"Fallen from the bridge"

Let me retell an anecdote which I just heard from a priest's sermon and I entitled "Fallen from the bridge"

(I originally posted this at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9861830-039fallen-from-the-bridge039 )

There was once a priest assigned in parish within a city full of every temptation for the sins of the flesh. The city had a lot of bars that offers lewd floor shows both for men and women, prostitution houses, etc. During confessions, the priest find it too vulgar how the parishioners describe their adulterous acts. So in his Sunday sermon, he told the congregation to say "fallen from the bridge" when referring to sins of adultery and he will understand. From then on, the parishioners did as requested by the priest. It went on that way for many years. Whenever the priest hears a confession of "fallen from the bridge", he knows that it is something on adultery and gives the proper absolution.

Time came when there were reshuffling of priest within the diocese. A new priest was assigned in the parish. During confession, this new priest hears so much of the sin "fallen from the bridge." He concluded that there must be broken bridge somewhere and that the citizens were guilty for not contributing to the repair of such bridge. So he went to the city mayor. He told about that bridge that many have fallen from and he asked for the immediate repair of said bridge so that people will no longer feel guilty.

The mayor laughed at the story of the new priest knowing that such "fallen from the bridge" was an innovation of the previous priest. While the mayor was laughing, the priest said, "That is not a laughing matter your honor and must be taken seriously. In fact, your spouse confessed falling from that bridge three times already."

The mayor stopped laughing, the face turned all red in anger!

Hunger that Gives Strength

I had always been complaining - to no one.  At least not to a human being.  But to someone Supreme. The Supreme Provider - I call Him that.

I complain at why would others have their baskets full at grocery stores while I can just go home with a little. I complain at why others would talk about having delicious dishes their previous meals while I only had those simple fried or boiled dishes for my household.  I complain about why others enjoy travel around the world but I have limited budget for such.  I complain about how others have so much while I am drowning in debt.

I almost always had no answers except to simply live each day working, earning, eating, sleeping. Until this morning when I got to see a powerful image that up to this time lingers in my mind.

I entered a cafeteria and ordered their budget meal - one vegetable dish, a meat dish, soup and soft drinks.  There are a lot of others customers having the similar meal as mine.  The cost is Php 35 per meal, Php 50 with the soda.  Soon, a case for empty soda bottled were filled in a corner.

A man entered.  Obviously very hungry.  And haggard with the dirty clothes on him.  He gathered the straw from the empty bottles and placed them on his basket.  Must be for sale.  Those plastics could cost a cent.  Then he let the left over liquid from each "empty" bottles into one.  Soon he had a near full bottle which he drank..  Seemingly satisfied, he went out of the cafe.

I immediately realized he was there to teach me a lesson.  How better is it for me than this man that I should not be in a position to complain.

In his hunger, he saw fullness in the supposedly empty bottles at the corner.  I wish the man would always find help.  I wish I had that grace of seeing fullness in my emptiness.

I wish...