A clever parishioner once tried to outsmart his priest. After confessing, he pretended to donate to the poor box but merely rubbed the $50 bill against it. The priest, however, was not fooled. He confronted the man, pointing out his clever trick. The man jokingly argued that, according to the priest’s own words, rubbing the money against the box was equivalent to putting it in.
This incident reminded the priest of a previous conversation with a married man who had almost succumbed to temptation. The man had rationalized his actions, claiming that since he and the woman had only rubbed against each other naked, it didn’t count as infidelity. The priest saw through this logic, declaring that rubbing against each other was indeed equivalent to taking the ultimate step.
He instructed the man to pray five Hail Marys and, ironically, put $50 in the poor box as penance.
These humorous exchanges highlight the creative ways people try to justify their actions and the importance of honesty and integrity in our words and deeds.
