A Beautiful and Inspiring Story

of Camelot and the Holy Grail

by

the Littlest Page of Sir Launcelot du Lac

Dearest Knights and Ladies of the Table Round:

It is with greatest joy I share with you these "Cosmic Memoirs de ma Vie" (Cosmic Memories of my Life) from that special little life when I was known as the "Littlest Page" of Sir Launcelot.

We were on the shores of France, at the point known as Point San Michel, looking out over the ocean towards England.

Sir Launcelot kneeling down in fervent prayer, asked God what His Will for him was to be, and the Great Archangel Michael appeared as a bolt of blue lightning, which suddenly fanned out into the radiant apparition of the Great Archangel surrounded by a blue incandescent mist.

"Launcelot, arise and go to Arthur, King of England, and join the Knights of the Table Round!"

This was the commandment direct from the lips of St. Michael the Archangel unto Launcelot, beseeching the Lord in prayer for guidance and direction.

Kneeling by his side with him, guarding his armor and equipment, I was blessed to be in the service of Launcelot, and to witness that sacred moment when God commanded Launcelot to join with the forces of Arthur Pendragon, King of England fighting for the forces of Good and Justice on Earth.

Thus called, we loaded up Launcelot's sword and shield, shining with the Fleur de Lis, and all of our belongings and headed across the sea.

In the confusion of our journey to Camelot, Launcelot had to battle many vagabonds and renegades along the roads. There was treachery everywhere, and we had to be ready to battle day and night just in order to proceed to Avalon where the Castle of Arthur stood, surrounded by a lake, "Swan Lake" as it was called.

And as Launcelot had to be ready at all times, so I, as his right hand man, had to be there with him, alert and awake at all times to every hidden foe, ready to arm him with whatever arm he required, prepared to escape any and every snare, run from any trap, sniff out any strategy that we were facing.

Each day with Launcelot was an adventure supreme. He was the most jovial of companions, who found much to laugh at in the face of the most dangerous situations. And yet he was the most serious and pure-hearted of them all, so dedicated to God, that we never set forth at dawn without meditation and contemplation on the Mother Divine in Heaven guarding and guiding us, her angels taking watch over us, and our Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, the Christ for whom we fought the snares of the devil each day.

Suddenly at one turn in the road approaching Camelot, Launcelot was accosted by a mysterious stranger, and a duel began. It was excellent sport, as the stranger and Launcelot were so evenly matched, sword for sword, that I was amazed.

Who could this stranger be, so bold and daring as to attempt to equal the valiant efforts of the greatest knight of all the world, Sir Launcelot du Lac?

At the last fierce moment, when Launcelot could easily have swiped off the head of this stranger, he felt called upon to ask the mysterious knight's name.

"I AM Arthur Pendragon, King of England" he stated in the most solemn of tones.

"What!" cried Launcelot. "What knave you be, to toss about the name of the Greatest King on Earth as if it were your own! What sublime treachery, to claim to be the noblest man on Earth, so as to save your own skin!"

But Arthur was serious. It was He whom Launcelot had unknowingly fought and was about to slay, the very King for whom he had come to serve.

Finally recognizing the truth of the matter, Launcelot bowed down and begged his most merciful and humblest begging for pardon from his King.

"Forgive me Lord. To think that I might have slain the very King whom God has called me to serve!!"

But Arthur had a trick or two up his sleeve and in no way had meant to be slain at this battle in the fork of the road, however strong his adversary had been.

"Arise, Sir Launcelot. You fought the great fight and perhaps might have won, had I not been the very King you were meant to serve instead of slay! Tis not often I meet a knight of your caliber along the road, and the battle has charged me with a new vision -- we must gather together the best knights of the realm and test the mettle of each other in jousts and mock struggles, sham tests of valor preparing us for the actual fights with the evil forces surrounding."

And so, Launcelot and King Arthur, joining forces that day, returned to the King's Castle at Camelot and began debating, discussing, and arguing together the fine points of the laws of mercy, justice, chivalry, and what the Table Round was meant to be and accomplish for the next great era of England, Europe and the World.

They became the best of friends, and so as Launcelot's page, I was most fortunate to stand by and often witness the two laughing over merry debates, intellectual struggles over intricate matters of philosophy that often were far beyond my grasp, and to see their fights over mental flights often end in the greatest of ribald laughter.

Then came the exacerbating time when Launcelot was called to escort Arthur's new bride to the castle. We were to set out to that part of the Kingdom where Guinevere lived and to bring her safely through the forest to the castle where they were to be wed.

Launcelot hated the nasty business of escorting ladies as they often flirted with him and threw themselves at his mercy, and it was difficult to extricate himself from the wanton fancies of the ladies, when his heart was always so perfectly set on only the Divine Mother reigning in Heaven, to whose service he had dedicated himself as a priest unto God in his heart of hearts.

But in this case, he had been advised that Guinevere was like unto a Druid Priestess, very chaste and pure, and he would have no difficulties escorting her to the castle, although none could be sure of the antics of her ladies in waiting!

I myself had a slight interest in meeting a perfectly beautiful lady in waiting to dedicate my life to, as perhaps there was one for me on earth. I too was dedicated to our Mother in Heaven, but still had hope for one beautiful maiden in her likeness and image to appear to me, to give me inspiration on earth.

And lo and behold, beyond our wildest dreams, when Launcelot first saw Guinevere, it was like unto beholding the Heavenly Mother in radiant form on earth appearing!

We both stood in awe at this beautiful maiden whom Arthur had chosen for his Queen. Of course, we could see why, within a moment Arthur had chosen her. Her grace and elegance, her demeanor were that of every bit a queen. And yet, beneath that strong "queenly" exterior, Launcelot saw the giggling girl dancing within, and made her laugh right away, over the visit of foxes and silver wolves along our pathway, the chirping of magpie ­and crows, the race of squirrels and chipmunks.

Launcelot always conducted himself very chastely on these journeys transporting women safely through the woods, but on this journey I noted that something had happened to Launcelot. There was some notable softening of his heart towards everyone and everything that had never been there before.

It was as if a new tenderness was born within him, melting away some of his gruff exterior, and making him "softer", "more pliant", more "loving" towards me and everyone else he came in contact with.

In fact at times, it seemed that he was a thousand miles away, and I was worried my master was getting "too soft" in the head over this Princess Guinevere. It seemed that he transferred all his love and passion for the Heavenly Queen to this Earthly Queen, Arthur's Queen ...Guinevere.

Fortunately, other events quickly transpired, which helped bring Launcelot into focus again, once we safely transported Guinevere into Arthur's arms at Camelot.

There were wars to be fought, battles to be won. And we were kept quite busy.

Finally the Greatest Quest of all was before us, the Quest for the Holy Grail. Launcelot was in hot pursuit, along with Sir Bors, Sir Galahad, and Sir Percival.

We had heard the Holy Grail Cup of Jesus, the cup from which he had drunk at the Last Supper and proclaimed, "This is my blood, drink ye all of it", was a special chalice brought to Glastonbury shortly after Christ's crucifixion, resurrection and Ascension.

Somehow, Joseph of Arimathea had traveled through Europe, bringing with him Mother Mary and the disciples to these coasts of England, and with them they brought and buried the Holy Grail Cup.

We were all in awe that such a cup, such a magical vessel, could be within our territories, and the enthusiasm and fervor was so great all across the kingdom, awaiting for us to find it, that nuns were praying for us, monks and priests were praying for us, the whole kingdom was praying for us to find the Holy Grail for Arthur.

I of course, was so honored and privileged to accompany and serve Launcelot on this most glorious Quest. It was like an “impossible dream” to think that we might actually obtain this most Sacred cup on all the Earth and bring it back to our King.

And so, as we began our days and nights praying unto the angels to guide us, Launcelot one bright morning received the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel, appearing as white lighting, making the sun shine so big and brightly as to cover one third of the sky!

Archangel Gabriel stood over us, radiant as crystalline white diamond prismatic light flashing so brightly that we could scarcely see!

And he proclaimed unto Launcelot "The Grail which you are seeking is but a little further, in the vale (valley) of Avedon... "

And so after this vision so illumined our horizons we were so blinded by the light, that it took several hours to regain our ordinary conciousness. Then we proceeded to the vale of Avedon where Launcelot was led.

In the vale, it seemed that there was a sacred circle of trees as formed by the Druids, and in the center of that circle was a pile of leaves, and under that pile of leaves was said to be buried the Holy Cup.

And so Launcelot bid me dig with my shovel and we searched under the rocks and under the leaves and lo and behold, under the earth we struck something hard and solid, and out came a casket, an ancient casket sealed.

And inside that casket, in purple velvet material, now faded, was wrapped a golden cup, still glistening and shining as the day it was created in the city of Jerusalem, especially for our Lord's last supper, at the hands of a goldsmith, as if newly minted!

Launcelot and I could hardly believe our eyes to behold such an amazing treasure, and as he lifted the cup in the center of that clearing of trees, and raised it up to the sunlight, the light glinted upon it so brightly that again we were blinded.

And in the twinkling of an eye, I felt my whole body melt and dissolve away, and I was as if a crystal chalice invisible, filled with the entire blazing of the sun, streaming in all ten thousand directions of the universe at once, and I heard a voice as of Our Lord speaking unto me:

“THIS IS MY BODY."

And the body of which He spake, was this blazing incandescent Sun, bright as the bright and morning sun, shimmering through every very atom and pore of my being, ten thousand times ten thousand suns dazzling beyond description as I was lost in the great ocean of sunlight blazing beyond whiteness and brightness. . .

Lost in this river of cosmic light, I knew not time nor space, but only the twinkling, so dazzling, scintillating and transcendent....

And how I returned to the forest, I knew not, but it seemed three days later Launcelot was shaking me from my reverie, and I arose from the leaves wherein I was buried, and saw spots before my eyes as one recovering from the blinding of the light...

Launcelot had safely tucked the cup away into its casket once again, and each step of the way back to the King was a magical trek through the forest, sparkling with stardust, as we walked in the silent hush, never speaking a word, but only moving as puppets on the divine string of destiny, step by miracle step, until we arrived at Camelot to present the King with Heaven’s Own Cup of Life and Light.

Others had found it before us, Sir Galahad, Sir Bors and Sir Percival had also seen it. But only Launcelot had the mastery to actually physically bring it back to Arthur's hands where he placed it upon His altar for the remainder of the time of the Kingdom of Camelot.

I do not know what happened to the Grail Cup at the dissolution of that Holy Kingdom, after the warring among factions, the bloody wars of Modred and his seed against Arthur, the rivalry often bitter that later came between Arthur and Launcelot over Guinevere's love, and the final dying gasp of Arthur when the Lady of the Lake took the mighty sword Excalibur again unto the bosom of the lake.

I only know that after that experience with Launcelot, I was never the same, and retired to become a monk in the monastery nearby, connected to an Abbey. Later they told me that Guinevere came to the Abbey and joined it. Over the years, after all the scandal about her reputation died down, she was made Prioress of the Abbey.

Then I had the good fortune to see her one last time, when once she came to us for Holy Confession.

"Good father," she said to me, not recognizing me at first. "My love for Arthur was ever pure and holy; my love for my King was the greatest love on Earth. And my love for Launcelot, that too was a pure and holy love, of a Queen for her knight and protector. I have ever only loved them both, with the greatest love that can ever be imagined. I love them both, as a mother loves a child, as a child loves a father, as a sister loves a brother. They have been my life and my dearest family. And ever was my love only pure and chaste. I was a faithful wife and dutiful to my husband. He is the Greatest Lord, and I was blessed to have been loved by him and loved him... and I feel only the bitterest sorrow at His death and the death of the Kingdom... I know not what happened to Launcelot.... oh would that I could be born again and start over and help to make this an even greater Kingdom, would that I could do more!! That I had done more!!!"

And with that, Queen Guinevere, broke into the tears of bitterest sorrow I have ever seen, that tore my heart apart. And as she wept, to behold her there weeping, that woman-child I had first met on the road with Launcelot so long ago, whom to us had appeared as the "Woman Clothed with the Sun", a radiant heavenly mother incarnate, I too burst into tears for a moment, losing control.

And Guinevere looking up into my eyes, her gaze at first clouded, then cleared up and she wept for joy.

"0 little page!" She remembered me clearly now. "I did not recognize you at first, now that you have become a monk!

"How sweet to see you here, to hear the words of my last confession, you who have known so deeply the two men I have loved with all my heart and soul. You who are the witness to my

everlasting loves on earth. And you who helped Launcelot find the Holy Grail and bring it to Arthur!!"

She was so filled with joy to see me, that both of us shed tears of joy mingled with bitter tears of sorrow at the loss of the dearest King the world has ever seen, and my Master, Sir Launcelot, now lost to us forever, we knew not where he had gone...

And as I absolved my beloved Queen of her sins, and bid her farewell, and as she retreated from the confession cell where we had shed such tears of joy and grief together, my mind returned again to that Holiest of Holies wherein I found solace in my meditations for the rest of my earthly days, upon that everlasting and shining light of lights, star of stars, the shimmering radiance of The Grail, glistening throughout all time and space, with the radiance of Archangel Gabriel whispering to me through the rest of my days immemorial:

"Behold the Grail! Thou art the Grail!"