In the Beginning

Stephen G. Kenny

Description

The Spring Lake Knights are modern-day Hardy Boys, solving mysteries and engaging in the supernatural battle between good and evil.

Thirteen-year-old David O’Rourke is living an uneventful life in sleepy Spring Lake until Father Eli arrives. David is deemed a fledgling modern-day knight, and at Father Eli’s request, he and his classmate, Jon Clark, are chosen to embark on a quest to find a missing chalice that holds great importance to Father Eli and the Church.

Together, David and Jon unravel mysteries hidden in plain sight to complete their mission. Under the tutelage of Father Eli and Police Chief Mike Trout, they learn more about their own purposes, their roles as sons and brothers, and their divine destinies. They also become aware of an invisible power that makes all things possible.







“WOW! Steve Kenny takes us on a fast-paced thriller that is at once a fresh look at a coming-of-age story that finds manhood in virtue and goodness instead of drugs and sex. This book is a call to arms for Catholics everywhere who feel their families besieged by our culture, and an almost poetic idyll on the beautiful seaside town of Spring Lake, all wrapped within a mysterious page-turner that will leave you on the edge of your seat to its glorious last page. A triumphant debut!”

- Steve Auth, Author, Pilgrimage to the Museum and Missionary of Wall Street.



“In the Beginning is a redeeming story that captivates the reader while highlighting the Catholic faith in a positive light. This is a great read for young people or anyone who enjoys novels about virtue, heroism, and faith.”

- Everett Fritz, Catholic Speaker and Author, Founder of Andrew Ministries.



“A beautiful story, set in a quiet Jersey Shore community, that reveals how young people see and respond in today’s world. We experience their growth through the lens of wonder and discovery. The reader witnesses the positive influence of a good Catholic priest and is reminded of a beautiful Catholic Church that many have forgotten. The reader will be immersed in the Church’s beauty while being formed by its teachings.

I strongly recommend this book to families, especially those who desire to grow together in their faith.”

- Mario Costabile, Founder and Executive Director, Array of Hope.

Sujets

• Chistian
• Religious
• Young Adult Fiction
• Spring Lake
• Knight

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 28 juin 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664296480
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

“WOW! Steve Kenny takes us on a fast-paced thriller that is at once a fresh look at a coming-of-age story that finds manhood in virtue and goodness instead of drugs and sex. This book is a call to arms for Catholics everywhere who feel their families besieged by our culture, and an almost poetic idyll on the beautiful seaside town of Spring Lake, all wrapped within a mysterious page-turner that will leave you on the edge of your seat to its glorious last page. A triumphant debut!”
Steve Auth, Author, Pilgrimage to the Museum, and Missionary of Wall St reet.
In the Beginning
 
THE KNIGHTS OF SPRING LAKE SERIES
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stephen G. Kenny
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Copyright © 2023 Stephen G. Kenny.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
 
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated into any other language.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9646-6 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9647-3 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9648-0 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023905944
 
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 06/06/2023
Acknowledgements
This book is dedicated to my mom, Anne M. Kenny (nee O’Brien). She always believed I could, and should, be a writer. She is turning 90 as I write this, so Happy Birthday, Mom. I must also acknowledge my dad, Stephen J. Kenny. He would have loved Spring Lake, and he would have continued to be a great model of manly virtue. RIP, Pop.
I must also thank my beautiful bride, Sheila. She continues to believe in me even when I do not believe in myself. Je t’aime!
This book is for our children, nieces and nephews, their spouses, and their children. I pray you all persevere in faith and continue to strive to live virtuous lives. Be heroic! Be saints!
Finally, I thank almighty God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I am eternally grateful for Your creation, love, patience, and mercy. I am also grateful for the more inspired and learned people You have revealed to me. These include, Rusty Reno and the contributors at First Things, Anthony Esolen, Mary Eberstadt, Father James Schall, John Wooden, Matthew Kelly and Dynamic Catholic, Dr. Tim Gray and the Augustine Institute, Bear Bryant, Shakespeare, The Odyssey, The Catholic Thing, Crisis Magazine, Ellis, Ben, Anonymous, Presentation Ministries, Troop of St. George, Fraternus, Mark Twain, Father Mike Schmitz and Ascension Press, Father Dave Swantek, Father Dave Pivonka and Wildgoose TV, Chris Stefanick and Real Life Catholic, CS Lewis, GK Chesterton, JRR Tolkien, John Stonestreet and the Colson Center, Heroic Men, St. John Paul II, Prager University, the young men of SJR and Glen Rock HS, Jordan Peterson, and Brian Burch and Catholic Vote. There are so many more. Thank you!
Contents
Acknowledgements
Prologue
 
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
 
Prologue
The church bells struck three, reverberating through the vaulted arches of the empty chapel. David opened his eyes once he regained control of his breathing. He was seated on the ground with his back against the marble column. He took an inventory of his various aches and contusions and decided there was no serious damage. He bowed his head and remained still as he became aware of the sound of hail pelting the dome high above. A flash of light and a peal of thunder drew his eyes to the stained glass behind the altar, through which an eerie reddish light cast an ominous glow in the sanctuary. He rose.
“There is no greater love,” he said to himself as he gazed at the crucifix over the altar one last time.
David genuflected; adjusted his belt and breastplate; picked up his helmet, shield, and sword; and strode confidently toward the doors that led back outside. He paused at the exit and stared at the glass cabinet that held relics and memories from the historic church. In the glass he could see his reflection. Looking at his six-foot-two chiseled self, his long, blond-streaked hair, and his somewhat bruised and bloodied visage, he betrayed a reflective smile.
He glanced at the parish bulletin with the date June 2, 2024.
How has it come to this? he thought as he adjusted his glasses and put on his helmet. “In the beginning, it was not so,” he said as he took a deep breath.
He pushed open the doors and stepped back into the breach.
 
1
“I think that guy’s in trouble,” David said to himself.
David was on his surfboard, about thirty yards from the Spring Lake beach, and he could see a swimmer who was getting nowhere as he tried to bodysurf to shore. It was nearing six in the evening, and there were no lifeguards since the official summer season of 2019 was still weeks away.
David looked back and saw a promising swell, but he hesitated and turned his attention back to the guy in the water. The middle-aged man was now farther from home than when he’d started, and he seemed to be floating out on an invisible current.
Riptide , David thought.
David put his belly on his board and started paddling in the man’s direction, not quite sure what he was getting into. As he got closer, he heard a voice behind him.
“You see that guy too?”
David turned his head and said, “Yeah, I think he’s in a riptide.”
The other voice got closer. “I think so too.”
David saw a Wild Child PU board glide up next to him, and while he quickly checked out the board, there was a moment of recognition.
“Hey, Jon,” David said, recognizing his classmate from school. While they hung with different crowds and had different interests, they sometimes saw each other on the water. David didn’t know Jon well, but he remembered that he enjoyed being in his religious education class, referred to as CCD, last year.
Jon smiled and said, “Hey! How you doing, David?”
“Better than this guy,” David replied while motioning at the now fast-floating swimmer. “What do you think?”
“I dunno. You have an idea?”
“He’s a lot bigger than us, and he might be scared and get in a panic, so why don’t we paddle closer and calm him down? I’ll hitch a ride on your board, and we’ll give him mine to hold on to.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Jon said.
They maneuvered closer, and David called out, “You all right?”
The man gave a thumbs-up and said, “OK so far.” He took a breath. “A little tired.”
He was bobbing up and down in the waves but was far enough away from shore to be out of the grip of the riptide. The man was not panicking, and that helped David and Jon stay calm as well. The issue now was going to be getting him back in while dealing with waves big enough to be surfable, a strong current, and jetties of jagged rock that defined the boundaries of the surfing-only section of the beach. As a bonus, Jon could see the riptide that had carried him out was doing what riptides do—diverting to a path parallel to the beach before dissipating. They were all moving south toward one of the jetties.
“Here,” David said. “I’m gonna push my board to you. Think you can get on it?”
The man nodded.
“Let’s do this,” David said as he pushed the board toward him.
David may have pushed a bit too hard, and with his momentum, he lost his grip on Jon’s board. He flailed a bit as he lost his connection to the board and his sense of direction.
Jon saw David was in trouble. As an experienced surfer and swimmer, he confidently got off his board and held it with one arm as he reached for David with his other. He let David take the front position, and he got on the back.
The man struggled to get up on David’s board as Jon yelled, “Go, go, go!” He and David started paddling hard toward open water to avoid the fast-closing rocks. David glanced back and saw the man was now on the board and, after a slow start, was also paddling to get outside the jetty.
“Come on, David!” Jon yelled as the combination of current and swells was making it hard to clear the rocks. At almost the same moment, Jon screamed, “Ahhh! The rocks cut my leg!”
David continued to paddle furiously, and after a couple of tense seconds, they were clear of the jetty and soon in calmer waters. David lo