedict.

"And what about the dragons abducting our children?" asked Brother George.

"They live in the Underworld too. Leviathan, the sea monster, and Behemoth, the land monster. Both killed by God and thrown into the sea of fire as mentioned in the Book of Job," said Brother Thomas.

"The dragons are emerging from the Underworld and living in the mountains, from which they attack our village. The dragons could be either demons or fallen angels. They poisoning our trees, earth, water and air. The dragon's poison is so strong it burns through mountains. Many children from Saint Michel and Saint John have already disappeared. The food storehouses of the villages in the mountains are already empty as the dragons have poisoned all the crops. We cannot wait until the dragons have taken everything from us," said Brother Martin.

"You are saying that the spirits of death have already found the door to enter our world and destroy us," said Brother Benedict.

"We can discuss that later. First we have to find out where Christian and the Morning Star are. Christmas is coming soon. I want Christian to celebrate Christmas with us and see the sparkles in the eyes of our children when the Morning Star shines over the Christmas tree," said Brother George pacing up and down in the church.

"How do we get to the underworld?" asked Brother Benedict and looked at Brother Thomas.

"Don't look at me. I do not know. I am the one supposed to know the Gospel; remember? You are wasting your time on pilgrimages rather than studying the Bible," said Brother Thomas flicking through the pages of the Bible to find an answer.

"Queen Jezebel's intention was to kill the prophet Elijah. Her aim was to silence God's prophets and to destroy the testimony of Jesus Christ," said Brother Benedict.

"Nobody knows the way into the Underworld," said Brother Benedict.

Brother Thomas closed the Bible.

"There are maps in the secret books in the library of the monastery."

"The garden of the monastery is filled with books," said Brother George picking a rosemary branch from the church bench indulging in the dry sweet scent.

"Do you mean? You have thrown the books of the library away!" said Brother Thomas, terrified.

"That is why I could not find any books in the library. You threw them all in the garden." Brother Thomas turned around pointing at Brother George with the bible.

"That is why you are so clever and know everything. You have eaten the vegetables growing in the garden," said Brother George.

"Stop fighting! He is teasing you. You would never throw the Sacred Books away. Would you, George?" asked Brother Benedict.

"No, I would not. I just wanted to make my point that one cannot find all the answers solely in the bible or sacred books. The Holy Spirit is mysterious and God gives wisdom to us when we need it," replied Brother George.

"Have you seen the eyes of the children when they realized that the Morning Star would not arrive?" asked Brother Benedict.

"Yes, and it nearly broke my heart," said Brother George.

"Christmas burns like a candle in the dreams of our children," said Brother Benedict.

"We must rescue the

Morning Star from the Underworld and save Christmas," said Brother Martin.

"Yes. Sure. Sitting on a horse and gallivanting around the world is very helpful," said Brother Thomas in an offensive tone.

The light of a candle shimmered on his bald head.

"Helping the poor and preaching the gospel is very important," replied Brother Martin.

"And protecting them against the Romans! Brother George puts his life on the line for the poor and needy every day," said Brother Benedict.

Brother Thomas was about two heads smaller than Brother Benedict who was standing next to him.

"The enemy of our ancestors is raising a whole army against us," said Brother George walking to the altar of the church.

"Even if we knew the way to the valley of death we cannot leave Saint Peter. We are completely isolated from the world. The Romans are sitting like hawks on the mountains waiting to kill us. King Bloodstone controls the mountains north of Saint Peter. Dragons are ready to kidnap our children. We are trapped," said Brother Benedict after a moment of silence.

"We could save time if we crossed the mountains of the lost souls and cut through the way of the soldiers," said Brother Benedict to his friends.

"Only our ancestors knew the way." He put his right hand on the wooden bench.

"Does somebody know the way to the Underworld?" asked Brother George and went to Brother Benedict.

"Our ancestors knew the way by heart," answered Brother Benedict sitting on a church bench and watching the crucifix behind the altar.

"There are caves and tunnels going through the mountain to the valley of death. If we knew the caves we could catch up with the soldiers before they arrive at the sea of death and recue Christian and the Morning Star." Brother Benedict and jumped up from his seat as if he had found the solution to the problem.

"The only person who can help us right now is the abbot. We need to see him tomorrow." said Brother George.

They started up the path to the monastery to see the abbot.

The visit to the abbot

"Isn't it terrible? Christian kidnapped by King Bloodstone and the Morning Star has disappeared," said the abbot standing behind his wooden desk with the secret book of John wide open. The Apocrypha of John how the book was also called was a 2nd century Sethian Gnostic text.

John was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ and the brother of the apostle James, sons of Zebedee and Mary Salome. Mary Salome had been among the first arriving at the empty tomb at the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

"Nobody has left the valley of death alive. We must find Christian before the soldiers of darkness arrive in the underworld," said Brother Benedict who was pressing for a solution.

"Saint Beatus who was living in a cave at a Mountain Lake not too far from here has drawn a map from all caves and tunnels in the vicinity," said the abbot.

"Saint Beatus was baptized in the land of the angels. He was a Celtic King. He was ordained as a priest in Rome by Saint Peter who told him to Christianize the people of Helvetia. In later life he was living as hermit in a cave praying and meditation," said Brother Benedict.

"Saint Beatus was not only praying and meditating. He was exploring all the caves and tunnels of the mountains with his brothers and recorded them on maps," said the abbot and put an old map on the table.

"You have preserved his maps. How wonderful," said Brother Benedict looking at the hundreds of caves and tunnels connecting the mountains together.

"Why did he and his friends spend so much time exploring the mountains?" asked Brother George.

"They were looking for something," said the abbot.

"Jesus Christ gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Saint Peter. Whatever that is; it must have been very important as the Romans desperately tried to get it. When Saint Peter realized that he could not escape the persecution of Nero he gave the key to Saint Beatus along with many other artifacts. Saint Beatus and his friends buried the icons in the mountains with many other Christian artifacts," said the abbot.

"Why make such a big fuss about artifacts which are turning into dust over time," said Brother Thomas.

"They are useless artifacts for the blind but they are holding the mysteries of the universe for those who can see," said the abbot.

"I do not understand," said Brother Thomas.

"Give an artist a brush and he will paint a picture of the mother of God as Saint Luke did. Give the same brush to a monkey and he will scratch the back of his friend if he is not smashing it.

"I will call Julian to help us to find the Morning Star as we need a guide," said Brother Benedict.

"Julian, the man with the soul stones," said Brother George.

"He calls them Tjurungas but they are very similar to the soul stones of our ancestors. They are used in initiation rites," said the abbot and went back to his desk.

"This is a soul stone. Crafted by our ancestors thousands of years ago," said the abbot and pointed to a stone which was lying on a page of the secret book of John.

"Where is Julian?" asked Brother George and took the stone on the desk in his hand and observed it as if it was a diamond.

"He went for a pilgrimage to Mount Mary and will be back soon. But I will send one of my monks to get him here as quickly as possible so we can start our journey," said the abbot.

The arrival of Maurice and the Theban Legion

Noise was coming from the church.

"Something terrible must have happened," said Brother Benedict and left the monastery.

Brother George took his sword and run down the stairs followed by a few monks.

"The Romans are attacking the village," said a monk standing on the tower of the monastery.

"Close the gates immediately," said the abbot to the guardians who stood in front of the massive wooden gate. An elephant and a fish were carved in the wooden door.

"They are already in the village. We need to protect the people from the attack," said the abbot and run down the stairs.

George rushed down to the village followed by Brother Benedict.

"I hope the farmers can remember what I taught them about defense, "said Brother George jumping on the small way leading to the church.

The news of the attack had spread quickly and many men joined Brother George.

A monk knelt in the grass. His right arm bent his bow shooting an arrow towards the attackers. Brother George swung his right arm and threw a spear towards the invaders hiding behind trees.

"They are already in the church," said Brother George jumping over a hill.

Some invaders had entered the church and blocked the door. George tried to open the church door but did not succeed.

"Is that all you can do to protect your Saint?" said a voice from inside the church.

The gate sprang open and Maurice appeared laughing.

Brother George was surprised to see his old friend with whom he had defended many Christian villages in the past.

"You bet. It's me, your friend in Christ and you cannot get rid of," said Maurice tapping on the right shoulder of his friend.

Maurice was leading the 22nd Roman Legion with 6666 soldiers. Maximian and Diocletian had recruited the whole legion from Thebe in Egypt to fight the uprising Christians. Being a Coptic Christian, Maurice refused to do any harm to his fellow brothers and sisters. He arrived with Verena, Regula, Felix, Victor and Ursus.

"Is Verena here?" asked Brother Benedict.

"Yes, Brother Benedict. She was talking about your orphanage all the way from Agaunum to Saint Peter," said Maurice.

"I have also brought a book with the Coptic Gospels for the abbot," said Maurice standing in front of the church.

Verena walked down the hill. Her steps were light, effortless as if she was flying. She was smiling. Her white teeth shining like pearls in her brown face and her big brown eyes were wide open. Verena was not ageing.

"Have you finished your games?" asked Verena cheerfully.

"Yes, and guess who won," said Maurice.

"It is getting dark. Let's walk to the monastery and bring the book to the abbot. He is studying the Gnostic gospels and will be pleased to read your book," said Brother Benedict.

"Are you never getting upset of these stupid games?" asked Brother Thomas.

"Games are the answer to war. Problems are resolved in a playful way and nobody gets hurt," said Brother George walking on the way to the monastery.

The Holy Lance of Christ

A few days later Maurice Felix, Victor, Ursus and Exuperius arrived at Saint Peter. They were warmly welcomed by the abbot who was smiling like a little child under the Christmas tree when Victor gave him a copy of the Egyptians bible.

"Did you tell Maurice about the attack of the soldiers of darkness?" asked the abbot Brother George.

Brother George was mesmerized by the Holy Lance in Maurice right hand. The spear had a wooden shaft and a diamond shaped head. A nail of the Holy cross was embedded in the spear head.

"Did you tell him.....? Asked the abbot who was looking at Brother George who was watching the Spear of Destiny like a little boy his favorite toy.

"Is that the Holy Lance of Christ?" asked Brother George not losing one of the most Holy Christian relics out of his sight.

"It is my dear brother," replied Mauritius.

"It is said that he who claims the spear and solves its mystery, holds the fate of the world in his hand for good and evil," said Brother George.

"It is meant to protect the church of Christ. The gates of Hades will not prevail. The principalities of hell fear the lance. God killed Leviathan, one of the princes of hell with this spear when he became too powerful and threatened the earth. It was handed down to the Archangel Michael, who protected the Queen of Heaven against the dragons in the valley of death," said Brother George.

"You are referring to the book of Job and Revelation 12," said the abbot.

"You can carry the Spear of Destiny. There is no other man worthy of the Holy Lance of Christ than you," said Maurice and gave the lance to Brother George.

Brother George took the lance in his hand. He closed his eyes.

"I want to be with God and bring all the goodness he intended for us on earth. Jesus Christ gave the Lance to you Maurice to protect your soldiers, the soldiers of Jesus Christ from the army of evil," said Brother George and walked to the door. He was turning around and looked in the eyes of Maurice and his friends.

"In peace time, the lance gives us ideas for new inventions. In ware times it protects us from our enemies. We are going on a very dangerous mission to rescue the Morning Star from the Queen of Darkness. She has abducted one of our finest young men and is stealing Christmas from the children of Saint Peter," said Brother George.

"I have heard about the disappearance of Christian and the Morning Star. I, Felix, Ursus, Victor and Exuperius are here to save the Morning Star before it gets incinerated by the soldiers of Skulls and Bones," said Maurice.

Maurice was one of the finest soldiers of his time. His courage was as legendary as his weapon, the Holy Lance, which was named after his original owner, Gaius Cassius Longinus.

The origin of the Holy Lance goes back to Golgotha where Jesus Christ was crucified. The Roman soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus. But they did not break the legs of Jesus Christ. The centurion Gaius Cassius Longinus pierced the side of Jesus Christ with a spear that later became known as the lance of the apocalypse. The prophecy of John that not one of Jesus bones will be broken became true.

They were walking to the dining room of the monastery.

The pastures were soaked with the fresh smell of water. The Rhone was thundering down from the mountains flooding the valleys and creating the soil for a good crop. The valley looked like a big green bowl from the mountains. The birds were singing into the sun disappearing behind the Mountain of the Angels. The wild river became calm carrying the snow from the mountains to the mountains in the West which looked like the Holy Cross spilled with blood. It was as if the Rhone wanted to sooth the wounds of Christ with the pure snow of the mountains to keep him alive. The river sank in the night like Jesus Christ in the arms of his mother, Mary.

The light disappeared but the voices of the birds resounded in the night carrying the dreams of the day to Saintes-Maries-de-la-mer.

The voices of the birds were mixing with the chanting of the monks in the chapel of the monastery.

"The attacks of King Bloodstone are becoming more and more vigilant. How long can we resist against the powers of evil? The battle of All Saints is imminent," said the abbot at the dinner table.

"The dragons are rising from the underworld. A sign that the power of darkness is preparing for the last battle to destroy the human race and establish a new world order. The dragons are perching on the peak of the mountains like vouchers. They have big dark holes in their hearts and want to fill the holes with our souls," said Brother Benedict.

Moonshine was falling through the windows in the North.

"Saint Peter is built on a rock and the gates of hell will not prevail against it as long as I live," said Brother George.

"The dragons are pets compared with the ancient fish living in the sea of death. Leviathan and Behemoth as described in Job can devour the church of Saint Peter that is how big the monster is," said the abbot looking out of the window and gazing at the white stars hanging over the Mountain of the Angels.

"Job 40 to be precise. Job is talking about dragon like creatures wandering around in forests," said Brother Thomas who was waiting for the main dish.

"But all these creatures have been killed by the archangel Michael," said Maurice tearing a lump of bread from the loaf.

"Their bodies were killed but the souls lived on in the sea of death. King Bloodstone has resurrected their souls from death" said the abbot.

"He will evoke the biggest catastrophes on earth as God deemed these creatures to be too dangerous to live on earth," said the abbot.

"Earthquakes will crush the eggs of the dragons which will creep from the underworld to devastate the earth," said Brother Benedict.

"Saint Beatus was not afraid of the dragons and fought against them?" said Brother George who has always admired the courage of Saint Beatus.

"Who knows if we will ever come back from our quest to find the Morning Star," said Brother Thomas pinching pieces of white bread avoiding the crust.

"George and I have encountered many dangerous situations when we were protecting the Christians in Jerusalem," said Maurice.

"To be honest with you: I'd rather read about the dragons in the bible than fighting against them," said Brother Thomas.

"You are honest, Brother Thomas. But if Jesus and his disciples had thought like you, we would still walk in darkness," said Brother George.

"I will stay back with Benedict and look after the orphanage," said Catherine wiping her mouth with the white table cloth.

The Prophecy of Maurice

After dinner Brother Martin and Maurice walked down to Brother George's workshop. The workshop was full of all sorts of tools he crafted for the farmers in the region. He had also made some weapons for defense.

"What you carry on your belt is not a sword, is more like a dagger and you will not be able to frighten anybody off, particularly not the Romans, Maurice." Brother George and showed him one of his newly crafted swords.

"I do not need a sword as long as I have Longinus on my side. The Holy Lance is much more powerful than any sword," said Maurice touching the sharp blade of the sword with his middle finger.

"You need a sword too, Maurice. If somebody comes close to you, you need to defend yourself with a proper weapon." Then Brother George took a sword and said to Maurice:

"Attack me!"

Maurice was hesitant and Brother George said in a firm voice.

"Do not be afraid. I know how to defend myself." He took a step forward.

Maurice did as he was told and advanced with his Roman sword. Brother George pointed the sword which was about three times longer than Maurice's, at him. Maurice tried to attack but could not get near Brother George.

"Do you see what I mean? You cannot reach out with your sword," said Brother George.

"This is my favorite sword. It took me month to craft. I used the best iron and technique I found but I never came across a man who deserves to carry it. Maurice you are the only man, who is worthy of this sword. You always stand up for the week and vulnerable putting your neighbor first and not yourself."

"Come on. We are not crying now. I could only defend the Christian villages because you were fighting on my side. The guardian angels are afraid to look after you so he had to send the Archangel Michael to protect you. Seven times he will save your life. Jesus will spare you from death one time. How many times have you already been saved?" asked Maurice.

"I do not know. I stopped counting," answered Brother George taking an iron bar from the ground. He poked the iron into the forger where he had crafted the weapons for the farmers. Pieces of glow were rising in the air.

"Has Maximian already found out that you are not following his orders?" asked Brother George trying to kindle the fire.

"He has not figured it out yet," said Maurice who was thinking about the time, when he first met George in Jerusalem.

"What are you going to do, when he finds out, Maurice?" asked Brother George putting the iron bar into a water tank. Steam rose in the air.

"I do not know. I am a soldier of Christ and as such I protect my fellow brothers and sisters. I do not know what else I could do. I keep thinking we are fighting for the noblest course in the world. The thing we are fighting for is much greater than ourselves. We make the world a better place by defending the principles of Christianity. Jesus Christ took all the sins of this world on himself. He gave his live so we can be connected with God. But evil is rising from the Underworld again. We have to stand firm and protect our brothers and sisters. One day we will have no enemies anymore and the world will be a better place."

"We will always have enemies. The fallen angels of hell will rise against us. You should quit your service as a soldier as I did, Maurice. We have not much time left. The end is near and we have to save as many souls as possible. We can create peace. Once we have established peace, swords will be turned into ploughs. Tools will be created to fight hunger and sickness. These tools will be strong and fight the strongest demons creeping in the hearts of the idle. There will be love and the Holy Spirit will be reign over this world."

"George you are not only a good soldier. You are also an excellent preacher. I am only a soldier. A soldier of Jesus Christ. The only thing I can do is protecting the weak and vulnerable," said Maurice.

"You have compassion, Maurice. You do not even need to preach about Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ is living in you. You only have to give people the chance to get close to you. There are not many men who have charisma. You are one of the few ....

Your heart is a big gold mine and big enough to make many villages rich." Brother George looked at the ploughs he had forged for the farmers.

The Orphans of Saint Peter

Somebody was knocking at the door. Brother George opened the wooden door and a boy on crutches stood before him.

"Can I come with you to rescue Christian and the Morning Star?" asked Marc full of expectancy.

"You are a good boy Marc but somebody has to stay in the village and protect the elderly against the Romans. But you can go on the pilgrimage to Mount Mary in spring and you can look after all the children in the orphanage because you are such a brave boy," said Brother George.

"But there are no dragons to fight on Mount Mary," said Marc, bracing his body on the wooden crutches.

"Oh, yes. The Lady of the Mountains has seen dragons too. We need soldiers like you to protect her against the army of evil," said Brother George, putting his arms around his shoulders.

"Can I come to Mount Mary too?" asked Simon, who stood behind Marc with Peter.

"Of course you can. I am going to build a big wagon. Big enough for all the children in the orphanage," said Brother George smiling and tapping on the shoulders of the boys.

"Do we stay overnight in Mount Mary and have a camp fire?" asked Peter whose parents were killed by the Romans.

"You bet, and will roast chestnuts in the glow of the fire as we did last year," said Brother George.

"It is getting dark boys. You have to go back to the orphanage now," said Brother George.

Benedict and Verena finished cooking for the children and brought them to bed.

"Brother Benedict has told us a lot about you Verena. It was as if you had been living with us forever," said little Catherine.

"Verena! You must stay with us over Christmas. The Sheppard and the wise men from the East have already left the Holy Land to follow the morning star and visit us. It will be the most beautiful Christmas we ever had." said Peter.

"I was so sad until I came to the orphanage," said John.

"Verena stay with us and take us to Mount Mary, the Mountain of the Angels and Mount Jesus. We will travel through the world until we reach the sea of love," said Paul whose parents lost their lives in an avalanche.

"The world does not end. When the old year finishes Jesus is born again and a new year starts," said Luke whose parents were sold as slaves.

"Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end," said Brother Benedict.

"Are you staying over Christmas?" asked little Catherine.

"Yes, I will help you to light all the stars in the cold winter night," said Verena to the children cheering loudly.

"Do not get too excited," said Benedict knowing that it would be very hard to calm the children down and get them to sleep.

"Verena look! There is Hally, Steve's sheep dog. She is looking after the sheep during the day. She is looking after us during the night. Jesus must have liked animals. There were a mule, ox and sheep present when Mary gave birth to baby Jesus," said Ruth.

"Jesus loves all creatures. He is the good shepherd who gets us back when we are in troubles," said Verena.

"It is time to go to bed now children. I have brought some cloth to make warm dressings for winter," said Verena.

"Are we going to look like the monks in the monastery in the new dress?" asked Simon and the children were laughing.

"Yes, you will look like little monks and nuns," replied Sister Verena.

The Mother of the Orphans

Benedict waited in the kitchen whilst Verena sat with the children and told them their favorite Bible stories.

Verena was particularly fond of the holy shrines in the mountains dedicated to Mary. On her last visit to Saint Peter, Verena had suggested that they refurbish an old farm to accommodate the orphans.

Brother Benedict was indulging in the last pilgrimage to Mount Mary enriching his spiritual experience.

The appearance of the dragons was hanging on Verena's thoughts like a black cloud. She was afraid that something could happen to Brother Benedict on his trip to the valley of death.

"You should not go to rescue the Morning Star. It is too dangerous," said Verena.

"They need me, Verena," said Brother Benedict looking into her eyes.

"The children need you too. Beside that you are not a soldier.

"I could not forgive myself if something happened to my friends and I was not there to defend them. I need to go, Verena. When I come back we will celebrate Christmas together. We will celebrate with all the children and we will have the most beautiful Christmas ever. But if you really insist, Verena, I will stay with you and the children." Brother Benedict looking at her like a little boy who wanted a treat.

"If you get hurt, I will never forgive myself," said Verena.

Julian Returns from Mount Jesus

Many pilgrims visited Saint Peter as it was situated between Mount Jesus, Mount Mary and the Mountain of the Angels, the best place to start a pilgrimage. Every pilgrim who knocked at the door of the monastery was granted entrance. It was considered to be an insult not to offer accommodation to a pilgrim. A pilgrimage was a sacred journey or the marriage of the soul with God. A pilgrimage was a life time experienced in a few days: intense, dramatic and always different. The pilgrimage went straight to the core of life. The soul flew to heaven for one day to be united with Jesus Christ, Mary, the angels and Saints. The soul lived forever but the body must die. The pilgrims became angels carrying messages to God. They carried their dreams and hopes to Mount Mary or the Mountain of the Angels or Mount Jesus to experience the marriage of heaven and earth. The earthly soul of Adam met the divine Jesus Christ and the earthly soul of Eve met the divine Mary. The shrines were like fountains conveying eternal youth and a new life to the pilgrims. Thousands of pilgrims went on an adventure with God every day.

The abbot listened to the spiritual experiences of the pilgrims.

Dreams were the fuel of life. Listening was more important than talking. Listening to people also enabled him to pray for the people in need as he came across a lot of suffering. Many pilgrims carried their heavy burden of sorrows and pain up the mountain to get relief. He could help sometimes since many people were looking for work. The farmers told him when they needed help on their farms and the monks in the monastery were always glad to have a few more hands.

The more he listened to the pilgrims, the more he realized how powerful prayers were.

"It was impossible to predict where the rain of prayers would fall, blessings were always falling on earth. God moved in mysterious ways, after all. Divine inspiration was often required to get the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together. The pilgrimages were the dramatic resolution of problems for the individual and the whole community. The consciousness was entering the spiritual element of heaven connecting the pilgrim with a new reality.

Marc went to the abbot in the afternoon and said, "Julian has arrived in Saint Peter."

The abbot smiled. Things were falling into place. Julian had lost his home when he was a young man and had been trying to find it ever since.

Julian sat next to the abbot. He put is bag on the wooden table.

"This pilgrimage was awesome. I kept on saying the same sentence over and over again.

"God have mercy on me, God have mercy on me.' The meditation of that sentence was very powerful and opened the door to the subconscious. It felt as if I was walking in other elements. Layers upon layers of wisdom were falling from the sentence as I got closer to its truth. When I thought that I had found the true meaning I opened my eyes and I stood right in front of the church at Mount Jesus. I opened the door. It was silent as I was the first pilgrim arriving there. Then waves of emotions went straight through my body. The face of Jesus was showing up above the altar. I went towards the apparition. When I wanted to touch the image it disappeared."

"It must have been awesome to arrive at Mount Jesus. I know how it feels to have a close encounter with God," said the abbot, who had rarely been so happy to meet Julian. After a time of reflection he said,

"I have known you for many, many years, Julian. You have always been a good friend to me. You have found places of worship nobody else has seen before and opened our eyes to new miracles. We need you on a very secret mission now. We are heading off on a long and dangerous journey to the sea of death. You must help us to show us the way there."

"I have heard about the abduction of Christian. I met him once on a pilgrimage to Mount Mary. I was hoping that you would ask me to help," said Julian.

"That means that you are coming," said the abbot.

"Yes. Of course I am," said Julian

"The Saints will help us to rescue Christian. They are the children of our prayers sent to us by the Holy Spirit. Saints are the souls and hearts of our villages. "

"The dragons are rising over the mountains in the north. The shadows of the Underworld are falling on the light of Christmas," said the abbot.

"They took the Morning Star away from our children," said Julian.

The men met in the church of Saint Peter before they began the dangerous journey. Abbot Antony, Brother Benedict and Steve gathered with the friends of Saint Peter, Maurice, Verena, Catherine and Julian sat in the first row. Brother George stood at the altar.

The orphans sat in the second row. They were still talking when Brother George started the ceremony. Clemens, a grumpy old man, who was half deaf, said in a loud voice:

"Quiet! I cannot understand a word of what they are saying.

"Let them talk. Children listen with their hearts," said Brother Martin.

"Jesus said let the children alone and do not hinder them to come to me for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them."

Mathew 19:14," said Brother Thomas who had overheard the conversation.

"To be pure in heart is what matters. The heart of a child is clean and has not been poisoned by sin," said Brother Martin.

"My dear friends," started Brother George.

God has brought us together. He has made our community stronger by sending us our friends Maurice and Julian. But we could not leave tomorrow without the map of Saint Beatus. It will show us the way to the Underworld. Our world will sink into darkness if we cannot rescue the Morning Star."

"Without the help of Verena and Margaret this journey would not be possible. Get their advice and help if you need anything. Together we form a body standing up against evil. We will fight for the morning star as it has been promised to us. The nights will get darker and the days shorter from now on. But we will emerge from darkness carrying the sign of victory, the Morning Star, in our hands. Your prayers are the light in the darkness and will show us the way. Do not give up on the sick and deceased people.

"Do not be afraid children; you will be filled with joy every day from now on. Our prayers are a fortress. Every day will draw you closer to Christmas Eve and the celebration of the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ," said Brother George.

A big fire was burning in front of the church. Simon and Luke had collected wood in the nearby forest to commemorate the departure of the Company of the Morning Star.

The Departure for the Underworld

The war horses were neighing and scratching on the ground as if they knew about the dangerous mission ahead. Some people of Saint Peter believed that the horses had fought battles in ancient times. They had seen the warrior monks descending in the fountain in front of the monastery to fight the battle of All Saints. The descent into the fountain of time had been followed by a bright light late in autumn.

The battle of All Saints was one of the biggest mysteries and kept secret. The people believed that the warrior monks travelled back in time to fight the battles in the past defending the human soul against the demons of the abyss. God had created the human soul before he had created the body. Some people believed that the human soul had been an angel who possessed divine knowledge. The angel had been walking the earth together with the other angels. But the angel had been killed by a demon. Only the abbot knew what happened because he had been on a time travels. He kept the knowledge secret.

Other people thought that the lights were just shooting stars which were quite frequent at the end of summer. In Jack's opinion the monks were conquering the evil spirits. If they won the battle a new year could start with the first Advent and Christmas. If the battle was lost, the apocalypse would descend on the earth.

Brother George was in good spirit when they left Saint Peter in that morning. He remembered a song his father taught him when he was a little boy. The path meandered through the green valley. The Mountains of the Angels rose majestically into the sky. Julian rode in front followed by Brother George. Behind them rode Benedict with Brother Thomas and Martin together with Maurice and his soldiers as well as a dozen monks scattered around the group to detect enemies.

They had been riding for a while when some scouts came out of the forest.

"There are Roman soldiers approaching from the East," said one of the scouts. His horse was nervously moving up and down.

"We have to reach the mountains as quickly as possible to seek shelter in the rocks," said Brother George.

Brother George's horse, Pegasus, stood on his back feet as if anticipating trouble. His mane blew in the wind. The Roman soldiers were advancing fast and cut into their way. There were six Roman soldiers including one officer. The officer realized quickly that he had no chance against the men of Saint Peter. Maurice and Brother George did not want to get involved in an unnecessary fight. One of the officers looked at Maurice suspiciously. Then he turned the reins of his horse to the right side and rode away followed by the soldiers.

"Why did the officer stare at you?" asked Brother Thomas.

"He probably knew me. They only time you do not recognize me is in the night," said Maurice.

"You'd better stay with us and quit with the Roman army," said Brother George.

The Salvation of Christian from the Reptilians

The mountains in the north rose like a shadow of death into the night sky and the dragons circled over the black mountains like bats. The Mountain of the Skull appeared in the dark landscape. It was thus named because the cave leading into the valley of death looked like a wide open mouth from a distance.

"That is where we have to go through," said Brother George pointing at the pathway.

"I remember this place from a dream," Julian said.

"I dreamt of a big stone crashing on the earth and leaving a crater. The skull is the remains of a star which burnt out millions of years ago. The skull attracts the souls of fallen angels which were thrown in the sea of death. They used to be evil beings. Now they are dead and evil souls."

"They were alive, now they are dead," said Victor one of Maurice's soldiers.

"Isaiah 26:14," said Brother Thomas.

"How do you know that these spirits still exist?" asked Brother Benedict.

"If they were dead you would not feel them. They are the incarnation of the seven cardinal sins:

Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride which have been tormenting humanity for millions of years. They fell in the abyss," said Victor.

"King Bloodstone descended into the abyss to revive these spirits." Julian rode into Dark Mountain.

Hally, Steve's shepherd dog became increasingly nervous. Her ears were close to her head. She was almost crawling. Her tail moved nervously.

"Something is following us," said Julian starring in the darkness behind them.

"The creatures in this mountain used to live millions of years ago"

"Like the dragon on our shields," said a monk holding his shield up.

"The animal on your shield is not a dragon. It is an angel who defended the earth against the dragons of the sea of death millions of years ago. The battle of the past reflects in the future. If you understand the past you will understand the future," said Brother Benedict.

"The earth angel is your guardian angel protecting you wherever you go. Your guardian angel protects your soul on the way to heaven. Our ancestors have been helped by the angels and Saints when they were in trouble," said the abbot.

"Can you hear the howling?" asked Brother Benedict.

"It is the cry of the wolf of pride. Sin spreads like weed and takes over the space where flowers ought to grow," said Brother Martin.

"It only attacks you if you cannot control your pride. Your Sins will eventually kill your guardian angel and will leave you unprotected against evil. They will lead your soul into death. You become the slave of your vices if you have not defeated evil in your life time," said Brother George.

The beast was hiding in the darkness and nobody could see it. Maurice and Brother George rode up and down the ranks to protect the men from any attack. The howling of the wolf fell silent. They were riding between blocks of rocks which cracked off the mountain of death thousands of years ago. Snakes hid under the crevices. It looked like the ruins of a destroyed city. The rocks were pitch black from the fires that raged through the Underworld with the high and low tide of the sea of death.

The path became very narrow. One man after an other rode through the passage. Maurice stayed in the middle to fend off any attack. His eyes roamed the landscape. A noise howled between the rocks sounding like the winter wind through the trees. The noise chocked off. Maurice spotted the flutter of black hair behind a rock. He could spot the shadow of an animal in the darkness. He tore the reigns of his horse sideways and galloped toward the black shadow. Its enormous body appeared in the dark. The ugly beast stood upright on a black rock snarling its long sharp teeth and getting into position to attack. The hair stood still like the bristles of a brush. The beast jumped from the rock toward one of the monks. The wolf was in the air. His long and sharp white front teeth were ready to strike the throat of his victim. Maurice leapt between the wolf and the monk. He threw his spear towards the animal hitting the animal in the chest. The wolf fell to the ground like a stone.

Brother George arrived.

"I have not seen the beast."

"I thought the beast had already disappeared and did not pay any attention to it anymore."

"You did not observe your environment properly. The dogs behavior indicated that the wolf was still around," said Maurice.

As it was getting late the men decided to stay for the rest of the night. They did not light any fires and tried to be as quiet as possible.

A long day lay ahead of them tomorrow. Nobody knew what the day would bring. Brother George prayed for the people in Saint Peter before they went to sleep. Some of Maurice men and the monks organized the guard shift over night.

They hid in a cave underneath a tree. Steve could see the night sky through the roots. He remembered the time he had been sitting with Catherine on the bench in the village of Saint Peter gazing at the stars in the sky. The Morning Star was shining through the night into the dawn showing the way from darkness into light as Jesus Christ did. The light was evoking emotions. In that moment Steve had seemed to understand the language of the stars. Time stood still. An oak tree stretched its long branches over the bench. The leaves blew in the summer breath touching his shoulders. Steve and Catherine were counting the shooting stars which were particularly numerous in August and September.

When Steve woke up, the dream had disappeared. The old year was withering away. Only a few days were left until the celebration of All Souls. A new liturgical year was rising behind the horizon. The New Year nourished the hope for a life without fear. A time people could live in freedom without being harassed.

A bird was drawing big circles in the sky. The black shadows of its wings fell on the ground as the bird sank lower. An old tale about Lucretius, a bird luring its victims into its nest to feed them to its chicks, came into the Steve's mind. The black bird drew huge circles in the dark sky of the ancient world of sunken spirits. The eyes of the bird were pierced the air like needles. They stung like the bite of a snake poisoning the mind.

One of Maurice's soldiers was looking in the sky, watching the scavenger. He was hit by the dark beams penetrating his mind. He was paralyzed, imprisoned by the mesmerizing eyes of chaos.

"Do not watch the scavenger! Look on the ground! We are in the kingdom of Sobek the god of crocodiles. Sobek is the god of the dark waters and his father his Set," said the abbot.

"Set was a god of the Ancient Egyptians. I thought he was dead," said Brother George.

"The body dies but the soul does not. It goes to another world. We are in the world of evil... The crocodiles are pets compared with the creatures living here," said the abbot.

"Crocodiles do not eat their prey after killing them. They drag the dead bodies under the water and hide them under rocks. The eyes of the bird are the eyes of chaos and will paralyzing you. The crocodiles will then leave the rocks and tear your body apart in the dark waters," said Maurice holding the Holy Lance in his right hand.

Brother George was riding next to Maurice. Hissing noises were coming from behind the rocks. Brother George looked into the eyes of the crocodiles which were blazing behind the rocks. He pointed Ascalon his spear in their direction ready to fight off any attack.

"Wait!" said Brother George holding his shield in the direction of the vulture trying to hit the men with its eyes.

"The earth angel, the sign of Saint Peter shone in red and golden colors on the shield. The bird uttered a shout of agony when its eyes fell on the shield. It was as if the bird was hit by an arrow. It fell like a stone its wings tight to the body. Just before it would have crashed to the ground it opened its wings and flew away.

"The bright colors of the shield must have irritated the bird of chaos," said Brother Benedict.

"I do not think so. It is not the first time that a spirit of the Underworld has been scared by the shield. I think they are scared by the earth angel on the shield," said Brother George.

"It appears as if they were frightened off by an event in the past," said Maurice watching the crocodiles creeping towards a volcano.

A big black castle emerged on the horizon like a black cloud. The castle of queen Jezebel looked like a prism connected to the dark sky with a chain resembling the tale of a tornado. The chain swung like the body of a cobra in the dark night. A tiny little man appeared on the way to the castle. A bitter smile covered his face, which was wrinkled like the gills of a shark. His movements were fast.

"I will give you anything you want," said Solek, the servant of the crocodile god to the men of Saint Peter.

When the little man did not get any response he pointed into the desert saying:

"Can you see that?"

"All the treasures in the world are buried in this desert. Take it! It is all yours."

"How much gold are you prepared to give for peace? How many diamonds for love?" said Brother George.

"The wealth underneath the desert is beyond your wildest dreams. It will allow you to buy an army and crush your enemies like empty eggshells. You will be invincible and you will be able to rule the world with all the might of the Underworld," said Solek.

"We believe in the wealth created in our communities. We are following the word of God not the glitter of the golden calf," said Brother Martin.

Solek opened his big mouth showing his brown rotten teeth. But before he could say anything Brother Leo said,

"Does the sun rise in your land? Does Christmas live in the hearts of your children? Do you believe in a soul continuing its journey after death?"

"The sea of love is a drop in the desert of your desire. Open the gate of hell and indulge in the carnal pleasures. They are the real values in life," answered Solek.

"Your soul has turned black. You cannot see it anymore in the darkness of your sins," said Brother Benedict.

"The Underworld is rising against Saint Peter and will soon be strong enough to brush you from the surface of this planet. You cannot beat sin. So better join us here. We are the strong and mighty. Stop begging with the weak," said Solek.

"The empire of Sobek was destroyed a long time ago," said Brother George to the old man. A new world emerged from the ashes of Babylon. Jesus Christ turned hate into love. He turned weapons into ploughs."

"Why should you touch a plough? You get rich here without moving a finger," said Solek.

"You do not want to see how your daily work is changing the world into a better place, making the angels in heaven jealous so they want to live on earth again?" said Brother George.

"I do not want to see things growing. There is no joy in my heart. I do not want to see the angels in heaven above. Deep is hell and I wanted to sink on the ground to experience all pleasures of the flesh..." responded Solek.

"My soul is drunk from the blood of sin," said Solek.

"Your sins will drag you down into the well of darkness. Come with us, old man. Life is so miserable here. Become a knight of Christ and fight for the rights of the poor. Not far away is the day when Jesus comes down on earth to judge the living and the dead," said Brother Martin.

"You are talking about Jesus Christ. I know more about him than you might think. Can you turn stones into bread?" asked the old man.

"No, because bread does not feed our souls," said Brother Thomas.

"King Bloodstone's heart is hard as steel. He can smash the strongest army in this world," said Solek.

"The hardest material in this world will eventually crumble without the love of God," said Brother Martin.

"Come to Saint Peter old man and celebrate Christmas with us. Dark and selfish is King Bloodstone's world. He sucks your soul dry and leaves it to rot," said Brother Benedict.

"Is Queen Jezebel living in the castle?" asked Brother George.

"She lives in the lower layer of hell protected by her army," responded the old man.

"And where does King Bloodstone live?" asked Brother George.

"In the deepest part of hell with all the souls which have been judged to fall," said Solek. Suddenly he fell to the ground.

A black cloud left his body as he lay on the ground. His grey hair turned brown and his shriveled skin became firm. The features of Christian started to show in his face and body.

"It is Christian," Brother Thomas exclaimed more surprised than anybody else.

Christian opened his eyes as if he was waking up from a bad dream.

"What happened to me? Where is the Morning Star? Where is my family?"

"Your family is waiting for you to return with the Morning Star from the Underworld," said Brother George.

"Can you tell us what happened?" asked Brother Martin.

"My family was attacked by the soldiers of King Bloodstone when we brought the Morning Star to Saint Peter on Advent eve. A soldier forced me to drink out of a cup. He said it was the blood of a dragon strengthening my body and mind. I fell unconscious and when I woke up, I was hearing the howling of wild animals restlessly chasing through hell in search of food. There were no trees and no water. I was hiding in caves. I followed a voice to this place," said Christian.

"The souls of the sea of death are infiltrating our minds and stealing our bodies to lead us into wars against our brothers and sisters," said Brother Martin.

"Prayers saved you. You heard our prayers and followed them until you found us," said Brother Benedict.

"I know who will have the most beautiful Christmas: Your mother, young man. She was so sad when you were kidnapped by the soldiers of King Bloodstone," said Brother Leo.

"It is getting dark, friends. The feast of the Lost Souls is coming up tomorrow. A big day lies ahead of us. Let's have a rest," said Brother George.

The Rescue of the Lost Souls at All Souls Day

A dark planet was rising over hell taking the earth in its cold arms. The night was carrying a black heart in her chest. A black mountain was rising from the sea of death sucking the souls of the earth in the depth of sin. Death had destroyed all life.

The entrance opened its jaws. Julian followed the path as if he knew it from a dream. The bridge of destiny spanned over the cemetery of hell. Huge bones rose rising out of the oily swamp like the hands of death, dragging all life down into destruction. The ribs of a fossil were reared out of the morass like the blades of scissors. Voices rose from the center of the mountain, carrying the pain of the lost souls from the underground. Joy had turned into agony and greed into hunger and thirst torturing the soul which could not die. Thousands of voices were crying for help, clawing the black rock and trying to escape.

"I recognize this place. I saw it when I prayed for the lost souls not long ago," said Brother Benedict walking over the bridge of destiny.

Fresh blood dripped from the walls. King Bloodstone and his demons were celebrating their victory over the week human soul succumbing to sin. He was accusing humanity of all the bad things they had done in his name. He proclaimed the victory of blood over the spirit of God. The innocent voice of a child sank into the fountain of death. A river of blood was streaming through the mountain. Black shadows rose from the river. Seashells were sticking on the walls of the river.

"Pray for the lost souls... and remember. Remember! No soul is lost as long as there is a human being praying for it," said Brother Benedict and knelt on the floor.

"Eternal rests grant them, O Lord. And let the perpetual light shine on them. And may the souls of all our brothers who left us rest in eternal peace with the help of Christ our Lord, Amen," he continued.

The other men repeated the prayer. The walls started to tremble and the shells fell into the water and cracked open. Blue and yellow flames rose from the shells into the air. Thousands of shells opened and the flames rose into the air breaking through the dark ceiling like the tails of shooting stars.

The earth opened and Felix, a soldier of Maurice, fell into the lower inning of hell into the cemetery of eternal condemnation. Skulls and bones appeared in the lights of the torches. The bones were remains of humans who followed their instincts to the wells of power. The wells of power promised control over other human. The skulls scattered the earth like the eggs of reptiles.

"We will get trapped here. We have to go back to Saint Peter before it is too late," said Brother Thomas.

"I will not leave one man behind. Felix is innocent. He does not deserve to be trapped in the cemetery of eternal condemnation," said Maurice and followed his friend in the dark crevice opening like the shells of a gigantic oyster.

Brother George and Julian followed him.

"Do not go. No human as ever entered the second inning of hell, where the fallen angels are buried," said Brother Thomas.

But it was already too late. The men had followed Maurice into the depths of hell to rescue Felix.

"He must have fallen into the river," said Julian who could not hear the warning words of Brother Martin anymore.

The river of blood was creeping through the mountain towards the sea of death like a snake. Crabs crawled out of the sticky oily water. Brother George followed the crabs through the opening into a dark cave.

Felix's arms and legs were stretched out on a giant black sea star. He stuck on the black wall like the body of a slaughtered animal. The sea star was sucking the blood out of his body and his lips had turned blue. Felix screamed in agony. His voice sounded like thousands of needles falling on an ice plate in winter. A terrible noise came from deep from the mountain of bitterness.

"We have woken up Leviathan, the sea monster and Behemoth the land monster," said Maurice holding his lance close to his body.

"Leviathan, the snake drinking the blood of the innocent," said Brother George who was ready to jump into the next inning of hell.

"Wait, George. Only the Archangel Michael and Jesus Christ himself have the authority to kill Leviathan," said Maurice dragging his friend back.

"I can kill them too," said Brother George.

"No George. That is enough. Our mission is not to kill Leviathan. We need to rescue the Morning Star and bring it back to Saint Peter before Christmas. The Morning Star is hiding in the pyramids of Queen Jezebel," said Julian.

"Don't let pride get the better of you," said Brother Martin who had followed the three men.

"I am not proud but now I have the chance to do humanity a great favor and liberate them from the old snake which has brought so much destruction over us. If God wants he will help me and bring me back safely," said Brother George.

"Give me the Holy Lance, Maurice and I will kill the creatures of hell even if I have to give my own life."

"No, I will not give the lance to you. Come back now," said Maurice

"I was waiting for this opportunity for too long. Now I have the chance to wipe out evil forever. I will go on my own, if nobody wants to follow me," said Brother George and went deeper in the mountain.

Maurice followed George deeper into hell.

"Wait for me," said Julian and followed.

"Fools they are. Nobody has left the second inning of hell alive," said Brother Martin and followed his friends.

The Liturgical Year

Everybody missed the mysterious Advent Time. A candle was usually lit each Sunday at church under the Christmas tree from the forest of Sapinar. Jack had told the boys at the orphanage that the forest of Sapinar was the oldest forest in the mountains. The Christmas tree in the church symbolized the tree of life. Some of the pine trees growing on the mountainsides were several thousand years old.

The Advent candles flooded the garden in front of the church with light. The closer to Christmas it got, the more lights shone on the small paths leading through the mountain village of Saint Peter. The feast of Saint Barbara and Saint Nicolas fell into the Advent Time. The houses emerged in a sea of lights on Christmas Day. Christmas was the time when the soul flew to heaven to meet Jesus Christ in the highest heaven. Christmas was the time for spiritual experiences with God after having made the transition from the carnal into the spiritual body of Jesus Christ. The liturgy of Advent left deep prints in the soul of the children.

People gathered in front of the church with their personal praying candles at the end of every Advent Sunday. The candles were made out of bees wax, crafted by the monks in the monastery of Saint Peter. A candle was given to each member of the congregation at Mary Light Mass at the end of the Christmas season in February. The candles were used to pray in privacy or with the family or friends. The congregation gathered around the candles and thanked Jesus Christ for all the gifts they had received or prayed when somebody was ill or injured. The new altar candles were also baptized in the church of Saint Peter.

With the intensity of light rose the excitement of the children. When the fourth candle was lit Christmas was close. All creation rose in the light of the Morning Star touching the world with magic. The dreams and hopes of the people shone together with the candles on the Christmas tree. The tree breathed the ceremonial atmosphere reflecting the joy of the congregation like a mirror of the souls. The garden in front of the church changed into a world of dreams inspired by the people in the village.

Christmas was followed by the Celebration of the innocent children. After that came the celebration of the wise men from the east one of Steve's most favorite liturgical feasts. The year continued with the carnival or the fifth season. Everybody liked the happy time of the fifth season. Children and adults dressed up in costumes. Everybody was invited to dance and celebrate in the biggest party of the year for one week.

After the carnival followed the fasting season leading into Easter culminating in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter was like two rivers: one filled with tears of sadness and the other with tears of joy.

The celebration of Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit into the community followed in spring opening the mind of the believers to new spiritual awareness. Life was a transition from the physical into the spiritual world. A time of spiritual growth. A caterpillar morphing into a butterfly at the End of Times to take the soul to heaven to Jesus Christ, Mary, the angels and the Saints.

The time of the pilgrimages started to Mount Mary and the mountain of Jesus in early spring followed by the pilgrimages to the fisher priest in summer. The feast of the guardian angels and the Archangel Michael on the Mountain followed in late summer

The pilgrimages were the most important part of the liturgical year opening the mind to new spiritual experiences giving the soul the energy to rise after death.

The autumn celebrations were as vigorous as the autumn storms sweeping through the mountains and valleys and preparing for a new time. Thanks giving followed the celebration of the guardian angels and Archangel Michael.

The Feast of Saint Barbara

The people of Saint Peter prepared for the feast of Saint Barbara which was celebrated in the Advent time every year.

Saint Barbara was the only daughter of a rich man in Asia who adored her very much. She studied the ancient gods. The more she studied the more she became aware that these gods were a hollow copy and that something more powerful existed. Without the permission of her father she became Christian. Her father wanted to marry her with a very prosperous man to double the fortunes of the family. But Barbara refused to marry him. Her father was furious. He handed her over to a Roman judge for punishment. The judge tried to make her denounce her Christian faith with kind persuasion but she refused. The next day he tortured her. Her faith was so strong that her wounds immediately healed. The day after her tortures she was ordered to pay tribute to the Roman gods. She still refused and was mutilated brutally and eventually sentenced to death by the sword. Mine workers who engaged in very dangerous activities chose Saint Barbara as their patron saint because of the dangers she endured during her life time.

Verena and Catherine decorated the big pine tree in front of the church with the help of the children of the orphanage. Luke and Simon climbed up the tree and fixed the candles. It was their duty to light the candles of the tree Monday and Tuesday. John and Paul were taking over Wednesday and Thursday whilst Simon and Mathew covered the weekend shifts. The tree did not warm up the cold autumn nights but it did warm the hearts of the children. A little boy came to Verena asking,

"When is Christmas?'

"Soon," replied Verena

A girl came five minutes later asking,

"How many days until Christmas?"

"Not many," answered Verena.

Time had carved holes in a rock lying on the ground behind the church. Verena and Catherine placed candles in the holes. They said to the children that Christmas would come when all the candles were burning.

The children gathered in front of the rock to light a candle for the Advent before going to bed. They sat in front of the rock and sang Christmas songs. The lights of the candles flickered over the white rock like wings. Verena said that the wings belonged to angels flying down from the Mountain of the Angels bringing Christmas dreams to the children. The children wanted to know more about the angels and Verena told them stories of angels who visited earth. Each angel had specific characteristics such as courage, compassion and wisdom.

Catherine told stories too. The children's eyes were fixed on her lips. She talked about the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary at the Annunciation. She also told the story of the visitation of Mary at her cousin Elizabeth. She told them about the angels who told Joseph to take the Holy Family to Egypt to avoid being killed by King Herodes.

After Verena had finished the nativity story everybody went back to the orphanage where they ate some of the delicious scones Verena and Catherine had baked from sweet bread and fruits. They tasted extra delicious during the holy Advent time. The children sat at the big table in the dining room. The window was open and the smell of pine wood filled the orphanage. A painting of Jesus Christ washing the feet of his disciples hung on the wall. Verena and Catherine put the children to bed.

"The candles are a path to heaven," Andreas said. "I dreamt that I visited the Mountain of the Angels yesterday. When I came down from the pilgrimage, the bells of the churches in the valleys were ringing. The dream was so peaceful and still living in my memory. The dream was so real. It did not really happen on earth but in heaven."

Verena was smiling at Andreas.

"When all the candles are lit, we will be in heaven. It will be Christmas. Jesus Christ will be born," said Sister Verena covering his body with a blanket.

"I dreamt that the holes in the rock were pigeon holes. We wrote messages and put them in the pigeon holes. When we fell asleep heaven opened and the pigeons descended from heaven. They picked the messages and flew straight into heaven," said little Catherine.

"And what was written in the messages?" asked Catherine who had listened to the conversations.

"All our dreams and wishes," said Ruth.

"And what were these dreams and wishes?" asked Catherine.

"Peace and Love and a happy Christmas to every creature in the world including all the animals and trees," replied Ruth.

"Close your eyes and fall asleep and tell us all what the angels have whispered in your ears tomorrow," said Verena.

It was getting very quiet in the dormitory. The children could not wait to escape into the world of dreams.

Verena was standing in the kitchen when Catherine came from the dormitory. Verena was holding a broom in her right hand. Catherine stood still and observed Verena for a moment. Verena had cared for people her whole life. Housework had been flowing through her hands like the water over the wheel of a mill and had shaped her hands into tools. Every movement, every action was elegant. She swept the floor quickly. The world stood still for a second. Catherine was standing there thinking that this moment would never pass. The broom in her hand became a symbol of her mission to care for other people and to clean up sorrow and pain weighing on their hearts. A new life was unraveling under the surface. The burden had gone. There was a smile on Verena's face.

Catherine was convinced that Verena would find the sea of love. Catherine had seen her mother doing housework for the family because she considered the work part of her duty. But Verena was doing it out of love to create a better world and help people to carry their cross.

Next morning Verena and Catherine were walking with the children to the monastery to get some vegetables and wood for the stove. Verena hold Fortunate by the reins. The old horse was pulling a cart. Fortunate was an old horse from the monastery. His owner of Fortunate, a monk, had been killed by the Roman army three years ago. The monastery gave Fortunate as a gift to the orphanage. Fortunate now spent his days pulling a cart.

The Appearance of Saint Barbara

It was still dark when Verena and Catherine went to the church to celebrate the feast of Saint Barbara next morning. Verena watched the frescos at the ceiling. The church was filled with a voice of hope calling out of the coldness and darkness. The sunbeams touched the image of the Archangel Gabriel, who stood next to Mary in a blue garment in the stained-glass in the east wing of the church. Red orange and blue light fell to the floor of the church which was built on a rock.

The wooden door of the church opened and three shepherds entered the church. They carried blue elder, apple, hazelnut, birch and cherry branches in their hands which they plugged into a vase on the altar. The branches should blossom until Christmas as did the branches during the captivity of Saint Barbara.

Verena was deep into prayer. She knelt on the wooden bench with folded hands. She was looking up and noticed the shepherds and the branches.

Suddenly the earth started trembling. The noise got stronger and stronger as if the mountain was moving away. Verena and Catherine run outside and saw a white cloud rushing down from Mount Mary.

"It is an avalanche," said Verena and pointed to the White Mountain.

"A bit early for avalanches we did not have any snow in the valley this year." Catherine watched the natural spectacle taking its course in front of their eyes.

"Lucky that nobody lives that high in the mountains," said Verena.

The trembling ceased and a white cloud covered the region. The earth was filled with peace and tranquility. The white cloud was settling down. Then the earth trembled again but less vigorous than last time. A shadow appeared moving quickly on the surface of the earth. A white horse emerged from the vanishing white cloud on Mount Mary rushing like a waterfall into the valley. The horse raced toward the gates of Saint Peter. The rider held a colorful shield in the left hand and a sword in the right hand. She stopped to talk to the guards at the entrance of the village and then rode towards the monastery. The emblem of the Archangel Michael blazed on the centre of the shield.

"Maurice, George and Julian are in great danger. Where are they?" asked the lady on the horse dressed in a knight's armor.

"They left to find the Morning Star in the valley of death," said Verena.

The Rescue of George, Maurice and Julian

Brother George, Julian and Maurice were penetrating deeper into the mountain, which smelled of old rock. No human being had ever entered this deep into the mountain of death. The darkness was unbearable, like a hole, absorbing all light. They felt as if something was observing every one of their movements. A howling noise came from the second inning of hell. The darkness appeared like the disappearance of a star millions of years ago. The dying star was sucking up all spiritual energy, feeding on the souls which succumbed to the second death. There was no exit from the second death. Not even a spark could escape it. The souls were sucked deeper and deeper into the destruction of the abyss without being resurrected. The verdict of the abyss was death for all eternity and only Jesus Christ could rescue the lost souls from the abyss.

The eternal evil was burning like a fire in Brother George's heart. Pictures of horrors passed through his mind and sent cold shivers down his spine. The men came to a well filled with a thick liquid. Maurice was standing behind Brother George. The well rose and moved as if something was dragging it along. The fins of a snake like creature appeared. It was Leviathan the sea monster dragging a huge wave behind his gigantic body. Leviathan was one of the six guardians of hell.

Maurice pointed the Holy Lance at the back of Leviathan ready to strike. The sea monster dived in the depth of the oil well leaving a whirl on the surface. All souls got sucked into the whirl disappearing in the abyss.

The fumes of the oil were becoming stronger and the men passed out. When they woke up they were stuck to a wall. The tentacles of a sea star were sucking the blood out of their veins. Queen Jezebel stood underneath them holding a torch in her hand. She wore a black crown. The jewels in the crown sparkled like stars in the night.

"Coming to rescue the Morning Star..." she said in a sharp tongue.

"The three kings followed the morning star and brought their gifts to Jesus in Bethlehem. I have taken the morning star away so nobody will find the way to Jesus Christ anymore. The Morning and Evening Star are the star of Venus and belong to Lucifer together with the tree of life and all other gifts of the churches."

"When do you realize that you cannot escape from hell? Your visions of heaven are an illusion. There is only hell and nothing else and nobody escapes from here. The Evening Star snatches at your heels and drags you into the darkness of the night."

"The blood of the innocent children of the queen of heaven is dropping from your soul," replied Maurice.

"I will strip the remainder of goodness from your souls. You will end up in hell and help us to spill sin on the earth," said Queen Jezebel

"Do you accuse us before God?" asked Brother George.

"Yes, I will drag your soul into darkness and transform it into a stone falling every deeper into the abyss," said Queen Jezebel.

"You have drunken the blood of many kings." Brother George said.

"Your blood is thick like the blood of reptiles preying on humans. Your own sin will eventually drag you down into the deepest hell as there is no good in you to lift you up."

"You are weak, earth angels? You are made of earth and I am made of the fire of Venus who lives deep in hell. The fire of hell will consume your soul. The day of revenge is near..." Queen Jezebel looked up at Maurice.

"Your soul is silver shining in the sea of death, easily detectable by King Bloodstone to hunt you down."

"We do not claim to be strong but our God, Jesus Christ is," said Maurice.

"I can see your souls, the light in your hearts. I can see your souls decorating the necklace of doom which I will wear when I will proclaim the new world order at All Saints Day," said Queen Jezebel.

"My soul is not for you. It was given to me by God to find the way back to his home," answered Maurice.

"Your God seems to be patient. I am not. I want your soul! Give me your souls and I will spare your life," said Queen Jezebel looking around.

"It is time to honor Venus in my temple. I will be back tomorrow and reap what belongs to the Underworld."

"Don't you have enough? You own all the treasure on the earth. Now you want our souls," said Brother George.

"Your soul does not belong to your God who is hiding it from the world so it can shine in heaven. I will share your souls with everybody in hell when it shines on my beautiful body." said Queen Jezebel.

"I have to go now. I can hear the tide of the dark night thundering through the sea of death. King Bloodstone will slaughter the innocent on the altar of Venus to be sacrificed to the guardians of hell." The Queen and left.

"Her soul died with the death of a star," said Maurice after a while.

"I brought you here. It is my fault. I am sorry," said Brother George.

"You have not done anything wrong, George. We are here to find the Morning Star," said Brother Julian.

"I am a soldier. Death is my constant companion. But I always felt secure when being with you, my friends," said Maurice.

There was silence for a moment. Water dripped from the walls into a pool curved into the mountain. The drops fell with the precision of a clock every drop bringing death closer to them. The shadows of death were burned in their hearts.

The light of the torches faded. Only a tiptoe of warmth sifted through the soil into the underground where darkness fell into the deep night.

With the dying of the torches, the dripping became louder. Then there was absolute silence. The silence fell into nothingness. The whisper of death moved the torch. The light was almost extinguished. Suddenly the dull glow of the torch was disrupted and the flame burst into several pieces burning wildly. For a moment Brother George thought that the flame was reinvigorate by the water dropping into the pond but then he could feel a touch of wind. It felt as if an invisible hand was touching his face. He looked down to the dark ground and then up to the ceiling but he could not see any sign of movement. The currant gained strength and became stronger. It stopped and hit the torch again extinguishing the flame. Darkness fell in the night.

Maurice spoke. "Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. He created everything. Nothing exists that he didn't make. Eternal life is in him, and this life gives light to all mankind. His life is the light that shines through the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it. Jesus Christ is the true light.

"One of my favorite passages in the Bible," said Brother George whose arms were covered in cuts.

"May the light of Jesus Christ shine in the hearts of the children of Saint Peter," said Julian.

"The light of Christmas will fill their hearts with love," said Maurice.

The pain inflicted by the tentacles of the starfish was excruciating.

A glimpse of light fell into the darkness like the first sunbeam in the morning dawn. The light became stronger as if the sun was rising on the horizon. A beautiful lady appeared with a torch in her hand.

"Who are you?" asked Maurice in amazement.

"Don't talk. I will explain later," said the lady and rescued Maurice arms from the arms of the starfish. Then she released the other two men.

They followed the lady holding the torch in her right hand through the tunnels of the mountain of death.

It was in the darkest hour of night. She moved swiftly on eagle's wings over the rough edges of the rocky ground. The rocks looked like waves on an ocean moved by a storm.

When they left the cave, the night hung like pitch over the mountain. The moonlight threw a veil of silver silk over the rocky ground.

The Castle of the Queen of Darkness

"Where has the lady gone?' asked Julian.

Maurice was quit and suddenly said:

"She has disappeared. She saved our life," said Brother George.

"It is Saint Barbara Day today. She rescued us," said Maurice.

"We have to move on to rescue the Morning Star before Queen Jezebel

The men penetrated deeper and deeper into the Underworld to the second inning, where no living creature had ever dared to go. Invisible eyes pierced the underworld like the eyes of hungry crocodiles. They did not dare to attack them because of the protection of their shields.

The sea of death appeared further down in the valley. The mighty towers of the castle of King Bloodstone rose in the far distance from an island in the sea of death. The black towers looked like huge pillars holding the dark gray sky together. Yellow clouds clustered around the towers. The lights burning behind the windows of the castle appeared like stars in a distant galaxy. The castle itself was surrounded by milk white gloomy lights looking like the eyes of dead fish.

Queen Jezebel's castle looked like a nightmare floating in the darkest place of the soul. It absorbed all passion and emotion leaving a dry feeling of hate.

"The queen of doom believes that we are still captured in the mountain of death. We need to act quickly to use the element of surprise," said Maurice following the small path leading to the castle.

The rock of the mountains offered a natural shelter. They hid behind the rocks. Guards stood on the tower above the wooden gate.

A dull sound filled the night waking up the dead spirits in the sea of death. The sound came from the clock of the apocalypse in the deepest level of hell counting the dark hours of human mankind.

The earth felt like pinholes under the vibrating sound of the clock. The sound became stronger and pierced through marrow and bones. The bells of doom were inviting them to the worship of Leviathan, the dead fish.

The noise died away and the wooden gate opened. The guards in their brown uniforms patrolling in front of the castle looked like cockroaches with their spears.

"It is the changing of the guard. Let's follow them quickly to enter the castle," said Brother George.

They jumped from behind the rock and ran quickly to the wall of the castle. They moved quickly along the black wall. Their hands touched the cold stone. Brother George watched through the gap of the wooden gate as the guards marched through the courtyard. When he was assured that there was no danger he jumped from behind the gate. They scuttled along the inner walls of the courtyard like cats. The huge pillars in the courtyard offered an excellent hiding spot. Another group of guards left the castle.

"We need to enter the fortress during the change of the guards," said Brother George.

They went towards a wooden door leading into the cellar of the castle. The door opened with a squeak. Something glistened on the ceiling of the cellar. A huge spider web hung down from the ceiling. They could not see a spider but the net was moving. They recognized the bodies of bates whose dying bodies were twitching in the web. Then they could hear the legs of a spider crawling over the moldy ceiling. Two soldiers were standing on the stairs protecting the entrance. Brother George knocked them out and ran quickly up the stairs. A bright light flooded the top of the stairs from the entrance hall.

"There is the Morning Star," said Maurice and pointed to the bright beams coming through the gaps in the wooden door.

The Morning Star was shining like the monstrance in the church of Saint Peter.

Brother George took the precious artifact from the wooden table and went straight to the entrance.

"We have to cover the Morning Star," said Maurice.

"Wrap it in a cloth," said Julian and gave him his coat.

They observed the castle and the change of the guards.

The abbot, Brother Martin and Leo were still waiting for Brother George, Maurice and Julian. The wind whipped over the rocks. Black clouds were brewing in the north.

"We have to go in and rescue our brother," said Brother Martin pacing nervously up and down in front of the huge black gate leading to the castle of Queen Jezebel.

"We cannot stay here much longer. Christian is exhausted and a storm is coming up," said the abbot.

"These are not clouds. They are locusts attending the celebration in the castle of Queen Jezebel," said Brother Leo.

"They are the locusts of greed swarming out to destroy everything which gets in their way."

The mountains were throwing huge shadows on the path when they left hell's gate. The shadows were moving and swinging like ships on a stormy sea in the light of their lantern. The black clouds were coming closer.

"Herodes tried to kill Jesus Christ when he was born. John the Baptist was murdered. Saint Stephen was martyred and Mary Jacobe, Salome and Magdalene only narrowly escaped their perpetrators," said Brother Leo.

"But who were the people who wanted to kill Jesus Christ and his followers?" Brother Martin said. "They did not mean any harm to the poor and needy."

"They were a threat to the rich and mighty. Why was Jesus Christ born in Bethlehem?" asked Brother Leo.

"Micah the prophet, who lived seven years before Jesus Christ, predicted that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. King David, who ruled over Israel a thousand year before Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem too." said Brother Martin.

They arrived at the river of death. The bridge of hell was spanned over the gorge. They were crossing the wooden bridge when a howl sounded from a cave in the gorge which was opening like the jaws of Leviathan emerging from the depth of the sea of death to swallow the earth. The caves on the walls looked like gills releasing howling sounds. The organ of death in the deepest level of hell was playing to wake up the dead spirit in the sea of death. Sounds were howling through the cave and the earth was trembling underneath their feet. The locusts of greed disappeared into the top tower of Queen Jezebel's castle looking like the top of a pyramid.

Sand was swirled through the air. The men could not see the hands in front of their faces in the sand storm. The storm was accompanied by a terrible noise sounding like needles scratching on glass plates.

The men had wrapped ropes around their waists so as not to be swept down into the gorge. They were all connected in a line walking one body length from each other. Something was shaking under their feet. The noise came from the centre of the earth. He felt like he was sitting on a swing going up and down. He moved toward the mountains, which looked like huge waves rolling towards him. He felt as if he was going to be crushed by the huge wave. A huge furnace burned in the centre of the mountain. The noise moved toward the top of the mountain. It was a noise nobody had heard before. It sounded like a predator approaching the earth.

"The cloud of doom has departed from hell to attack the earth," said Brother Leo.

The cloud took the shape of a dragon sinking slowly to the ground. The devastating tide of death moved through the earth swinging the bridge toward the mountain to be crushed against the rock. The gorge opened its mouth like a hungry animal. Brother Benedict felt the same way when he read about the persecution of the Holy Family by King Herod. He suddenly realized what agony Saint Joseph must have gone through.

They left the bridge of hell. It was like stepping into another world. A sweet smell filled the air with the scent of jasmine and basil. They followed the scent which became stronger. Brother Martin could smell roses mixed with geranium. He felt as if he was sitting in the church lost in prayers. His heart was filled with strength and he felt the ground under his feet. He heard voices moving through the fog of the autumn night. The voices touched him like the sun beams in the early morning.

A group of men dressed in white habits appeared in the mist. They were shepherds coming from Mount Mary. The oldest of the shepherds said.

"We have seen the Morning Star rising in the sky moving to Saint Peter. We want to spend Christmas with our brothers and sisters.

Brother Martin folded his hands:

"Glory to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Welcome to Saint Peter pilgrims from Mount Mary." He felt as if a heavy stone had fallen from around his neck, leaving him lighter.

Never had the name of Saint Peter sounded so beautiful to him and the sound of voices so sweet. He wanted to embrace the shepherd and kiss them. Hell and Heaven were so close, he thought.

Brother Martin's smile was contagious. It came from deep down his heart and radiate like a sun beam. He laughed and said.

"I am a pilgrim of God too and I am on the way to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We have lost our way but if you help me, we can find the way together."

"Why are you crying?" asked Brother Thomas who stood behind Brother Martin with the rope still tied around his waist.

Saint Nicolas Visits the Orphans

Time stood still in Saint Peter. Winter rose into the season. A deadly quietness was spreading over the village. Nothing grew anymore. Nature was dead. The beautiful colors of the cherry tree in front of the church which had been blossoming in white and juicy purple had been carried away by the cold winter wind. The songs of the birds which had risen with the sun were fading in the melancholic days of winter. The sweet melodies of nature reaching the hearts of human beings in the darkest chambers of their existence to rescue their souls appeared to have left the earth.

The forest stood black and calm over the village of Saint Peter. The winter had thrown an iron blanket on the earth suffocating life. White clouds rose from the lawns into the cold winter night.

"Only two lights left to Christmas," said Rafael who was looking at the rock with the candles. He was sitting in the wheel chair Jack had built for him. Rafael had a special gift. He could read souls and see what really mattered to people. He did not get irritated when somebody was angry or sad because he could see the cause of the anger. He liked listening to people's stories. Rafael was smiling. He went to Verena.

"You know, Sister Verena....." He looked up at the mother of the orphans.

"We do not need the morning star to lighten Christmas. You are the light shining in our hearts."

Verena smiled.

"That is the most beautiful compliment ever given to me," she replied.

Verena had not told the children that the Morning Star would not arrive and that the world was stuck in darkness. No Christ to wake up nature from its deep winter sleep and guide the souls to heaven. Nobody to heal and give new hope as Jesus Christ had gone with the Morning Star.

"The whole village of Saint Peter will shine with lights at Christmas. There will be not one child left in darkness because we will be walking through heaven with Jesus Christ," said Verena.

"We will soon run out of candles," said Marc who had overheard the conversation.

"When all lights have gone and there is only darkness, Jesus Christ is still shining in our hearts," said Rafael.

The fog crept over the mountains into the valley. The village of Saint Peter disappeared in the clouds. The clouds wrapped the village into a white scarf deep into the morning.

Advent was fading out and Christmas was about to start. When Christmas Eve arrived the flame of Christmas was almost extinct in the hearts of the children.

A woman dressed in a black robe walked through the narrow streets of Saint Peter in the evening. The path was covered with snow. Her head was bent toward the ground. She moved quickly as if she was looking for something. The village was shrouded in darkness and sinking into one the darkest nights of the year. The whole world appeared to be sinking slowly like a dying body on the bottom of the ocean. Most people did not dare to leave their houses. They felt threatened by the darkness, as though something terrible would happen soon. When she opened the heavy wooden door and entered the church, she felt as if she was entering into a ship lying on the ocean floor, something desolate and ruined.

Saint Peter's church always changed its character in the stream of the liturgical year, but it had never appeared so sad to her. Verena walked deeper into the church. She felt as if she was swimming with a whale to the bottom of the ocean. A picture of Jonas and the whale appeared in her mind.

A light came from the chapel. The statue of the black Madonna appeared in the shrine at the east wing of the church. She looked into the face of the Madonna, whose intercession had given so much hope to people. The statue was encompassed by twelve candles looking like stars in the night. Verena could see the smile of a little child in the face of the statue. Her appearance changed into the face of a mother mourning over her child. Tears were rolling over her golden brown cheeks. The Madonna was dressed in a blue garment with a white seam. Her face was pointed to the ceiling as if she was passing the prayers to God. The Madonna was holding Jesus Christ in her arms. The blue garment looked like a wave flowing through the dark church carrying lights to the shore. Verena looked into the eyes of the Madonna. It was like a pilgrimage to a Holy Shrine where she met the people of the congregation. She was in a state of weightlessness sinking deeper in the earth. As Verena traveled deeper through her inner world everything became quiet and she remained in a trance-like state.

A light appeared in the stained glass at the east window. The light of a lantern fell into the church like the light of the Evening Star. The screaming of children followed soon afterwards. She could hear the runners of a sledge gliding over the snow. A man dressed in a red robe with a grey beard sat on the sledge. The breath of the horses steamed in the night as they ran. The man stood up holding the reigns in his hands.

"Brrrr...," said the men pulling the reigns back. The horses slowed down. The sledge came to a halt in front of Saint Peter's church. Verena left the church. The man appeared like a figure from a dream. The sledge was fully packed.

"Where am I?" asked the man in a deep voice.

"You are in Saint Peter," said Verena.

The old man was smiling.

"I have been persecuted by the soldiers of Diocletian who want to steal Christmas gifts from the children of this world," said the old man putting the reins on the wooden bench of his sledge.

"Who are you?" asked Verena.

"I am Nicolas of Patara. I come in peace to announce the birth of Jesus Christ." He jumped from his sledge.

"I am tired from escaping from my enemies and I need to rest."

"You can stay in Saint Peter. Our church is the resting place for all persecuted people of this world," replied Verena.

The children who had followed the sledge through the village were watching the old man with fear and veneration. The doubts made way for admiration and the children came closer to the smiling man.

"Many of your prayers have become true. Others need to wait a bit longer. What you pray becomes real one day. Your prayers are the gifts of the future generations. Without prayers there is no future. I brought you the gifts of the future which will grow into important ventures in the world of tomorrow." Nicolas took one gift after the other from his big brown bag.

Saint Nicolas told them the passage in the Bible to which the toys belonged. Some of the toys looked like vehicles that could travel through the air, earth and sea. There were also carvings of the Holy Family among the presents and angels.

The children were happy and that was all that mattered at the moment.

The following days went by but there was no sign of the Morning Star. The winter darkness took hold of the village of Saint Peter. Christmas came closer without any sign of joy and happiness. It was as if the feast had fallen over a cliff into an abyss. The people were still gathering in the church, which became a place of hope. They sat peacefully praying for the return of the company of the Morning Star.

The hours passed slowly without any sign of the men. When the church bells rang at Christmas Eve all hope was gone. Despite the doom and gloom the people of Saint Peter gathered in the church to celebrate the beginning of Christmas. Verena and Catherine were among the first to go to the church followed by the children of the orphanage. People from the village came gradually into the church, which stood like a ship in a harbor ready to go on a voyage.

Each ceremony was an exploration into the mind to find a new spiritual island. The visions emerged suddenly like a dolphin coming to the surface to gasp for air after a long journey through the ocean. Saint Peter church had always been the last resort. Everybody found shelter in the church and shared their intimate joy with God. Saint Peter was the centre of the liturgical celebrations flowing like a spiritual river through the minds of people. It was the place where dreams were born. Tears of sorrow turned into tears of joy touched by the invisible hands of God. There was always somebody in church praying for somebody. It was never dark in the church of Saint Peter. There was always a light shining. Expectations were very high at Christmas when dreams were flying into the seventh heaven to welcome the new-born King, Jesus Christ.

The colors of the stained window fell on the floor. The appearance changed like the leaves of a tree during the seasons. The colors of the biblical paintings transformed the church into a sea of dreams.

The wooden door opened with a squeaky sound. Little Catherine and Marc stood in the church entrance.

"Come with us! We have just lit the candle for Christmas," said Ruth.

Everybody followed her to the rock with the Christmas candles. It was as if the rock was burning from a distance it looked like a heavenly waterfall. In the centre of the rock was a manger. The children had found an old Christmas play in the cellar of Saint Peter. They had decorated the empty space with the Nativity play.

The congregation went back to the church. Verena and Catherine knelled in front of the altar both praying for the save return of Christian. The snow flakes were falling in the cold winter evening as Verena and Catherine prayed in front of the altar.

The flame on the wooden altar was jumping in excitement but nobody seemed to take notice. Some people tried to remember the encouraging words of Brother George filling the church of Saint Peter and their hearts. Brother George had dared to march through the darkest hell to rescue the Morning Star which kept the congregation alive. His words reflected the coming of Christ with the star as a sign of victory over evil. The star was no longer a tool of Venus and Lucifer to suppress people. It had become a tool of Christ to liberate people and to bring joy and hope.

Brother Benedict, Martin and Thomas and the shepherds walked over the plains. The air was cold and dry after the snow fall. The earth was dying in the late winter night. Brother Martin stared into the mountains. Christian walked next to him. He could see a light gaining in strength and moving towards the river. The light disappeared behind a hill in the far distance. The men were close to Saint Peter following the way of Brother Benedict and Brother Leo and the company of the Morning Star.

They came to a green meadow. Brother Benedict recognized the area. His father had taken him to a mountain fair when he was a little boy. He remembered the day of the fair as if it was yesterday. The shepherds had left their secluded homes in the mountains to go to the fair. It was a lovely spring day. Winter had just passed and everybody was looking forward to seeing each other at the fair. The way home to Saint Peter rose in his mind. He followed the river smiling and remembering the spring fair.

"As long as there was a memory, the world was not lost."

They arrived on a hill overlooking Saint Peter which looked like an eagle's nest from the distance. Another light was coming from behind. The source of the light was not recognizable but it came from the far North.

A beggar stood next to the gate of Saint Peter. He had come from a village far away to celebrate Christmas. Tired from the journey, Brother Martin climbed down from his horse and went to the beggar who was half naked in this cold winter night. He took his coat off his shoulders and cut it into half with his sword he had been given by Brother George. He gave one half of his coat to the beggar, saying:

"Christ is born. Nobody needs to stay in the cold night. Come with us to Saint Peter and celebrate Christmas with us."

Martin helped the beggar to cover himself with the coat.

The beggar laughed of joy when he felt the warm cloth covering his body like the snow on the earth.

The Morning Star Rises over Saint Peter

In the back of the church was a big, bleak window facing to the north revealing the mountain of death in the far distance. The mountains seemed to move closer crushing the church. The grey mountains looked like waves in the dark black sky, rolling towards the church.

Icons of the twelve Stations of the Cross from the Last Supper to the crucifixion of Christ on Mount Golgotha lined the cavernous walls of the church to the dark window.

Catherine looked on the altar and then on the burning candles on the ground. The esteem of the community was chattered. Everybody was praying trusting in God. As they were praying a spark fell through the dark window in the north. The light grew bigger and wandered through the church to the altar. Nobody noticed the light until it hit the altar facing Mount Jesus.

The light trailed over the crucifix. It rested on the head of Jesus Christ crowned with thorns leaning to the left and down. Suddenly Jesus Christ lifted his head and opened his eyes. People were mesmerized by the miracle and looked around. A streaming light like the tail of a star growing stronger and stronger came through the stained–glass windows, flooding the church with color, like the awakening of the flowers in the early spring sun. People were looking at each other in bewilderment.

Jack stood up and opened the wooden door of the church. The star became bigger and mightier and poured its light over the mountains.

"It's the Morning Star, said Catherine full of joy.

Brother Julian stood on the rock of Mount Joseph holding the Morning Star in the dark night sky. Maurice and George were next to him. Julian looked like an angel carrying a star from heaven to earth. Brother Benedict, Martin and Thomas stood in front of the church of Saint Peter smiling at the victorious men who had rescued the Morning Star from the castle of Queen Jezebel.

The candles in the church flickered in excitement as the Company of the Morning Star came closer and closer to the church. Then the big wooden church door opened with a squeal.

Brother George, Maurice and Julian stood underneath the entrance of the church like angels bringing a message from God. Brother George was holding the Morning Star in his right hand. They walked towards the altar followed by the monks of Saint Peter and the soldiers of Maurice. Christian was in their midst. The lady from the Mountains was laughing and then crying and fell into the arms of her son.

"Christian is home again," said Jack welcoming him back into the community.

Everybody gathered around the Lady of the Mountain and her son.

Brother George fixed the morning star on top of the tree of life illuminating the Christmas decorations in the church. The star was shining on the manger with baby Jesus and the Holy Family.

"Tomorrow is Christmas; the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. Let us all celebrate," said the abbot who stood right in front of the altar.

The alter candle was burning vividly as if it wanted to join in the excitement of the congregation.

Hally, the shepherd dog, stood next to the manger. Animals were allowed in the church during Christmas. Jesus Christ was born not only to protect humans against their perpetrators but also animals.

The abbot said to the monks gathering around him:

"Go to the monastery and open the food banks. Bring us the best food you can find. We want to celebrate the arrival of our Lord, Jesus Christ together."

"But it is not Christmas yet. It is only Christmas Eve," said Brother Thomas.

"Then let us celebrate the return of our lost son, Christian, together with the arrival of the Morning Star. He, who loves Jesus Christ has always something to celebrate," said the abbot.

The children were expectantly watching the presence under the Christmas tree.

"I thought you had given us all our presents!" said Marc to Nicolas.

"Not all. I have got some more. These presents are from your parents in heaven, who gave their lives so we can be free," said Nicolas.

The children picked up the presents scattered around the Christmas tree. It was as if their dreams were wrapped in the presents. They were playing with dolls, wooden carriers and sledges cheerfully. Marc was sitting on the church bench. Verena came to him and asked:

"Why do you not play with your toy?" she asked him

"There was no toy for me," replied Marc.

Nicolas went to Verena and said to her in a whispering voice:

"I am so sorry. His present was stolen by the soldiers of Diocletian."

"But I promise, another gift will be here soon. It should arrive before the feast of Epiphany."

Steve and Brother Benedict helped to prepare the meals in the kitchen of the church. Brother Benedict was tired from the journey and started to fall asleep in the chair.

"Go to bed!" said Sister Verena.

"I do not want to miss the midnight mass. I have not missed one mass in the last twenty," said Brother Benedict.

Everybody was busy helping to prepare the Christmas meals. The women of Saint Peter had baked cakes and ginger bread before Christmas. The children were watching the table in the middle of the church hall getting filled with delicious food.

The good things in life are more appreciated when they become rare.

After the meal, Brother Benedict played a song on the kithara, an ancient guitar. He came across this instrument when he read the Odyssey of Homer. He was given a kithara by a pilgrim coming back from a pilgrimage to Mount Mary. Brother Leo played the flute. Steve played the drums. Verena and Catherine played the harp. Joan took Verena's harp and Brother Leo, Benedict's kithara. Verena and Brother Benedict danced together and all their friends joined in.

The emotions of the people of Saint Peter had swung like a pendulum from sadness to joy, desperation to hope.

Everybody flocked into the church at midnight to celebrate the midnight mass.

Moonshine was falling into the darkness of the church. There was silence. The light of the altar candles rose. The flame was weak at first, almost fading away, but it started burning stronger. The wall paintings appeared in the darkness. The light revealed a painting on the east side of the church, showing Jesus scarring away the money exchanger in front of the temple in Jerusalem. More and more paintings of the Bible became apparent. An altar boy lit the Christmas candles. The Morning Star shone on the Christmas tree. In front of the Christmas tree was the Holy Family with Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus together with the three wise men from the East. The Morning Star announced the arrival of Jesus Christ who came to take the sins of the world to reunite us with God.

Brother George, Maurice and Julian stood in the entrance of the church like angels bringing a message from God. Brother George was holding the Morning Star in his right hand.

"Wherever there is hope there is a light and wherever there is a light there is hope. The Morning Star arrives with the beginning of the Advent time and shines over our village at Christmas. It signals the beginning of a new era. An era of love." Brother George held the Morning Star in the air.

The Eyes in the Darkness of Death

The thousands of bloody eyes of the reptilian army were watching the people of Saint Peter whilst they were celebrating Christmas. Queen Jezebel and King Bloodstone gathered in the valley of death. The big hall of the castle of Bloodstone had four entrances stretching like tentacles into a big tunnel. The skulls of slain humans stood on both sides of the entrance. Candles burned on the top of the skulls. The screaming of Behemoth and Leviathan came from deep down in hell. King Bloodstone and Queen Jezebel went up the stairs into the centre of the castle which looked like a big dome. The windows overlooked the sea of death. Huge creatures moved through the sea.

"The sea of death is drying up. There is no blood left to feed the creatures of the Underworld. We need another war to feed the sea," said King Bloodstone to Queen Jezebel.

Christmas Celebration

The parishioners celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ in Saint Peter's church. They gathered around a big fire on the river side in the evening. The moonlight fell on the mountains. Mount Mary and the Mountain of the Angels appeared like clouds in the far distance. They were celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ opening the world to the divine truth. The mountains were dancing in the Christmas night to the melodies of the rivers which became musical instruments in the hands of the Creator celebrating the arrival of his son.

Brother George was on his knees facing the altar and Mount Jesus in the south of Saint Peter's church. He stood up and said:

"Glory to God in the highest and on earth.

Peace and goodwill to all people.

We praise you, we bless you, we worship you, we glorify you. We give thanks to you for your great glory.

Lord King, heavenly father God, father, almighty Lord the only begotten son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Lord God, Lamb of God. Son of the father who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us, you who take away the sin of the world.

"Receive our prayer, you who sits at the right side of the father and have mercy on us. For you are Holy, only you are Lord Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen. Each day we bless you and we praise your name forever and to the ages of ages."

The big wooden gate of the church opened. The fishermen from the riverside flocked into the church to celebrate Christmas.

Brother George took the Bible and turned pages. "Joy, joy is with all of you. Jesus Christ is born today. What happiness there is for those who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours!"

"Luke chapter 6," whispered Brother Thomas in Brother Benedict's ear. Brother Thomas had given his version of the Bible to Brother George.

"What happiness there is for you who are now hungry, for you are going to be satisfied. What happiness there is for you who weep, for the time will come when you shall laugh with joy.

"What happiness it is when others hate you and exclude you and insult you and smear you name because you are mine! When that happens, rejoice! Yes, leap for joy. For you have a great reward awaiting you in heaven. And you will be in good company. Ancient prophets were threatened that way too.

"But, oh, the sorrows that await the rich. For they have their only happiness down here. They are fat and prosperous now, but a time of awful hunger is before them. Their careless laughter now means sorrow then. And what sadness is ahead for those praised by the crowds for false prophets have always been praised.

"Listen, all of you. Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you, pray for the happiness of those who curse you, implore God's blessing on those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, let him slap the other too," said Brother George.

There was silence for a while.

Julian entered the church holding the Morning Star with both hands in the air. The church was illuminated by the white lights of the star. The biblical paintings streamed over the walls like the waves of a lake in the sun light in the morning. There was a wall painting of Jesus when he preached in the temple as a boy. Another painting depicted Jesus standing on a mountain carrying a sheep in his arms. The wall paintings rose to heaven. The white colors at the bottom of the church became green then golden brown, orange and yellow with the changes of the seasons. At the top of the church was a painting showing Jesus Christ ascending from the sea into heaven in a light of blue color. The Morning Star stood in the sky. The light of the Morning Star was lifted to the ceiling of the church.

"Jesus and Mary are living beyond the stars in the sea of love," said Brother George and lit the altar candle.

He gave the candle to Verena. The faithful walked to the altar holding their white praying candles. The

Light of the Morning Star fell down from the ceiling. A painting appeared in the light. Four monks gathered around the emerging painting. When the painting was finished they carried it through the church. Two altar boys opened the wooden gate of the church. The night was calm. The earth was dreaming in the lab of Christmas. The stars were reflected in the water of the river flowing peacefully from the mountains in the divine night of Christmas. The earth slept in celestial peace in the arms of heaven.

The four men carrying the soul painting followed the Morning Star. The little bell of the church rang. The voices of the choir followed the bells into the clear winter night. Visions were rising in the minds of people carrying their souls to the sea of love.
The parishioners followed the Morning Star and the soul painting to the monastery of Saint Peter. The gates of the monastery opened to a park leading to the mountain of memory. Armed monks guarded the entrance. The mountain of memory was the safest place to protect the painting from thieves.

The Morning Star illuminated the walls decorated with soul paintings created during the liturgical year depicting scenes from the Bible. Many paintings were reflections of prayers helping people overcoming sorrow and pain. One soul painting showed an angel defending the monastery of Saint Paul from the attack by demons. The soul painting of Christmas was placed in the middle of a wall.

After reflecting on soul painting, the congregation went back to the church hall for the Christmas feast. Ginger bread, nuts, apple pies and other sweets were decorated the wooden tables. People indulged in the delicious meals. After the meal it was time for the children to go to bed.

The hearts of the orphans were filled with joy. Verena kissed every child good night. Her kiss was like the beat of an angel wing sending the children on a journey to heaven.

Many parishioners met in the church to pray through the night

Saint Stephen Day

Snow had fallen over night. The hills of Saint Peter were as white as the heart of Saint Stephen, whose birthday was celebrated today.

Saint Stephen was the first martyr and wrongly accused of speaking blasphemous words against Moses. He was put on trial where he said that he saw the heavens open and Jesus Christ standing on the right side of God. The judges considered that blasphemy. He was taken outside town and murdered.

Catherine met Steve under the big pine tree in the centre of the village.

"It is Saint Stephen's Day today," she said and gave Steve a sweater, she had made during Advent time. She gave him a big hug and held the sweater against Steve's chest.

"It fits," she said happily.

"That is the most beautiful gift I have ever received for my birthday," said Steve and gave her a kiss on her soft white cheek.

"Why are you looking so sad?" The sad expression on her face did not escape the sad expression in her face.

"I do not want you to get confirmed. If you are not confirmed you cannot go to the battle of All Saints at the end of the Liturgical year," she said.

"But Catherine, I have to go and defend the people of Saint Peter against evil. The army of evil will strike any moment and kill our brothers and sisters. We need to stand up against evil. If we win the battle our souls will be free forever." Steve held Catherine in his arms.

"Let's escape from Saint Peter and go to the lake of the fisher priest. We can stay there forever and you do not need to go to war," said Catherine.

"So many people are migrating west. There are vast forests and beautiful lakes there offering plenty of food and wood to build churches."

"Brother Benedict said that he will take us on a pilgrimage to the lake in summer," said Steve looking into Catherine's eyes.

"So we will see ourselves. We can ask Brother Benedict to marry us so we can stay there forever," said Catherine, holding Steve by the arms.

"I know that you care for me Catherine. But I cannot abandon the people of Saint Peter. What would they think of me? A traitor, a coward... I could not look in their eyes anymore," said Steve.

"Our love is more important. We can live in peace and harmony," said Catherine.

"Things will change next year. We shall destroy King Bloodstone and his evil empire and we will be free. The evil spirit feeding the Romans will have disappeared like the smoke of a fire. Weapons will turn into ploughs and hate into love. The Holy Spirit will lead us into freedom. The love of Jesus Christ will encourage us. This can only happen if we win the last battle," replied Steve

"There will never be peace on the earth. There will always be wars. But we can find peace in our hearts and souls together," said Catherine.

"Have more confidence in the men of Saint Peter! We will lead Christianity to victory. Maurice, Julian and George are fighting on our side. King Bloodstone is afraid of the Holy Lance," said Steve standing up.

"If you get killed I will never forgive myself," said Catherine.

The Twelfth Night

The celebration of the Holy Family followed the next day and the congregation met in the church to celebrate. Prayers carried the congregation through the holy night to reap the spirit of Christmas. The fruit of the spirit was a mental shield against the spiritual attack of the kingdom of darkness. The liturgical celebrations brought them together with Jesus Christ, Mary, the angels and Saints. The doors of hell were open and King Bloodstone lured young and old into his kingdom to corrupt their souls. The body follows the soul into destruction. Before he could destroy their souls he had to divide the people because he could not attack them when they were staying together.

The celebration of the Holy Family was also a reflection on the good virtues of families and to reinforce their values in the minds of the citizens.

Brother George went to church and noticed that the incense was missing. This aromatic material releasing fragrant smoke when burnt opening the senses to the spiritual world was a very important implement. Brother George questioned the altar boys responsible for dispersing the incense as to the whereabouts but they had no clue where the magic powder had gone. Brother George knew about the superstition of the farmers who could not read nor write but see. And what they saw they did not like particularly the herbs and vegetables which grew bigger under the care of the monks. The farmers thought that their success was based on magic tricks. The farmers became very innovative in finding new methods of vegetable growing. However, Brother George was very upset as incense was a vital part of every celebration opening the inner self to the world of God.

Brother Martin came back home from the monastery when he smelt incense. He was surprised as the smell was not coming from the church but from the forest. He followed the fragrant and came to a barn. He saw Jack walking through the stable swinging the incense disperser. The golden disperser had been given to the community by a pilgrimage at the celebration of Epiphany five years ago. Jack was jerking when he saw Brother Martin coming through door. He turned his back and put the incense disperser in his left hand walking slowly through the stable. Brother Martin, who was almost one head taller than Jack, followed him through the stable.

"What are you doing Jack?" asked Brother Martin coming from behind and standing next to the farmer.

"I am feeding the cows with incense to improve the quality of the milk and cheese," said Jack holding the dispenser over the back of a cow. The cow was turning around jawing straw looking very bored at Jack.

"I am very disappointed of you. I thought I had taught you better, Jack," said Brother Martin.

"It is the twelfth night today. Our ancestors used to bless the animals in this night. Remember..." said Jack smoking the next cow.

"If you want the cows producing more milk go to the church. Close your eyes and ask God to bless the animals. Miracles will happen and God is going to show you ways of producing more in less time. How do you think Jesus fed a thousand people with a few fish and a few bread crumbs?" Don't you think he knows all about creating and maintaining a prosperous farm? You have to meditate on these themes to become part of the teaching. God will help you," said Brother Martin.

"Farmers are not growing their crops with water alone. The monks in the monastery are not growing their vegetables with earth, water and sunshine. They are using holy soil to grow their fruits and vegetables," said Jack who was surrounded by white smoke.

"Who told you that?" asked Brother Martin.

"Some of my friends. They watched the monks putting garlic gloves in the soil a few weeks ago," said Jack swinging the dispenser around a cow.

Some of the white smoke hovered over his head like a gloriole.

"The vegetables are growing stronger because of Brother Leo who has years of experience in agriculture. He has observed several methods and applied the most efficient solutions. He was selecting the strongest seeds for planting," said Brother Martin.

"I cannot belief that this is the secret of the monks in the monastery. They are using magic potions to beat us farmers. Now we are using magic too. The magic of the twelfth night," said Jack who was staring at the disperser. Jack took the lit off as there was no smoke coming out.

"Can you please give me the rest of the incense? We need it in the church to celebrate Epiphany," said Brother Martin.

"It is all gone," replied Jack looking in the empty hole of the disperser.

"What do you mean, it is all gone?" asked Brother Martin watching Jack in disbelief.

"The last puff is floating there," said Jack pointing at the white smoke hovering over the horns of a cow.

"Do you mean that we have no incense left for the celebration of Epiphany," said Brother Martin looking at him with big eyes.

"We have no incense left but holy cows instead," said Jack.

"Please come to church tomorrow. Meditate on the painting facing to the South of the church where Jesus is preaching to the people whilst his disciples distributing fish and bread among the crowd," said Brother Martin patting Jack's right shoulder.

"Forgive them for they know not what they do," said Brother Marin and left the stable.

The celebration of the innocent children was next on the liturgical calendar. When King Herod had been told about the birth of Jesus Christ he ordered to kill all baby boys two years and under. Jesus and the Holy Family could escape but many children were killed. An extra ceremony was held at the church of Saint Peter in memory of the innocent children who lost their lives.

Brother George said that the innocent children stood for all children suffering in the world. He took the celebration of the innocent children very seriously as Saint Peter was very much committed to the welfare of children. Many of the children had lost their parents to the Romans emperors who considered the rising of Christianity as a threat. The ceremony was reaching deep in the hearts and souls of the children.

When the orphans woke up they felt as if a new life had begun the following morning. The ceremony healed their broken souls. The healing of the soul would positively affect their lives. They were smiling and laughing at the breakfast table. Andrew, a six year old boy, who had lost both parents in an accident, was humming a melody. The noise was disappearing and the children were listening to the melody everybody appeared to recognize. Brother George had preached that the Saints are the hearts of the village. He said that people were connected to their Saints who were defending the village from evil. The melody came from the heart of Saint Peter who was looking after the spiritual welfare of the citizens.

After breakfast Verena took the children to the monastery for the choir classes. The abbot was leading the choir. He had a very fine ear for music and voices in particular. He recognized any change in a voice which could signal sickness. He could diagnose an illness before the deceased realized. He said that the voice was connected to the soul and that the soul gets sick before the body does. It was therefore important to treat the soul of humans to avoid sickness. Art was opening the door to the soul lying in the inner depth of the mind. The spirit was the fuel carrying the soul. The abbot was always in search of new melodies which he said were medicine for the soul. He formed the melodies into choir songs recited in the church on Sunday.

The melody was not the only gift Saint Peter received today. Two Brothers who had avoided contact with each other for years went to church together. It was as if God had swept through the minds of people cleaning away from debris which had been accumulating for years. Peter and the fishermen were confessed that the destructive shadows of the past had dissipated. Peter had been invited to Saint Peter years ago. He spent his days hanging around on the sand banks of the river before. His life was fading away. But then he met abbot Antony who invited him to move into an empty house close to the river.

A father blaming himself for the death of his son thinking that he would never be forgiven was visited by his son in a dream. He saw his son reaching out for him and falling into his arms. The father had been tired ever since he lost his son and suffered from a deep depression which was cleared away by the dream.

Brother George stood at the altar. His strong arms were resting on the pulpit.

"Glory, glory to Jesus Christ in the highest, as we celebrate the day of the innocent children today. Nothing will come between us and God. This is the beginning of an exciting new liturgical year. I can see the three kings leaving their homes following the Morning Star to Saint Peter. Mary's Light Mass is shining like a white star at the beginning of spring where we will consecrate our new praying candles. The candle flames will carry our prayers through the Liturgical year and through the night when darkness falls on our homes. Mary will shine into our souls and bestow us with wisdom.

"The fruit of the tree of life is growing strongly in our midst. There will be plenty of fruit bestowed on all of us. The fish will fill the nets of our fishermen and they will celebrate their catch on the river bank in the mild spring evenings. The spirit is flowing from Mount Jesus to flood the valleys and saturate the earth. The cherry trees will blossom in the fresh soil and spring sun and the trout will jump over the waves of the river at sunset in the evening.

"And yes, dear friends, I can see the football game coming up during spring carnival. I can see the statue of Saint Peter standing under the mild spring sun. The statue of Saint Peter is standing firm like a rock on the altar protected by our farmers. No parishioner from any other church will touch our Saint," Brother George got excited and swung his leg.

He kicked a hard object under the altar and pulled his leg back immediately, his face contorted with pain. He hopped on his left leg, holding his right foot, looking up at the face of Jesus Christ hanging on the cross behind the altar.

He was still skipping when he turned around looking into the eyes of the parishioners. When the pain eased he put his right foot on the floor and limped to the altar. He knelt down.

"What have we got here?" said Brother George behind the altar.

He appeared with a wagon wheel somebody had put under the altar.

"Who put this wheel under the altar?" Brother George held the massive wheel in both hands.

The crowd was quiet and nobody answered.

"Who wanted to have this wheel blessed?" he asked after a moment of silence.

His eyes went far back of the church where the farmers sat.

Jack sat next to Marc. He was looking around him. When he could not find any of his friends he said,

"I didn't do it." His thin brown hair fell in the wrinkles on his forehead.

"I put the wheel under the altar," said a tall farmer.

"I wanted my cart to be blessed so it would carry a rich crop from the fields." The farmer looked at the ground.

"Did you also put the brush under the altar?" asked Brother George holding a brush in the air.

"I did," said another farmer who was looking timidly at the floor.

"Why did you do that?" asked Brother George swinging the brush in the air.

"I am losing my hair," said the farmer still looking on the ground.

Brother George disappeared behind the altar. He appeared with a hammer, nails, socks, hats and a pot in his hands putting them on the altar. Then he disappeared again.

"I do not want to know who put these trousers here!" said Brother George holding a pair of men's trousers in the air.

His last words were cut off by the laughter of the congregation.

"And I do not want to know why it was put under the altar," said a farmer provoking another round of laughter.

"Maybe because the owner is suffering from constipation," said somebody else.

"Is there somebody who did not put anything under the altar?" asked Brother George.

"I did not put anything," said a little farmer who had just sold a cow.

"I thought you had thrown your wife under the altar," said an old man.

"To receive a new broom and fly through the night," shouted another farmer.

"This is not the right way to ask God for favors. You all know that. If we want something from God we have to pray," said Brother George.

The church door opened suddenly. A boy entered the church saying,

"Follow me to the monastery. We have created a new song."

The melody of the song had been growing during Advent time on reflection of the adventurous rescue of the Morning Star. Feeling of hope and despair were expressed in the long walk to rescue Christian and the Morning Star. The song expressed the waiting for Christmas during the holy Advent time. Patience was slowly transforming into a solemn peace crowned by the arrival of Jesus Christ. Brother Benedict and Steve accompanied the choir on their music instruments. The spirituality from Advent and Christmas flowed into the peaceful song.

The Dark Knight Emerges from the Valley of Death

Fewer and fewer people attended the church from the on. Peter, the fisherman, told Brother George that he had spotted some farmers in an old house near the river. Brother George decided to go to the old house with Peter. Laughter drifted past them as they approached the old barn, which was used to store vegetables during the winter. The door of the old shed opened with a squeak. The shed was empty. A wood fire was burning keeping the shed warm. The room was filled with smoke and the smell of alcohol lay heavily in the air.

"Stop drinking! I have seen so many lives destroyed by alcohol, families torn apart. Alcohol is a demon scourging the world," said Peter to the men sitting at the table.

They laughed.

"Sit down with us and have a glass. I have seen you drinking," said Jack, raising his mug.

"I have a glass of beer at the carnival and Thanks- giving. Alcohol is a tyrant turning people into slaves," said Brother George, pushing the mug away.

"Where did you get the alcohol from?"

"A man visited our village and showed us how to distill our own alcohol," said Jack proudly.

"You should not trust any stranger coming to the village unless he is a pilgrim and familiar. And you should certainly do not any business with a man you do not know. We have too many enemies," said Brother George walking through the barn. His heavy shoes were resonated on the wooden floor.

"Fine, fine. We will stop drinking," said a man sitting over his mug like an old crow.

"Before you leave, I want you to tell me the name of the distiller," Brother George putting his strong arms on the wooden table and looked in their eyes.

"We do not know his name. He is tall and skinny and wears a black tunic. He is very kind," said Jack.

"It is the Dark Knight rising from the Underworld. I do ask u to avoid any contact with him. He is evil and will corrupt your soul in the same way as the alcohol does."

Brother George and Peter left the barn. When they were walking to the church Peter said,

"We have to stop them before it is too late."

"King Bloodstone is constructing an evil plot against us. The Underworld is releasing the dark night but the gates of hell will not prevail against Saint Peter," said Brother George, opening the door. The Morning Star was brightened the church. The scent of the Christmas tree was wrapping the altar into a celestial robe.

"It is good to see more fishermen going to church. The Holy Spirit becomes more powerful in their lives. You can be drunk of the Holy Spirit. Have as much as you like and be taken on the most amazing spiritual journeys and still work and be a good neighbor. The Holy Spirit is the blood of God. Alcohol is the blood of the devil." Brother George removed a rosemary branch from a bench and put it underneath an icon of Mary.

"You are so right but it took me a long time to trust God. I drank because I was tired. I was tired of life. I did not want to live anymore and I wanted to put an end to my life. But then I met the abbot who invited me to Saint Peter and my life changed dramatically. Now I am asking God for help when I am exhausted and he fills me with new strength," said Peter following Brother George to the altar.

"God has worked miracles in your life, Peter. I have seen you changing over the months. You have learnt to trust in God."

The cry of a merle came from the nearby forest and enchanted the church. Scents and sounds were constantly changing turning the church into a symphony of the senses.

The sun sunk behind the Mountain of the Angels as the congregation followed the Morning Star from the monastery to the church. Mount Mary shone like a mystical rose in the red light of the sunset. The candles seamed the path. The procession looked like a river of light flooding into the sea. Each light carried prayers and dreams into the holy night. The church was glowing like a big red cross in the winter night.

Back in the church, Brother Martin was reading about the exodus of the Holy Family to Egypt. His words passionately painted images into the empty spaces of the church. The celebration ended in a feast. A celebration without a meal was like a candle without flames said the abbot. The young boys and girls celebrating confirmation later this year served the meals.

Verena and Christine could relax and join the congregation. They had baked ginger bread houses during Advent time together with the children of the orphanage. The many chapels attached to the main body of the church were like themes of the Bible reflecting in the liturgical year.

Brother Benedict stood in front of the altar. The sleeves of his priest gown were looking like wings. He was standing still with closed eyes like an eagle on a rock, ready to take off. Then he said:

"When King Herod realized that he had been tricked by the Wise men who did not tell him where Jesus was born, he decided to kill all the baby boys, the innocent children. An angel appeared to Joseph telling him that he had to take his family and escape to Egypt and stay there until further notice. King Herod and his soldiers sniffed through the Holy Land like hungry wolves looking for Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Joseph took the Child and His mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. It was prophesized that the Lord would call his son out of Egypt."

After Brother Benedict had finished the abbot joined him at the altar and said:

"God has given us Brothers whose hearts are full of goodness and the earth which is rich of food. Our friends have invited us to the river to celebrate the day of the innocent children together." The abbot and walked to the wooden gate of the church followed by the congregation.

The fishermen from the river were very shy and turned up rarely at church. They avoided all contact with the people from the village.

Golden memories woke up in the sun inviting the soul for a new spiritual journey the next morning. Peter welcomed the village people who had followed his invitation. The fishermen served fish with garlic and fresh herbs and baked potatoes. After the meal Peter said,

"Thank you all for coming to our village. We are very grateful that you have allowed us to be part of your community. Saint Peter is the only village that accepts us. I know how it feels to live on the dark side of life as many of you do too. But we have learnt that we can make a difference with the help of our friends. We were starving when we arrived. Now we have enough to eat. I still remember when I came to the village. The abbot gave us a painting from the mountain of memory showing Jesus with the disciples Simon, John, James and Andrew who used to be fishermen before becoming disciples of his Holy Mission."

The winter struck with all its might and snow fell on Saint Peter. The farmers could not work because of the snow. The Dark Knight was spotted at the barn where the men distilled alcohol. In the village again which worried Brother George. There were unrests at the old barn at the river.

The wind howled through the village of Saint Peter like a hungry wolf ready to attack anytime soon. The people stayed in their home in their living rooms close to the chimneys. The monks from the monastery made sure that everybody had enough to eat during these cold winter days and visited each house several times a day. Grandparents stayed in the houses of their children, telling stories from the past to their grand-children. Stories they had heard from their fathers and fathers and their fathers. The stories originated at the beginnings of time. It was as if the heat of the fire was releasing the stories of the mysterious mountain forests kept secret for hundreds of years. Brother Benedict travelled from house to house to make sure everybody was doing fine.

People walked to the heavy snow which fell overnight so they could listen to the stories of Benedict in the evenings. Brother Benedict had recorded all the stories he had heard from the people of the region. It was a beautiful collection of fairy tales and horror stories which frightened even Brother George. Brother Benedict had an uncle who was a monk and had told him mysterious tales about the Mountain of the angels. The rooms of the monastery were changing into oceans and the imagination of the listeners into vessels sailing over the ocean from one adventure to another.

Epiphany

The time was passed quickly thanks to the fascinating stories. Then the feast of Epiphany arrived.

Brother George was preached about Revelation, about the seven sprits of God and the seven gifts to the churches. He talked about the rescue of the Morning Star being one of the seven gifts of God to the churches. After the ceremony the congregation gathered in the church room to eat sweet bread which had been especially baked for this occasion.

In the evening three men arrived at the monastery of Saint Peter where they were welcomed by the abbot. They all had a different complexion and came from different parts of the world. Their names were Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar. Melchior was the king of lights and had been living in Jerusalem. He brought myrrh to Saint Peter.

"How did you find the way to our village?" asked the abbot.

"We were prisoners of King Bloodstone and heard of the courageous rescue of the Morning Star. We took advantage of the confusion and followed the Morning Star to Saint Peter," said Caspar, who had been living in Africa before being abducted by King Bloodstone's soldiers. He brought incense to Saint Peter.

"We all have come to Saint Peter to seek shelter from our enemies. United we can prevail against our enemies," said the abbot welcoming the three kings with open arms.

"You are very kind. There are more gifts in front of the monastery. We have brought you the white stone, the crown of eternal life and the hidden manna to be put under the Christmas tree," said Balthazar, who had been a treasurer in Persia before being taken prisoner by King Bloodstone.

The visit of the three men revived the spirit of Christmas travelling through the Advent Time to Christmas. The light of the Morning Star fell like gold dust on the memory of the believers travelling through the Advent time.

"God bless you for your generosity. We will treasure your gifts," said the abbot.

"Just make sure that all the pilgrims seeking the love of Jesus Christ have access to these gifts," said Melchior.

"We will treasure your gifts and make them accessible to our pilgrims."

"It must be difficult to protect the artifacts," said Caspar.

"It is difficult indeed. We are defending our village against the Romans. The monks in the monasteries help us to defend the treasures against our enemies," said the abbot.

"Why are the Romans so determined to bring the relics into their possession?" asked Caspar.

"They have different motives. The Romans are afraid of Christianity because they can see the positive impact it is has on people. King Bloodstone realizes that the power of God is crushing his controlling spirit and his aim to exploit people. The Saints are rising in the villages liberating the souls which are trapped in hell because they have never been shown the way to heaven. The Romans have seen Jesus Christ rising and devastating the army of evil on the way to heaven. King Bloodstone believes that the artifacts will inspire Christians to build tools to fight for humanity," said the abbot.

"What gives you the courage to resist?" asked Caspar.

"The churches are powerhouses of the Holy Spirit. Our prayers are the soil for the Holy Spirit to produce fruit," said the abbot moving the rod into the air as if he was warning somebody. The upper part of the rod had the form of a fish as displayed on the walls surrounding the monastery.

"How do you stop the army of evil attacking your villages?" asked Caspar.

"The Holy Lance of Longinus and Maurice and his six thousand, six hundred and sixty-six soldiers from the Theban Legion in Egypt are protecting us. Maurice is their leader and one of the bravest knights the world has ever seen. King Bloodstone is afraid of the Holy Lance empowering people to become creative and destroy the ancient structure of evil." The abbot pointed to the mountains in the north with his rod.

"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 slowly 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 drinking 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.

The sun was climbing back into the seasons, enabling the tradesmen to work without artificial light until the celebration of the Archangel Michael in September.

The farmers could not wait to get in the fields to sow their crop. They had already sowed and reaped the crop many times in their minds whilst listening to the ceremonies in the church. Corn and carrots were growing particularly strong in the fields of their dreams and the farmers were constantly thinking about methods of improvement. They gathered in front of the church after mass and shared their ideas. The farmers were determined to beat the monks and grow the crop faster in the coming year.

The monks and farmers were still busy to build the fountain in the monastery. The farmers were difficult to work with and the monks got very annoyed. The farmers became grumpier every day. They could not wait for winter to disappear. They looked the sky to spot a sign of spring: a mild southerly wind or a song of a bird. The monks were looking for the farmers too as they could not wait for them to leave the monastery.

Brother George was preparing for the football tournament which was coming up in the carnival season. It was the common belief of many parishioners that Saint Peter did not stand a chance. There were fierce discussions at church about the upcoming tournament.

"Saint Peter is the hole of the world. Alcoholics, orphans and disabled; everybody who is not loved ends up in Saint Peter," said a farmer in the church.

"I will lead you to victory. If we lose it will be my defeat and I will take responsibility," said Brother George.

"Our community has gone through a lot. We have all grown in faith. Many amongst us have turned into fine Christians. We are capable of winning the games together."

"Victory is ours," screamed a young man. His words were accompanied by shouts from the audience.

"I will fight side by side with you my brothers," said another man stretching his right arm to the ceiling.

"Is everybody allowed to play?" asked a young monk curiously.

"The rules forbid monks from any monastery to participate in the tournament," said Brother Thomas.

"What are you going to do with all the old and disabled? Are you going to give them wings so they can fly over the football fields?" asked somebody in the congregation.

"Yes, sort of. We will receive wings to help us win the games," said Brother George lapsed into silence.

Brother George was known as a person who kept his promises. But nobody believed him this time.

"I have to repeat the rules again as some farmers have not yet understood them." Brother George said. "The football field is more than ten square kilometers wide. Everybody who wants to play is allowed to do so: children with their mothers, grandpas and grandmas; everybody who can make it on the field. We will deploy approximately five hundred players in the games. We will be operating on two fronts. One front will be trying to get the statue of the saint of our neighbors' church. I repeat again. The church is not the real church in the village of our opponents. It is the field close to the altar where the statue of the Saint from the opposing team is resting. I do not want to see any farmers running to the neighboring village and breaking into their church to mutilate the statue of their saint this time, please. The other half of the village will be defending our church and trying to prevent our opponents to getting the statue of Saint Peter from our church. The winner is the team who brings the statue home and places it on the middle field."

"The disabled, children, grandmas and grandpas from Saint Peter will be flying over the football field and carrying the statue to the middle point," said Brother Thomas and everybody laughed.

Brother George said: "No. I have come to the conclusion that communication is vital in this game. I have seen the strongest men running around useless because nobody could give them direction. I have seen wood cutters, bakers, and rafts men standing idly on the fields not knowing what to do. On the other hand, I have seen fast and courageous runners such as Jack, Steve and Brother Benedict determining the game. They can gain kilometers of ground before being stopped by their adversaries. The question is why could they run for so long?" Before Brother George could answer his own question a young man shouted in the audience.

"Because they had wings."

"They could not have gotten that far if they had run in a front of defenders. Part of their success was that the way was clear," said Brother George.

"Only the priest of the church is allowed to ride a horse but you cannot oversee a ten-square- kilometer field from a horse-back.

"I repeat myself. The game is about communication. We will divide the field into hundred smaller fields. The people with disabilities and elderly people will be placed in one of the little fields. They will be able to oversee their allocated patch. These towers, as I will call them from now on, will draw maps of what is going on in their allocated patch. The maps will be dispatched by doves to the command post where strategic decisions are going to be made. The people at the command post will have a clear picture of what is happening on the field at any time and can make the best decisions for the team. Rather than being driven by luck and sheer force, we will be able to employ knowledge before launching an attack. We will be able to find the shortest way to the middle point quickly," said Brother George.

"Remember the human plough of Saint Andrew a few years ago? A group of fifty farmers ploughed over the field, trampling over our defense like bulls over daffodils. They were fast approaching the middle field with the statue of Saint Peter in their possession. I came from the back with about thirty of our players. Brother George was approaching fast on Pegasus and jumped in the middle of the attacking farmers. He was able to keep the statue on the ground until we could form a defending squad," said Steve.

"Yes, I remember," said Brother Benedict excited. "This game was called "meatball" later. Two hundred men were piled on top of each other trying to snatch the statue of Saint Peter until Brother Benedict arrived. Brother George grabbed the statue and threw it right in the arms of Brother Benedict who was running back to the altar. The field was deserted because half of our players were stuck in the pile up. As there were so many people involved in the fight it was easy to find open spaces elsewhere. Brother Benedict managed to cover a quarter of the field on his own before being confronted with the defense of Saint Andrew. Meanwhile our attacking squad was approaching fast with the statue of Saint Martin. The players of Saint Martin were exhausted and could not stop our vigilant tackle. They were able to place the statue in the middle of the field and win the game."

"So what are the doves for? To attack from the air?" asked a farmer seeking for some cheer. But there was no laugh as the people started to become interested in Brother George's plan and listened carefully.

"We will us the doves as messengers. The messages will allow us to have a clear picture of what is happening on the field at all times. By putting all the messages together, we will be able to construct a map enabling us to quickly spot opportunities and act immediately. But w....

"We will have enough time to discuss this later." Brother George and stepped down from the pulpit. The wooden floor moved under his shoes. His thick brown robe glided over the floor like a maple leaf pushed by a storm. He was thinking of the tournament whilst he walked through the church.

Jack and his friends had attended every ceremony since the dramatic events in the church. This evening Brother Benedict preached about the Good Shepherd. Jack sat close to Mary's shrine in the east wing of the church. Mary's shrine was often used by sinners to make their comeback into the church. Some of the farmers had never left the shrine of Mary as they felt most secure in the vicinity of the mother of God.

Brother Benedict said that their reaction was similar to boys telling their mothers about a broken window. The mother would then bring the case to the father. By the time the boy stood trial the anger of the father had eased and the verdict was less severe.

Jack looked to the altar in front of the crucifix in the south of the church. The golden letters alpha and omega where embedded in the red candle piece of the white candle. Verena was sitting right in front of the altar like a pillar on which the church was resting. The golden letters reflected in her black hair. Next to her stood Catherine the second pillar of Saint Peter. It occurred to him that all his brethren were pillars carrying the house of God apart from him. He was week and useless but he would make a comeback and become strong as Samson.

It would take him seven straight Sunday ceremonies to make it to the front row. He would be ranked equal to Catherine and Verena who were already on the way to heaven. He would overtake them on their climb and become a Saint. He could see churches named after him. People would leave their old churches and flock in the newly established Saint Jack churches, inviting the faithful into the world of the supernatural. Prophecies would not fall but pour from heaven like summer rain. The soul painters would have visions and paint portraits of him. The poets would praise him and the musician would compose songs to glorify his name. But he had to undergo at least one painful confession with Brother George before he could even consider putting one foot on the way to heaven.

He could see his shadow appearing in the darkness of the confession box. The invisible eyes pierced his conscience like the knife of the butcher to cut out the sin so that the soul did not get infected. Jack hated sitting there in the confessional whilst Brother George wrestled with the sins in his life. He was not sure if he really wanted to become a Saint after all

He also remembered the cruel destiny of the Martyrs who followed their masters, Jesus Christ, into death. Jack was not yet ready for such a sacrifice, Heaven had to wait as the earth was calling. He could feel the earth under his feet dragging him down in the lap of nature. It was a pleasant experience like the kiss of a mother consoling her child who had lost something valuable. Jack suddenly remembered all the important things he had to catch up with.

Despite all his concerns to become a Saint, something had changed in him. This sweet kiss had polished the edges of his rough nature. The tears of Marc had opened the doors of spiritual awareness. Marc loved him like a father. His love made Jack aware of Saint Joseph, the father of Jesus Christ and husband of Mary. The awareness of Mary was like a river flowing through heaven and earth touching the cosmic awareness of his soul. He had been walking through the darkness like a stranger. Now the Saints appeared to him like stars in the night showing him the true spiritual path to the sea of love.

A picture of the lost sheep stood on a wooden frame in front of the altar. Steve contemplated the soul painting whilst Brother Benedict read the gospel the following Sunday.

"Believe me, I am the door for the sheep, said Jesus. The sheep does not follow the false prophets, robbers and thieves. Jesus is the door. A good shepherd is ready to die for his sheep. Somebody not owning the sheep is not a good shepherd. He leaves the sheep and runs away when the wolf comes. The wolf then attacks the sheep and scares them away. If somebody is looking after sheep only for personal gain, he runs away because the sheep do not belong to him. Jesus is the good shepherd. He knows his sheep and they know him like the father knows Jesus. Jesus is prepared to die for his sheep," said Brother Benedict looking into the eyes of the parishioners.

There was a painting of the lost sheep in the church. The picture of the lost sheep made a deep impression and many people were meditating on the picture whilst listening to the ceremony. A candle dispensed light on the painting of the good shepherd. Orange light flashings were gleamed through the West window of the church facing the Mountain of the Angels.

Steve was in his own world reflecting on the celebration of the guardian angels last autumn. He remembered the time when the pilgrims sat in the wooden shrine on the Mountain of the Angels to celebrate the day of the guardian angels. The church bells had rung in the valleys. It had been autumn and a warm wind blew from the south. Brother Benedict was conducting the celebration of the guardian angels. He had asked the pilgrims to shut their eyes and listening to the bells. They resonated in the mountains. Their sounds were like the wings carrying themes of the Bible from heaven to earth. Heavenly visions gathered in Steve's mind like clouds before a summer rain. The heavens opened and the visions were poured in his soul which became a reflection of the Bible.

Steve knew an old man living in the mountains. He had visited the shrines in the Mountain of the Angels whenever he had time. He had told Steve that the mountains were the home of the angels long before the birth of Adam and Eve. They worshipped God here before they ascended into heaven. He said that the angels were living all around the world to worship God and to protect the good souls from evil. The connection to God was leading humans on pilgrimages to find the holy shrines, where the angels used to live. The Holy Spirit was moving strongly in these sacred places.

The Mountain of the Angels was particularly beautiful in autumn when the leaves on the trees appeared in yellow, red and orange colors. The sun- shine poured on Saint Michael, the monastery of the Mountains of the Angels. Autumn was the evening of the seasons, the beginning of a new time and the most beautiful season in the year. It was time when the angels descended from heaven on earth to collect the memories of the passing year, whilst Jesus Christ was creating a new era in heaven.

The old man had told Steve that he had been going to the Mountain of the angels since he was a little child. He had seen angels on the green fields.

Steve was looking forward to all the pilgrimages, to walks through forests and over mountains, stays underneath waterfalls and swim in the mountain lakes. Nature became a voice expressing God's joy and blessings for the earth.

Brother Benedict knew all the places where earth meets heaven. People had built shrines dedicated to Jesus, Mary and the Angels.

The souls of pilgrims were attracted by these shrines like thirsty elephant walking through the dry desert to find water. Steve closed his eyes to connect with heaven. Visions and dreams mixed with the themes of the Bible like a kaleidoscope to merge into a mystical view of God. The old man had told him that Brother Benedict knew all the places the angels used to visit on their voyages on the earth in the past. One could speak with heaven and earth, the trees, the sun, the moon and all the stars in the sky. Steve remembered sitting in a green meadow with Catherine, gazing at the sky and counting the shooting stars. The bells were ringing in the valley and he felt as if his whole life was flowing in a sea of emotions.

When Steve woke up from this wonderful dream darkness came through the stained-glass window in the west. Brother Benedict concluded the ceremony with the words:

"The ship is lifting the anchor and slowly sailing into the night."

The church had a lot in common with a ship. The pulpit looked like the basket. The priest was the captain leading the vessel through the storms of life. Brother Benedict was standing on the high pulpit looking for land. At this moment Steve could identify with the old Israelites walking through the desert for forty years. The congregation followed the words of the priest to the Promised Land.

Steve looked to the East window, at a painting of the Archangel Michael telling Mary that she was going to give birth to Jesus Christ. The feast of Annunciation was celebrated on Mount Mary at the beginning of spring.

Colorful lights appeared in the windows. Somebody knocked at the church door. The knock was like a cry for help resonating in the body of the church. The knocking faded. It sounded again resonating in the church like the knocking of a pilgrim on heaven's doors.

Brother Benedict marched through the church. His shoes resonated like drum-beats on the wooden floor. He opened the door. Jack stood outside with his friends who had broken into the church recently. They held glass lamps in their hands.

"We are sorry for the problems we caused," said Jack.

His lantern was shining like the horizon over the mountains in different seasons.

"Do we want them back in the church?" asked Brother Benedict smiling and turning to the congregation.

"Yes, come on in," said a voice in the congregation. "You were lost but now you are found.

"Sit next to us. There is always place for a fisherman in the wide open sea," said Peter tapping on the wooden bench.

"We have a forgiving God," whispered Verena sitting next to Catherine in front of the altar.

"The prodigal sons. Come and celebrate with us," said Brother George leaving his seat and going straight to the farmers with open arms.

"What have you got in your hand?" asked Brother Benedict looking at the lantern.

"We have made lamps out of glass in different colors. We burn the remaining alcohol in the glass. The alcohol gets a useful purpose," said Jack.

"The lamps look beautiful," said Brother Benedict, "and blend miraculously in the season of Mary's Light Mass which is next in the calendar of our holy liturgical year," said Verena.

"We shall celebrate the festivals of lights from now on." Catherine was watching the light of the lantern, which flowed like the water of a colorful river over the surface of the glass.

"These lights symbolize our souls maturing in the Holy Spirit," said Brother George, taking the lantern Jack held out to him.

"You are very talented artists. Did you know that?" Brother Benedict said to the group of farmers who had gone through much work to create the lanterns.

"We will make one for each citizen of Saint Peter so you can bring them to the celebration of Mary's Light Mass," said Jack standing next to a monk who opened the wooden gate of the church.

The congregation followed the ministrants into the winter night. The colorful lights of the lantern reflected on the Holy Cross wavering over the heads of the ministrants. The painting was carried into the mountain of memories to protect it from King Bloodstone and his soldiers. The whole community celebrated the return of the farmers.

The altar candles had accompanied the congregation through the joyful and sad moments in the liturgical year. The flames had become weaker.

It was time for new life. The consecration of the new candles was next on the liturgical calendar. The monks brought the new white candles from the monastery to the church next morning. The celebration of Mary's Light Mass was lasted the whole morning. The seven altar candles symbolized the seven spirits of God. The pure wax, extracted by bees, symbolized the pure flesh of Christ received from his virgin mother. The wick signified the soul of Christ and the flame his dignity. Special candles were crafted for the Easter and Christmas festivities. The candles for Good Friday were yellow. Candles were frequently used after Saint Michael's Day in September when the sunlight was fading away, until Mary's Light Mass when days became longer and the tradesmen could work in sunlight again.

The Lady of the Mountains was also involved in the making of the candles. She also decorated the church with flowers inviting the soul on a mysterious journey through the spiritual world. Tree branches and bark invited the senses into the spiritual world to find an epiphany. An epiphany occurred when the soul found God. But what was the soul? Was it not the inner most sacred organ which connects us with God. It was a feeling from a tragic event which happened in a world which had passed a long time ago and perceived in a moment of spiritual enlightenment. The soul was erring through the desert like a little elephant which had lost its mother, to find a source of water to quench its thirst.

Rain and sunshine followed quickly. The melancholy of winter was fading away and spring walked into the seasons dressed as a beautiful woman in white walking over the rainbows spanning over the Rhone River. Spring was above and winter below the rainbow.

The coming of spring transcended the celebration of Mary's Light Mass in the highest heaven. The church became a powerhouse of visions born in the depth of the human soul. The church became a mystical flower blossoming in the scent of seasonal plants. The Bible turned into a field of flowers and the believers into bees feeding from the spiritual nectar opening the doors to the New Jerusalem. People met with the supernatural world of God when gathering around the candles to pray. Every prayer became a new spiritual experience and a journey into the mystic of the soul.

It was dark outside. Winter fought with all its might to conquer the seasons. A solemn silence filled the church, a silence born in the deep womb of winter. Thoughts fell like snowflakes from heaven opening the doors of reflection and revelation. The winter had created feelings dreaming in the womb of the unconscious mind. The feelings emerged from the soul like vessels sailing into the ocean to an unknown world to find an island. Memories were colonizing the ocean like islands to escape when a storm erupted.

Snowflakes melted in the palm of our hand. Reality is fading away to become visions in the kingdom of God.

Brother George lit the seven candles on the altar symbolizing the seven spirits of God saying:

"Praise the Lord, all nations!

Extol him, all peoples

For great is his love for us!

And the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever!

Praise God in the highest!"

Steve and Benedict walked in front of the altar with silver colored smoking incense holders. Brother George consecrated the candles with holy water from Mount Mary.

The faithful walked to Brother George who was holding the cross in his left hand, sprinkling water on the candles with his right hand.

Verena and Catherine lit the old candles and gave them to the orphans. The congregation followed little Catherine and Marc to the Rhone. The orphans put the candles on a piece of bark illuminating the darkness. The river banks appeared like shadows of dreams sinking in an unknown world. The monastery of Saint Michael on the Mountain of the Angels appeared in the streaming lights. The monastery of Saint Mary rose like a sacred mountain in the sky. The river symbolized life and the candles the soul flowing into the sea of love.

The company of Mary walked back to the church of Saint Peter looking like a holy shrine from the distance.

"I am the bread of life," said Brother Benedict., taking a host from the golden cup. "He who comes to me will never get hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. Your forefathers ate this bread and yet they died. But here comes the bread from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread and I feed the living bread that comes down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread, he will live forever."

After the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the company of Mary went into the church kitchen. Brother Benedict and Verena were cooking pancakes.

"The Holy Manna John 6," said Brother Thomas raising his nose into the air.

"Correct Brother Thomas," said Brother Benedict pouring the pan cake mixture into the hot pan. Everyone gathering in the kitchen watched the pan. Brother Benedict was moving the pan on the fire herd. If he could flip the pancake in the air so that it landed in the middle of the pan, the village of Saint Peter would not go hungry during the year. There was a lot of expectation on him and Verena. Both of them were still tired since they had prayed through the whole night. They reaped a big applause when the pancakes landed right in the middle of the pan. The pancakes were served with honey and marmalade made from cherries, strawberries, prunes and apples. The dining room was full of hungry people. Brother Martin and Leo ate half a dozen pancakes, but Jack beat them all and ate eight. Steve and Catherine helped to prepare the pancake mixture. Steve tried to flip a pancake too. The people encouraged him and yelled as he tossed the pancake in the air. The pancake flew high in the air whilst Steve moved the pan nervously underneath. The pancake fell on the edge of the pan and was about to fall on the ground but Steve quickly tilted the pan to the side. The pancake landed in the middle of the plate and the people applauded.

The Season of Pilgrimage

The season of the pilgrimages to the shrines in the mountains was approaching with the warming of the sun. Spirits left the Bible like butterflies carrying the themes of the Bible through nature. The themes flowed like thousands of rivers from mystical mountains. The word had become spirit and lived on the meadows and in the trees. The visions pouring from the Bible became musical instruments inviting the soul on spiritual journeys beyond the rainbow. Heaven opened over the mountains and the Holy Spirit descended on the pilgrims. The church was the place of individual experiences with God.

Saint Peter was celebrating the arrival of spring. The melodies of the birds singing on blossoming cherry trees rolled like a waves over the green meadows and valleys. Spring glided through the season, waking up nature from its winter sleep. The seeds of winter resting in the womb of the seasons grew in the spring sun and became visions decorating the tree of life. The visions were building ideas into people's minds of things to do during the year.

The celebration of Annunciation where the angel Gabriel had told Mary that she was going to give birth to Jesus Christ was fast approaching.

The celebration of Saint Joseph, Mary's husband and Jesus' father, preceded the Annunciation. Many members of the congregation, particularly males, considered it quite offensive that Mary took such an esteemed role in the minds of people whereas Joseph was barely mentioned. And yet Joseph was the perfect father. He was loyal, steadfast, strong, wise, intelligent, kind, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind and good. So why was there no mountain named after him? Joseph climbed the highest mountains for his family! He was visited by an angel of God to tell him to take Mary as his wife and name his first son Jesus. He obeyed and married Mary even though he was not the father of Jesus. He loved Jesus like his own son. He took his family from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be enrolled as Roman citizens. An angel of God told Saint Joseph in Bethlehem about Herod's plan to kill Jesus so he took his family to Egypt. An angel told him when Herod died so he could take his family back to Jerusalem. He took Jesus to the temple at Passover celebrating the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian enslavement.

A season for Love

Saint Joseph was not outstanding. He was humble, a servant, who put the interests of other people before his own. He was a role model for all husbands. Jack was one of the strongest advocates of Saint Joseph. Many could not understand the reason as Jack seemed to have a completely different attitude. And yet both of them adopted a son who was not their natural child.

People became suspicious about Jack's behavior. He used to hang out with his bachelor friends celebrating all night long at the river. There was music and a lot of fun. People said that they could see the trout dancing on the river in the wild summer nights. All that was buried in the past. Jack had changed and even his friend noticed that he would rather stay at home than going to the river fishing.

The warm southerly wind took the souls on its wings to spiritual journeys. A pilgrimage was a Holy Day to gain everlasting spiritual experiences reflecting in the soul for years to come. Shrines were built at the most beautiful places close to the kingdom of God. The Bible became alive and turned into powerful images of the soul opening the door to a spiritual world lying in the depths of our dreams. The seasons were blending together. Time stood still and the Bible appeared in a new dimension, in another time, the past future, where visions were made. Jesus was walking with his disciples over the pastures and visited the people. These visitations became the essence of people's lives. They kept the spiritual experiences like personal gifts from God.

The farmers were particularly happy about the awakening of spring inviting them to go on the fields.

Jack had not felt so free in his whole life. He had attracted the attention of Margaret, a young woman from Saint Andrew. She came to Saint Peter to visit her auntie. She went to church yesterday. The world stood still when their eyes met. This moment of sweet delight stuck in Jack's head. He was walking through the dewy forest and over the blossoming fields carrying this moment in his heart. He saw Mary in the mild spring sunshine wearing beautiful clothes. But then he felt close to Jesus Christ. He danced over the fields like a little boy. He ran behind a butterfly that flew from one flower to another. He pulled out a flower and his sorrows disappeared in the sweet smell. Nature was forgiving. If a farmer did not have a good crop one year he would get a chance in the next year. A farmer would get it right eventually; he just had to be diligent.

A new life was beginning today. He was living in the sky today like the birds. Deep below was the earth with all its problems. Symphonies of colors were taking his senses higher and higher and exploding in his body releasing waves of joyful feelings. He felt as if a butterfly was tickling his feet with its wings. He followed the butterfly over the green fields. But then the butterfly disappeared in the mountain of death. Jack followed it through the Underworld. His heart was full of sadness and tears were in his eyes. He laughed and cried. He sat down and touched the ground. He grabbed a clot of earth and squeezed it until it crumbled between his fingers, leaving fine grains of earth in his hand. He threw the earth in the air. A light spring breeze carried the dust over the field into the light spring morning.

"I love you, my angel, I love you my angel!" he muttered.

The words of his lover sounded like a voice in heaven.

"Margaret loves me! Somebody loves me," he exclaimed. He followed Margaret's soul through heaven and hell.

Jack could see everything this morning but not the dragon which had left the mountains in the North and was sitting in the crown of a tree observing all his movements.

Jack saw the grain swaying in the summer wind and the bread on the tables of the families. Many people said that he made the best cheese in the whole region. Melted cheese on hot potatoes was the favorite meal for many people.

The cows could soon be put out to pasture again, eating all the herbs and flowers growing in the fields. Jack had built a shed for the cows and fed them hay during winter. He was thinking about the soups made out of his potatoes, barley, tomatoes, leek, carrots, cabbage, beans, onions and other vegetables. He could see his tasty food on the family table filling the hungry stomachs of the children. He was so busy turning the soil to make it soft for the spring crop that he did not see Brother Leo arriving.

Jack often helped Brother Leo with his herb garden and made sure that the soil was rich to produce healthy herbs. Brother Leo was very successful with his herbs fighting off all sorts of diseases. He tried to prevent diseases. Once a person was sick it was so much harder to treat. He was always busy experimenting with his herbs. Brother Leo told Jack that he was often inspired by God to find the right medicine for a sick person.

He told Jack about one of the epiphany he had received when he had not feeling well a few years back. He had dreamt of his mother cooking something. He had not understood what God wanted to teach him in this dream first. Then he had another dream of his mother. This time he had seen her rubbing garlic on the pan to make a cheese dish. He had smelled the garlic frying in the pan and came to the conclusion that God wanted him to use garlic as a medicine. He had only such strong dreams when God taught him something. Brother Leo had asked Jack to grow more garlic for the people of Saint Peter to keep them healthy all year round. Since the introduction of the garlic in the menu the amount of people getting sick in winter had dropped considerably. Brother Leo was also an expert on herbal teas. He had been studying herbal plants when he was living in the monastery.

Brother Benedict was also inspired by the awakening of spring. One afternoon, when there was not much to do in the orphanage, he took Verena by the hand and said,

"I will take you on a river cruise.''

He walked with Verena in the splendid spring morning. They strolled along the green meadows at the river bank. An old spruce stood in the middle of the meadow. The tree was at least four thousand years old and had seen many emperors coming and going. The spruce invited everybody to rest and to listen to the past and future, as time melted.

"Watch out where you are walking or you will fall in the water!" said Sister Verena redirecting Brother Benedict who was very tired from the work in the orphanage.

A wooden pier with planks lined up like the skeleton of a big, long snake went straight through the reeds, bending gently in the mild spring wind. Brother Benedict heard a voice. He turned around but could only see the spruce at the river. A memory of a summer night celebrating with friends in the forest rose in his minds.

A boat had been pulled up halfway onto the sand of the river bank. He took Verena's hand and guided her into the boat. Then he jumped in. His feet landed on the wooden floor with a big clunk. He moved slowly not to rock the boat. He stuck the rudder in the muddy ground of the river bank, leaned his whole body weight against the rudder and pushed the boat into the open river. The boat drifted downstream. The waves of the river moved the boat up and down in a steady rhythm. Brother Benedict thought that he could hear the river's heart beating.

He sat in the boat opposite to Verena holding the rudders in both hands and steering the boat over the waves. Verena stuck her right hand in the water. Her eyes were closed as she felt the water streaming along her fingers. She smiled and opened her eyes as if she had woken up from a beautiful dream.

He could see a rose growing in the desert of Egypt in her mystical brown eyes. God lived in the desert. The solitude helped people to find peace Brother Benedict thought whilst steering the boat into calmer water. There was no distraction in the desert and the individual could find the inner truth. The aim of every eremite monk was to find the mystery of Jesus Christ within his soul. That was the reason why Saint Anthony the Great had been living in the desert. He travelled to the End of Times to find holiness in his heart. Verena on the other hand found holiness in the hearts of the orphans. She worked for the children day and night. She lived Brother Benedict's motto of serving one another. Brother Benedict watched Verena. Her smile was mysterious like the moonshine reflecting on the river in a summer night. He had seen her smiling when she tried to comfort a boy who had hurt himself. Her smile was like medicine healing the deepest wound of the soul. The mysterious East was melting together with the pragmatic West in her smile. The beautiful cities of Constantinople and Rome were melting together in her heart and a new even more beautiful city was emerging. Her smile could be melancholic like the sun diving in the purple sky in the evening. She carried the sun in her heart. Benedict was attracted to this sun he wanted to follow to the end of the world. Why spent endless time in the desert when he could find the mystery in Verena. Brother Benedict wanted to take her in his arms. But if he touched her the mysterious veil between them would break. Verena was not a human being. She was a reflection of God. Her heart belonged to the children in the orphanage. She was a mother, the mother of all the unwanted children.

Steve sat on the hill overlooking Saint Peter. He was on the top of the world. It was his favorite spot and he had spent a lot of time here. He lit fires in winter and roasted the chestnuts from an old chestnut tree on the hill.

Catherine was supposed to arrive any minute and he was very excited. His feelings were reflected in the beautiful spring day. It was as if God wanted to pour his love on the world. He could not get enough of the warm sunshine filling him with so much joy. He wished that the day would never stop.

He always had a tense feeling in his heart when he met Catherine. The world was spinning around. He could see his life unraveled in front of his eyes. He tried to catch the contours in the mist but they did not reveal themselves to his eyes. All he wanted was to share his life with Catherine and to live for the affection God had in his heart. Catherine had the key to open the mystical doors of heaven. His feelings towards Catherine were so strong he could barely breathe. He heard a voice from the sea of love deep in his heart.

A breeze carried the smell of the blossoming spring flowers over the green meadow. Steve looked down on the church of Saint Peter. Big pine trees stood in front of the church. He had seen the church in all seasons wearing the cloth of the liturgical year. The church was a mystical body changing its appearance constantly. It was a vessel sailing with the Holy Spirit through the sea of love. He saw all the icons depicting episodes in the Bible and he could hear the voice of the church. The church appeared to him like a Bible which had been thrown into the sea and washed to the shores. It lay on the beach. The wind flicked through the pages revealing the mysteries of revelation.

Steve was so absorbed in his contemplations that he did not recognize Catherine. When he saw her standing next to him in her blue and yellow dress looking like the sun on a summer day he did not know what to say which was not unusual for him. If he had something to say it would have been stupid anyway. He was enchanted by her beauty.

They sat there like an old couple who had known each other for many years. Steve was just enjoying the sensation. His feelings were rolling like waves over the ocean. He was there lying in the sands getting caressed by the waves. Then he felt Catherine's hand touching his hair. He felt as if he had been walking through the desert for a long time and an oasis appeared in front of his eyes.

His eyes were closed and he felt as if he was diving into a water pool in a rock. The air was filled with the scent of lavender. Then he saw snow on a pine forest. He was walking with Catherine down a small path toward a hut. Snow flakes fell on his tongue and melted. Steve hoped that this moment would never end.

"Why are you closing your eyes?" asked Catherine and touched Steve's hand.

Steve didn't answer, he was still swimming through the vision of love.

"Are we going to Mount Mary together?" Catherine ran her fingers through Steve's thick, blond hair.

"Yes, yes. We will. The beautiful weather invites people for pilgrimages," said Steve hoping that this moment of tenderness would last forever.

"I am so looking forward to spring and summer. Floating on the waves of the river and laying in the meadow and listening to the singing of the birds," said Catherine to her fiancée. Her long hair fell like silk on her delicate shoulders.

"The most beautiful summer will follow us on our pilgrimages," said Steve.

"I had a beautiful dream today. I dreamt of a ship sailing to the sea of love to collect gifts from God. The ship looked like a flower in spring. Black clouds gathered in the sky and a storm swept over the sea. The ship sank and all the treasures from heaven sank on the sea ground. The treasures fell into shells and turned into pearls over time." Catherine smiled. She sat straight on the bench, her arm around Steve's shoulder.

"It sounds to me like a dream from the east in the land of the fisher priest. Brother Benedict promised to take us there this summer," said Steve contemplating last year's feast of the assumption of Mary.

"I would like to stay with you on the island in the lake."

"The liturgical year is carrying me on high wings to heaven but your thoughts take me even higher."

"The Romans will eventually kill the men of Saint Peter and sacrifice the children to their cruel Gods."

"They will not Catherine. Maurice and his soldiers will help us to defend the village."

"We will survive, Steve. Our souls have met in another world. We have to find this world before it is too late."

"You might be right and our souls met in another world before we were born here on earth. But what happened with our soul sin that world? "

"We do not know. We have no access to the world of the souls."

"I think the abbot has access to the spiritual world. The feasts of the liturgical year are reflection of this world, Catherine.

"But why do the abbot and monks enter the fountain in front of the monastery at All Saints Day?" asked Catherine.

"It is not a fountain. It is a time transformer. The Underworld or hell is time. The abbot and the worrier monks are defeating time at All Saints Day and travel back to the beginning of the universe to conquer evil..."

"Which threatens the human soul."

"Pricisely. The abbot has devised a time transformer. He can travel back in time into the world of the souls. Time is a travel back to the creation of our souls. All the feasts of the Liturgical Year are mysteries in reality. We have to the find the meaning of these mysteries."

"We have to reveal the mysteries of the Bible," said Catherine.

"The bridal chamber the abbot was talking about lies behind the material world. The room our souls will share in the kingdom of Jesus Christ," said Catherine.

The shadow of the night fell on Saint Peter.

"Look all the burning candles in the windows. The village looks like a dream," said Catherine gazing on the candles, which looked like sparks of heaven.

"It is late. I have to go home and get up early to attend the choir in the monastery tomorrow morning for our concert in the church on Sunday." She kissed Steve goodbye.

That Sunday Steve sat at front to listen to the choir. He closed his eyes and listened carefully to hear Catherine's voice. Her voice was fine and yet so strong. Heaven and earth and all seasons of the liturgical year gathered in her voice. The voice was the instrument of the soul and Catherine's voice was the soul of Saint Peter.

The saints watched over the villages like angels protecting its citizens from evil. Steve would follow her voice to the end of the world.

Brother Benedict and Sister Verena sat at the river side. A fisherman carried a big, three meter sturgeon to the shore. The fish had travelled from the Black Sea to the mountain lakes.

A blackbird sat on a tree close to a tree at the river bank.

"I listened to the singing of a blackbird, when I woke up at five o'clock in the morning yesterday," said Sister Verena, watching the sun shine reflects on a glass filled with apple cider.

"The song of the bird was so beautiful. I could hear a symphony of voices in the background. Heaven was filled with melodies welcoming the new day. The birds know the creator of this beautiful world. I looked out of the window and saw the morning sun covering the early morning with a golden coat. The earth appeared like a beautiful queen bestowed with a new dress from her tailor, nature."

"Verena, tell me more about Egypt and the hermits and ascetics living in the Scete Desert," said Brother Benedict looking into her eyes.

"There are eight different lakes and a monastic town. The monks who live in solitude in the desert meet in the town from time to time. The Holy Family came through the Scete Desert when they escaped to Egypt to hide from Herod the Great, who wanted to kill them.

"Herod Antipas hated John the Baptist. He had John arrested because John was complaining about his divorce and marriage to Herodias, the wife of his brother. It was against the Jewish law. Herod was also responsible for the death of Jesus Christ. Can you see how dangerous it is to live in Egypt?" said Verena, trying to frighten Brother Benedict.

"Not more than here. The Roman Empire is collapsing. Diocletian blames the Christians for his dwindling power. The Scete desert will protect us. Let's go to the Scete desert to escape the rules of this decadent Roman Empire," said Brother Benedict, smiling.

As he did not get any response from Verena he said.

"The solitude of the desert teaches stoic self-discipline which was lived by Jesus Christ when he was fasting in the desert, John the Baptist lived in the desert and might have been the first hermit Christian monk."

"We might be eaten by the Nile crocodiles. Did you know that they can grow up to the length of a tree?" said Verena and her features became very serious.

"I am more afraid of the Romans than the Nile crocodiles, Verena. There is so much more I want to learn. I have heard from a pilgrim that Macarius met Anthony the Great in the Scete desert. Anthony, the father of the monks, taught him the rules of Monasticism. The Scete desert is where every monk finds his inner self. A pilgrim told me that there is also a coenobitic monastic movement starting and I do not want to miss that. I might learn so much more about gnosis," said Brother Benedict compassionately.

"The same monastic movement is starting here in Gaul," said Sister Verena. "Can't you feel the Holy Spirit, the love of Christ uniting us with our neighbors? The love attracts children who have lost their parents; children come here to find a father and a mother in Saint Peter. Love comes before asceticism, contemplation, solitude knowledge and gnosis. Without love, Christianity is an empty vessel."

"We could also make excursions and visit Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments," said Brother Benedict trying to change Verena's mind.

"Why do you want to go to Mount Sinai when you can visit the holy shrines in the mountains?" "Mount Sinai has become a sacred mountain. It was the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments," said Brother Benedict.

"Is it God who makes sacred places or human beings?"

"I think humans seeking God makes sacred places," answered Brother Benedict.

"You are right. Why do you see the holiness in your country? I can see it. It is as if the angels had lived in your country, Benedict and you are seeking God outside your heart," said Verena.

"The Abbot told us about places of spiritual power around the world where the human soul touches God. One of these power centers is in the desert in Egypt. There are many more of these centers scattered all over the world. Let us find them. We might settle down somewhere and stay forever " said Benedict.

"Who will look after the orphans when we are away?" asked Verena.

"Steve and Catherine will look after them."

"They are still young and need our help. I cannot wait to go on a pilgrimage to Mount Mary. The spring weather is marvelous. The paradise appears to be out of sight. I like the valleys and mountains around the Rhone. They are offering the most beautiful sceneries I have ever seen in my life," said Verena trying to divert the conversation

"Did u see Constantinople on your way from Egypt?" asked Benedict.

"I did not come through Constantinople and Greece. I went through Carthage. From there I took a boat to Italy. I came through Rome and then Milano. From there I crossed the alps into Gaul," said Verena.

"You should have stayed in the monastery, Benedict."

"Prayer, Contemplation, Meditation and translate the holy books is not what I want to do anymore," said Brother Benedict.

"Have you been initiated in all the rites of the Monastic Order?" asked Verena.

"Yes. I have been initiated into some mysteries. If you can change the spiritual world you can change life," said Brother Benedict.

"So you have been on time travels with the abbot."

"Yes, but I have not been at the Battle of All Saints if you want to know that. I do not know anything about the battle. Only the abbot and a few chosen monks know the secret. It is a mystery after all. I was teaching ancient Greece and philosophy to the monks in the monastery and was not involved in any protective activities."

"Ask Brother George. He was a soldier in the Roman army. He refused to worship the Roman Gods and deserted. Diocletian wants him for treason against the Roman Empire. Maurice has a similar faith.

"Maximian threatened to kill his family if he did not go to Agaunum. Brother George and Maurice met in Alexandria and travelled together to Jerusalem, Antioch and Constantinople where they protected many Christian villages. Maurice finally agreed to go to Agaunum. He knew that George was living here and wanted to help his best friend Christianizing the world as Maurice is a devote Christian too."

At the moment, Ruth ran through the meadow to the fishermen's hut at the bank of the river saying:

"Verena, quick, Simon is crying. He will not stop."

It often happened that somebody got upset if Verena was not around. Verena was their mother who gave them the security they needed. They grew around her like ivy around a tree. Without a tree, the ivy would crawl along the earth and never see any sunshine. Verena gave them their lost self-esteem back. She was the only hope in their lives.

Verena and Benedict walked back to the orphanage.

"I am so glad that you are back!" said Catherine, who had been looking after the orphans together with Steve.

"What did we do wrong?" asked Steve who could not manage to control the children.

"Nothing really; the children were just upset because Benedict and I left," replied Verena, bringing peace and calm into the orphanage.

"Good parents are important to children," said Verena holding little Catherine in her arms. "Mary and Joseph were good parents to Jesus. Mary was obedient and did everything God asked her to do. Joseph was obedient too and did not go his own way even when he learnt that Jesus was not his physical son. Both of them showed an immaculate character. They are the ideal of good parenthood. If everybody followed their example the world would be a better place. Raising children is the most important thing in life. Children are the salt of the earth and a society without children is lost."

"The Romans are too lazy to raise their own children," said Steve angrily. "They use slaves to look after them. The only care about themselves and their fun."

"The Roman Empire has lost all moral values," said Brother Benedict, cutting some bread for the children. "The Romans have been fighting a civil war for the last fifty years and they are facing an economic depression of previously unseen proportion. They are struggling with a hyper- inflation. One emperor is succeeds the next, leaving a pile of shards behind. Rather than trying to stabilize the political environment, they increased the number of soldiers by a quarter to control the land. They needed money quickly to pay the officers. The quickest way to increase the volume of money was to cut the silver in coins and add less valuable metals. By the time Diocletian came into power the value of the Roman money was worth next to nothing."

"But they have a strong army!" said Sister Verena laughing.

"Men who are prepared to kill if you offer them enough money," said Brother Benedict putting the slices of bread into the bread basket.

Verena took the bread basket from his hand. "Isn't that sad? Men are prepared to do anything for money. Money is worth more than the lives of innocent children."

"Money is blood created by people who are captured in the material world. They are blinded by power and greed," said Brother Benedict.

"There are two different kind of money. In fact, good money is not money. It is value, the values of God opposed to the money of blood. God's spirit is the source of value reflecting in a society. The bible is full of seeds. You have to find them and they grow in your conscience. A dream emerges and grows into a business under your hard labor. Your prayers are the rain growing your business. This does not apply to farmers alone. However, the earth is the greatest gift of God together with air and water. God made Adam out of earth. The Bible is a source of inspiration, the mystical chemistry of the Holy Spirit interacting with your own thoughts, dreams and feelings thereby creating new values. The energy comes from deep in you, from your soul. God is the value builder, the creator of new ideas. We have to create an environment for children where new ideas can grow. King Bloodstone on the other hand, does not create any values at all. He suppresses the creation of values as he is more concerned about controlling than liberating people. Money destroys money. You can observe that in the Roman society. Their currency, the denarius, used to be valuable, when it was made from true silver. The content of silver diminished in the same way as the values of their society. Their currency is soaked with the blood of innocent people." Brother Benedict took a piece of cold coal from the fireplace in the kitchen.

"But where has the value in the denarius gone?" asked Steve.

"It has been destroyed by God," said Brother Benedict. He opened his right hand with the piece of coal.

"Look at this piece of coal. It used to be hard wood. But now it has been burnt out. The substance creating the heat has gone. The same happens with our souls and the souls of our nations and villages if they are not filled with the spirit of God." He squeezed the coal in his right hand. Black dust crumbled through his fingers.

"The strength has left the wood. The spirit has left the Roman society. All virtues are burnt in the furnace of greed and power, consumed in the fire of selfishness. All is left is a black dry piece of coal, a reflection of their Gods who have turned into their enemies." Brother Benedict wiped the dust from his hands.

"Is there not a value that last forever? Something to give us energy without burning out?" asked Steve.

"The energy of the true God, does not burn out. However, people eventually turn away from the God of mercy, kindness and love and start worshipping their idols which are but a reflection of their own selfishness. They are not from God so they do not last long," said Brother Benedict.

"The energy of God is like the sun," said Steve.

"Yes, but much stronger," replied Brother Benedict.

"Where has the power of the Romans gone?" asked Steve.

"The Roman empire was driven by the gods of life and death fighting over a grave. The god of life was killed by the god of death," said Brother Benedict.

"A new society is emerging in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is open to all of us and will help us to create new values. Look at our churches. They are full of ideas. Look at our monasteries. They are storehouses of wisdom. Look at the shrines in the mountains; the Bible is transferred into tools of life. They are places of personal transformation changing the lives of people. They will be the raw materials of the spirit to create new values. We will form the revelations into devices the society needs."

Brother Leo had been listening to the conversation.

"The paintings are not valuable. They are just instruments to help us to get closer to God. The true value is the word of God, the creation of the universe and the walk of human beings through time. God has protected us since the beginning of time. There was only the Holy Spirit floating around in the sea of chaos. God has put the Holy Spirit in the centre of our lives to make order. He loves us unconditionally. His love is greater than what we perceive. He gave us the Bible to study and to learn to distinguish between good and evil and to do the right things. God is true value. We think and God leads. We can only do what he decides to do."

"It is time to prepare dinner. Catherine and Steve! You can go now. Benedict and I will be looking after the children," said Verena.

Steve picked up Catherine for church on Sunday. A butterfly crossed their path.

"Look at the butterfly," said Steve.

"There is light. The day is still young. His life ends with the day. When darkness comes he will be dead. So he has to find the truth before the day comes to an end."

"Do you think he will find the truth?" Steve asked Catherine as she walked next to him.

"Maybe he is just living to enjoy this beautiful spring day. He is part of a body, the body of spring. Everyday is unique. Being alive or death makes the difference. Death creates the night and Life the day," said Catherine.

"The butterfly lives only for one day but his dream lives for eternity. The dream is lying in the womb of the cosmos and becomes alive in this butterfly for one day. One day in the life of a butterfly is eternity," said Steve.

"What do you mean?" asked Catherine curiously.

"What if the butterfly is part of a body living forever? Wouldn't the butterfly feel he was living forever too? He lives and dies in an eternal cycle."

"Catherine. I will die in your arms. Sing me a song and I will follow your voice to the end of the world."

"Your voice is even more beautiful than your words," Steve said. Your voice carries me away to a place where only feelings dwell. I hear your voice in the choir of the monastery and close my eyes. I wake up in the river. Your voice caresses my body like waves. I see the moon silver shining between the pine trees on the river banks. The nightingale is singing from the rock. All creatures gather in your mind to express sorrow and pain. Your voice changes pain into joy and hate into Love."

"You are my angel, Steve. You will stay on my side. I do not want you to become a man. When you are a man you will have to fight against the army of evil and you will be killed," said Catherine.

"I will marry you on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit falls from heaven on earth. Then I will be your husband for all eternity. But first I have to pass the sacrament of confirmation. I will receive a new body. The body of a man. Then I will follow Brother George and all the monks into the final battle against King Bloodstone and the empire of darkness and destroy evil."

"Do not be proud, Steve. Pride is the weapon of the devil to destroy the innocence dwelling in our hearts. Please do not go. You might not come back from the battle and leave me behind with a broken heart." Catherine looked down on the village watching the children playing near the fountain in front of the church.

Hally, Steve's sheep dog, felt Catherine's sadness and came close to her. He pressed against her legs, his tail whisking nervously, trying to comfort her. The dog started barking and becoming upset.

A dark shadow was rising over a tree on a secluded rock in the north. The shadow turned into a huge black flying creature, charging toward the village.

"It is a dragon from the Mountains in the north. We must warn the children," said Steve and ran down the small way to the fountains followed by Catherine and Hally.

The dragon charged down on the meadow where the children played. The huge black wings of the dragon flapped in the air. The dragon landed on a rock above the meadow where the children played. Leaves swirled in the air when the dragon flapped with its huge wings to land on a rock. Its razor sharp claws grabbed the stone. Its eyes moved quickly over the grass. When the dragon spotted the children, its head remained still. The dragon uttered a terrible screech. The children screamed when the dragon came closer. Its sharp claws grabbed the children on their skirts. The dragon flapped its wings and flew toward the Mountains in the North.

The news of the abducted children spread quickly around the village. Verena walked to the church in the early morning. Catherine and Jack were already there. The church of Saint Peter was filled with people praying for the rescue of the children.

The Graveyard of the Fallen Angels

A couple of days later Steve and Catherine were walking in the forests of the mountains of the angels. The sun was falling behind the grey and white mountain peaks when they heard voices. A creek cut deep into the mountains, like a door into the Underworld. The voices became louder. The lights of torches shone between the trees. A cave curved out of the dark, and Steve recognized the abbot in the twilight.

A monk appeared carrying a huge thighbone in his right arm. A dozen other monks followed him carrying the rest of a giant fish skeleton. The skeleton was much bigger than any fish he had ever seen swimming in the river. Steve had seen some fishermen catching big sturgeons but they did not come anywhere near the excavated monster. The skeleton had the shape of a huge fish with a gigantic mouth. The front teeth were as long as a butcher's knives. The skeleton was carried on a cloth and wooden frame. The monks followed the abbot to the monastery.

"Where do the fossils come from? There is no lake here," said Catherine watching the monks disappearing behind the gates of the monastery.

"This fish did not live here. They are so mighty and powerful," said Steve hiding behind a tree. He felt the crumbling of the bark between his fingers.

The monks carried the fossils into the old cellars of the monastery. A bat flew through the dark tunnel. The monastery was built on mountain caves. Nobody had been in the caves for years. The smell of old rock mixed with the rainwater dripping through the ceiling.

The eternal light was burning on the altar. Shadows of red lights escaped from the candle flickering over the white cloth like dreams escaping in the day. But there was no place for them in the reality of the new day and they faded away like the moon shine over the mountains.

The moonlight fell through the stained-glass windows and a blackbird returning from its winter residence sat on a pine tree was singing. A finches' voice joined in. More and more birds gathered in the blossoming trees to celebrate with the people in the church. There was always somebody in the church praying; day and night, summer and winter. The church was a stronghold against evil.

The wooden chair groaned when Steve sat down. He was meditating on the painting of the lost sheep when the church door opened. The light of a star flooded over the floor, rising to the ceiling, which showed Jesus Christ united with Mary surrounded by angels and Saints.

The walking stick of an old man drummed on the wooden floor, sounding like the knocking on heaven's door. A fisherman knelt in front of the altar praying for his young daughter who had been abducted by the dragon. More and more people came into the church sharing the grief with the parents bemoaning the loss of their loved ones. There was hate rising against God to have allowed such an atrocious act against the village of Saint Peter. Brother George could feel anger mounting in people's hearts. He felt guilty that he could not protect his people from the monster.

He stared up at the painting showing Jesus Christ rescuing a sheep from a thorn bush. He asked God to give him the strength to alleviate the pain. He could feel a breeze touching his body like the wings of a dove. The Holy Spirit was descending from the ceiling. God had the strength to fight the demonic powers of King Blackstone and his army of demons streaming through the nights pouring their poison into the dreams of people. Dreams were the path of the soul on the pilgrimage to heaven. King Bloodstone was twisting the dreams of people to guide their souls in the ruins of darkness.

Brother George sat in the confession box, waiting for the first sinner, feeling like he was in a cage sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Confession was a process of cleansing, and every house needed to be cleaned, even the tidiest houses gathered dust. He urged the people to go to confession once a week.

The farmers needed to come every day as their souls were more like stables than houses and required a special clean. The farmers were very reluctant and only went to confession when they had a near death experience, making them remember that there was a God after all. When a farmer made it to the confession box Brother George was always happy.

He was wrestling with the demons of superstition which had nested in the farmers' heads over thousands of years. From constipation to hair loss the farmers had a remedy for everything. Brother George discounted these remedies unlike Brother Leo, who also heard confession and always tested the remedies of the farmers. The natural treatments of the farmers had positive effects on the health of people.

Brother Martin also heard confessions, but he had a different approach to protect their souls from evil. He thought that evil crept into the minds of humans through dreams, causing crimes and murders. He saw the evil influence of King Bloodstone at the root of the problem. Bloodstone was manipulating dreams to prevent the soul from communicating with God.

Martin saw a connection between the spiritual and the physical health of humans. Sin came from outside destroying the defense system of the body. He said that Satan tried to burn holes into our spirits. Paintings of the Bible were mended these holes. He would determine exactly which stories of the Bible the people needed to meditate on to prevent sickness.

Brother George felt the burden of pain weighing heavily on people. Spirits of destruction rose in the minds of people and struck them down. The same spirits were also attacking the villages. Brother George perceived the anguishes as shadows of the past rising against Saint Peter. God had brought the painting of the transfiguration of Jesus into his heart. Brother George was holding the painting like a warrior to his shield, fighting off the blows of his attackers. The people looked at him as if he was a different person. The dragons were more dangerous than the crocodiles in the valley of death as they had the power to leave the underworld and annihilate the earth.

There were few sins but lots of problems making people's lives difficult. After confession many people received food from the monastery. Couples were invited to listen to the choir in the monastery or the lectures of the monks about the Bible. Children were taken on pilgrimages to give their parents a rest.

Many people wondered why so many good things happened after confession. Brother George kept saying it came from Jesus who listened to their prayers and sent his servant, Saint Peter to help. But Brother George was wrestling with the sins of people when he dove into people's lives to chase the demons away. His prayers became knives cutting off the evil spirits and destroying their eggs before they became apparent in the body.

Steve sat quietly in the confession box. He could see Brother George's strong cheekbones through the wood ornament for a moment.

"What are the monks doing in Saint Michael?" he asked.

"How many times have I told you to come here to confess your sins and not to ask questions," whispered Brother George. His face disappeared in the darkness and Steve could only see a shadow.

"I have seen the abbot and his monks carrying a skeleton into the monastery," said Steve.

"Steve. I am not going to tell you. You have not yet been initiated into all spiritual mysteries. You have to wait. After your confession you will be introduced into the mystery of Saint Michael."

That evening Steve saw Brother George with Brother Leo and Thomas walking quickly on the small path to the monastery. There was tension in the faces of Brother Benedict and Martin and they were walking hastily. Steve had never seen Benedict so distressed. Something extraordinary must have happened. Steve followed the men on the way to the monastery, ignoring all the warnings of Brother George. He was old enough to handle the truth no matter how frightening, he thought on the way up to the monastery.

Two monastic guards opened the wooden gate. The monastery was more like a fortress with all its armed guards patrolling ready to defend the treasures of the community against the thieves of the Roman Empire and King Bloodstone. The people of the village gave their most valued treasures, their spiritual encounters with God, captured on the soul paintings, to the monasteries. They were safe under the surveillance of the monks. King Bloodstone was afraid of the warrior monks who fought for the glory of Jesus Chris, Mary, the angels and Saints.

The wooden gate closed in front of Steve with a dull thud sounding like a stone falling into a deep fountain. Steve had spent a lot of time in the courtyard listening to Catherine singing in the choir. He knew the monastery like the pockets of his trousers. A monk had told him about a fox having killed some chickens recently. Steve found the spot where the fox was entering the monastery. The hole was narrow but big enough to squeeze his body through.

He crawled along the bottom of the walls. Black shadows fell on the freshly cut grass in the courtyard. Steve saw Brother George and Leo disappearing through the main gate. The light of a torch fluttered on the walls of the staircase. Steve felt the cold hard granite under his hands as he moved along the wall to the tower. The walls filled the fresh spring air with a dry smell. He entered the tower through the cellar underneath the kitchen. A staircase connected the kitchen with the cellar he was familiar with as he had helped the monks to carry grape juice to the tournament every spring.

He was in the corridors of the monastery when he heard the steps. He took his shoes and socks off and moved smoothly along the walls of the monastery like a mouse which had stolen cheese from the kitchen. He felt sand crumbling under his toes. Brother George and Leo had arrived in the second floor of the tower where the study of the monastery was. Monks were translating books they had received from the Holy Land. Mary Salome and Mary Jacobee had rescued secrets books of Jesus Christ and Mary from King Bloodstone in the Holy Land. The Romans attacked the monasteries where the books were kept when they became aware that the knowledge was empowering the newly born Christian communities to crush the Roman Empire.

The steps echoed on the pine boards. The smell of the pine wood took Steve's mind on a journey through the monastery of Saint Michael. He thought that the monastery was talking to him releasing its hidden secrets. He heard voices coming from all directions. The sweet smell of lavender filled the staircase. The voice of the abbot drifted toward him and soon after the heavy wooden door fell shut. There was a little window at the bottom of the door. Steve looked through the window.

The abbot put the map on the table.

"Thank you for coming into the monastery. Some extraordinary things have happened in Saint Michael. First I thought it was a coincidence but then I found out it was something much stranger. We found the remains of a skeleton in the rocks in the hills. We did not pay too much attention as we thought it must be the remains of an animal. But a monk pointed out that the bones were much bigger than any living animal. We found more skeletons of prehistoric animals. There must be thousands of fossils scattered in the region. They are huge. We found some which had the same shape as the dragon attacking the Christian villages. We found a mass grave of prehistoric animals. Thousands of them must have lost their lives in the mountains of the Angels millions of years ago. The place resembles a huge battlefield." The abbot pointed at the spot on the map.

"Evil is becoming more and more apparent. The sign of the dragon is a clear indication of the End Times," said Brother Leo.

"The woman and the dragon, Revelation chapter 12," said Brother Thomas and went on reading in the Bible he had composed:

"A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.

"Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for a thousand two hundred and sixty days."

"The woman and the dragon and the apocalypse are talking about dragons and Armageddon and the final battle between good and evil," said Brother Leo.

"But the battle of Armageddon is in the future not in the past," said Brother Benedict looking at the map on his table. Every cave in the mountains was marked on the paper.

"Life was created by God millions of years ago. The devil was meant to become an archangel as powerful as his brother, the Archangel Michael, but rose up against God and God threw him into hell." The abbot tapped the Mountains of Saint Michael.

"Do you mean that you have found the remains of the devil?" asked Brother George.

"Reality is not only what our hand can touch. There are many things which are hidden from our eyes," said the abbot.

"For example?" asked Brother Thomas.

"God, Jesus Christ, Mary, the angels and Saints. They are hidden from us but you can feel them. There is spirit and matter. You can touch matter and you can feel the Holy Spirit," answered the abbot.

"They are in your memory because you read about them in the Bible," said Brother Thomas.

"No. They exist in my mind because my soul knows about them," replied the abbot.

"The Holy Spirit is the savior of my body and soul and I would not be here without it."

"Who did they save you from?" asked Brother Thomas.

"They saved me from the fallen angels who have become sin. God threw the fallen angels into hell. The spirits, who were meant to live for the welfare of the creation of God turned into enemies of his creation. There was a battle between good and evil millions of years ago. The bones are proof of that battle. Evil is rising again against the human race and there will be a terrible battle. As it was in the past so it will be in the future."

"Do you think that the bodies of evil are emerging from hell and falling over us?" said Brother Thomas.

"Why has God not destroyed all evil?"

"God destroyed the bodies of evil but their souls prevailed. He put their souls into a prison. King Bloodstone managed to open the prison in darkness of the sea of death," said the abbot.

"It would explain why there is still so much evil in the world," said Brother Benedict.

"It would also explain why there is still sickness in the world," said Brother Leo.

"Evil has many faces. Two of the ugliest ones are Lucifer and Satan. Lucifer is the God of Venus. The name Satan comes from Set. Set was an Egyptian God and was accompanied by a snake called Apophis which tried to destroy the sun to bring darkness over the world," said Brother Benedict.

"We celebrate the victory over darkness on Christmas," said Brother George.

"We celebrate the victory of Jesus Christ over darkness. He came to this world to save our souls which were wandering through darkness. The sun in human beings is Jesus Christ. He saved our souls from going into darkness," said the abbot.

"I do not believe that any of the skeletons are either Set or Lucifer. However, one of the fossils could be Leviathan, the sea monster described in the Old Testament. There was a male and female Leviathan but they were destroying the world. God slew the female Leviathan and stored its body to be served at the feast of the righteous at the End of Times."

"If these fossils are the incarnation of evil or sin then they would exploit any weakness to abduct our souls into the kingdom of darkness," said Brother Leo.

"King Bloodstone is gathering all evil against God," said Brother Martin.

"And Jesus Christ is uniting the angels to defeat the demons," said Brother Benedict.

"The battle of All Saints is close," said Brother Martin.

"King Bloodstone is resurrecting sin from the chambers of death. I should have killed him when we rescued the Morning Star," said Brother George.

"You cannot kill somebody you do not know. Nobody has seen King Bloodstone yet. We have only heard of him," said the abbot.

"His soul is older than yours, Brother George. Only Jesus Christ and the archangels can challenge him," said Brother Martin.

"It happened in the past and will happen in the future. There is no future without past and no past without future," said Brother Benedict.

"The future is the child of the past," said Brother Martin.

"But there will be a time without evil and this time is coming soon," said Brother Benedict.

"The creatures of the Underworld are a reflection of our sins. They are fed by our sins," said Brother Leo.

"Sins are lying on a lower level of our conscience we are not aware of," concluded Brother Benedict.

"God created our soul before he created our bodies. Our soul is an angel who lived on earth," said Brother Leo.

"And was killed in the Battle of All Saints. God saved the angel by creating human beings," said the abbot.

"Do you mean that we are angels?" asked Brother Thomas.

"Body and soul are different. The soul is spiritual and know God," replied the abbot.

"There are so many mysteries in the spiritual world of God. This is just one and will be revealed to you at All Saints Day when we will travel back in time to the birth of our souls." said the abbot.

"God will reveal the mystery of the Queen of Heaven next to us."

"Brother Benedict and Sister Verena are supposed to be going to Mount Mary to celebrate the feast of Annunciation with the orphans," said Brother George.

"We'd better cancel the pilgrimage to Mount Mary this year. It is too dangerous," said Brother Thomas.

"The orphans are looking forward to the first pilgrimage in spring," said Brother George.

"I will send you some monks on the way to protect you against the attacks of King Bloodstone," said the abbot.

After a little pause, Brother George said.

"I will stay here and look for the children who have been abducted by the dragon. I will leave no stone untouched until I have found them."

"I think you should take a painting of the lost sheep to Mount Mary to the Celebration of the Annunciation."

"We cannot hold Saint Peter much longer. I am afraid I have to tell you. We will have to bring all our soul paintings to Mount Mary, the mountains of the angels and Mount Jesus where they are safe," said the abbot.

"What do you mean?" asked Brother George.

"I met the abbots of Mount Mary, the Mountain of the Angels and Mount Jesus recently. They said that the Romans are planning a devastating attack.

"The good shepherd gives his life for his sheep. Saint Peter is built on a rock and I will not move from here," said Brother George.

"Do not be stubborn. We have to leave Saint Peter eventually," said the abbot.

"Can I see the fossils you found at the Mountain of the Angels?" asked Brother Thomas.

The abbot looked at the floor and then said,

"Are you all ready to go on your pilgrimage, Benedict?" ignoring Brother Thomas' question.

"Can I see the skeletons?" insisted Brother Thomas.

"I warn you! Do not go close! These fossils are the archetypes of evil. This predator fish has been killing for millions of years. Look at its teeth! They are massive and can tear a whale apart. Their hunger has burnt a hole in the earth. Murder, greed, addiction and hate; the sins of the old world are captured in the cosmic hell," said the abbot still looking at the floor.

"If you come in contact with the fossils you get sucked into the spiral of evil. We have seen good tempered monks turning into beasts. Only the bravest can escape their bad influence. I am making sure that there are at least three monks together in the caves at all times."

"The fossils are the incarnation of evil. Leviathan is one of the guardians of hell," said Brother Benedict.

"The dragons appear to be puppies compared with the fossils you have discovered. God have mercy on us when the gates of hell open and King Bloodstone releases Leviathan and Behemoth," said the abbot.

"How can evil escape a cosmic grave and become alive?" asked Brother Thomas.

"We will find out. King Bloodstone is a mastermind of evil," said the abbot.

Winter fell back on Saint Peter. A cold wind blew from the Mountains in the North and brought winter back. The wind was howling over the mountains with a terrible noise. It sounded like tools producing weapons of destruction for the army of evil.

The storm lasted for days but then the black clouds disappeared. The mild southerly wind chased the clouds away and spring came back. The Rhone carried the melted snow from the mountains into the valleys rising like green bowls out of the landscape.

The memories of the liturgical year were melting with the snow and flowing through Steve's mind when he was following the river down the mountains. The advent time had become a stream of pictures leaving its footprints in the soul which was like a spiritual memory.

Steve's mind as he followed the river down the mountains. The Advent time had become a stream of pictures leaving its footprints in the memory of the soul. The feast of Annunciation was rising on the horizon like the sun in the morning. He took a rest at the shore of the river and listened to the waves of the Rhone thundering down from the mountains. The old people in the village said that the river had its source in the earth and flowed through the earth before reaching the surface at Mount Mary.

A fish was hiding behind a stone in the water and reminded him of the insignia on the walls of the monastery. The tumbling noise of the water blended in with the bells of Saint Peter, inviting the faithful for prayers. The river foam embraced the sound of the bells. They danced like bridal couples over the rainbows gleaming like visions over the liturgical year.

Thick stone walls surrounded the monastery and protected Saint Peter against its enemies. A fish was painted on the wall at the right side of the entrance. A painting of an elephant was at the left side.

The choir in the monastery chapel was rehearsing a song in veneration of Mary. Steve listened to the melody. The male voices in the choir were strong like the sun in the summer. The female voices blended into the melody like moonshine. They were tender like the first winter snow. The voices shone like stars in the sky.

Steve walked slowly in front of the chapel, careful not to disturb the rehearsal. The choir fell silent. Then he heard the voice of the abbot. The door of the chapel opened and the members of the choir poured into the courtyard. The courtyard was filled with the smell of roses. Catherine stepped out of the chapel. She smiled when she saw Steve and walked down the steps.

The Dragon Abducts Jack

Jack sat in a carriage Brother George built for him. His old horse was trotting in front of him pulling the wagon over the narrow path connecting Saint Peter and Saint Andrew together.

Jack had saved enough money to organize the most beautiful wedding Saint Peter had ever seen. Everybody was invited. They would all meet at the church and he would hold the hand of his bride, Margaret, when standing in front of the altar. Brother George would conduct the wedding. Jack was in the seventh heaven with all the angels playing the harps. He felt as if a thousand butterflies were caressing him at the same time, butterflies which had been sitting on spring flowers, filling the air with sweet-smelling pollen. Everything around him was in harmony. Emotions were sweeping through his body like the waves of the river flowing through the green valleys. He could not think properly anymore. His emotions took control over his mind. He wanted to go to church and thank God for the fortune he had bestowed on him.

Jack did not see the black shadow following behind him as walked down to Saint Peter. The dragon had left the valley of death and flew down onto a hill overlooking the field where Jack was walking. The dragon sat in a tree, watching Jack's movement. Unlike the guardian angels protecting, praising and guiding humans on the way to heaven, the dragons accused humans to take their self-esteem and drag them on the way to darkness. God had killed the dragons millions of years ago but their evil deeds survived in the consciousness of the world. King Bloodstone had found a way to use the evil of the dragons to enhance his power and make war against the human beings on earth because he wanted the earth for himself. The dragons targeted the vulnerable, children and elderly people and were sent by the conspirators living in the sea of death. The dragon charged down from a tree stretching its legs revealing three razor-sharp claws winking in the sun light. The claws grasped Jack around his neck and lifted him in the air. The dragon flew into the mountains where it was hiding the children of Saint Peter in a cave.

A woman had seen the attack and went straight to Saint Peter. There was big grief over the loss of Jack. Everybody had forgiven him for the incidence in the church a few weeks ago.

Families gathered at home praying for the children and Jack. The praying candles initiated at the feast of Mary Light mass were burning behind the windows. More and more lights were lit and the village looked like a field of lights moving in prayers. People gathered in the church to share their grief. The church was filled with burnt incent and candle wax. The wall paintings appeared like doves flying to Mount Jesus and then to the mountains of the angels to proclaim the abduction of the children and Jack. The church bell was ringing hastily like the breath of the sheep dog when they went out to find a lost sheep. The church of Saint Peter was filled with praying people. A painter put a drawing with Jesus holding a lost sheep in his arms on the altar.

"The lost sheep, Luke chapter 15," said Brother Thomas.

The congregation followed the abbot and the two boys who carried the soul painting to the monastery. Warrior monks from Saint Peter stood with their spears and swords in front of the entrance into the mountain of memory. An altar boy disappeared with the soul painting in the dark cave.

The Pilgrimage to Mount Mary

It was the day before Annunciation. The excitement was high and the spirit flew like an eagle over the mountains of the angels. The pilgrims met in front of the church. The dew was on the fields and filled the air with a strong smell.

Brother Benedict left the orphanage followed by Verena and the orphans. The forest was filled with the singing of birds announcing a new day. It was as if the birds knew about the pilgrimage to Mount Mary and could not wait to follow the pilgrims on their spiritual journey. The smell of freshly baked bread accompanied them on the narrow path. The moon was disappearing. Its silver shine reflected on the surface of a pond like the wings of a bird following the night in its sleep. The cheerful voices of children echoed over the fields and hills, filling the village. The early morning was filled with the strong smell of spring rising from the warm earth.

Steve arrived. He immediately looked for Catherine. When he could not find her among the waiting children and youth groups, he became worried. Brother Benedict was talking to Brother Leo.

A clanking noise penetrated the forest. A boy opened the door of the church shed. A strong man with a grey beard appeared behind the blaze of a fire. It was Brother George holding the hammer in his right hand, hitting the red hot iron which he pulled out of the fire. Sparks flew like stars in a summer night over the ambos. When he finished he gave the wheel to two boys who rolled it through the shed. Three men tried and failed to put the wheel on the chariot carrying the orphans to Mount Mary. Brother George observed the men before he lost his patience.

"Go away," he said to the men and boys.

He lifted the wagon himself with his left arm and put the wheel on the axis with his right hand.

Brother George left the stable with two horses. He harnessed the wagon to the horses. Then he asked Steve to follow him in the shed. He took a red-hot iron out of the fire. The iron was gradually taking shape under the strong blows of the hammer. Sparks jumped from the iron block into the air.

"May these sparks become a fire in our hearts and inspire our lives like the Holy Spirit," said Brother George.

Then he cooled the iron in a wooden barrel filled with water. Vapor clouds shot with a hissing sound out of the barrel and rose into the air like snakes.

"The Morning Star will allow Saint Peter to use the resources of the earth for the benefit of the world. I will show you what we are going to do with the iron," said Brother George and went to the adjacent shed followed by Steve.

Iron wheels lined the walls of the shed.

"These wheels will soon be stuck on wagons carrying goods from Saint Peter to Mount Mary. The Morning Star will help us to produce the best steel in the world. Every village needs wagons like that and we will produce them. They will create plenty of jobs and help hundreds of fathers to feed their families. We have been victorious because we resisted Queen Jezebel and kept faithful to our Lord, Jesus Christ. Our success filled us with courage and inspiration to produce our own goods," said Brother George. The smithy was built into a hill. Brother George took the Holy Lance out of a gap in the granite rock.

"The water from Mount Mary, the ore from the mountains and the heat of the morning star will help us to build the best wagon in the whole world.

Brother George opened the gate of his shed and stepped outside.

"The Holy Lance will protect us against our enemies. Maurice brought the lance from Jerusalem. It belonged to a Roman officer with the name of Casius Longinus. Cassius Longinus was the first to declare that Jesus Christ was God. The Lance carries the breath of Jesus Christ. Jesus cleared hell from all demons when he descended to hell for three days as his father did. He was resurrected from the dead and ascended to his father in heaven. The three Mary, Mary Salome, Jacobee and Magdalene, went to the tomb of Jesus to anoint his body. They met an angel declaring that Jesus had risen from death. Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene personally. I am talking about the mystery of Easter and it is not Easter yet," said Brother George holding the Holy Lance in his right hand.

"The lance changes the nature of things. It turns destruction into construction and demons into angels. It is an engine of creation and stronger than the rod of Aaron. The breath of Jesus Christ is in the Holy Lance. Jesus Christ won a triumphant victory when he descended into hell to rise with the lost souls into heaven. God killed Leviathan with this Lance. He handed it down to the Archangel Michael, who killed the dragon attacking our Holy mother Mary, the queen of heaven."

"You will discover the mystery of Annunciation tomorrow. The second holy mystery of Mary," said Brother George. He swung his right arm backwards then he threw the spear towards the mountains in the north. The dark entrances of the caves appeared in the forests. The spear hit a tree in the forest. A group of boys followed the lance. The strongest amongst them grasped the Lance with both hands and tried to pull it out of the tree but did not manage. Another boy grabbed the spear and pulled it vigorously but without success. More boys came to the rescue. The boys hung off the Holy Lance like bees on a beehive but the spear had stuck deep in the trunk and would not move one bit.

"They will be busy for a while," said Brother George, walking into the shed.

"Are you going to run up the mountain to the Shrine of Saint Mary together with the monks of Saint Peter today?"

"Yes, I will and I cannot wait to compete with the monks and see if I am as strong as they are," replied Steve smiling.

"Good. You need to work on your stamina. The football tournament is coming up soon. We will need some strong runners to win. I was thinking of getting the team together next week and do some training. What do you think?"

"Good idea Brother George," said Steve following him.

"I want to show you my latest invention, Steve." Brother George and took another lance from the wall.

"What do you think about that?" He stuck the Lance in the air.

"We can defend ourselves against our enemies attacking us from their horses," said Brother George pointing to the ceiling.

"I hope that will teach them to leave us in peace." He gave the weapon to Steve, who held it in both hands.

"It is quite heavy," said Steve and pointed the weapon to the ceiling of the shed as if he was attacked by a soldier. Then he gave the lance back to George.

"But first..." said Brother George.

"What first?" asked Steve.

"First we have to rescue the children and Jack from the dragon," said Brother George.

"Can I see Pegasus?" asked Steve after a pause.

"Sure," answered George and went to the stable.

Pegasus stood still in the stable eating straw.

"Pegasus is fast like the wind and agile like a cat. You do not have to fear anything with a horse like that," said Brother George and stroked the horse's neck.

"Is it true that a warhorse protects its master when he falls on the ground?" asked Steve looking at the strong leg muscles of the horse.

"Sure it does. It does not move from your side. It is prepared to die for you. That is how loyal they are. Pegasus is a gift. He was given to me by a Persian officer when I served for the Roman Army. Our legion was ordered to go to Persia. In Damascus I met a group of Christians who told me about Jesus Christ who conquered the world not with bloodshed but with love. I felt a strong desire to learn more about Jesus. The more I heard of him the more I detested my life as a soldier. I wanted to serve Jesus with all my heart and soul. Then I came in a village in Persia. The village was attacked by bandits. I helped to defend the village. I know quite a lot about defending people from what I have learnt in all the conflicts I have been involved in. We managed to defend the village successfully. The citizen gave me Pegasus as a token for my help." Brother George clapped on Pegasus on the neck.

"I would like to become a warrior monk and defend the Christian villages," said Steve.

"Soldiers are like angels if they fight for the right cause. But they are demons if they fight for the wrong cause," said Brother George turning away from Pegasus.

"How can somebody know if he is fighting for the right cause?" asked Steve.

"You have to learn to distinguish between good and evil. Jesus Christ will teach you. You are only allowed to fight when you or your loved ones are threatened. Never attack somebody because his beliefs are different from yours. People might think differently but their hearts long for love and peace. Humans should not fight against each other. The fight is not against humans. It is against the great conspirator and his army of evil in the world of evil. He poisons the hearts of nations and stirs them up against each other. God wants to unite us. King Bloodstone wants to separate us to ruin our souls, which are mean to be with God."

"What is this?" Steve picked up a drawing.

"It is a thought of mine. I was thinking of building a rail made out of steel to Mount Mary," said Brother George pointing at the wagon.

"It would be pulled by horses," said Steve and pointed to the four horses on the picture.

"When we defeat Bloodstone and his warriors we will be given a new source of energy," said George.

"What energy?" asked Steve.

"The solution of problems in this world is hidden in our neighbors. God puts dreams into our minds which are the keys to new knowledge. We all get bits and pieces of this dream. Together we can bring these dreams to reality. That is why we have to stay together and communicate with each other because our neighbor might have the next piece of the dream. God lays the keys for future solutions into our hearts," said Brother George.

"What happens if the person who holds a vital part of the solution is missing?" asked Steve.

"That is exactly what happened to us. Jack holds the mystery to a new invention and is therefore persecuted by King Bloodstone who does not want us to prosper. He does not want us to have the superior knowledge of God and is therefore trying to eliminate us. But his days are numbered. The Holy Lance is going to bring us one innovation after another. It will build a stairway to heaven feeding many families in the future," said Brother George.

Brother Benedict's voice came from outside:

"Is everybody ready? We are leaving to visit the queen of heaven," he said laughing.

Brother George was holding the painting of the lost sheep as he left the shed.

"Wait. You forgot something. Give this painting as a present to the monastery of Saint Mary,' said Brother George running behind the wagon.

Marc stuck his head and arms out of the wagon and took the painting.

"You have to promise me to hold on to this painting whatever happens," Brother George said.

"If somebody wants to take it away from you, hold it tighter. It is your father's soul painting and will get him out of the claws of the dragon."

The horses pulled the wagon up the hill.

"Wait, wait," shouted a voice.

The baker and his son ran up the hill.

"Unfortunately we cannot come but I pray that the children and Jack will be released from the dragon. Take this with you," he said and swung the basket full of freshly baked bread onto the back of the wagon.

The Soldiers of Skulls and Bones Attack the Orphans

The wagon moved along the narrow path leading through the forests of the Mountains of the Angels. The monks ran next to the wagon. The golden color of their shields glistened on the white sides of the wagon looking like the wings of guardian angels protecting the orphans. They moved swiftly over the path. Four monks protected the back of the wagon. Brother George stood in front of his shed, waving to the pilgrims until they disappeared in the dark forest.

John, a fourteen-year old boy with crippled legs, was among the children sitting in the wagon. Many children were suffering from injuries incurred during the brutal raids of the Romans. The pilgrimage to Saint Mary gave them new hope for recovery. John had coped with his disability for many years. He lived in the orphanage and did not know his parents.

When the sun came down over Mount Mary his life would be changed. A miracle was going to happen and change his life forever.

The prayers and songs from the church echoed in the minds of the orphans. Their destiny weighed on them like a leaden coat. Mary was going to lift the coat and give them feathers instead to fly to freedom.

Many children cared for their sick parents and never left home. They felt as if they were locked up in prisons sometimes. Mary had opened the prison and set them free. The steps of the horses were flaps of wings carrying them closer to heaven, carrying them to the queen of heaven. Every breath of the horses on the way to the mountain was a breath of freedom and brought the orphans closer to Jesus Christ. For many the burden of life had become too heavy so they gave the cross to their friend, Jesus Christ, who supported them.

The path went through the green valley, the cornfield bent in the mild wind as if it was praying for the pilgrims. It was the orphans' day. The wind streamed through the wheat. A deer grazing at the edge of a nearby forest raised its head and observed the pilgrims as they moved up the mountain. The horses stamped over the steep path and their hoofs drummed on the rocky path whilst the children dreamt of a new life; free of sufferings and persecution.

The turning wheels of the wagon were carrying the orphans into the mountain. The wheels never stood still like the flow of time. The monks scrutinized the region for ambushes and attackers.

Brother Benedict was walking quietly praying and meditating on the Bible. Every step brought his spirit closer to eternity. Every path was a new encounter with God. He was repeating the sentence:

"God have mercy on me, God have mercy on me... over and over again. This meditation combined with the movement of the body left footprints in his soul. Spiritual visions were flying from deep in his soul to heaven. He walked in the ethereal sphere of his being. A vision of the dragon appeared in his mind. Mary conquered the shadows introducing the process of the purification opening the mind to new spiritual experience. Melodies were playing in his mind. Then in a moment of ecstasy all these feelings melted together into a powerful vision. He was walking over a rainbow, touching heaven.

Marc told the children on the wagon the story of the lost sheep. Bible stories were lay like pearls in the sand of the ocean.

The company of the Holy mother of God walked higher and higher into the mountains. Brother Benedict was praying for his old friends in the village of Agaunum where he grew up. He prayed for the dead and the living. He prayed for a childhood friend of his who died early. Then he remembered a man from Saint Peter who had committed suicide. He sank into the death journey of the man and lifted his soul up to heaven. Brother Benedict was caught by a deep inner feeling. Emotions swept through his mind like the waves in an ocean. The evening was strengthening and the day was declining. Verena walked next to Brother Benedict. She was watching the tears rolling over his cheeks.

"Why do you cry?" she asked.

"I was crying for a man who committed suicide. I have seen his soul in purgatory. I am not even sure if I saw his or my soul. I am not sure if I was praying for him or me. Can we feel for others or are we only prisoners of our own world? Can we feel for somebody else and love our neighbor, Verena?" asked Brother Benedict.

"What you can feel for yourself, you can also feel for somebody else. God has guided your prayers to a poor soul. As long as we are remembered by someone we can escape hell. God wants that all our souls go to heaven. If a human being dies without being remembered, Jesus Christ puts the memory of this person into the conscience of another human being to pray for the soul." Verena listened to the wheel of the wagon which was turning relentlessly like a watermill in a river.

Marc sat in the wagon holding the painting of the lost sheep as the wagon moved up and down. When they arrived at the Blue Water Lake they took a rest. The lake was embedded in a meadow. The soil close to the lake was soaked with water. The air was filled with an earthly taste. Fruit trees grew in the fields.

Brother Benedict watched the sky and saw heavy black clouds creeping over the mountains. The wind started howling, chasing leaves over the path. The noise became stronger like a hungry animal searching for prey. A monk whispered something in Brother Benedict's ear. The friendly features disappeared suddenly out of Brother Benedicts face and he went still as a pillar of salt. Steve had never seen his face so frightened. A monk turned around and ran into the nearby forest which fell steeply down into the valley of Saint Peter. It was quiet for a moment. The howling of the wind dissipated, as if the hungry animal had found another victim to attack.

Memories of All Saints Day jumped into Brother Benedict's mind. He prayed for the poor souls in hell. Then the storm returned. The howling of the wind became stronger again. The wind tore a young pine tree out of the rock. Stones rolled down into the deep gorge. The horses tore their heads to and fro in horror. They bared their teeth as if something was tormenting them. The noise of the wind became excruciating and the orphans closed their ears. The horses were frightened by the immediate danger. Steve's sheep dog was lying flat on the ground, his ears flat to his head.

Knights on black horses appeared in the dark clouds. They carried black shields and wore silver iron helmets charging toward the pilgrims. The soldiers of Skulls and Bones brought the horses to an abrupt halt right in front of the wagon.

Catherine held Steve's hand firmly and said,

"Even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me."

"Psalm 23," said Steve.

"Where do you go my friends?" said a soldier of King Bloodstone in a rough voice. He alighted from his horse. The earth trembled when his massive body struck the surface of the rocky ground. His apron was soiled with the blood of the innocent children he had killed.

"Have you something to eat for us?" he asked.

His voice came from deep down his guts and sounded like the beats of drums. He lifted the basket of bread from the chariot with his sword. He threw the buns to the soldiers gathering around him as if he was feeding hungry beasts. When he finished all the bread, he grabbed a basket of fruit from the wagon. He discovered Marc holding the painting of the lost sheep in his arms.

"What have we got here?" said the knight of Skulls and Bones.

Marc looked in his scowling face. Deep scares slashed his face like the gills of a fish. He reached for the painting in Marc's hands. He took the painting with his left hand and tried to tear it out of Marc's arms.

"This painting belongs to my father," said Marc and pressed the painting close to his chest.

"Shut up you little imbecile. Everything on the surface of this planet comes from the Underworld. King Bloodstone has a keen interest in Bible paintings as he wants to open his own church soon and decorate it with all your miraculous paintings," The knight of Skulls and Bones laughed cynically and tore the painting aggressively out of the Marc's arms.

"The boy is right. The painting belongs to his father and not King Bloodstone. So, please give it back to him," said one of the monks who were coming closer to the knight.

"Go to the deepest hell," hissed the and raised his sword storming towards the monk.

The monk waited for the attack and stepped to the right. The sword of the attacker smashed on the ground. When the knight of blood and bones recovered from his failed attack he became even angrier. He took the sword from the ground and directed a heavy blow against the monk who raised his shield. The sword hit the shield like the sting of a scorpion. The monk drew his shield closer to his body and waited for another blow. When the sword hit the monk's shield he moved quickly from underneath and hit out vigorously against his attacker. He managed to disarm the knight.

The surrounding soldiers of King Bloodstone realized that the knight was losing the battle and attacked the monk. The other monks in between and a fierce battle started.

The children in the wagon moved closer together as the battle grew more and more intense. The crying and shouting of the fighting warriors filled the children with fear. The leader of the soldiers who did not get involved in the battle appeared on a hill. He blew a grey twisted horn resonating dull in the breaking of the evening. The sound of the horn signaled the retreat of the warriors as they were losing the battle against the monks. The chief signaled with his hands. The warriors of Bloodstone immediately advanced to the hill towards their leader. They looked angrily down to the pilgrims. Then they disappeared into the dark forest.

Lights in the Night

Brother Benedict ran to the wagon. The children huddled close to each other. The fear of the attack was written in their faces. The attack had destroyed a beautiful dream. Brother Benedict saw the fears in their eyes and started thinking about how he could put the pieces of the broken dream together.

"You were very brave," he said to the children in the wagon.

"They did not get the painting with the lost sheep from me," said Marc, holding the painting in the air.

"You are a hero Marc. You resisted the attack of the soldiers of blood and bones," said Brother Leo.

Brother Leo looked to the mountains in the west. The sun was about to disappear behind the mountain top.

"Can you see Mount Mary over there? The top of the mountain is crowned by stars. The moon lies under her feet." he said to the children pointing to the mighty mountain in the east.

"Watch the sky! Night is falling on the mountains soon. We need to hurry up if we want to reach the hostel of the Lady of the Mountain today," said Benedict becoming nervous.

The pilgrims walked into the dust. The path disappeared into a forest. They were going fast but darkness caught up with them. Brother Benedict overtook the others and marched in front but he could not see any further than ten meters. Brother Leo came next to him and asked,"

"Can you see the hostel of the Lady of the Mountains in the darkness?"

"No, but we cannot be too far away," answered Benedict trying to spot the hostel.

The shadow of a rock fell on the white cover of the wagon when they crossed a forest. Night had caught up with them. Benedict stared into the mountains. They appeared threatening, like a huge wall poised to fall on the earth.

The hoot of an owl sounded from the near forest. A crackling noise came out of the woods. They looked into the dark forest but could not see anything. The noise became stronger. A dear jumped up and ran into the open. It was frightened off by something. The night was deepening and they could not see their hands in front of their eyes.

"We are lost in the night," said Brother Benedict lighting a torch.

Another light appeared in the darkness.

"Lights in the night," he said quietly.

"Philippians 2," said Brother Thomas who stood next to him.

"No. It is for real. Watch there," said Benedict and pointed to the light moving between the trees.

A person became visible in the bright light of a lantern. The light illuminated an old man with a long, white beard. He wore a big black robe. Next to him walked a sheep dog.

"It is the old shepherd," said Brother Benedict smiling.

"Yes, it is me, Brother Benedict," said the old man, who recognized Benedict's voice immediately.

"What are you here doing so late in the evening?" asked the old shepherd.

"We are on our way to Mount Mary," answered Brother Benedict.

"I do not see well but I hear everything. My dog does not hear anything but sees everything. Together we are the light. We have many enemies but only one friend, Jesus Christ. We hide from King Bloodstone and his warriors during the day and walk at night. We carry the Holy Spirit and prayers through the darkness to the celebration of Annunciation at the Mount Mary," said the shepherd holding the walking stick.

"Good to see you old shepherd. We were attacked by the knights of King Bloodstone not far away from here. We lost so much time. There is no way we will get to mount Mary tonight," said Brother Benedict.

"Stay at the hostel of the lady in the mountains. It is not far away from here," said the old shepherd

patting his dog on the neck.

Abraham wagged his tail excitedly.

"Go and say hello to the children,' said the old shepherd to the dog.

"He likes children very much and makes sure nobody gets hurt. He brings them back when they are lost."

"It is a beautiful dog indeed. How far is it to the hostel?" asked Brother Benedict.

"The hostel is just behind this mountain here, "said the old shepherd and pointed to the spot where the path disappeared into the trees.

"We are tired and need a rest. Are you coming with us?" asked Brother Benedict.

"No. I have to walk. I want to be at Mount Mary before sun rise," said the old shepherd.

"So we shall see you for the celebration of Annunciation tomorrow," said Benedict.

"Yes, you will see me at the celebration of our gracious mother of God. God bless you all," said the old shepherd lifting his lantern whose light was flickering in the night.

The light of his lantern moved in the darkness like the Morning Star showing the way to Bethlehem.

The Return of the Enemy

The roofs of the hostel rose in the evening night. It looked like the sail of a ship anchored in a harbor after a long voyage in the sea. For Steve and the novice monks who ran up the mountains the hostel looked more like an oasis in the desert.

The hostel stood on a meadow at the edge of the mountain and had been destroyed many times by the Romans and then rebuilt to accommodate the pilgrims. The hostel was wrapped in the silvery light of the moon. Marc proudly carried the painting of the lost sheep under his right arm. He looked like an angel carrying a prayer into heaven. The painting was wrapped in a rug.

The pilgrims went into the dining room. Other pilgrims, who had arrived earlier sat around the tables eating and drinking. A middle-aged man with a black beard abruptly stopped talking and observed Brother Benedict unwrapping the painting with the lost sheep. It was quiet. Even a grain of sand falling on the floor could have been heard. Everybody was watching Jesus Christ holding the sheep in his arms. Two monks entered the dining room with another painting.

"We have brought you something," said Brother Benedict to the hostess, and pulled the rug away from the wooden frame.

The Lady of the Mountains and her two sons moved closer to the painting. It was a painting of the last supper. The Lady of the Mountains and her family stared at the painting as if they were seeing a candle burning on a Christmas tree in a dark room.

"It is a present from the abbot and the community of Saint Peter. A gift to reward the hospitality and kindness of your family has given to the pilgrims over the years. Our prayers have gone out to you and your family. Especially when your son, Christian, was abducted by the knights of King Bloodstone," said Brother Benedict.

"I am so overwhelmed with kindness. I have heard about the dragon kidnapping the children into the caves in the mountains of death. I pray day and night that they will be released and the terror of the dragons will end," said the Lady of the Mountains.

"The dragon has taken Jack hostage. There are at least two dozen children in his power," said Brother Leo.

"Yes, I have heard of Jack's disappearance. I wake up in the middle of the night persecuted by nightmares, thinking the dragon is going to attack the hostel of our Lady soon," said the Lady of the Mountains.

"Brother George is convinced that the hostages are still alive and well. He said that he will do everything in his power to deliver them from the power of King Bloodstone," said Brother Benedict.

"Strange things have happened recently: the disappearance of the children and the pollution of the air, earth and water. Have you seen the trees in the mountains lately? It is spring and the leaves are not getting green. The leaves are weathering as if winter was not far away. The trees are dying. The water in the river is poisonous. Black clouds are creeping over the mountains with white and yellow swathes looking like the eggs of dragons. The end of the world must be near," said the Lady of the Mountains.

"What is causing the pollution?" asked Steve.

"Some shepherds from the mountains said that they had spotted a huge shadow circling over Mount Mary at night time. We had the most beautiful sunrises in the mountains. But more and more often we see dark shadows hanging over the green meadows," said the Lady of the Mountains.

"Where do the clouds come from?" asked Steve sitting at the table with a piece of bread in his hands.

"The Lady of the Mountains poured soup in his coup. "You must be hungry."

"The Shepherds believe that the dragons of the sea of death are damaging the elements. The dragons pollute the air and the earth and the snake destroys the water," said a pilgrim who was listening to the conversation.

The man with the black beard raised his voice:

"And who is in power of the dragon? Who tells them to go out and destroy your mountains and lakes? Who do you think is bringing these catastrophes on us? Is the sign on your shields not a dragon? Are the paintings on the monasteries of Saint Mary and Mount Jesus not dragons and fish?"

"You are misinformed. An elephant and a fish are on the wall of the monasteries," said Brother Leo.

"I am sure that the abbot and the monks know more then they admit. They must have some connection to King Bloodstone. Why do you think the abbot disappears all the whole time?" said the stranger.

"Who are you?" asked Brother Benedict.

"My name is not important," said the stranger, starring at the wooden table.

"Get more information from the monks."

"I have served the monastery for many years. I would have noticed if they had hurt human beings and nature," said Brother Benedict.

"What is your degree? Have you been introduced to the secrets of Set?" asked the man who did not want to be recognized.

"We do not believe in degrees. We do not follow Set, the Egyptian God of chaos and his followers. We seek the wisdom of God and worship the only true God, the god of Abraham and Jesus Christ. We are also venerating Mary, the Angels and Saints. We do not strive for power and control of the material world. We are searching for wisdom as wisdom is the gate to heaven," said Brother Benedict.

"Some of the monks also worship Sophia," said the stranger.

"Apostle John called Mary, the virgin Sophia. She is the incarnation of the wisdom of God. She is part of God and the bringer of the Holy Spirit," said Brother Benedict.

"Do you also serve King Bloodstone?" asked the stranger.

"We never have and we never will. King Bloodstone is a false God. He is the angel of death. He controls the material world and denies the spiritual world of God."

"The dragon is powerful and might bring you big fortunes," said the stranger sneering at Brother Benedict.

"The dragon takes away from the poor to give to the rich. Greed hangs around his neck like a tombstone. Never is never enough and the end of never is hell," said Brother Benedict.

"Has anybody been to the celebration of the guardian angels this year?" asked Brother Leo.

There was silence.

"I have not been there personally but I have seen some pilgrims recently who went there and brought me this painting," said the Lady of the Mountains and pointed to the painting on the chimney breast.

The yellow color of the fire blended in with the red colors in the picture depicting the three arch angels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

"If God and angels existed why did the guardian angels not bring the children back to their families? Why are they not helping Jack?" asked the pilgrim of death.

"Excuse me. These men together with Brother George, Maurice and Julian rescued my son from the dragons in the Underworld," said the Lady of the Mountains.

"You believe in phantoms," said the stranger. There is no God, angels or saints in this world. There is no mercy, kindness and love. Everybody is fighting for himself and the strongest will survive and reach the top to drink the blood of the dragons. The more we drink, the stronger we become. Having mercy for the poor is self-pity as you can only perceive what is in you. The disappearance of the poor is a normal process as the weak needs to make space for the strong."

"I will talk with you about evil when you are sick. We are born weak and die weak. We need somebody to care for us when we are babies and we need somebody to care for us when we are sick. Weakness is our nature otherwise we would not need our god, Jesus Christ," said Brother Benedict.

"We cannot answer these questions today. The children are tired and should go to bed now," said Verena who did not want the children to be exposed to the discussion any longer.

Steve sat on a tree trunk in front of the hostel. The moon stood high over the mountains. It was quit. He could hear the voices of the pilgrims. A gentle wind blew through the pine trees surrounding the hostel. Steve heard the voice of an owl. The meadows floated like islands in the moonshine.

When Brother Benedict went back to his friends, the stranger had disappeared.

Brother Leo came into the dining room.

"What is going on here? Why did you dispatch monks to the village?" asked Brother Leo, who was becoming very unsure about the situation.

"I did not want to tell anybody but there is evidence that the monastery of Mount Mary is going to be attacked at the feast of Annunciation. I sent a message to Brother George asking for help," said Brother Benedict.

"How do you know that the monastery is under threat?" asked Brother Leo.

"I saw the eyes of chaos in the black clouds" Brother Benedict said. "King Bloodstone is observing the monastery to launch an attack. He hates Mary because she has rescued our souls in the past as and will do so again at the celebration of All Saints with her son, Jesus Christ. You can only get to the father through the son and you can only get to the son through the mother. King Bloodstone wants to kill Mary so she cannot give birth to Jesus Christ." Brother Benedict reading in Revelations.
"Then the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who "will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for one thousand, twelve hundred and sixty days. Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But the dragon was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him," said Brother Benedict and closed the Bible.

"Revelations 12 is going to be revealed to us tomorrow. Let us get some sleep. We have to get up early in the morning," said Brother Benedict leaving the dining room.
A wonderful day awakened in the mountains and valleys. The dew dripped down from the grass. Little drops where scattered over the meadows glittering like diamonds in the morning sun. Cold air was rising from the grass. For a moment winter emerged from the sea of the seasons again. Winter was jealous of his younger brother spring grabbing the sunlight from his hand. Spring appeared in his colorful dress full of joy and strength fighting against his brother for the crown of the seasons.

The sun rose higher and higher whilst the seasons were fighting. The valleys woke up from deep dreams and nature reached out its hands to the sun. A mild wind carried the strong scent of wheat and corn over the valley.

The Monastery of Mount Mary

Brother Benedict stood in front of the hostel, starring down into the valley. The day was clear and he could see the Mountain of the Angels in the distance between meadows and fields stretching like a bow over the valley. Benedict's heart was filled with deep joy and he started praising God.

After breakfast the pilgrims walked into the morning. The Lady of the Mountains stood in front of the hostel waving goodbye.

Hundreds of pilgrims came from the valleys to celebrate the feast of Annunciation at Mount Mary. The prayers of the pilgrims blended into the warm morning like a melody directed by an invisible conductor. Each pilgrim played a different instrument. The pilgrims prayed out of the depths of their hearts and souls. Brother Benedict was praying the Rosary. His voice became stronger and stronger. He closed his eyes. The catharsis of the mind cleansed his soul to receive the wisdom of God. When he opened his eyes again he recognized the Mountain of Jesus in the far distance. He saw the cross on Mount Jesus stretching into the blue sky. An image of pilgrims carrying the cross to Mount Jesus on Easter passed his mind. His thoughts fell into the memory of his soul. Christmas was still resonating strongly in his memory. He prayed for Jack and all the children who had been kidnapped by the dragon.

Verena always knew when Brother Benedict was praying for other people. He closed his eyes and poured his entire heart in his prayers.

"What makes you so compassionate, Benedict?"

"It is not me. It is the compassion of Mary who has compassion with all the beings on earth. I see how she is puts the prayers of her children on the altar of God. She is the intercessor of our prayers because nobody has more mercy with us than the mother of God and her son, Jesus Christ." Brother Benedict bent his head like a little boy who had been caught doing something wrong.

"God condones whatever we have done," Sister Verena said. "He loves us and forgives us. Dark is the prison where there is no prayer, never ending is the night for a forgotten soul, where there is no tear from a mother who doesn't care. Mary cries for all of us. Her tears are cleansing the sins of this world and taking away the father's anger for when we went against his law. She wiped the tears from his face when he lost his son dying on the cross."

The paths merged together and became broader. They reached the plateau of Mount Mary. The monastery rose like a flower on the horizon. The church in the middle of the monastery was like the blossom of the flower. Mighty walls rose into the sky protecting the monastery of Saint Mary from the attacks of the Romans and King Bloodstone. Pilgrims from the surrounding villages streamed towards the monastery of Mount Mary to celebrate Annunciation together. They were carrying paintings with themes of the Bible. A boy carried a picture showing Jesus Christ feeding the crowd. The community where he was living had a bad harvest and not enough food. Another group carried a picture with a woman touching Jesus Christ. Some people in that congregation were struggling with faith. The soul paintings were a reflection of the needs of people and their congregations. These needs were reflected in messages from heaven, the soul paintings revealing dreams before King Bloodstone had a chance to twist the dreams and turn them into nightmares.

The prayers of the villages flowed into the monastery like rivers into the sea. The soul paintings became visions and the visions new ventures providing food and richness for the people.

Armed monks guarded the entrance of Saint Mary's monastery. A statue of Mary with a crown of twelve stars stood in a green park in front of the church. The monastery of Mount Mary was much bigger than Saint Peter.

Marc and little Catherine were carrying the painting of the good shepherd to the church of Saint Mary. A monk took the painting and attached it in the tunnel underneath the monastery. Underground tunnels were connected the monasteries and villages together. Thousands of soul paintings expressing the joy and sorrows of the communities decorated the walls of the mountains.

Mary carried the prayers of the faithful to the altar of God. Mount Mary had become a museum of prayers inviting the pilgrims to contemplate and create new associations with the Holy Spirit. The stories of the Old and New Testament melted together like the mountain streams flowing into the Rhone.

The Purification of the Virgin Mary

Dozens of pilgrims flocked into the cathedral in the middle of the monastery. The pilgrims attended mass before taking the last station of the pilgrimage. A path in the East wing of the church led into the mountain to the shrine of Saint Mary.

After the ceremony of Annunciation the priest said.

"You are now welcome to undertake the last station of your pilgrimage to the Madonna in the grotto." He opened the heavy wooden door in the east wing, saying.

"Holy Mary mother of all martyrs; how much blood has to be shed until he earth finds peace?"

A tunnel appeared. The excitement was rising as the first pilgrims entered into the darkness.

Steve and Catherine followed the pilgrims through the gate into the mountain of Mary. The monks in the monasteries had carved all the miracles of Saint Mary in wooden plates. There were paintings showing Mary with Jesus Christ in her arms. The first icon of the virgin mother holding the child Jesus on her arm was painted by Saint Luke the apostle. Mary said that her grace would accompany the icon and the Saint.

Steve walked slowly through the tunnel of love. He read the messages on the wall. He felt as if he his soul was swimming through a sea of compassion.

The tunnel led into the heart of the mountain. The pilgrims were closely connected to each other's emotions melting into a body of joy and happiness. An angel was rising from these feelings. Dark shadows were emerging on the walk to the inner self, feelings of grief and bitterness surfaced. The hard feelings evaporated like water on a hot plate when being confronted with the body of joy rising in the presence of Jesus and Mary. Sorrowful and joyful emotions were following each other like snow and summer rain. Christmas merged with Easter opening the mind to new spiritual seasons. The liturgical year with all its feasts bore individual emotions which were playing in harmony together like symphonies of feelings. The world turned around. What was outside was suddenly inside the heart. Emotions were streaming through the mind like tears of joy and sadness. These feelings were lifting the spirit into the mystical world of Mary. The spiritual experiences flowed through the memories like the water of the mighty Rhone River. Along the river shore grew beautiful gardens rejuvenating the mind of the pilgrim. The farmer's hand tired from lifting heavy weights was strengthening. The back pain of a lady disappeared.

"Praise Mary and all the angels in heaven," shouted a young man, falling to his knees. His face was filled with compassion and joy shining like a red tomato in spring. The tunnel of love went deeper into the mountain. Water dripped from the walls. Steve was holding Catherine's hand enjoying the emotions embracing him like a waterfall. The Holy Spirit fell on his soul. The sensation took his breath away. Catherine looked in his eyes, feeling as if she was swimming in a mountain lake at sunrise.

"Hail Mary, holy queen of heaven," shouted a voice through the tunnel.

The lights of the candles shone on the walls like the memories of a distant past. One of the highlights of a pilgrimage occurred when the astral body moved into the ethereal body. Lights flooded the tunnel. It was as if Mary was walking through light with open arms embracing the pilgrims before they entered the temple of her son. Her statue was surrounded by candles burning like the stars in the night. The statue was crowded by women holding crosses in their hands and praying. Praying and meditating and waiting to hear from God, seeking a path showing the way to the resolution of a problem, asking the healing of a sick person. Some pilgrims closed their eyes trying to catch the visions.

The shrine of Mary marked the end of the pilgrimage. The spiritual experience emerging in the heart was flowing in the memory of the soul carrying all the prayers to heaven like angels. The shrine was a sea of wisdom.

The sunshine was shining in Steve's eyes when he left the grotto. A statue of Mary stood in the park outside of the church. The statue was decorated with flowers wearing a garment made by the women in the villages. Her dress was changed every day. She wore a dress of blue satin with stars and the moon at night.

The Weeping Madonna

The smell of herbs and leather followed Steve on the way to the market. It reminded him of the monastery of Saint Peter and Brother Leo's herb garden. Steve closed his eyes, indulging in the scent of all the different herbs. The savour of rosemary reminded him of the bread of the monastery. His eyes were all over the place and he was not watching where he was going. He bumped into a young man about his age.

"Sorry," said Steve to the pilgrim looking briefly at the young man he had never seen before.

"What is your name?"

"I am Antony. I used to live in a monastery but the monastery felt like a prison after a while. I left the walls behind and travelled through Europe to visit the holy shrines," said Antony who had big brown eyes and dark hair.

"How do you like Mount Mary?" asked Steve. He was almost a head taller than Antony.

"It is one of my favorite pilgrimage sites. I visit Mount Mary at least once a year."

"Which is your favorite place of pilgrimage?" asked Steve curiously ignoring all the noise of the market. He had heard of all the holy sites scattered all over Europe but had never been there.

"It depends. The place is not important. It is about the spiritual experience. You can have amazing encounters with God at little sites." Antony had been on more than a hundred pilgrimages in his young life.

"Where have you been before arriving at Mount Mary?"

"I have travelled from Milan all the way over the mountains. My next destination is Paris. I am following the spirit of Mary and the Archangel Michael invigorating the city," said Anthony.

Steve could feel a mystical light rising in his heart; the light of spiritual adventures.

After a pause Antony said:

"I receive visions of Jesus Christ every day. I feel as if I am living in heaven. I am meditating on the story of the Good Samaritan at the moment."

"Are you a soul painter?" asked Steve becoming ever more curious.

"Yes I am. I have painted many paintings in churches and monasteries in Rome, Colonia, Milan and Paris. I help people to find their inner self. I follow the Holy Spirit like children pursue butterflies. You cannot put a butterfly under captivity or he will die. The same is true for the Holy Spirit flying from one village to another." Antony took his bag from his shoulder.

"Would you like to come to Saint Peter? We need soul painters to enrich our community," said Steve watching as Anthony unpacked a piece of bread and cheese.

"Would you like to have a bit? I am glad to share my meal with you." Antony cut a slice of bread.

"No thank you. I am not hungry." Steve stood over Antony who sat on a stone eating his dinner.

"I would like to come to Saint Peter. But first I have to see my friend Julian," said Antony, chewing the rye bread

"Is Julian from Atlantis here?" asked Steve surprised.

"Yes, he is. He told me that he would celebrate Annunciation at Mount Mary when I saw him on the Mountain of Jesus a few weeks ago. I have walked with him across half Europe," said Antony rising from the rock.

"I shall tell him when I find him. I will see you after the evening mass," Antony and disappeared in the stream of pilgrims walking up to the monastery.

Steve stood in front of the store admiring all the beautiful wedding costumes. The best tailors from near and far were employed at Mount Mary to produce the world's finest wedding dresses. Steve thought about Jack, who had bought his wedding dress for his fiancée here. How beautiful Catherine would look in these dresses. All of a sudden he felt a tap on his right shoulder. He was frightened for a moment but then recognized Benedict standing behind him.

Benedict had observed Steve gazing at the beautiful wedding robes.

"Which is your favorite cloth?" asked Brother Benedict putting his right hand on the shoulder of his friend.

"This one here," said Steve pointing at a white dress with colorful flowers sewed in.

"That is my favorite too," said Brother Benedict. He could not keep his eyes of the wedding dress.

"Come in. I buy it for you Steve." Benedict opened the shop door.

"You cannot do that," said Steve.

"Yes I can, Steve. I want Catherine to wear this dress. She is the most beautiful girl in Saint Peter. She deserves a special garment," said Brother Benedict.

The tailor, a short man with a dark moustache, lifted the dress from the shopping window.

Benedict took a leather purse out of his pocket and paid the shopkeeper.

"This dress will fit her body like wax," said Brother Benedict as they marched up the hill accompanied by the bells of the church of Saint May inviting the pilgrims to the evening mass.

They hide the dress in the wagon as they did not want Catherine to see it. The wagon was already loaded with all sorts of marvelous goods. The abbot had requested incense and myrrh.

They walked towards the statue of Mary in the park in front of the church where a big crowd gathered. When the pilgrims saw Benedict in his black robe the stranger, who was at the youth hostel the night before, came to him and said:

"See these pagans here! They are kneeling in front of Mary mumbling funny words."

Brother Benedict went towards the statue. Three ladies were kneeling in front of Mary. The old women looked up to Brother Benedict waiting for a punishment.

"We do not mean any harm to any of you. Our villages have been looted. Our sons have been killed. We have prayed for peace for many generations to our goddess Helvetia. We all prayed for help. When Jesus Christ was born, we knew it was him, we were praying for," said one of the ladies.

Her long gray hair fell to her shoulders.

"What do you accuse these ladies of? Without their prayers Jesus Christ would not have been born. These ladies knew Jesus Christ before you knew him," said Benedict and looked angrily at the accuser.

"Who wants to throw the first stone? At the beginning was the word. Jesus Christ is the word. He is older than Abraham. Prophets predicted his coming. Stars signaled his birth. John the Baptist knew that he was going to become the Messiah. The three wise men from the East knew about him and followed the Morning Star to Bethlehem. These ladies and many other mothers in this world anticipated the coming of the Redeemer."

They could hear the bells of Saint Mary church ringing to invite the pilgrims to another ceremony.

"Let us go to the chapel and worship Jesus Christ. And let us celebrate and enjoy our friendship," said Brother Benedict speeding up the small path to the church of Saint Mary.

Abraham, the old priest of Saint Mary stood behind the altar. The white clothes of his Robe hung down like the wings of an old eagle tired from the flights over the mountains.

"Welcome to all pilgrims who came in great numbers to Mount Mary today. Some of you were walking through darkness and found light.

"Friends, I did not know what to preach when I woke up yesterday early in the morning. I felt like in the old days when I was conducting the ceremony at the cathedral. I asked God to give me an inspiration which he eventually did. I was so excited. Whilst I was cleaning the chapel I was thinking how to weave my ideas in a beautiful robe. Green shots grew and my ideas became strong like an oak tree growing leaves in spring.

"By the time I had framed my thoughts I had also finished cleaning. But when I looked behind me, the chapel was dirtier than before I started. I was looking around me to find the person messing up the place. But there was nobody around to blame. Not even a child. I closed my eyes to detect any ghosts which might have come into the church. But

I was only aware of the Holy Ghost. Then I looked down on my feet and saw my dirty sandals which had caused the mess on the floor. I cleaned the mess. I mopped the floors again. Dirt was still pouring out of my sandals. I washed my sandals time and time again but dirt was still dripping out of them. I was angry when I realized that all the cleaning had been in vain.

"Ask and you shall receive, was the spontaneous word which came to my mind," said the priest," and I asked:

"Lord help me!"

"John chapter 16," said Brother Thomas to Brother Benedict who sat next to him on the church bench.

The priest continued.

"I saw Jesus and his disciples sitting at the table at the last supper. Jesus was washing the feet of his disciples."

"John 13," said Brother Thomas.

"When God wants to tell me something he sends me stories of the Bible. I can see the pictures but the interpretation is not always easy. Thank you Jesus! I took my shoes off and looked at my feet. They were as dirty as the path to the shrine of Mary on a Monday morning after the coronation of our Lady. If shoes could talk! The shoes of a pilgrim would not stop telling...," said Timothy and looked around him as if he had lost something. After a pause he said:

"Now I cannot remember what I initially wanted to tell you. Yes, the brothers of the monastery asked me to tell the pilgrims to take their shoes off before entering the dormitory."

After a little pause he added.

"Now I know what I wanted to say. I cleaned my feet and started mopping the floors all over again saying thank to the Lord for the message. I was quite satisfied as I was progressing fast. But to my surprise I had forgotten the ceremony which had been beautifully woven into my mind before. I went to the abbot of Saint Mary's monastery and told him that I would not know what to preach. The abbot said that there was nothing to preach. There had been enough preaching but nothing has ever changed," said the old man raising his hand in the air.

"By their fruit you will recognize them!" he said.

"Mathew," said Brother Thomas.

"We invited some monks from Saint Mary monastery and started crafting shoes. I was surprised at the outcome. The shoes were as solid as an elephant's foot and as comfortable as a bear paw. Not these cheap shoes you get in the valleys. They are so useless. You cannot walk over a culm without breaking them. We have been blessed recently with leather we received in exchange for our wedding dresses. We are now in a position to give every pilgrim a pair of these sandals for free. Every pilgrim who comes to Mount Mary will receive a new pair of shoes today," said Timothy.

"It's a miracle, a miracle!" said a pilgrim who came barefoot to Mount Mary.

"Yes. It is a miracle indeed. God wants to bless us for our diligent work. But my dear pilgrims please do not start worshiping your sandals.

"I still remember the wagon getting out of control and rolling down Mount Mary causing widespread horror and panic in the valley. Some farmers collected water from the mountain well at Mount Mary's to bath their cows. They had figured out that the holy water on Mount Mary would increase the milk production of their cows. It took them one week to take the wagon down from the mountains filled with water. Two horses died of exhaustion on the way to the valley. Just before they arrived at the village, they lost control and the wagon rolled down the steep slope and smashed into the village walls leaving a trail of devastation behind. Some of you will ask now, what is the moral of the story? There is no moral in this story but a lot of muscles. These farmers learnt how to work together. They became the most ferocious fighters in the spring carnival football tournament. The farmers defended Saint Andrew and nobody could touch him. Not even Brother George found a way to break into the defense.

"I do not suggest cutting any pine trees on Mount Mary either. I know that many people consider the wood as holy. We had an incident when some young men cut trees around the source of his river at midnight. They transported the wood to the valley. The young men did a tremendously good job and God knows how they managed to bring the massive logs down from the monastery. Close to their village they became a little bit boisterous and lost control over their cargo just above their village. The logs rumbled down the mountain. We could hear the rumbling noise in Mount Mary and thought an earthquake had erupted. Somebody even suggested that the noise came from an avalanche. Luckily the logs did not roll into the village of Saint Andrew. The damage would have been extraordinary. You always have to see the positive in the negative not to get depressed in life. The concerted action of these men strengthened the team spirit and formed one of the best attacking squad in the history of village football. Their endeavor built strength and stamina into the team forming a team able to win against anyone," said the old priest.

The big wooden gate opened and a young man shouted:

"The Madonna is crying!"

A sigh of excitement went through the congregation. The Madonna was believed to react to natural catastrophes. She only wept when something very bad happened. People moved towards the wooden door of Saint Mary's church. Steve followed Brother Benedict into the shrine. Hundreds of pilgrims were leaving the caves in panic. Brother Benedict stepped into the shrine. He could see the Madonna holding Jesus Christ in her arms. Tears were rolling over her white face.

"A miracle," exclaimed a pilgrim.

Another pilgrim started praying.

Brother George Slays the Dragon

A black cloud was rushing over the walls of the cave. The day turned into night. People looked frightened to the windows. Screams came from outside. People panicked and everybody wanted to leave the shrine at once.

Brother Benedict had to reassure the pilgrims to prevent a stampede. He stood on a chair saying.

"Calm down. There is nothing to worry about. Everything is under control."

But the people would not listen. Everybody wanted to leave the caves as quickly as possible.

A monk opened a side door leading into the garden where another statue of the queen of heaven stood. She was wearing a crown with twelve stars on her head and the moon was under her feet.

Black shadows moved over the mountains in the north towards Mount Mary. The sun was covered in thick clouds of soot hanging like lead over the mountains suffocating the environment. Nature was dying.

A terrifying noise came from the distance. The pilgrims looked around to find the source of the noise but could not see anything disturbing apart from the black clouds. Then the sky opened widely. A dragon appeared on the horizon spitting fire and ashes on Saint Mary.

"The woman and dragon," said Brother Benedict watching the spectacle in the sky.

"The dragon turned towards the woman because it wanted to kill her child as soon as it was born."

"The boy was snatched away. He was taken to God and placed on his throne," said Brother Thomas.

"And the woman ran into the desert to a place God had prepared for her," said Brother Benedict.

The dragon charged down from the sky right on the statue of Mary with the crown of twelve stars. The air was saturated with the smell of burnt oil. Everybody was running around in panic.

A red sign appeared in the distance charging towards the monastery of Saint Mary rapidly.

A guard standing on the tower in the monastery shouted.

"The red riders of the apocalypse are approaching. They bring pestilence, war, famine and death to the earth. Close the gates of the monastery at once or we will be doomed!"

Brother Thomas fell down on his knees as the gates were shut.

"God have mercy on me," he muttered looking at the ground.

A monk recognized only one rider holding the flag with a Red Cross in his left hand and the Holy Lance in his right arm.

"Leave the gates open, your fools. It is Brother George with the red cross of Christ," shouted the monk to his colleagues, who were standing baffled on the wall not knowing what to do. They eventually decided to follow his advice and opened the gate. The mighty wooden door opened like the wings of a huge bird taking off to heaven.

Brother George burst fast like the wind through the gate on his dazzling white horse. He stormed straight towards the dragon that was attacking the queen of heaven. The Holy Lance sat loosely in his right hand. His arm bent backwards whilst Pegasus reared upwards. When the horse descended he threw the lance, Pegasus bent downwards. The vigor of the horse merged with the strength of Brother George's arm, giving the lance an awesome moment.

The Holy Lance bolted toward the dragon like a falcon toward his prey. It hit the dragon straight in its jaw with the sound of a cracking nutshell. The slain dragon fell to the ground like a huge rock. The earth trembled as if hit by an earthquake and the air was filled with the smell of burning oil.

Brother Thomas eyes were still closed and his head leaned forward to the ground.

"The end of the world has arrived. God have mercy on my poor soul," he whispered folding his arms over the chest.

"The dragon is dead. Brother George killed the dragon," said a young monk lifting the claws of the monster with his sword.

The dark clouds in the sky disappeared and sun beams fell on the statue of Mary. The smell of oil dissipated and Mount Mary rose in the flood of the light.

The Adventures of Jack

The earth opened in front of the statue in the park. Jack appeared followed by the children who had been abducted by the dragon.

Marc and Margaret ran towards Jack who stood on the hill with open arms smiling.

Brother Thomas was still on his knees praying his way into heaven. Brother Benedict who stood next to him said.

"The lost sheep.

"Luke 15," said Brother Thomas.

"Open your eyes your fool," said Brother Benedict.

"It is Jack. Jack is back."

The White Knight who was attending the celebration of Annunciation had observed the spectacular scenes and said.

"The prodigal son. Let us celebrate the return of the lost son."

Brother Thomas rose from the ground and said to the White Knight.

"You are on the wrong page of the Bible. He is not the prodigal son. Jack is the lost sheep. You just have to flip a few pages to get to the right story in the gospel of Luke."

"What is the difference between the lost sheep and the lost son anyway?" asked a pilgrim.

"The lost sheep tells us how much Jesus Christ cares for each of us. The prodigal son shows us his mercy and forgiveness," explained Brother Thomas to the audience.

"At least it is not the end of the world as you predicted just a while ago," said Brother Benedict.

"And we have the children and Jack back."

Everybody gathered around Jack and the children who were unharmed.

"Tell us what happened, Jack," said Brother Benedict, who could not wait to hear the story.

"I was on the fields when the claws of the dragon grabbed me and carried me away to a cave in the mountains in the north. Huge bones were scattered on the ground of the cave," said Jack.

Everybody was hanging on his words.

"I met all the children who had been kidnapped from the villages hiding in the cave. It was dark and we could not see our hands in front of our eyes. 'The children were hungry. They had not eaten for days. The dragon was sitting in front of the cave so we could not escape. The children had collected dried roots from the cave. There were plenty of roots from old trees lying in the dark cage. We broke them off and made a little fire warming us up during the cold nights.

"I explored the cave with some children the next day. The cave was filled with the scent of garlic and carrots. I followed the scents to the source and found garlic and vegetables such as horseradish, carrots, radish and sweet potatoes growing from the earth into the cave. We also found mushrooms and a boy discovered a huge pumpkin. Actually there were plenty of pumpkins hiding in the soil above the caves. We dug those all out using broken roots as tools.

"I tried several times to dig through the earth to get to the surface. But the earth was covered by a huge rock imprisoning us. There was no way to escape. Water was dripping from the roots of trees and bushes and falling into the empty pumpkins lying all over the cave. One pumpkin was as big as a bath. I had some candles in my pockets which we put in the body. We put candles in the pumpkins and carved holes in it to illuminate the cave. Some friendly faces were smiling at us soon. The fire kept us warm during the cold nights.

"There was no smoke gathering in the cave and we were wondering where all the smoke was going to. We discovered a hole where the smoke emerged and escaped through the hole. Our escape did not last long as we were soon caught by the soldiers of King Bloodstone who took us on a boat across the sea of death. The sea stank of oil. They detained us in a prison on the island.

"Nobody has ever seen King Bloodstone. He lives in the fourth inning of hell. He hides in the dark rooms of his castle, creating tools to torment Human Beings. There is a gloomy light in the tower where he is working. It looks like the skin of an egg. The light in one of the rooms reminded me of a star shining far away from the earth in a cold winter night. Creatures live in the sea of death, some looking like gigantic crocodiles, others like big predator fish. I saw one of the crocodiles being cut in half by a huge fish. It had gills as big as a house door.

"The soldiers put us into another prison in the fortress of King Bloodstone. No sunlight has ever penetrated the cave which was extremely large and looked like a gigantic staircase. The cage was very sensitive to noise. I could hear the brawling of a river resonating in the huge hall. We climbed up the staircase and found a crack in the rock where the water leaked through. We followed the creek until we got tired. We slept a few hours and continued our walk until we smelled incense and Lavender. We left the cave just at the source of the river Rhone."

The Beatitudes

A pilgrim standing close to the dragon said:

"Brother George killed the dragon. We can breathe fresh air again and our children do not have to fear anybody."

"Let us celebrate the dead of the dragon! Nobody will leave St Mary hungry today," said the Knight of Whitestone and shouted to a monk.

"Open the food banks! I will pay for the feast."

"How did you know that the dragon was attacking Saint Mary today?" asked Brother Benedict, who was standing next to Brother George.

"Two monks came straight to Saint Peter after the attack," said Brother George to his friend.

"I did not loose any time and headed to Mount Mary. Just in time, I guess, because I saw the dragon appear in the sky as I arrived at the top of the mountain." Brother George saw Marc with Jack and Margaret in the crowd. He jumped down from his horse and went to the boy.

"Marc, you are a hero. I have heard that you defended the painting of the lost sheep against the soldiers of blood and bone. You are a brave young man and deserve to fight for Saint Peter at the carnival tournament in the top row. Jack will be one of our front runners together with Steve and Brother Benedict." Brother George looked into the eyes of the overjoyed boy.

"I need to talk to Julian. Has somebody seen Julian?" Brother George looked in the crowd.

There was no response as nobody had seen Julian.

Antony the pilgrim stepped forward and said.

"I have seen him at Mount Jesus a few weeks ago. He was staying at the shrine of Saint Michael."

"Should you or anybody else see him, tell him that Saint Peter needs him for the spring football tournament. Maurice will also be on our team together with some of his soldiers. The company of the Morning Star will be the core of our team." Brother George turned expectantly to the pilgrims in front of the church.

"Is everybody coming to the games next week?" "Yes!" roared the crowd in excitement.

"And we are going to win!" said a pilgrim from Saint Andrew, lifting his hands in the air.

"You must be joking. Saint John is going to win the tournament," said another pilgrim proudly.

"Saint Marc will take the trophy home," said another pilgrim.

The monks from the Monastery of Saint Mary brought big baskets filled with bread, cheese and fruit to the crowd. They put big stone plates in the fires to melt cheese. The meadows were filled with the scent of fried onions, garlic and mushrooms. Children roasted chestnuts in the fire.

The pilgrims celebrated together until the sun faded. There was no soul left hungry by the time the sun sank on the mountains. The peaks appeared yellow and orange in the evening sun of this wonderful Sunday of Annunciation.

Brother Georges sat on Pegasus on the hill top. He was holding Andreas in his arms. The injuries sustained in a raid by the Roman were so severe that Andreas could not walk anymore after the attack. Not only did he lose his ability to walk he also lost his parents.

The crowd gathered around Brother George who was about to leave Mount Mary and ride to Saint Peter. Brother George raised his voice and said:

"God blesses the people who depend only on God.

They belong to the kingdom of heaven.

God blesses those people who grieve.

They will find comfort!"

"Nobody can preach the Beatitudes as passionately as Brother George," said Brother Benedict to Brother Thomas standing next to him:

"I know. Matthew chapter 5," said Brother Thomas watching Brother George continuing the mountain ceremony.

"God blesses those people who are humble.

The earth will belong to them.

God blesses those people who want to obey Jesus Christ

More than to eat and drink

They will be given what they want!

God blesses those people who are merciful.

They will be treated with mercy.

"God blesses those people whose hearts are pure.

They will see him.

God blesses those people who make peace.

They will be called his children.

God blesses those people

Who are treated badly for doing right?

They belong to the kingdom of heaven.

God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of Jesus Christ. Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven," preached Brother George and the audience applauded.

The Knight of Whitestone sat on his mount ready to leave with his knights. Before he left he said.

"See you all at the lake of the fisher priest to celebrate the assumption of our Lady in summer. I will celebrate Christmas at Mount Mary this year. But I will definitely see all of you after Easter to celebrate Pentecost in my castle."

"And you will all be invited to our wedding," said Jack holding Margaret in his arms.

"You are invited to celebrate your wedding at my castle," said the Knight of Whitestone.

"We will definitely come," said Jack to the tall man sitting on his horse.

The knights gray hair blew in the wind as he smiled to his fellow Christians. The White Knight rode into the sun sinking behind the mountains.

Brother George was also ready to leave and said to Andreas.

"Come, Andreas. It is your day today. We will fly to Saint Peter."

He disappeared in the evening waving goodbye to his Christian fellows.

The pilgrims left Mount Mary the following day packed with unforgettable spiritual experiences and new strength. Many of the pilgrims had come closer to God. People had learnt about the struggles of their neighboring villages and offered help. Many new friendships had been made and everybody was looking forward to the next pilgrimage to meet their friends again. Steve was heading back to Saint Peter together with Catherine and Antony the pilgrim.

Life goes on

One of the most exiting Christian festivals, the spring carnival or the fifth season was coming up. The football tournament was very popular and embedded in the happy time of the carnival season. It was believed that some old people in the village only stayed alive for the spring tournament. The spring carnival was a response to the cruel gladiator fights of the Romans demonstrating that people could have fun without shedding the blood of innocent people.

Saint Peter was organizing the tournament this year. The people from the neighborhood village were invited. A lot of preparation was necessary to accommodate so many people.

Brother George was determined to win the tournament. His ceremonies became shorter and shorter as he spent most of his energy organizing the sport event.

The spring carnival offered fun before the fasting cycle began. The goal of the game was to ascertain the holiest saint in the region. For this reason a replica of the statue of the saints of each village was crafted in leather and put on an altar at the end of both sides of the fields. The altar and its surroundings were called the church. The citizens of a village had to take the saint from the altar and carry the statue to the spectator forum in the middle of the field. The citizens of the opposing village would be defending their saint and trying everything so nobody could take the statue from the altar. Whilst one part of the village tried to break into the church, the other part was defending their Saints from being taken away.

The priest was allowed to ride a horse as he had to cover huge distances on the battle ground to give instructions and position the players for the next move. The football ground was more than ten square kilometers wide. Everybody in the village, young and old, male and female, children, grandmothers and grandfathers, were allowed to play.

During the carnival season the churches remained closed. Carnival was also the celebration of the fifth season, a creation of a funny and boisterous time where everything was supposed to be different. The monks in the monasteries invented games to give people fun before the long Easter period with its fasting and plays which were beautiful but very melancholic. Some cuttingly remarks remarked that the Saints could not see what his followers were doing as long as he was on the field and the church was closed, which gave rise to the wildest speculations. It was a wild anarchistic time and Brother George would put all his energy into winning as quickly as possible to bring order into the chaos and to bring Saint Peter in the church where he belonged.

Whatever the reason for the spring carnival was, everybody had great fun particularly in the mask balls which took place after the end of the tournament. The village turned into a big party. Day after day of music and dance rolled over the village. Particularly young people liked the season of carnival and wore all sorts of different masks and costumes and danced in the streets.

Steve and some of his maids trained the doves for the tournament. They built cages and left the birds in the cage where they were supposed to receive the message during the games. The put cages at the point where Brother George was going to receive the messages during the games. They attached messages to the feet of the birds. The doves flew to and fro between the boxes. Brother George reckoned that all the elderly and physically challenged people could draw maps enabling him to immediately know what was happening on the field and develop the best strategy to carry the statue forward to the middle point. He was training them personally to draw the right charts.

Brother George also had to motivate his people since nobody believed that Saint Peter stood a chance to win the games.

"We are the refuge of all unwanted. Disabled, abandoned, condemned; everybody who is not wanted elsewhere comes to Saint Peter," said a man after Sunday's ceremony.

"There is so much talent in our village. I will discover and develop your talents and lead you to victory," replied Brother George, standing behind the altar. The long sleeves of his robe were hanging down.

"You do not give up. Do you?" said Brother Thomas admiring Brother George's enthusiasm.

"It is impossible. We are all losers: the forgotten of this world, the trash of mankind. Nobody likes us," said another man pessimistically.

"I am sick and tired of always hearing the same thing," said Brother Martin, supporting Brother George. "Don't be so negative. We have some good runners and a strong defense. We still have time available to recruit some good players. Do not bring the mood down, please."

"The village football is a great game, full of surprise," said Brother George. "With God on our side we will win. We came close to winning the cup last year thanks to Steve's and Brother Benedict's famous runs. Our chances are even better this time around."

"Steve and Brother Benedict are fast runners. They are the fastest in the region but our ranks are not strong enough to support them. We are also not able to fight off the attacks of the adversary. They will take us by storm and tear us apart like worn out rags," said a farmer.

"We did not even make it to the little finals last year," stated Brother Thomas.

"Well. I have some surprises for our adversaries too," said Brother George. Everybody looked at him.

"What surprises?" asked Brother Thomas.

"I will not tell you now," said Brother George.

The Discovery of the Temple of the Angels

Steve and Catherine went swimming the next day. The river was flowing through the valley like a stream of gold filled with the late spring afternoon sun. Rocks from the mountains had fallen into the river and formed pools. Steve and Catherine jumped from the rocks into the river. Waterfalls ran over the edge of the mountains. The water was light green. A trout looking for a drowning worm swam close to the shore covered with green grass.

The couple dived in the pool near the waterfall. They swam along the walls of the rock. The sun was strong and shining on the surface of the river. Two rocks stood next to each other like two pillars. Steve swam between the two rocks, opening like the gate to a temple. Catherine followed close behind. Then they moved towards the light penetrating the water. They entered a cave. The cave was huge and surrounded by rocks. They were amazed by the natural beauty of the cave which was like a cathedral. Stalagmites grew like candles out of the rocks grouping together and forming little niches like the chapel in a church. Everything was so huge and out of proportion. The dome was expressing another reality, a surreal world from another part in the universe: a world which had been hidden from mankind for millions of years.

It occurred to Steve that something extraordinary must have happened here. It appeared to him that the grotto had been used as a place of worship before men walked the earth. The water running over the walls, was gathering in little puddles, images telling stories from a time before the earth was born. The natural spectacle reminded Steve of the book of Genesis, the time when God created heaven and earth.

Little pools were scattered over the rocky ground. The rainwater was dripping from the ceiling into the water pools. The scent of the water mixed with the smell of the old rocks. The temple appeared to have stored the history of the mountain telling the listener stories of the forgotten time.

The caves were situated at the foot of the Mountain of the Angels. Steve had seen many paintings of angels on the walls of churches. Brother Benedict had told him that the angels were messengers of God announcing the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. He saw the Archangel Gabriel appearing to Mary. Each person had a guardian angel; each country a patron saint protecting its people from evil. Steve had always believed that the angels were symbolic and not real. Now he felt their presence.

Steve and Catherine were overwhelmed by the divinity of the place. They did not speak to each other because they did not want to disturb the holy atmosphere. Steve was scared. He suddenly thought that he had entered a world which was closed to him. He felt like a little boy who had been caught doing something wrong. He wished that he had never entered the caves. A strong sensational feeling from deep of his soul carried him to another dimension and the feelings of guilt disappeared. Memories were melting in the image of these caves. It felt as if the spirit of God had rested at this place.

The Flood Wave

The sun was still strong when they swam back to the shore of the river. Their bare feet sank into the warm muddy earth. A dragon-fly flew over the river. It stood still and motionless for a moment, then disappeared in the reeds. The air was soaked with the fresh smell of grass. A trout jumped out of the water to catch a fly.

The river disappeared behind a rock. Tree logs floated on the river. A few rafters were maneuvering the logs over the water rapids. Steve and Catherine waived at the men. Some of the rafters had already gone ashore.

A loud noise echoed suddenly through the steep walls of the mountain. A natural dam containing a lake in the mountains had burst. The water spilled into the river and changed it into a wild torrent. A big wave rolled down the river like a wall. The logs scattered in all directions. One man in the river who tried to make it to the shore. A tree trunk appeared in the floods and moved rapidly towards the man's boat. It hit the boat and crushed it like an eggshell. The flood wave thundered down the mountain leaving a trace of destruction behind.

It was silent for a moment in the aftermath of the flood. Steve jumped into the water and swam to the place where he had last seen the man. The body of the man floated on the surface. His face was under water and he could not breathe. Steve grabbed his body with his right arm and dragged the man through the river as Brother Benedict had taught him once. Steve laid the man's body in the grass. He could still feel his breath when he turned him over. The rafter was coughing and spitting water out.

The Good Samaritan

His mates helped Steve to carry the man to Brother Benedict's house where he was examined.

"He just needs some rest and will be on his legs soon," said Brother Benedict after careful inspection.

"Can we stay in your village until Paul feels better?" asked Peter, a strong young man who was concerned about his friend.

"Yes, of course. That is not a problem," replied Brother Benedict who was brewing a tea with herbs based on a recipe of Brother Leo.

"Good Samaritan," said Steve in a soft voice.

He looked around as if he had lost something. The story of the Good Samaritans who rescued a man who was beaten and robbed was in his mind. "Have you seen Antony?" Steve asked, looking at Brother Benedict, who was dissolving herbs in hot water.

"Yes. He went to the church. When he came back he was painting something. He put the painting here," said Brother Benedict pointing at the soul painting on the kitchen table.

Steve picked up the soul painting. It showed the Good Samaritan helping the injured man resting on the road leading from Jerusalem to Jericho.

"He was drawing this painting when the boat of the rafter capsized. He must have felt what was happening. How is that possible?" asked Steve who did not comprehend.

"Tomorrow is yesterday's prayer. God tailors our days around our prayers. The soul painters do receive answers from God to prayers and put them on paper. They are sensitive people and close to God," said Brother Benedict to his friend.

"But there are so many people and prayers. God cannot impossibly read all of them," said Steve, who was fascinated by the prophet gifts of the soul painters.

Brother Benedict gave the tea to the rafter who was waking up. "God perceives our prayers like melodies. The melodies are sometimes melancholic and sometimes joyful. God is like a conductor listening to the orchestra of prayers. We have all different voices, different souls. God perceived our souls as sounds and influences the tones positively so our souls which are the engines of our being. The worst thing which can happen to us is to stop praying. The less we pray the more the drums of darkness beat the creatures of the sea of death into our souls and disperse the beautiful melodies of God. The God given beauty of our soul is destroyed and we become part of the conspiracy against the human soul as we turn into creatures of evil."

"Steve did not want to comment on the moral aspects of the statement and said after a pause of reflection:

"This reminds me of Abbot Antony who can feel if one of his singers is not feeling well."

"Abbot Antony can read souls," said Brother Benedict.

"Are we boring you?" Brother Benedicts looked at Peter and his friends standing in the room.

"Not at all, we are Christians too," Peter said.

"I like listening to your conversation and cannot wait to go to your church. We were just on our way to deliver wood to the church of the fisher priest. The monks have built a church on the island in the mountain lake. They are building an underwater church with all themes of the Bible decorating the walls of the rooms," said Peter excited.

The door opened and Brother George entered the rooms."

"The children in the village told me about the accident. You can of course stay in Saint Peter until your friend feels better," said Brother George to the men in the room.

Peter had heard a lot of Brother George and was looking at him full of admiration.

"Are you Brother George? The legendary Brother George?" Peter gazed at Brother George as if he was having an apparition of a Saint.

"I hope you heard only good things about me. I hate gossip. By the way are you familiar with village football? We are still recruiting players for the tournament," said Brother George.

"We have heard about the games. Our village, Saint Paul, is very secluded and also very small. We have never made it to a tournament," replied Peter.

"Well here is your chance. We are still short of players and you can help us to win the trophy of Saint Mary. I am going to teach you how to play. The rules of the game allow visitors to participate,"

said Brother George to the young man.

"Why has village football become so popular?" asked Peter.

"The tournament puts an end to the barbaric games of the Romans. Unlike gladiator fights, whose aim is to kill people, this game does not kill anybody. It brings people together to have fun. Everybody is allowed to participate except from monks. Nobody is excluded. Young and old, male and female, healthy and sick," said Brother George holding a leather statue of Saint Peter in his arms.

"It also brings self-confidence back to the villages. The days of Roman control are numbered."

"We face the same threat. The Romans have attacked Saint Paul and destroyed part of our village. We are not defenseless any longer and will face our enemies. We have a few surprises for the Romans next time they attack us," said Peter. His mates laughed.

"We are honored that we can play for you and Saint Peter," said another rafter.

"It was about four years ago," said Steve.

"We were about two hours into the game against Saint Andrew. The defense of Saint Andrew was getting weaker and weaker. They had withdrawn all their players from the attack and threw them in the defense. Brother George went steadily through their defense. An old lady holding onto the statue of Saint Andrew with both hands and would not let go. Brother George lifted the old lady from the ground and carried her with the statue to the middle point." Steve caught the statue of Saint Peter which was thrown to him by Brother George.

"I had no other choice than carrying her to the middle point. She would not let go of the statue of Saint Andrew," said Brother George. Everybody laughed.

"I remember that game. I was teaching the Old Testament at that time. We integrated the Old Testament as secret symbols into our game to conceal our moves. "Kings" meant to withdraw. "Genesis" meant to launch an attack. "Goliath" meant that the enemy was getting stronger and we needed some reinforcement. "Exodus" meant that we had to part the enemy's ranks to get to the middle point," said Brother Benedict.

"All the players of Saint Peter knew what we meant but the adversary did not," said Brother George.

Preparations for the Fifth Season

The carnival was approaching quickly. The fasting season lasting forty days, followed the carnival. The fasting had its origins in the New Testament when Jesus went into the desert to pray to his father.

Food intake was drastically reduced during the fasting period and had to be consumed during the carnival season as people were not allowed to eat any meat nor eggs. As eggs could not be stored for a long period, half of the chickens were used for consumption during the games. Spring tomatoes were used to make sauces for the dishes. The bakers baked a variety of different breads adding all sorts of herbs such as thyme, basil and rosemary. The bakers had received a few bags of sugar from the Knight of Whitestone which was used for the sweet dough for delicious desserts.

Meanwhile, Brother George was spending a lot of time on the football field working out his communication system.

The aim of the game was to find a way through the defense and to carry the statue to the middle point. Some elderly people were lethargic all year and only the fanfares signaling the beginning of the games brought smiles to their faces. Many old folks could not remember last Christmas but the past spring carnivals were still vivid in their memories.

Brother George made sure that everybody, who wanted could participate in the game. People with physical handicaps willing to play were recruited as communicators. Brother George even built wheel chairs for physically challenged people who did not want to be communicators but wanted to defend Saint Peter or to carry the Saint of the opposing team to the middle point.

The monks set up tents to entertain the spectators who came from all the neighborhood villages. The farmers offered their sheds to host the fancy dress parties. Verena and Catherine decorated the orphanage for the children carnival. The theme of this carnival was ancient Greece and the children got dressed up as heroes of the Greek mythology. Marc was playing Apollo in a golden costume with a crown of rays symbolizing the sun. Simon was Zeus and had a red costume carrying a stick with a star on top and Peter was playing Poseidon with a costume blue as the sea and silver hair holding a trident in his hand. Little Catherine was playing Persephone the daughter of Demeter, who was kidnapped by Hades and taken to the underworld.

Brother Benedict hired a big shed from a farmer close to the playing ground which was going to be called Atlantis for the next few days. Benedict and Steve were going to play music in the shed. The biggest storehouse of the village was transformed into a big party room called the Crooked Oak. The crooked oak had always been the most popular place during the spring carnival.

The carnival was approaching and there were many people who did not know what to wear.

Brother Benedict gave them the advice to lie still on their beds, close their eyes and imagine that their beds would become a leave floating down the river toward the ocean, the leaves changing their colors with the seasons. The season felt most attracted to should determine what to wear. Witches and dwarfs were creatures of winter; elves and fairies creatures of spring and autumn. Autumn was a particularly inspirational season with the Thanks giving period.

The cries of ravens had disappeared with the cold winter days and had taken the worries of people into the dark season. There was not a single person who did not feel cheerful. The atmosphere was contagious.

A Pleasant Surprise

When the day of the tournament arrived, the streets of Saint Peter were crowded with people. The Carnival was lasting from Friday until Ash Wednesday. The only serious people were the priests. Brother George was busy studying some strategic moves with his key players when a peasant came to the football ground.

"Hurry up!" the peasant shouted. "Roman soldiers are fortifying the church." He was gasping for air.

"Follow me, mates. We will teach them a lesson!" said Brother George. He ran up the small way to the church. He was knocking at the door, shouting.

"Nobody enters Saint Peter's church without my permission. Leave the church immediately, or I will beat the daylights out of you."

"You have to catch us, first," said a voice from inside the church.

Brother George entered the church through the little side chapel dedicated to Saint Mary. As he jumped through the window into the church, the Romans left the church through the main entrance door. Brother George opened the big wooden gate. He stood in the bright daylight, looking around to find the intruders. He heard a noise and turned around. A man hiding on the roof jumped on the ground. Roman soldiers appeared from all over the place.

"Is that the best you can do to protect Saint Peter against his enemies?" said a voice behind Brother George.

Brother George turned around and saw Maurice.

"You tricked me again," said Brother George, laughing.

"I knew that the carnival was on. We thought we would come and help you," said Maurice brushing the dirt from Brother George's back.

"Welcome to our team, Maurice, Felix and Victor. I am so glad to have you on board," said Brother George and gave his friend a big welcome.

The Spring Carnival Begins

They were still talking to each other when the church bell started ringing. This was the signal announcing the beginning of the carnival season.

"Close all the churches. The fifth season has started!" shouted a man from the streets.

Another voice sounded saying.

"Nobody is allowed to set a foot in the church!" Joyful laughter filled the streets of the village mixing with the sound of the bells. The people of Saint Peter gathered in front of the church to welcome the altar boys who carried a fake statue of their Saint to the playing ground. An orphan ran to Brother George pointing to the hill.

Julian stood on the hill which later became Mount Joseph looking down on the village. He was standing at the same spot as when the company of the Morning Star had returned from Queen Jezebel's castle. He waved at his friends and disappeared in the forest leading from Mount Joseph to the village.

"Julian, my friend," said Brother George, welcoming Julian as he appeared between the trees of the forest.

"Everybody from Saint Michael to Saint Mary is talking about the spring carnival," said Julian.

Maurice and Julian were so glad to see each other again. They shared their recent adventures together.

"You can talk about that later. The first game starts in a few moments," said Brother George who was getting excited.

The average length of a game was less than two hours. Jack, Marc, Steve, Brother Benedict, Julian and Maurice were running for the team. Their task was to carry the statue of the opposing team over the field.

Brother George stood about twenty meters away from the middle point not far away from the terrace, where all the spectators sat. The audience laughed when the team of Saint Peter entered the playing ground with bird cages.

Winners and Losers

There was a lot at stake particularly for the priests of the villages. Victory was of utmost importance. Success was proof of the priest being in harmony and good understanding with the Saint of the village which was considered to be most important. The Saint was the heart and soul of the community everybody could identify with. It was a privilege for a citizen to live in a village with a good football record. Victory was also important for the Saint as it raised the Saint to angelhood. The Saint had a chance to meet Jesus Christ and Mary in heaven. When the Saint descended from high above into the local church after his holy days he shared the acquired wisdom with the congregation.

Winning was very rewarding for the priest but losing was terrible. The priest had to take full responsibility for defeat. It had happened sometimes that priests who had lost a game fled in the mountains to escape the punishment of their parishioners. The priests could not return from the wilderness for days or even weeks depending on the severity of the loss, and lived on wild berries and mushrooms. Under such circumstances the monks had to assume spiritual leadership of the congregation and trying to mediate between the congregation and the priest. The monks required all compassion to motivate the congregation to get their ousted priests back into the church. The pressure on the man of the church was enormous. The priest was the only player on the field who was allowed to ride a horse to cover the huge distance of the playing ground.

Brother George watched as his fellow priests entered the playing round. They sat proudly on their horses holding the flag of their village in their left hand followed by the player's mostly strong farmers and young healthy lads. One priest sat on his horse, looking down on Brother George smiling. Brother George held two dove cages in his hands not taking any offence in the pitying smile of his colleague who had spent most of the church funds to purchase the fastest race horse he could get from a merchant in Constantinople. He was convinced that the speed of the horse would lead him to victory as he was able to move faster than anyone of his fellow priests on the field. The priest sat comfortably in the saddle of his race horse which was trotted elegantly over the green grass. The priest had spent the rest of the church funds to buy young players from neighboring villages to strengthen his team. He came later under scrutiny from his congregation as he spent more than half of the church money for the year during the carnival season and there was no money left for the poor and needy.

He was sent off to the wilderness to reflect on his reckless spending. His church was led by a monk. When the congregation made no attempt to have him back after one week, the monk was searching for him. But he could not find the priest anywhere. Some farmers of Saint Michael said that they had seen a man riding an Arabian race horse and crossing the Mountains of the Angels. The priest had never been seen again.

The Opening of the Games

Brother George was very tense when he walked onto the playing ground, surrounded by Julian, Maurice, Benedict, Steve, Jack, Marc, Victor and Felix for the first game. Saint Peter was opening the games against Saint Mathew. Brother George stood on the field with his dove cages, to the amusement of the priest of Saint Mathew sitting on his stallion.

"Did you sell Icarus to buy birds?" he said in a sarcastic voice. His horse nervously scratched the earth with its feet.

"I do not need a horse. I am relying on my congregation," replied Brother George and went on instructing his players.

"Do you use doves to carry your injured players from the field?" said the priest laughing loudly.

Seven hundred players from Saint Mathew flocked into the stadium. Saint Peter had barely five hundred players. Things were really not looking good for Brother George.

But then he heard a voice.

"Wait, wait. Do not start without us!"

Brother George turned around and saw Peter the fisherman with his mates flocking into the stadium.

Brother George was overwhelmed with joy to see the fishermen positioning themselves for the game.

"We saw you training your players. We had discussions in the fishing room how to help you to win the trophy of Saint Mary."

Abbot Antony walked on the playing ground. He was opening the carnival season.

"Make your vows coaches," he said to Brother George and the priest of Saint Matthew.

"Nobody of Saint Matthew will enter the church of Saint Peter," said Brother George closing his eyes and looking to the sky as if he was asking for help from heaven.

"Nobody from Saint Peter will enter the church of Saint Matthew," said Brother Philip looking at the ground ready to defend Saint Matthew at all cost.

"May God bless the tournament? Saint Mary will decide who is going to win," said abbot Antony, whose last words were drowned by the shouting voices of the crowd. The fanfares blended in bringing the yelling to the next level.

Saint Peter Verses Saint Matthew

Brother Philip galloped straight to the church of Saint Peter, followed by a shouting mob trying to catch up with him. But they could only see the back of his horse disappearing in the dust.

"You bastard," said an old lady from Saint Matthew to Brother George.

Brother George felt ashamed for a moment and considered addressing the rude manners of the old lady. After careful consideration he came to the conclusion that it was more important to save the honor of Saint Peter rather than defend his own. He was anxious to see if his defense could withstand the attack of Saint Matthew, whose players were rolling over the field like a tsunami. They clashed against the farmers of Saint Peter who stood there like the Great Wall of China. "Release the birds," said Brother George to the children who were gathering around the dove cages.

The first birds escaped the wooden boxes, flying over the heads of the players straight to their allocated posts. The first doves returned with messages attached to their bodies. More and more doves gathered around Brother George. The children were busy taking the messages from the legs of the doves and handing them over to Brother George, who took control over the game immediately. Brother George discovered a huge unprotected field leading straight to the middle point. He dispatched a note with a plan to the place where Maurice and Julian were positioned to launch an attack on the statue of Saint Matthew. Brother George posted another message to Brother Benedict, Steve and Jack and Marc to follow Maurice and Julian to the middle point. He also sent three doves with messages to the flanks. The rafters, farmers and fisherman were instructed to protect the runners so they could advance unhindered to the middle point.

Maurice gained control of the statue of Saint Mathew and ran away, followed by Felix and Victor. The players of Saint Peter had formed a line leading from the altar to the middle point. Maurice came out of the church which was the field around the altar. He threw the statue to Felix who threw it to Victor. The statue was thrown from one soldier to another covering hundreds of meters in a very short time. A few players of Saint Mathew followed the statue with angry and frustrated shouting. They could only watch Saint Mathew disappearing in the dust.

Brother George received the information that the attack was successful. He figured out a cluster of opponents about half way to the middle point which needed immediate attention. He started gathering players to attack the stronghold to enable the runners who would arrive there in less than twenty minutes to carry the statue of Saint Mathew further to the middle point. He knew that Father Philip had thrown more than half of his players into the attack, which turned out to be catastrophic. Brother Philip had positioned a substantial number of players close to the middle point to deploy them quickly and fight Saint Peter back if needed. But his tactic was built on stiff hypothesis and not on the true dynamics of the game. Saint Peter did not incur any resistance moving forward to the middle point. The players of Saint Peter were attacking the defenders of Saint Matthew gathering around the middle point. This move had to be quick. If they lost too much time Father Philip would launch an attack from behind and repossess the statue of Saint Mathew as Saint Peter did not have the power to defeat them.

Brother George had to make up a plan to carry Saint Matthew quickly to the middle point. A messenger of Saint Mathew ran to Brother Philip and told him what was happening. Brother Philip sat on his Arabian race horse. His face turned red when he realized the seriousness of the situation. Before he could act, Brother George had already another plan in mind. He organized a strategic move which he called the separation of the sea. He had trained for this move several times with his men. Whilst Maurice's soldiers, the fishermen and the rafters fought off the defenders of Saint Mathew from the middle point, the runners of Saint Peter were quickly approaching.

Brother Philip left the church of Saint Peter in a hurry and galloped back followed by about three hundred screaming players rolling over the field like a herd of wild bulls. Meanwhile the players of Saint Peter had built up a fifty-meter corridor leading up to the middle point. Any attempt to break the corridor failed as Saint Peter had about double the amount of players gathered around the middle point. Julian appeared in the distance holding the statue of Saint Mathew followed by Maurice, Benedict, Steve, Jack and Marc.

Saint Peter Beats Saint Matthew

Brother Philip had arrived at the middle point in the meantime. He jumped from his horse and tried to snatch the statue out of Julian's hands in a desperate attempt. Julian threw the statue to Jack who ran into the corridor with Marc. Jack threw the statue to Marc. The orphan placed the statue on the middle point.

The players of Saint Peter were overjoyed and fell in each other's arms. Brother George smiled happily. The effort had paid off. However, he knew that Saint Matthew was one of the weaker teams and a lot of enduring hard work lay ahead.

Brother George watched the streets of Saint Peter. He saw young ladies dancing half naked in the street surrounded by young males. The people's morals were declining early. The only way to reestablish the moral rules was to win the games as quickly as possible.

Brother Timothy's Invention Fails

Saint Peter was taking a break whilst Saint Luke and Saint Marc prepared for the next game. The players of Saint Marc brought a birch tree in the stadium. A few man tied the priest to the tree on a rope. Brother Timothy had identified the same problem as Brother George and was looking into ways to overcome the lack of visibility. However, his approach was different and had him lifted twenty meters in the air to oversee the field. Twenty meters was not high enough to overlook the ten- square-kilometer field, as Brother Timothy soon found out. He hung on the mast like a worm ready to be dropped in the water.

The defense of Saint Marc was not strong enough to withstand the vigorous attacks from Saint Luke. Saint Luke managed to break into the church and take the statue of Saint Marc from the altar. The players of Saint Luke built a hedgehog, which was a cluster of players keeping the statue in the middle ploughing over the field. A hedgehog was difficult to break because of the players who stuck close together like the needles of a hedgehog. However, the disadvantage of this tactic was that the wall of people moved slowly and using a lot of manpower. Brother Timothy gave orders from the top of the pole. However, his players were too disorganized and could not hear what their priest was shouting at the top. Saint Luke was approaching rapidly toward the middle point. The players carrying the pole with their priest recognized immediately that the attack had to be stopped before it was too late. They looked up to the pole where the priest was struggling like a little baby and then they looked at the wall of people ploughing over the field. Brother Timothy had also become aware of the imminent threat and was shouting but nobody followed his instructions. The players of Saint Marc had made their own emergency plan without consulting Brother Timothy. They looked to their poor priest, fidgeting in the air. Then they nodded their heads simultaneously and released the pole to confront the attack of Saint Luke.

Cries of horror went through the ranks of the spectators when the pole came down with Father Timothy still attached to the rope. He looked like a black caterpillar caught in a spider web. The pole fell on the ground with a dull thud. The abbot and Brother George went straight to Father Timothy who was lying in the grass. They hold him under the arms and carried him to the emergency station. Saint Marc had to accept defeat. The players had mercy with their priest as he had shown a lot of courage. Brother Timothy smiled because he knew that he was not going to be chased in the wilderness of the mountains by his congregation. On the contrary his people treated him as if they had won the tournament. They felt guilty because they had abandoned him.

The Giants of village football

The next confrontation was between Saint John and Saint Paul. Saint John attracted Brother George's special attention as they had won last year's tournament. Saint Peter had lost against Saint John in the quarter finals. The team of Saint John was famous for the Black Widows, who provided the attacking squad of the team. People said that the spirit of the men who had lost their lives defending Christian villages dwelled in the hearts of the mighty Black Widows. The attack was composed of twenty elderly women capable of breaking any defense. The Black Widows were also in the defense making sure that nobody touched the statue of Saint John.

Brother George moved nervously up and down the field watching the game between Saint John and Saint Paul. The Black Widows worked effectively together. Brother George could not find any weaknesses in their game. They were fast and very dynamic bringing the game to a higher level. They moved steadily forward with tremendous might. Nobody appeared to be able to stop them if they were in possession of a statue. Brother George could not believe that they were so strong. The Black Widows were all females after all inferior to the strength of men. Saint John won easily against Saint Paul.

The Great Final

Then Saint Peter had to verse Saint Simon. Saint Peter had an easy game and won. Saint Peter made it to the final against Saint John. The Black Widows went straight for the statue of Saint Peter. Brother George acted quickly and threw all his men into the defense. The Black Widows carved through the defense like a hot iron through butter. Brother George was forced to let Saint John enter the church, which was highly dangerous. The farmers of Saint Peter gave the attackers a hard time but were powerless against the sheer might of the Black Widows.

Brother George stood back as the Black Widows tore the statue of Saint Peter from the altar. A Black Widow lifted the statue of Saint Peter in the air, uttering a barbaric cry which could be heard all over the-ten-square-kilometer playing ground, sounding like a stag that had defeated its rivals.

The roar pierced his body like the pins of needles. Brother George could not bear the humiliation any longer. He gave up his commanding position and ran to the church, followed by all his players. He regretted having left Icarus at home as he needed a fast horse now. He would have given his church for his horse at this moment.

A huge dust cloud rose in the air bearing witness to the fierce battle. Maurice tried to regain the statue of Saint Peter with his soldiers. Just when the battle tipped in favor of Saint John, the rafters from the mountains arrived and joined the ranks of the soldiers of Maurice. Brother Benedict had taken over the command and had sent every man who was close to the church to fight for Saint Peter. Brother George ploughed into the bodies of the Black Widows engaging in a tough fight. He made his way right into the centre of the fight. He tore Saint Peter out of the arms of a Black Widow, roaring like an angry lion who had taken his prey out of the claws of a hyena. He held the statue in his right hand. Then he threw the statue right into the hands of Marc who was waiting outside the circle of fire.

"Run Marc! Run back to the church!" shouted Brother George.

Marc looked at the statue and ran off like a little rabbit chased by a pack of wolves. Jack and Steve ran close behind him. A group of Theban soldiers, rafters, fishermen and farmers protected Marc and Steve from the attacks of Saint John. More and more players of Saint Peter came to the rescue and Steve was close to putting Saint Peter back on the altar. But they ran into a hundred men strong wall of Saint John. The same players had previously helped the Black Widows to bring down the defense of Saint Peter.

The players of Saint John immediately ran toward Marc and Jack, who tried to escape. Brother Benedict was figuring out ways to turn the game around. He had to be very careful not to get drifted back to close to the middle point as they could lose the statue any moment. Brother Benedict dispatched fast runners from the defense to work the statue slowly forward. The Black Widows had recovered and continued the hunt for Saint Peter.

The attacking team of Saint Peter had been worn out by the attempt to storm the altar of Saint John and had not even come close to the Saint. They were tired and gathered their strength for the next attack.

Marc still held the statue of Saint Peter in his hands. He threw it to Jack. When Jack watched the angry faces of the people of Saint John he got frightened. It suddenly occurred to him that there was no way in the world that he could put the statue back on the altar. He decided to ran away to give Brother Benedict time to figure out a new strategy.

The Black Widows soon caught up with the tired man. Saint Peter's players were exhausted. Jack was close to a faint. He threw himself down to the ground protecting the statue with his body. He was hoping that some of his mates would soon arrive to support him. Instead two players from Saint John lifted him off the ground like a little child. They tore the statue out of his arms and dumped him on the ground like an empty nut-shell.

Brother George followed about a hundred meters behind having difficulty catching up with the fast runners. Every player of Saint Peter was aware of the precarious situation and followed the escaping players who were determined to make it to the middle point in no time. Brother Benedict had dispatched a few players coming straight from the middle point to stop them. However, the Black Widows were receiving support too on the way. A powerful confrontation emerged between the two teams giving Brother George enough time to catch up. Players from Saint John arrived from left right and center and outnumbered Saint Peter hugely.

Saint John managed to drag the statue of Saint Peter further to the middle point to the horror of Brother George. Not only was the Saint not in the church anymore, Saint Peter was in enemy territory and needed to be redeemed from this shame immediately. Brother Benedict gave up his position and attacked the upcoming players immediately.

The statue of Saint Peter was only fifty meters away from being placed in the middle point signifying the death of the Saint. The abandoned commando centre of Brother George was surrounded by hundreds of doves waiting to have the little chains with the messages taken off their legs. But there was nobody there who could detach the posts as everybody was involved in the battle of the Saints. The doves hopped on the ground not knowing what to do.

Brother Benedict tackled the Black Widow holding the statue of Saint Peter and threw him on the ground. Brother George arrived and grabbed the statue. The doves recognized Brother George and flew straight to her. Brother George was soon surrounded by hundreds of birds. He had the statue of Saint Peter in his left hand and tried to scare the doves off with his right hand. The attack of the birds reduced his speed considerably and he was soon caught up by the players of Saint John wrestling him down. Brother George lay on the field with the statue of Saint Peter buried underneath him. Some of his mates gathered around him trying to protect him from the attackers. Six Black Widows lifted Brother George from the ground and tore the statue out of his arms. They dumped Brother George on the ground.

Brother George saw the smile in their faces when they took possession of his Saint. The Black Widows disappeared with Saint Peter whilst doves were flying around Brother George's head. The Black Widows bulldozed all the players in their way to the ground. Nobody could stop them anymore and they run straight to the middle point where they laid the statue of Saint Peter on the ground.

Saint Peter had to admit defeat. Brother George stood on the playing ground with tears in his eyes. The pain of the defeat was terrible. He wished he was a snail so he could hide in the snail house. He starred to the ground when he congratulated the priest of Saint John for his victory.

The Joy of the Carnival

The people followed the smell coming from the nearby food stands. Loud voices and laughter resonated from the inns where people gathered to discuss the games. The farmers presented all their latest inventions to the people. Young men engaged in woodcutting competitions. A grinder competition offered young lads the opportunity to compete against older rivals. Beautiful embroideries the women had crafted in the long winter months for Mary were on display too. Religious themes were woven into the silk cloth.

The rescue of the Morning Star from the valley of death was one of the outstanding subjects and used in many art work. Artifacts were on display at Saint Peter church.

Verena and Catherine walked through the village, dressed in colorful costumes, dancing and singing. The forest was filled with the fresh smell of spring and everybody enjoyed the beautiful day accompanied by singing larks. The sun shone on ferns and stinging nettles, filling the air with a sweet bitter smell. A cuckoo called from the high of a branch of a spruce where it had built a nest. A brimstone butterfly flew over the lilac growing around at the edge of the forest. The air was saturated with the sweet smell of flowers. Nature took part in the festivities and appeared to celebrate with the people. It was nature giving the celebration a mysterious touch. Everybody could hear the voices, smell the plants, see the colors, and enjoy the season creating a celestial symphony of heavenly pleasures. It felt like a bath in the waters of the spring of youth.

When the sun fell on Saint Peter, the children returned to the orphanage. The children's carnival processions offered a glimpse of the colorful religious spring and summer processions like White Sunday and following later in the year. These celebrations were under the patronage of Saint Mary. She invited young and old on their spiritual walk through gardens of joy where the sunshine reflected on the mountain lakes early in the morning. The days merged with the passion of the summer sun. When the moon fell on the mountains, the warm southerly winds blew through the leaves of the trees taking the excursionist home where they laid their heads on pillows filled with lavender, geranium leaves and mint.

Brother George was sitting with his friends in the big tent. Thousands of people gathered and enjoyed the festivities. There was juicy beef, pork and lamb together with chicken on offer. Roasted potatoes were served with the meals with plenty of vegetables. Beer was brought down from the monasteries and served with the meals.

The Mystery of the Black Widows

Brother George sat on a bench with Maurice, Julian and Jack when a Black Widow player approached with a glass of beer. The Black Widows were notorious for their rude behavior but nobody dared complain. Musicians with fiddles, flutes and drums were playing folk music. Farmers were dancing with their spouses.

The Black Widow sat next to Brother George.

"If we are not allowed to eat for the next forty days we might as well drink! Cheers," she said, emptying the big glass in one go. The Black Widow put the empty glass on the wooden table with a loud burb and wiped the beer foam from her lips.

Brother George was confused. He felt disgusted by the behavior of the lady but he was also full of admiration because of her strength. This energetic lady had almost wrestled him down to the ground in the games. More and more players of Saint John gathered around Brother George and his friends.

"Do you like beer?" asked Brother George the Black Widow sitting next to him.

"Of course I do, my sweet pumpkin," she said to him and put her arms around his neck.

Brother George felt even more embarrassed and did not know what to do. He looked around. Everybody starred at him. The musician stopped playing. His face was red like a tomato in full summer. The lady smelled like an old beer barrel.

"Let's dance together!" she said and took him by the arm.

She dragged him on the dance floor followed by an applauding crowd. All eyes were fixed on the odd couple to the embarrassment of Brother George who hated dancing.

"Come on, Brother George. Show us where you buy the cider," shouted a farmer in the front row. His last words were followed by the roaring laughter of the crowd.

Brother George stood there like a wooden log ready to be cut in half. The lady put her arm around his waist and grabbed his right arm. She started spinning around. Brother George could feel her strong arms. The Black Widow was out of control and came very close to the edge of the dance floor. Brother George managed to keep her on the dance floor with a reflex movement. A sigh of relief went through the crowd. Brother George was feeling a bit better. But then he felt a hand on his bottom. He felt like a little boy who had been caught wetting his pants and asked God to take him away immediately.

God heard his prayers. His dance partner moved straight to the edge of the floor and tipped over holding Brother George firm in her hands. Brother George landed straight on the Black Widow. The crowd was crying with laughter. The Black Widow made an attempt to get on her legs. Her black dress was in tatters revealing a naked breast. The laughter of the crowd stopped immediately when they saw the black hair on the breast.

"Pleased to meet you all," said the Black Widow and took her false hair off.

"A cheat. She is a him," said an old man in the front row who could not close his mouth anymore.

"She is a monk from the monastery of Saint Michael," said another man in the audience.

Brother George wiped the dirt from the shoulders of the Black Widow.

"Nice try. But you know that monks are not allowed to participate in the tournament," said Brother George wiping the dirt from his dress.

"We knew that all along. But we wanted to have some fun before the long fasting season," said the young man in defense.

"You are right. It is carnival, the fifth season. Let's celebrate!" said Brother George and prompted the musicians to continue.

Let the Feast Continue

Thousands of different scents filled the streets of Saint Peter inviting the people to an orgy of the senses. Brother Benedict and Steve had decorated the Atlantis pub in blue and white colors. A fisherman's net hung on the wall. Brother Benedict wanted it to look like a fishing room on a Cycladic island in Greece where Homer used to live. Grape leaves hung over the veranda. People sat underneath the leaves and drank wine. The air was filled with the fresh earthy smell of the river Rhone dashing through the mountains.

"Come in and dream with us," said Brother Benedict to the people who gathered in his tavern. "Life is full of adventure like in Odysseus' time. The river is in love with the earth. The moon rises over the river guiding us through the valley of the river."

The fine sound of a harp sounded through the evening. The melody was like a river gathering the dreams of the heart.

"Can you see the sea of love?" said Steve to Catherine and looked down into the valley where the river disappeared behind a mountain.

The fisherman had organized a big party at the fishermen's den. The fishing boats had been tied together and transformed into a river tavern which was rocking up and down moved by the waves of the river. The waves of the river were like arms stretching out to the fishermen's den. Peter was sitting there with his friends. It seemed as if the river wanted to join in the happiness of the people and invite them to dance, take them in its arms and carry them through the beautiful Rhone valley.

The masks and costumes filled the streets of Saint Peter like leaves of roses flowing down the river. People were dressed as the seven vices of human mankind: the fool denying the existence of God; the peacock with his prideful feathers. The dragon representing envy and anger reflected the loud roar of the lion coming from deep in his stomach. The fox with its long sharp nose danced on the streets, standing for greed. The rooster picking through the soil with its claws in red, yellow and black colors was the archetype of lust. The bear in its big sloppy brown fur coat stood for immoderation and the stubborn donkey for laziness. But rather than identifying with these vices, they were reminders of the bad characteristics of mankind which were dragging the whole society into decay.

The fear of a Roman attack hung like a Damocles sword over the Christians but people wanted to forget and be happy and enjoy the carnival. The lightheartedness of the carnival was contagious. Everybody tried to forget and look to a brighter future.

Three Romans were wandering around. It did not occur to anybody that they could be enemies as everybody believed that the uniform was part of their costume. They approached Brother George who was on the way to Benedict's Greek tavern. The soldiers were only four arms' lengths away from Brother George when they drew their daggers. Brother George was laughing as he thought they were some drunken fools trying to have some fun. Julian who was walking with Brother George jumped right in front of his friend and fought off the attackers. Brother George realized the seriousness of the situation and drew his sword. A sword charged down on him like the deadly sting of a scorpion. He quickly moved away. He escaped another blow and dug down. They eventually managed to overpower the Romans and to capture them they brought them in the big tent.

"Kill them," shouted the mob angrily raising their fists in the air.

"We are not punishing innocent people who follow orders because they are too weak to think for themselves. They are blinded by Maximian and Diocletian. They live in fear and have lost the freedom to think. If they do not obey they will be killed or expelled from the army and they will not be able to feed their families," said Brother George He understood what was happening in the Roman army as he had served there for many years before he decided to defend the Christian villages.

"Go to your friends and tell them that they should come to Saint Peter. There will be plenty of work available. We are going to build wagons. Thousands of them will soon roll over the mountains and transport goods from Rome to Paris. Goods to feed families," said Brother George.

"The devil only blesses the strong but Jesus Christ blesses the whole world. He is a generous God and has given us the morning star. We want to share the blessing received from him with all our brothers and sisters in the world."

The soldiers looked at Brother George in disbelief. They could not understand why he had spared their lives. They were defeated and deserved to be killed but instead they were offered work and a better future for their families. The soldiers were so fascinated by the fact that Brother George spared their lives that they decided to stay in Saint Peter.

The Victory Ceremony

Thousands of people met in the big tent at the football field. There was singing and dancing. The celebration came to a halt when a little boy pointed to Mount Mary. Two monks from the monastery of Saint Mary stood on Mount Joseph. People were screaming in excitement when they saw the golden gleam of the cup of Saint Mary shining on the mountain.

The monks disappeared in the forest leading to the village. The excitement was rising and everybody was looking on the gate where the monks would appear in a moment. Plants were growing over the gate. The cup winked like a light in the dark forest. The monks ran through the gate holding the cup in the air. They brought the cup to Abbot Anthony. Some farmers put tables together and helped the abbot to climb on the tables to be seen by everybody.

"There is still plenty of food and drinks. I hope you have all enjoyed our football tournament. Thank you all for building unforgettable memories into the life of Saint Peter. We will never forget the wonderful days. Thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ who made that possible," said the abbot.

His last words were overpowered by screaming voices.

"Saint John played well. However, the rules of village football stipulate that monks are not allowed to participate. Saint John engaged warrior monks from Saint Michael. This breach is so severe that the abbots of Saint Mary, the Mountain of the Angels and Mount Jesus have decided to disqualify Saint John. I am therefore proud to announce that the winner of this year's football game is Saint Peter," said the abbot holding the cup of Saint Mary in the air.

The people of Saint Peter screamed with joy. Brother George accepted the trophy.

"We could only win because of the determination of our team," said Brother George.

"This little boy has shown extra bravery. He has defended the painting of the lost sheep against his enemies and deserves the highest distinction." Brother George handed the cup over to Marc. Marc was smiling. He had never been so happy in his entire life.

"I would also like to mention Father Timothy from Saint Marc. He has shown extraordinary courage unlike his team, "said Brother George.

Everybody was allowed to hold the cup which was going to the church of Saint Peter after the spring carnival.

"Saint Peter was playing unfairly too using doves to win the game," shouted a player in the crowd.

Brother George turned around and said:

"That is not true. We won the game because our Saint serves Jesus Christ best. Saint Peter cares for the poor and unfortunate. To show you and the whole world that he is the favorite Saint, I will challenge the monasteries. There will be new rules in place. The amount of players and the size of the playing ground will be reduced. The middle point will be replaced by bars and the aim is to carry the Saint behind the bar. A game will only for one hour. The tournament will be held in Saint Peter after the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Who takes the challenge on?"

There was a pause. People stared at Brother George who had already tasted some of the delicious beer brewed by monks in the monastery.

"Are you kidding? Do you really want to challenge the warrior monks of Mount Mary, the Mountain of the Angels and Mount Mary?" asked a monk from Saint Michael.

"Yes, and I am willing to submit the cup of Saint Mary to the team which is victorious," said Brother George.

"Your proposal will be proposed to the council of the abbots," said abbot Antony.

People were singing and dancing in the street enjoying the fifth season. Ash Wednesday would come up soon followed by the fasting period. The fasting period would last for forty days. Moses had stayed on the mountain of Sinai for fourth days until God consigned the Ten Commandments to him. The Prophet Elijah had walked for forty days to the mountain of Horeb to speak to God. Jesus Christ had fasted forty days in the desert before he changed the whole world.

The contrast between the carnival season and Ash Wednesday could not be greater. Both were a reflection of a mystery, the mystery of life and death. Joy and sorrow walked together until death divided them. Death also parted the body from the soul. The soul went for a long journey to heaven protected by Jesus Christ, Mary, the angels and saints.

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