At my mother's Catholic church this morning, a sermon very much in the spirit of Pope Francis. (The Gospel reading was the story of the Canaanite woman.) Our priest, a visiting Vietnamese priest who has a parish in Belgium, told us a great story. A man arrives at the Pearly Gates. "What religion are you," asks Saint Peter. "Episcopalian," says the man. "Go to room 24, but make sure not to make any noise when you pass room 8." Next person was a Baptist. "Go to room 18, but make sure not to make any noise when you pass room 8." Next came a Jew, who was told to go to room 14, and given the same instruction about room 8. "Why do I need to be quiet going past room 8?" he asks. "Because that's where the Catholics are," Peter replies, "and they think they're the only ones here." Quoth the priest from the pulpit!
