The Kings Banquet...A Love Story.

The Kings Banquet –

A Love Story...

Who I am is not important. My story is. In my life I rebelled against everything, including my faith, and looked to nature as my source for the divine.

Having grown up in the country, I could truly appreciate all of God’s gifts in nature for it was constantly around me. As I walked among nature’s gifts I knew that everything that my eye could see was a gift from God.

I sat down underneath a tree and began to wonder why God had been so good to give us all these things.

My eyes began to get heavy, as I watched the leaves sway to the tune that the wind had played. As I began to nod off to sleep I prayed,

“God, are there any greater gifts than these?”

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I was awakened by a hand shaking.

“Wake up, it is almost time.”

I awoke to find a strange man standing over me, shaking my shoulder. Again he repeated His plea to me, “Come, it is almost time.”

I looked strangely at him for He wore an outfit strangely reminiscent of the renaissance. He wore a purple cap with brown leggings and a white puffed shirt. I was almost about to laugh at him, when I looked at my own garb, and realized I was wearing a long worn ragged dress, brown and plain, with many patches like it had been worn for a long time.

“What do you mean, ‘it is almost time.’”

Anxiously he replied, “The kings banquet, you must come, the king has invited you to come.”

Looking at my attire, I replied, “I certainly know no king and I am in no shape to go to any banquet, nonetheless the banquet of a king.”

“But the king has invited you and you must come.”

“How does the king know of me?”

“The king knows of all of his subjects.”

“Look at me, how can I come before a king dressed like a beggar?”

“Fear not, for this king cares not for the external, but for what is eternal.”

This puzzled me, but something inside me pulled me to follow him. So in faith I arose and followed my guide to the King’s banquet.  “So if the king knows all His subjects, may I know you?” I asked my guide.

“Who I am is of little importance, I am only the vessel to bring those that are invited to the Kings banquet, to the banquet. Not so important is who I am but the King who has sent me.”

“Well, I must call you something, what shall I call you.”

“You may call me John.”

As we traveled, I became concerned for my lack of material possessions; I said to my guide, “John, I have no gift to bring the king.”

“Your gift is one that you do not even know.”

Still puzzled, we continued on over rolling hills of green grass that felt very cool and good on the bottom of my bare feet. Coming over the last hill we were faced with the King’s Castle. Just looking at the castle, you could tell this was a great King. Many flags flew of many colors and many servants hustled about to prepare for the banquet.

Standing outside the castle there were people in fine velvets and silks with rings on their fingers that held magnificent precious stones and shined like the sun. But these men and women of wealth were not going into the banquet and did not appear that they had any desire to. They stood about chatting about trivial things like how lovely this one’s garment was in comparison to another or what meat shall they have for dinner. I wondered why they stood about and had no desire to meet the king, for to meet such a king would be a great honor. But they wiled away the hours outside the kings presence concerned only with trivial things.

We entered the King’s residence, and as I am usually a curious creature I grabbed John’s arm and stopped him.

“John, my friend, those people outside, they are attired for a king’s banquet, not I, and they should be the ones that come to the king’s banquet. I am not worthy to sit and eat with such a mighty King who has such a mighty castle. Even if I did have fine clothing this King is obviously a great man and I would still be unworthy to attend his banquet for I am just a simple woman with no title or land.”

He looked at me and smiled, a smile that knew something that I did not.

“What you have spoken is what makes you worthy to attend the banquet of the King. For it is not the external garment that is important to the king, but the garment of the heart.

You have spoken in humility and lowliness; therefore you show your heart to be free from arrogance and pride. Your dress may not be fine, but be assured, your heart is arrayed in glory.”

I continued to follow him as we entered the great room. They’re inside where many attired, as I was, not in fine garb but in simple clothes. Some wore almost rags with far more patches than even I possessed.

I asked my male guide, “Sir, could you tell me why those who are outside in their finest clothes are not in here at the kings banquet? Did they also receive an invitation to the Kings banquet as I did? And if they did, why don’t they come in?”

His smile never leaving his face, he spoke softly, whispering almost as if what he had to tell me was a great scandal.

“Oh, yes, those outside in the fine clothes were also invited to the king’s banquet, but they would not come. Each one had an excuse as to why they could not come. Many had put wealth, leisurely pursuits, or sometimes just laziness ahead of the King’s banquet. They never sought the king or His presence so they do not know what they have lost. We, who have accepted the Kings invitation and are willing to come, have been given such a wonderful opportunity to spend time with the King and to enjoy His banquet. The ones that you see that are outside, they were invited to the King’s Banquet, but of their own will turned away.”

I was deeply saddened by what He had told me. I thought of myself being able to go to the king’s banquet and all those outside whom by their own freewill would not come.

“Has anyone explained to them what they will be missing?” I asked, concerned.

John stopped and slowly turned and looking me in the eye said in a soft sad voice, “Yes, many times.”

We were quiet for a time and John began to introduce me to the other guests. Many of those were dressed poor like me but I felt the warmth of their smiles.

“Tell me, where is the King? I would like to thank him for inviting me into His house and to His banquet. I also want to ask Him how I can be of service to such a great King.”

“Very well. The King is through those doors.” He had pointed to two heavy, ornately carved doors. Certainly this must be a great king. Cautiously I entered through the heavy doors and looked around.

I walked down the aisle, of the great hall, which I had entered in-between the pews that were on either side. At the end of the hall there was an altar and a large wooden crucifix. In the center behind the altar was the tabernacle, which held the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I now knew the truth of it.

It was the King’s Banquet, but not an earthly King, it was the King of King’s banquet, the most Holy Mass to which I had been invited. And my gift I brought to the altar was not just my gift of money but also a humble and contrite heart. I knelt down and began to thank God for His invitation to His banquet, the greatest gift of all, His Holy Mass. For the first time, I truly understood the meaning of the words that are said at mass, “Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

God had answered my prayer when I asked if there were any greater gifts than these. He was the greatest gift of all, He was the Pearl of Great Price. I now knew what he meant by the “treasure hid in a field.” For the greatest gift is for all to see and partake in this Holy Sacrifice...if only they would. If we only knew how great is our Lord's desire for all of us to partake in this most Holy gift of Himself in the most Holy Eucharist.

As I partook the most Holy Eucharist, I was filled with the love of God. I have never been happier in my life! Lord I want you above all things on the Earth! I looked down at myself, I had nothing, owned nothing, yet lacked nothing, for I had the most Holy Trinity, the complete love of God expressed in the Holy Mass.

How rich I was! Then I looked out a window and saw all those that did not come to the King's banquet in their finery and riches, and I realized how truly poor they really were.

For if we choose what is temporary, we receive only a temporary reward. If we forsake all for the reward that is Eternal, dwelling in happiness with the Eternal God shall be our reward.