In memory of one of the most important - and the last - Templar Grand Masters - Jacques de Molay, we might wish to pause and commemorate his extraordinary courage, integrity, love of God, and unflinching spirit. On this day -- the 13th of October, 1307, some 704 years ago today -- as we know, the notorious 'dawn arrests' of the French Templars began, starting a most difficult time for the Order of the Temple. Grand Master de Molay and others were later imprisoned, and, by the end of this gruelling process of over 7 years of trials, he and his top officers, in particular, faced truly daunting odds and unimaginable difficulties of inquisitional hearings and trials, culminating in their burning at the stake. Even after the official suppression of the Order in 1312, de Molay remained in prison - but his spirit never languished. But in what, by all accounts, was a final and extraordinary display of courage, both de Molay (and Geoffrey de Charney, the Preceptor of Normandy), courageously recanted their confessions before a stunned crowd in Paris, with de Molay allegedly declaring, in part: ' Before heaven and earth and with all of you here as my witness...I declare, and I must declare, that the Order is innocent. Its purity and saintliness is beyond question'. Since then, even into our own troubled current times, in spite of any negative headlines, the memory of the courage of de Molay and of all of the Templars on that fateful day in 1307, has, indeed, remained with us, renewing a priceless legacy and example for our unfolding 21st century. Perhaps the old Languedoc prediction and folk saying of 'after 700 years, the laurel will grow green again' is an apt comparison here..... as truly, we are indeed currently witnessing a 'greening' and most important renewal of interest in "all things Templar" in our own time, just over seven hundred years later. May we all remember -- every day -- the courage and integrity of those like de Molay... and of going 'one step beyond', to truly 'seize the day' of mind, heart, and spirit."