Time for a bit of silliness

I did so want to be profound today. It has been a difficult week in some ways, not aided by that my cat (who is a housecat, but gets out from time to time) proudly presented me with a dead mouse, her first, when I returned from my studies this afternoon. I attended a nice, quiet Eucharist (perhaps 10 people in attendance, some clearly tourists who did not make responses), and, to my embarrassment, found that, as the priest said the words of institution ("This is my body.." for those unfamiliar), I audibly responded, "Amen." (I should not have blushed - he himself forgot to read the epistle.)

Ascensiontide - Pentecost round the corner - heavens, I would have thought I even could have got creative about the visions at Fatima (which first occurred on this date in 1917). But inspiration is not at hand at the moment, so silliness is my current outlet.

Eternal mysteries of the Church (though hardly of the faith )

• Were any 'pagan babies' actually baptised with the names children spent hours choosing? (If so, half of the emerging third world nations have populations all named Mary and Joseph - aside from yours truly, most kids stuck to the 'correct' answers. Then again, some nuns hogged the issue, naming the little pagans after themselves or after their novice mistresses.)


• Why, in the once popular picture of the guardian angel leading the kids over a bridge, do the two children share one angel?


• Why can Roman Catholics not say any prayer (save for the Paternoster and Ave Maria) unless the printed words are in front of them - even if they've said them daily for fifty years?


• Every religious 'unit' (be it parish, diocese, religious order, whatever) has a very active member who was supposed to have died many years ago - though, whether he is 40 or 90, he looks extremely robust. He is in every parish group photo since baptism.


• Why do those in 'authority' (normally at parish level) constantly complain that 'the people' are not open to an innovation - which they implemented supposedly because the people were insistent?


• Why do English translations of Latin hymns and prayers bear so little resemblance to the original texts?


• Every 'unit' has a member who seems to know everyone on earth, and who has whatever information about anyone is needed at the moment. Here I am not referring to gossips, but to those whose words are accurate and highly useful. (Of course you know someone like that - can you remember how it is that you know her?)


• Where schools or religious houses are concerned, there will be another Sister who is quiet, retiring, and has not served in many apostolic areas - yet everyone seems to know.

And now to bed... I should have been able to think of far better items than these!