Once upon a time there was a King
Who so loved His subjects
That He left His palace to live among them
And assist them to build a mansion
Wherein all of them could reside
Together with Him forever.
For meetings, shows and concerts. But as He dwelt in their midst,
They gradually forgot His dignity,
And the love and gratitude they owed Him.
And they began to lose their reverence for Him.
They spoke of Him without respect.
They no longer paid homage to Him.
Or, if they did, they were ridiculed
And reprimanded by His courtiers.
When they came into His presence,
They talked and laughed with one another
And paid Him no heed at all.
They took no care of their dress,
And appeared before Him in rags.
Immodest garb and beachware.
And when He invited them to sup with Him,
They did not even wash themselves.
But came to His supper without preparation.
And there especially they disregarded
All the rules laid down
By the King’s chamberlain.
They mocked the King’s chamberlain,
And called Him an old man and a foreigner.
How rich, privileged, and well-educated they were.
They permitted those to serve at table
Who were unacceptable for such a position.
They brought along court jesters
With painted faces to entertain;
And dancing girls to distract the attention of the guests
From the King, their Host.
Their conversation was to and about one another,
And there was much socializing and
Good fellowship.
But the King was ignored…
They stripped the King’s Rooms bare
Of the pictures of His family and friends.
And adorned them with gaudy trivial things.
Eventually they moved the King
Out of His chambers
Because they needed the space
For meetings, shows and concerts.
And they thrust Him
Into a closet in a side chamber.
He was no longer allowed to hold court.
His Golden Throne was discarded,
And those who wanted
To come to see Him privately,
Often found the door locked.
His personal attendants were given
Other jobs to do,
And his personal affairs were made subservient
To politics, fund-raising and
Community socials.
The mansion they had been invited to build,
Was forgotten
Because it was a prospect for the future,
And they were interested
Only in the present
And the King in His Closet wept,
Because He loved them.
And He knew
That if they continued on this way…
Their future would end in destruction. +
(As preached on Fr. Bill Casey’s audio series “Christ, Miracle Worker in the Holy Eucharist”)