Lenten Levity-- The First Sunday

The season of Lent is forty days, excluding Sundays. The Sundays were omitted from the forty day calculation to be weekly reminders-- previews-- of the celebration of Easter during a time of self-denial and critical self-examination. Ancient monks referred to the resurrection of Jesus as God's Easter laugh, because it was God's practical joke on the devil who was duped into crucifying Jesus.

So, in honor of those famously funny friars and as a reminder of the little pre-Easter Sundays of this forty day season, each Sunday during Lent I will post a humorous story with a religious connection in an attempt to interject a little Lenten levity into this holy time of the Christian year.

Today's story starts below:

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Each Friday night after work, Jimmy would fire up his outdoor grill And cook a venison steak. But all of Jimmy's neighbors were Catholic....and since it was Lent, they were forbidden from eating meat on Friday.

The delicious aroma from the grilled venison steaks was causing such a problem for the Catholic faithful that they finally talked to their priest. The Priest came to visit Jimmy and suggested that he become a Catholic. After several classes and much study, Jimmy attended Mass.....and as the priest sprinkled holy water over him, he said, "You were born a Baptist, and raised a Baptist, but now you are a Catholic."

Jimmy's neighbors were greatly relieved, until Friday Night arrived, and the wonderful aroma of grilled venison again filled the neighborhood. The Priest was called immediately by the neighbors and as he rushed into Jimmy's yard clutching a rosary preparing to scold him, he stopped and watched in amazement.

There stood Jimmy, clutching a small bottle of holy water which he carefully sprinkled over the grilling meat and chanted: "You wuz born a deer, you wuz raised a deer, but now you are a catfish."