Father Charles Puthota

Here’s a moving testimonial to God’s surprising, unexpected, blessings: “I asked God for health that I might do great things, but I was given infirmity that I might do better things. I asked for riches that I might be happy, but I was given poverty that I might be wise.

Listening to the priest speaking about Jesus’ resurrection, 7-year-old Jack asks: “What was the first thing that Jesus said when he rose from the dead?” The priest says: “You know, children, the Gospels do not really say anything about it.” The little Katie says: “I know what Jesus said.” “Do you really, Katie? What did he say?” The girl says: “Jesus said, ‘ta-da.’”

“Jonathan Livingston Seagull” is Richard Bach’s allegorical story about our search for meaning and perfection.

Some years ago it was reported in The New York Times that some Wall Street executives attended Bible study groups: “The meeting... begins with a prayer: ‘Lord, help us apply the truths in your words to our business lives.’ … A passage from Scripture is then read and prayerfully discussed.” Speaking about the importance of these meetings, one executive said, “If I couldn’t come here, I don’t know what I would do!”

There is a story from William Barclay about a missionary in rural India who had just finished telling the story of Jesus to a crowd of people.