There was a young man
named Shane Lowry; he was a very conscious person who thought more than the average
individual did on a daily basis. His mind was a constant roller coaster and one
day, it finally got to him. He believed in a spiritual entity, but did not know
what its’ role was in his life or in the world. Shane decided to set out on a
journey to find out the meaning for his existence and the truth to life.
He sat out on a journey to find the answers to all of his
questions. After a few days of traveling by foot, he decided to stop and sit
down at a tree. Shane looked around and what he saw really caught his
attention. In front of him was a enormous and beautiful cathedral. He rested
for a bit longer, but eventually decided to enter and examine the ruins of this
abandoned cathedral till he arrived at the altar. There were four objects at
the altar, the Bible, a piece of bread, a bottle of wine and a glass of water.
All of this confused Shane; he tried to figure out what these certain objects
were for.
At
that moment, a great beam of light shined on him and a mysterious voice called
his name, “Shane, Shane, Shane.” He tried to shake his head to clear his mind
from any thoughts because he believed he was hearing things until the voice told
Shane to pick up the Bible and turn to Matthew 26:26 – 26:28 and begin to read.
It read, “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake,
and gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took
the cup, and gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For
this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission
of sins.”
Shane
looked down to the altar, took the bread in one hand and the glass of wine in
the other hand. He followed the same sequence of which he had just read in the
Bible. He did not feel any different than he did before he consumed the bread
and wine. The voice returned, ordering Shane to pick up the Bible again and
turn to Matthew 3:13-17, which is when John the Baptist baptizes Jesus in the
river of Galilee. The voice said, “Shane, take the glass of water and repeat
these words with me… Heavenly Father, In your love you have called me to know
you, led us to trust you, and bound our life with yours. Surround this child
with your love, protect it from evil. Fill it with the Holy Spirit and receive
it into the family of your church that it may walk with us in the way of
Christ, and grow in the knowledge of your love.” After saying this prayer,
Shane felt at peace.
This
sequence of events led to answering all of the questions he has always had.
Finally, he found the truth and the true meaning of his life in the world.
Author’s Note:
The
story I chose this week was How Sir Lancelot Saw A Vision from the storybook of
King Arthur. He arrived at a stone cross which laid next to it was a block of
marble. He tied his horse up to a three, hung his shield there and looked into
the chapel. The altar of the church was covered with silk and a candlestick
that had six branches made of silver. There was a great light that beamed from
it in which prompted Sir Lancelot to enter it, but he could not. He went back
to where his horse was and laid down to rest. Two white palfreys stopped at the
stone cross and the Knight said, "O sweet Lord, when shall this sorrow
leave me, and when shall the Holy Vessel come by me, through which I shall be
blessed? For I have endured long, though my ill deeds were few." As he
spoke these words, the candlestick from the chapel stood before the cross and
brought with it a table of silver and the Holy Vessel of the Graal. The Knight moved
toward the Holy Vessel, and prayed, his sickness went away. The Graal, the
light and the candlestick entered back into the chapel. Sir Lancelot wanted to follow
them, but the weight of his sins weighted him down. He knew that he was in deep
sin that he has never confessed of. "My sin and my wickedness have done me
this dishonour, for when I sought worldly adventures for worldly desires I ever
achieved them and had the better in every place, and never was I discomfited in
any quarrel, were it right or wrong. And now I take upon me the adventures of
holy things, I see and understand that my old sin hinders me, so that I could
not name nor speak when the Holy Graal passed by."
