Arms of our Sovereign Order PURPOSE & ACTIVITIES Today the Sovereign Order of St. John is a fraternal and ecumenical Christian association whose Members have a strong sense of its history and hospitaller traditions, who believe in the need to support local charities, and who enjoy the comradeship of like-minded people. There is a close working relationship among the four Commanderies in the Priory of the Western United States with the rest of the Commanderies throughout the world. Our Members raise money for charity through a variety of activities including an annual Christmas Ball, annual Summer Garden Party, and other social events hosted by the Commanderies of the Priory of the Western United States to supplement their own oblations and gifts from other sources. The Priory of the Western United States has gifted over one million dollars ($1,000,000) to these works in the last ten years, and its commitment to such works is increasing. The Sovereign Order of St. John is a California not-for-profit corporation recognized under IRC Section 501 (c) (3) (Federal Tax No. 94-3145288). Contributions to the Sovereign Order are tax deductible within the United States of America. The following Homily perhaps best explains the historical context of our true mission: "To help the poor and sick in Christ." It was given on June 23, 2007 during the Commandery of the Sierras Investiture Service at Trinity Episcopal Church in Reno, Nevada by the Reverend Rick Millsap. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me." Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink" And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?" And the King will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." Matthew 25:34-40 Once upon a time there were knights . . . real knights. They came from the best families of the houses of Europe, and they had to prove four generations of nobility. They took oaths of chivalry to protect and to serve. Those oaths to protect and to serve the poor and the sick became their dream. And they were very brave. They wore shining armor, and rode magnificent chargers, and fought in many battles. For other orders of knights, the battle and the glory were enough, but not for these. There was something different about their eyes. It was hard to tell what it was. The color? No, probably not. Still, there was something quite different. While other knights looked and saw only spoils or land or great victory or great defeat, these knights looked around and saw the wounded and the poor. They founded hospitals. There is a legend that the Knights Hospitaller would serve the sick and the poor fine white bread on silver platters before they would go and eat their own common coarse rye bread off wooden platters. I think we're all old enough here to understand that a story doesn't necessarily have to be factual to be true. When God touches someone, it seems to me that He most often touches the eyes. John the Baptist's eyes were touched by God, and he saw the crying need for Israel to repent. Peter's eyes were touched, and he saw Jesus was the Christ. Mary Magdalene, as some call her, the apostle to the apostles, saw and believed in the risen Christ. She ran to tell the other apostles what she had seen; it took the men a bit longer to see it. After many travels, looking for a home and trying to live out their dream, these knights were given the dusty isle of Malta in the middle of the Mediterranean by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1530 . . . and they weren't too thrilled with it. They didn't speak the language, and there weren't any forests in which to hunt. But, they didn't have much of a choice, and the rent was right: One Maltese Falcon a year. Yes, that's where the idea for the movie came from. It was there they built their great church, the Cathedral of St. John. It is a beautiful work of Renaissance art. The floor is made of imported Italian marble inlaid with 375 decorated squares like some grand chess board. Each of the squares is different because beneath each, lies buried a knight. And some were very good men; and some were not so good. There on Malta, they raised their beautiful city of Valletta, named after their Grand Master. Years passed, and as they continued to follow their dream of helping the poor and the sick, they became less and less militaristic. As a result, they were later conquered easily by Napoleon - not a shot was fired.  And so, the knights began to look for a home again. Whereas the other orders of knights had pretty well died out, the Knights Hospitaller did not. When the other orders of knights lost their castles, they often lost their order. For others who had huge land holdings, when they lost their land, they lost their order. For some who had depended on their money, when they lost their money, they lost their order. For many, when wars ended and there was nothing to do, they lost their order. You see, they had no dream to follow. But the Knights Hospitaller survived because they didn't need land or armor or castles or swords or pageantry or wars. They had eyes that had been touched by God to see... truly see... the poor and the sick. And those were everywhere. And so the Knights dispersed throughout the world. As they followed their dream over the years, it led them to realize that compassion to the poor and sick was not just the domain of men... and so women too were admitted to the order and began to follow the dream. And so tonight, we call new Knights and Dames into this Sovereign Order. Like the knights and dames of medieval times, you are our nobility - our aristocracy, leaders in your professions and in our communities. As our aristocracy, you have recognized your greater responsibility to others. Like the knights and dames of old, you follow the dream of helping the poor and the sick. No, you no longer wear shining armor or flowing satins. You no longer ride magnificent horses and carry heraldic standards before you. You don't need them anymore. You are still the Knights and Dames of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller. The only thing that people notice about you that is exactly the same as the knights and ladies of old, are your eyes. They are eyes that have been touched by God. As you fulfill your vows of your ancient order taken tonight and stoop down to help the poor and care for the sick . . . You have the very same eyes that can see in the faces of the poor and the sick, the very face of Jesus Christ.