Catholic Faith Corner

Living in the Light
of Jesus Christ

Sea of Galilee at Sunrise

Catholic Faith Corner

Living in the Light
of Jesus Christ

To Brighten and Inspire You

Here is something for the cold, gloomy days we are experiencing:  As I cleaned out things accumulated over decades in preparation for moving, I came across the following clever piece. Whenever I see excellence—such as a stunning ballet, a breathtaking piece of art, or a well-written poem or story—I’m spurred on to do the best I can in my projects. The account here is silly but incredibly well-done. I hope it makes you smile and prompts you to do your utmost in whatever task you undertake today. It might remind you of the movie Ghostbusters and make you chuckle . . .

It is with the saddest heart that I must pass on the following news.

Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.

Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, Little Debbie, and Captain Crunch.

The gravesite was piled high with flours.

Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very “smart” cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he still, as a crusty old man, was considered a roll model for millions.

Doughboy is survived by his young wife, Play Dough; two children, John Dough and Jane Dough; plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.

The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

*******

Did you ever notice that in old photos, people rarely smiled?  Also, we seldom think of Jesus laughing. The Gospels don’t state that he laughed, but do record that he cried twice. For sure, Jesus laughed. After all, he was human!  Imagine his face when he sends Peter the fisherman to catch a fish to pay the tax. Or when the children are climbing up onto his lap and tugging at his arm. Some of his stories are downright funny, although not being products of his culture, we sometimes miss the humor. We can, however, imagine the ridiculous sight of a camel (especially a two-humped one) squeezing through a needle, or of the Pharisees swallowing a camel but spitting out gnats, or of someone setting a lighted candle under a bed. Only someone with a sense of humor would make up nicknames for people. Jesus called James and John “Sons of Thunder” and Simon “Peter” (rock).

When do you think Jesus laughed?  Do you think he laughs with you?  Or at you sometimes?

 

 

6 Responses

  1. Maybe He laughed at St. Peter when Peter slurped his soup at the last supper? LOL. Now you’ve got me thinking. Jesus isn’t described as laughing and I can’t think of an artist’s representation where He shwon laughing. I bet He laughed at the Apostles a lot. They were kind of silly at times. I can almost picture Jesus laughing in last Friday’s Gospel reading, John 1:43-51. Nathanael says “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” I bet word got back to Jesus or He just knew and had a hearty laugh over that. When Nathanael is surprised and says to Jesus, “How do you know me?” I can just see Jesus laughing when He says “Before Phillip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” That response is a non sequitor, and just full of humor.

    I also bet Jesus laughed at the Transfiguration when Peter says let’s build three booths, as if he wants to build an amusement park. Peter was kind of a bumbling, lovable type. Jesus must have laughed at him a lot.

    I hope Jesus laughs at me. I certainly prefer Him laughing at me than being angry with me. I probably give Him lots of reasons to be angry at me.

  2. I will have to say that this topic of Jesus having fun or laughing has intrigued me for awhile. I have tried to find the word fun in the Gospels, but never have. Nor have I come across it elsewhere is Scripture. Yet, Jesus was at the Cana wedding, so I think he had a good time there. Maybe he got a kick out of people’s reactions when he turned water into wine.

  3. I just came across this: “Jesus is God’s great No to suffering and God’s great Yes to laughter.” Also, Pope Francis prays to St. Thomas More every day. More wrote a prayer for humor that ends: “Give me a soul that knows not boredom, grumblings, sighs and laments, nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing thing called ‘I.’ Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humor. Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke to discover in life a bit of joy, and to be able to share it with others.”

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