The Plan of God

What they now saw was a wide oblong space flagged with smooth stones and surrounded by gray pillars but unroofed.  And from end to end of it ran a long table laid with a rich crimson cloth that came down nearly to the pavement. At either side of it were many chairs of stone richly carved and with silken cushions upon the seats.  But on the table itself was set out such a banquet as had never been seen, not even when Peter the High King kept his court at Cair Paravel.  There were turkeys and geese and peacocks, there were boar's heads and sides of venison, there were pies shaped like ships under full sail or like dragons and elephants, there were ice puddings and bright lobsters and gleaming salmon, there were nuts and grapes, pineapples and peaches, pomegranates and melons and tomatoes.  There were flagons of gold and silver and curiously wrought glass; and the smell of the fruit and the wine blew towards them like a promise of all happiness. . . . 

"Why is it called Aslan's Table?" asked Lucy presently.

"It is set here by his bidding, " said the girl, "for those who come so far.  Some call this island the World's End, for though you can sail further, this is the beginning of the end."

"But how does the food keep?" asked the practical Eustace.

"It is eaten, and renewed, every day," said the girl.

~C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

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This past weekend we celebrated the ordination to the priesthood of two friends that were in our class in college.  It was so moving to be part of the day, to see the joy on these mens' faces, to receive blessings from them, to kiss their hands, now given the power to bring Jesus to us.  They each expressed emotion upon thanking their parents for giving the gift of their sons and presented to them the stole and the maniturgium.  It was a time to marvel at the greatness of the plans of God. It was a time to be grateful to God for the way in which He is continually renewing His promise to stay and dwell with us, through the hands of His chosen sons in the priesthood.

 There are times in life when it is almost as though one is given the ability to pull back from the moments and see the years, as though life were an Impressionist painting from which one must stand back to see the picture.  Standing there on my dear college's beautiful grounds with many of my classmates and friends from that time and looking at the bright faces of the new priests of God, I caught glimpses of the shining pathways that we all are following, laid out for us with care long ago.  How intricate are these pathways and how marvelous is our Guide.   Blessed is He who carries out such glorious plans!