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The funniest person in the room

Funeral homily stories

When told he was about to die, comedian Del Close remarked, "Thank God. I'm tired of being the funniest person in the room." We carry the burden of who we are right up to death's door, but then we have to leave it behind. The only identity beyond is that we are daughters and sons of God.

humor death

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Renouncing Satan

Funeral homily stories

On his deathbed, when a priest asked if he renounced Satan, Voltaire answered, "Now, now my good man, this is no time for making enemies." It's important that we face death with a certain skepticism and plenty of good humor. That way, whatever lies beyond will be well-met.

humor death

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Homily stories

17 Mar 2013 - Fifth Sunday of Lent, Cycle C

A CARTOON in a Catholic magazine decades ago portrayed the scene in today’s gospel: Jesus has just lazily doodled in the sand and gotten the attention of the self-righteous assembled crowd—their hands tightly gripping rocks with which to stone the woman caught in adultery. Jesus has forthrightly invited anyone—if he is without sin—to “cast the first stone.” At that moment, lo and behold, a single stone flies over their heads and Jesus, with a bit of exasperation, complains, “Mother?!” While we struggle, especially during Lent, to open ourselves to renewal by the purifying Spirit of God and God’s word; while we start, yet again, to embrace afresh the power of our baptism, a sense of humor goes a long way to making sure our goal is righteousness, not self-righteousness.

Authors Father Larry Janowski O.F.M.

righteousness humor

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Participation is more than a laughing matter

Short essays about observed trends in Roman Catholic life - Pastoral trends

A rabbi, minister, and a priest went into bar . . . we know a joke is going to follow, don’t we? We even get ready to laugh a little and reset our tension and stress a bit. That is what both good ecumenism and interfaith dialogue are also about. It can only happen when we know and are comfortable in our identity as Catholics. Whoever would wish to do ecumenism or interfaith dialogue must know their identity the way an ideal rabbi, minister, or priest would. Only those comfortable with themselves can laugh at themselves in an authentic way, and only such a person can even have a serious conversation with another person with an equally strong identity regarding their differences of identity. Anything else is a game of pretend. Is it not pretending when parents go through the motions of dropping their children off to CCD, or even themselves attending Mass, but are not really being present to what is happening? When we act as if we are at an empty ritual our children sense that, and it is hardly a surprise that such children grow up to become absent altogether. That is not simply the responsibility of children; it is the responsibility of parents as well. Similarly, bad ecumenism that is merely a toleration based on pure indifference is useless. So, too, is the failure of nerve apparent when religious leaders speak of mutual respect for the other without exhibiting deep engagement in the very strangeness of their religious convictions and in the very strangeness of the other's practices. © 2014, Bryan Froehle.

Authors Bryan Froehle

Ecumenism interfaith dialogue identity humor

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Homily stories

03 Apr 2022 - Fifth Sunday of Lent, Cycle C

A cartoon in a Catholic magazine decades ago portrayed the scene in today’s gospel: Jesus has just lazily doodled in the sand and gotten the attention of the self-righteous assembled crowd—their hands tightly gripping rocks with which to stone the woman caught in adultery. Jesus has forthrightly invited anyone—if he is without sin—to “cast the first stone.” At that moment, lo and behold, a single stone flies over their heads and Jesus, with a bit of exasperation, complains, “Mother?!” While we struggle, especially during Lent, to open ourselves to renewal by the purifying Spirit of God and God’s word; while we start, yet again, to embrace afresh the power of our Baptism, a sense of humor goes a long way to making sure our goal is righteousness, not self-righteousness.

Authors Father Larry Janowski O.F.M.

adultery righteousness humor Let the one without sin cast the first stone

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