I still have no words to do justice to River Island, but for today, I have a direction as to how to have his legacy live on forever. A trainer used to ask what my goal was for the lesson, what I sought to achieve. It took her aback, I think, when I said my goal was to someday be able to ride with the Lord. It would take a lot to get to that point I was sure, because it is the 144,000 of the saints robed in white who ride with the Faithful and True who is on His white horse and leads the armies of Heaven to defeat the Adversary.

Today is St. George’s Day and he is known for slaying the dragon and saving a princess. St. George is also a patron saint of horses. All I know is that River Island, know as CrackerJack, lost his life with his friends in a conflagration that horrible day and I still struggle to make sense of it. The dragon breathing hellfire was perhaps called Calamity and it came upon that place.

Why, O Lord, why?

There is only One who has the victory over Death and Hell itself. In Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust, for without Him, there is no sense to the senseless and no eternal life. In the little book, Heaven is For Real, a little boy has a near death experience and sees Jesus and also gets to pet Jesus’ horse. He tells us in scripture, to look not here and there for behold the kingdom of God is within you. St. Therese, the Little Flower, said our hearts should be for Him a pleasant place of shelter. My heart shattered that horrific day. I was obliterated, undone. Now I know that that noble steed He put into my life lives on in my heart and his spirit is immortal because he was true love, a manifestation of Love in form. His “look of eagles” showed that spark, that true divine fire that does not die because it is eternal.

I bear witness to that holy fire here which will ultimately defeat the Death Rider in all its forms, by the power of the most holy rosary. I pray to be able to say in truth with Him, the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me. May the dragon of ego-centered existence be taken today in this St. George’s Day by the most holy rosary, O Queen of Heaven. I surrender to you entirely and to you I consecrate my life and all that supposedly belongs to me, including Splendid High, for we are yours completely. I myself am totally powerless over Calamity but you have a plan that you put forth in Fatima. River Island is yours now, isn’t he, as my guardian angel rides him witnessing to the power of the most holy rosary as what Padre Pio called The Weapon? This weapon of non-violence is the only one which can spare the carnage foreseen by many seers and you will triumph, even over ISIS, O Woman Clothed With the Sun, with your Blue Army. Enlist us, we pray. Amen.