Once I heard speak in television about patrons and this topic took me somehow. Not from the reason that I would be pious, I was interested who is the patron who. This word is from Latin "patronus" - the protector. He is a saint or an angel whom is entrusted the protection of certain temple, person, life-status, occupation, town or country. Various occupation has its own patron, for example I looked up these ones:
St George - patron of soldiers and farmers
St Lucas - patron of doctors and artists
St Prokop - patron of miners
St Lawrence - patron of cooks
St Dominic - patron of scientists and astronomers
St Florian - patron of firemen, metallurgists, chimney-sweepers, potters and bakers, etc.
But have computer enthusiasts anyone? I have found out that yes. For those who browse on web pages there is a good news here. Even internet has its own patron - St Isidor. Isidor came from New Carthage, from an excellent Spain-Roman family. In year 554, during the attack of Byzantine emperor on Spain, the father of St Isidor escaped to Sevilla. After the death of his parents his brother, archbishop of the town, took care of him. In year 559, after the death of his brother, was Isidor chosen for the metropolitan of Sevilla. He bossed 37 years wisely and eagerly his archdiocese, sanctioned laws touching the religious discipline and ecclesiastic life. He died on 4th April 636, in age 82. Pope Innocent XII declared St Isidor the teacher of the Church. The Spain informatics, inspired with the data and with the recommendation of the papal court for the communication media, admited St Isidor for the patron of internet and the computer users. The main reason is especially most significant work of this saint - Etymologiae, where he summarized knowledge from medicine, mathematics, history and theology. This book of information from various areas of life and science is similar to present databases.
And what we, computer players? Does anybody keep an eye on us? If so far didn't exist any patron for us, I suggest Lara Croft to be this one. Why she? This character is well-known even among the people who don't play games and it is here a long time among us. We spent a lot of time with her. And surely each of you had at least once some dream in which she appeared. So you can see, she is with you day and night.
The prayer to this patron is following:
St Lara, protector of all fair players
Who are inside our computers
Save us from bugs, stupid AI and bloody hardware requirements
May we have more frags and headshots
Bring us a lot of entertainment with the slashing till the night
Give us bigger accuracy and quick fingers to die less often
I wish there are more quality games and less extended slops
May the games come out in time, no delays
Catch the pirates, arrest them and cast them into the darkest prison
Let rust their computers on the scrapyard
Amen.