MORAL: Catholic horses

THERE'S A MORAL TO THIS "JOKE" BELOW:

One day while he was at the track betting on the ponies and nearly losing his shirt, Mitch noticed a priest who stepped out onto the track and blessed the forehead of one of the horses lining up for the 4th race.

Lo and behold, that horse - a very long shot - won the race. Mitch was most interested to see what the priest did the next race.

Sure enough, he watched the priest step out onto the track as the 5th race horses lined up, and place a blessing on the forehead of one of the horses.

Mitch made a beeline for the window and placed a small bet on the horse.

Again, even though it was another long shot, the horse the priest had blessed won the race.

Mitch collected his winnings and anxiously waited to see which horse the priest bestowed his blessing on for the 6th race.

The priest showed, blessed a horse, Mitch bet on it, and it won!

Mitch was elated! As the day went on, the priest continued blessing one of the horses, and it always came in first. Mitch began to pull in some serious money, and by the last race, he knew his wildest dreams were going to come true. He made a quick stop at the ATM, withdrew his savings and awaited the priest's blessing that would tell him which horse to bet on.

True to his pattern, the priest stepped out onto the track before the last race and blessed the forehead, eyes, ears and hooves of one of the horses.

Mitch bet every cent, and watched the horse come in dead last.

Mitch was dumbfounded. He made his way to the track and when he found the priest, he demanded, "What happened, Father? All day you blessed horses and they won. The last race, you blessed a horse and he lost. Now I've lost my savings too, thanks to you!!"

The priest nodded wisely and said, "That's the problem with Protestants, you can't tell the difference between a simple blessing and the Last Rites."

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PS: Christians should NOT be gambling -- which is a sin! Yet too many Catholic clergy think nothing of doing this. I attribute this to "good causes" like church BINGO and state lotteries, etc. Thankfully, it's one of the few vices I haven't fallen victim to. Which is why I've NEVER bought even a lottery ticket, lest I should win and become entrapped. (Twelve years ago, this priest was censured and disciplined for REFUSING his Bishop's direct order to participate in "parish gambling.")

Sadly, I just learned that my former Ordinary, Archbishop Thaddeus Condrick of Pennsylvania, recently (Dec. 30, 2003) lost his entire property and real estate at a Sheriff's Auction. He declared bankruptcy under Chapter 11 just before I transferred out. Sadly, our parish chapel, monastery and seminary was also located there. Now they're gone.

I forewarned him of this years ago as he attended BINGO games several times a week (with his poor parishioners no less) and purchased handfuls of state lottery tickets daily. Habitual gambling is an addiction! Addicts need serious help such as what "Gamblers Anonymous" offers. In denial, His Eminence declined it.

What goes around comes around. Don't fall prey, instead...

Pray for them,
-- Steve +