Talking About Love

Talking about love. St John quoted Jesus as "loving His Own even to the end". Yes!!! Jesus loved all His Apostles and disciples despite their apparent slowness etc, even to the end. Jesus loves you and I despite our sinfulness and weaknesses and "idiocy" Jesus has an unconditional love for His entire flock. Like Jesus, Mother Mary, also loves all God's children, even to the end. Most especially does she love those who evidently hate her, dishonour, disrespect her, disparage her; even those who have sworn to kill her if they were to set eyes on her. Who understands more than Mother Mary, Mother of the Incarnate Word, Mother of The True God and True Man, Jesus Our Saviour. Mother Mary's role as Mother, a loving and forgiving Mother makes her stand out. For instance, She understands and forgives those whose sole duty/business/pre-occupation is none else than to pull down 0ne whom God has exalted so high; one greeted by an Angel of God thus: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you..." Who else have gotten such a heavenly greeting, but Mary? Be it known, therefore, that Mary loves all God's children, all who claim God as thier Father, no matter their religious persuation, their cultural leaning etc, no matter how much we love or hate her, try to down play her role in our Salvation etc. MOTHER MARY LOVES YOU AS DOES JESUS: "PRAISE BE TO JESUS CHRIST, HONOUR TO MOTHER MARY" Let us all say: AMEN.

Once Upon A Day: THE PERFECT PASTOR

A Priest Chaplain friend and colleague of mine enclosed this piece in his Christmas card to me:
"The Perfect Pastor preaches exactly ten minutes, He condemns sin roundly, but never hurts anyone's feelings. He works from 6:00 a.m. until midnight, and is also the Church's janitor.

The Perfect Pastor makes $40.00 per week, wears good clothes, drives a good car, buys good books and donates $30.00 a week to the parish. He is 29 years old and has 40 years experience. He is, above all else, handsome....

The Perfect Pastor has a burning desire to work with teen-agers, and he spends most of his time with the senior citizens. He smiles all the time, with a straight face, because he has a sense of humor that keeps him seriously dedicated to his parish. he makes fifteen calls a day on his people and is always in his office to be handy when needed.

The Perfect Pastor always has time for the Parish Council and all its committees and sub-committees. He never misses a meeting of any parish organization, and he is always busy evangelizing the un-churched....

The Perfect Pastor is always in the next parish over !

(The Priest, December 1977, Represented from Parish Bulletin,
St Francis of Assisi Church, Allentown, Penna. Aug. 3rd, 1980)

My dear Priest friend, kindly read and reflect on the article: how "realistic"? Or is it altogether funny?