The Race Donkey
A Priest wanted to raise money for his church, and being told that there was a fortune in horse racing, he decided to purchase one and enter him in the races. However, at the local auction the going prices for horses was so steep that the Priest ended up buying a donkey instead. He figured that since he had it, he might as well go ahead and enter it in the races and to his surprise, the donkey came in third. The next day the racing form carried this headline:
“PRIEST’S ASS SHOWS.”
The Priest was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the races again. This time he won. The form read:
“PRIEST’S ASS OUT IN FRONT.”
The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the Priest not to enter the donkey in another race. The headline that day read:
“BISHOP SCRATCHES PRIEST’S ASS.”
This was too much for the Bishop to handle and he ordered the Priest to get rid of the animal. The Priest decided to give the donkey to the Mother Superior of a nearby convent. The headlines the next day read:
“NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.”
The Bishop fainted. He informed Mother Superior that she would have to dispose of the donkey. She finally found a farmer who was willing to buy the animal for €10.00. The next day the paper stated:
“NUN PEDDLES ASS FOR TEN EURO.”
They buried the Bishop the next day! 
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I hope your students don’t know you blog
In school I’m the perfect role model …. I teach religion religiously.
In my own life I am not a mass goer …. I do not believe in my own ’salvation’ and I don’t attend ceremonies that mean nothing to me personally.
I was brought up a ‘Good Catholic’ …. but my beliefs are so shaken I can’t content myself to attending/participating.
School, I look on differently. I teach religion in school with as much fervour as ever, and I will promote the Catholic ethos with fervour …. why you may ask? Well … because the pupils in my care have a right to be taught with the Catholic ethos in mind …. they will choose their own paths/make their own decisions in relation to their own personal beliefs in later life.
Just for me personally, my experiences in life etc. have brought me to my own conclusion.
It brings me back to my ‘equalities‘ stance ….. my line is ‘live and let live. My beliefs/choices in life are ok once they aren’t imposed on others.
Paddy there are plenty of us feel like you do. Remember that Going to church doesn’t make you any more a Christian than going to the garage makes you a car.
Being a clergy person in todays world must be a very difficult uphill and lonely journey. I sometimes wonder how they keep going.
Some are to be admired …. others … well I’ll not comment.
My outlook on life changed with the illness and death of my mother 5 years ago. My mother was the type of person who looked after everyone else first to her own detriment. A simple case of breast cancer developed into prolonged weekly trips on a bus to the hospital for chemotherapy. It finally ended up as a tumour in her brain.
She was such a private person that we were oblivious as to how sick she really was until it came to a stage where she couldn’t put a brave face on it anymore. She also didn’t want us to worry.
I must say I was happy to have helped my mother in her final days and it did give me time to say goodbye to her.
After she died I carried the grief with me until I could grieve no more.
I don’t visit her grave too often …. it doesn’t do anything for me as I don’t believe she’s there. I carry her in my thoughts.
Her death brought a certain reality to my own life. The logical side of me couldn’t continue observing something I didn’t believe in.
Paddy it is never easy watching a loved one suffer!
I am sure your mother was very proud of you, your achievements and all you did for her. A mother wants the best for her child and the best tribute you can pay your mother is to live your life to the full. With each new goal you reach say ‘This is for you mum!’
Every mother is proud of her own ….. no matter how much we mess up.
Thanks for the words of encouragement GM …..