Preparing for the Meal

“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.” Matthew 22:2-3

When I invite friends over to my house for a dinner, I spend a few days preparing for the meal. My favorite part is setting the table. I take out the prettiest tablecloth and the good china. I then grab the silverware that gets used only on special occasions, and just like I was taught as a little girl by my grandmother, I place the knife on the right side of the plate, the large fork on the left with the smaller fork next to it, and the dessert spoon diagonally above the plate. Then comes the napkins. If I’m feeling particularly creative, I try to turn the napkin into a work of art. Unfortunately, I was not gifted with creative hands. They are actually pretty clumsy. So after spending half an hour trying to turn a napkin into a swan, I usually have to resign myself to just using pretty napkin rings. 

After the napkins, I take out the wine glasses. First, I check to make sure they don’t have any water marks. If they do, I polish them until they are sparkling clean. Once they are, I set them on the table right above the knife. One goblet for wine and another one for water. Last but not least, I stop by the store to buy fresh flowers. I select a beautiful vase from my collection, and I place them in the middle of the table. And if the meal is at night, I may also add a couple of candles. 

Imagine if after I go through all this preparation, my guests call to cancel. I would be devastated. And that is exactly how Jesus feels when He invites us to the Sacred Meal, and we don’t show up. 

Jesus prepares a banquet for us every single day. He hires helpers to get the altar table ready for the meal. We take it for granted, but if we pay attention, the Lord’s Table is beautifully set when we arrive to the Church. It usually has a beautiful mantle. On the corners, there may be two candles. There is probably a crucifix as the center piece. And most likely, the Bible will be there as well. There will be flowers at the foot of the altar. All these things don’t happen on its own. There are specific people that volunteer to help out, and every day they prepare the altar for the banquet. How sad if no one were to show up. 

A while back, I was part of the team that served at an Emmaus retreat. I was assigned the task of preparing the Adoration Chapel where the Blessed Sacrament would be exposed during the entire weekend. I had never done this before, so I asked for help. I was told to prepare it as beautiful as if the King Himself would be coming to a banquet. I brought from my house the tablecloth that I had used at my wedding, which is absolutely beautiful. I borrowed two gorgeous candleholders. I bought fresh flowers which I placed in front of the altar. And the centerpiece would be the Blessed Sacrament exposed inside a gorgeous monstrance. 

The image of the King remained with me, and now, every time I go to mass, I think that I am attending a banquet prepared for me by the King of Heaven. The altar may look splendid, but even more important is the Sacred Meal that He has prepared for me with so much love. He has poured His Body, His Blood, His Soul and His Divinity into that meal. All His love for me is contained in that little wafer. How can I refuse the invitation?

Even though I love setting a beautiful table when I have guests coming over for dinner, it would be meaningless if I don’t provide a meal. Imagine what they would think if we sit at the table, and I don’t even serve them a glass of water. They would think I lost my marbles. The most important ingredients are the meal itself, and the guests sitting around the table. 

Let’s not leave the King waiting for us. He invites us to His banquet each and every day. Are we going to leave Him waiting? Or are we going to join Him at the very least once a week?

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.