About

Joining the Davidic Order

 

Too many good Catholic men striving for holiness feel as though they are going at it alone. Men of the Davidic Order receive practical pillars of daily prayer by which they are able to grow in holiness and seek God's will for their life. They also are welcomed into a fraternity of other men striving for holiness; good Catholic men who desire to serve the Holy Catholic Church in her mission to evangelize the whole world. Davidic men receive consistent ongoing formation in monthly fraternal gatherings through fellowship, catechesis, required spiritual reading, and spiritual direction. Men who are committed to the order must also make an annual 3-day retreat, a time of silent meditation, liturgy, and fraternal connection.

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The Davidic Harp

 

The symbol of the Davidic Order is a golden harp with five strings surrounded by a crown of twelve stars. The harp symbolizes David himself, the great Psalmist, by whose Psalter the entire Church has prayed seven times a day since its conception. The five strings represent the five wounds of Christ, for it is “by his wounds we are healed.” Finally, the twelve stars represent the protection of Our Lady, Queen of Heaven and Earth, who wears a crown of twelve stars and to whom the Order of Davidic is consecrated.

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*Artwork will be updated once initial design is complete. 

 

The Davidic Charism

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The way of Christian perfection as described by the Saints is offered to all according to their state in life. The Lord raises up Saints each according to their own time, each carrying out the mission entrusted to them, for the purpose of bringing the Kingdom of God – which is at hand – to the whole world. Therefore, to advance this same Kingdom, and to address the current crisis in the Church and the world, the Lord is raising up men “according to His own heart.” The Order of David the King exists to foster the vocational cry in the hearts of men, and to form them in the way of the Saints, to bring the Kingdom of God back into our own homes, families, communities, parishes, and to the whole world.

 

Men who believe they are called to the Order of David the King are to remember that the statues are not for vanity or show, but should be lived in a spirit of humility – hidden from the eyes of the world. They should “disdain what Christ disdained on the cross and desire what he desired,” for “every virtue is exemplified on the cross.” Therefore, prayers and penances should be carried out in secret. They should embrace every hardship, desiring to live as Our Lord described, when He said, “blessed are ye that hunger now: for you shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for you shall laugh. Blessed shall you be when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.  Be glad in that day and rejoice; for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For according to these things did their fathers to the prophets.  But woe to you that are rich: for you have your consolation.  Woe to you that are filled: for you shall hunger. Woe to you that now laugh: for you shall mourn and weep.

 

Woe to you when men shall bless you: for according to these things did their fathers to the false prophets. But I say to you that hear: Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you. Bless them that curse you, and pray for them that calumniate you. And to him that striketh thee on the one cheek, offer also the other. And him that taketh away from thee thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every one that asketh thee, and of him that taketh away thy goods, ask them not again.”

 

Without opposition to their rejoicing in suffering, men of the order never disdain the gifts and consolations given by God in this life. It is often by these gifts men are strengthened to more fervently proclaim the Kingdom of God – just as our patron, David, embraced these gifts: “He hath set me in a place of pasture. He hath brought me up, on the water of refreshment: He hath converted my soul. He hath led me on the paths of justice, for his own name's sake. For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me. Thou hast prepared a table before me against them that afflict me. Thou hast anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriateth me, how goodly is it! And thy mercy will follow me all the days of my life. And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.”

 

To live in this spirit of joy in all circumstances is not possible without devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who “continues to win the gifts of eternal salvation for us. By her motherly love, she takes care of the brothers of her Son who are still in pilgrimage and in dangers and difficulties, until they be led through to the happy fatherland.” It is through her that all of our work and prayers are perfected; therefore no man may enter the order without having consecrated himself to the Blessed Virgin according to the honored tradition of St. Louis Marie de Montfort, who writes, “Almighty God and his holy Mother are to raise up great saints who will surpass in holiness most other saints as much as the cedars of Lebanon tower above little shrubs… These great souls filled with grace and zeal will be chosen to oppose the enemies of God who are raging on all sides. They will be exceptionally devoted to the Blessed Virgin. Illumined by her light, strengthened by her food, guided by her spirit, supported by her arm, sheltered under her protection, they will fight with one hand and build with the other. With one hand they will give battle, overthrowing and crushing heretics and their heresies, schismatics and their schisms, idolaters and their idolatries, sinners and their wickedness. With the other hand they will build the temple of the true Solomon and the mystical city of God, namely, the Blessed Virgin, who is called by the Fathers of the Church the Temple of Solomon and the City of God. By word and example they will draw all men to a true devotion to her and though this will make many enemies, it will also bring about many victories and much glory to God alone.” The most perfect expression of this devotion, honored by great Popes and Saints throughout the last millenia, and by Our Lady herself, is the daily Rosary. Indeed, the hand that fights will firmly grasp the most Holy Rosary – which our Lady promised to be the weapon which overcomes vice, sin, and heresy.

 

Finally, in the work of advancing the Kingdom of God, men who believe they are called to the Order of David the King should live a life of absolute fidelity to that Kingdom which Christ Himself established according to the throne of David, which is His Kingdom on Earth, namely, the Holy Catholic Church. “Doth the Lord desire holocausts and victims, and not rather that the voice of the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacrifices: and to hearken rather than to offer the fat of rams.” Obedience is the highest moral virtue, of which St. Thomas writes, “For were one to suffer even martyrdom, or to give all one's goods to the poor, unless one directed these things to the fulfillment of the divine will, which pertains directly to obedience, they could not be meritorious.” A life without obedience cannot be pleasing to God – and it is by laying aside one’s own will that men become holy and perfect. “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.” “That which our Lord chiefly regarded in his mother, was her doing the will of his Father in heaven.” Therefore, men of the order should lay aside their own will and live a life of obedience – to Christ, and in Christ to the Church He established, to the authority he named: Peter, the Vicar of Christ on earth, the Roman Pontiff. “It is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff.” Men should never disdain nor speak ill of the successors of the apostles, but submit humbly to the authority of the Church, and his local bishop.

 

THE CHARISM

 

As much as it is possible, and as much as it will aide those discerning the calling to the Davidic Order, it is expedient to exegete the life of David and so determine the traits which make up the Davidic man. David’s Charism has five major parts, namely, silence, action, repentance, fasting & feasting, and good work.

 

Silence: Shepherds have a special place in the heart of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the Good Shepherd; shepherds were the first to hear the news that the Savior had been born in the city of David; David himself, the man according to God’s own heart, spent his early years shepherding the sheep; many other patriarchs and Saints did the same. Shepherds are particularly attuned to the voice of God, the “whistling of a gentle air” that can only be heard in silence. The first trait exemplified by David is the life of a shepherd, tending his sheep in solitude and silence. It is in this silence the voice of God can be heard, as St. Patrick describes, “I tended sheep every day, and I prayed frequently during the day. More and more the love of God increased, and my sense of awe before God. Faith grew, and my spirit was moved, so that in one day I would pray up to one hundred times, and at night perhaps the same.” The Davidic man is a man who seeks to hear and know the Lord’s voice in silence, and in the tender care of those who he is appointed to serve.

 

Action: Being both active and contemplative, the Davidic man hears the voice of the Lord in silence, which prompts him to take action. Anointed, confirmed by the Holy Spirit of God, David goes out into the world. At around 16 years of age, upon hearing the challenge of the giant, David responds, “who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? …For I thy servant have killed both a lion and a bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be also as one of them.” The Davidic man is a defender, protector, and valiant witness; a soldier in the army of the living God, willing to “lay down his life for his friends.” He hears the voice of the Lord in silence and in the care of his loved ones, and then he takes radical action. There is no effeminacy in the Davidic man, but he is magnanimous, courageous, living out the essence of masculinity – which is sacrifice – in every moment.

 

Repentance: Well known is the sin of David – sins of adultery, murder, and many others, but little known is his radical repentance. David shows a high level of humility after his sin with Bathsheeba when, as King, he is confronted by Nathan the prophet and responds, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Then, in reparation, David tears his garments, puts on sackcloth and ashes, and lays prostrate on the temple floor for seven days without taking any food; it is also in reparation for this sin that he composed the Miserere. If the Davidic man commits any sin, he humbly recognizes it, accepts rebuke, makes restitution, and does penance.

Fasting & Feasting: All throughout David’s life, indeed, throughout all of our lives, there are periods of feasting and periods of fasting. The Davidic man humbly and joyfully accepts the circumstances in which he finds himself. He willfully trains himself in penance both to repent from sin and to prepare himself in virtue for the moment he is to be tested; he will be tested. He also never disdains the consolations and comforts which are given by God. He is the man who rises before all others to offer praise to God, who undertakes intense suffering and difficulty throughout the day, and is still the most jovial at the evening banquet, inspiring others to love and serve the Lord by his friendship and charity.

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Good work: King David strived in every moment to do the best that he could for the Lord, and was successful. He was a master in the art of war, in poetry and song, in shepherding, and in leading the people of Israel. It is in this sense that a Davidic man must be an artist; someone who is disposed to make whatever work he is engaged in the best that it can be for God's own sake. He strives to make his entire life a masterpiece of grace through our Lord Jesus Christ in honor of His Most Sacred Heart.