"Love follows knowledge."
"Beauty above all beauty!"
– St. Catherine of Siena

Friday, February 27, 2015

Faith Filled Friday: Ashes on the Subway

This apparently is a true story from Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble’s blog, Pursued by Truth about a priest who was robbed on the subway on Ash Wednesday.  It’s really very funny, and the good Sister has a nice Lenten reflection on it.

A Jesuit priest who used to say Mass at our convent was on the subway making his way to visit his mother on Ash Wednesday.

At one stop a young man entered the subway car and told the priest to hand over his wallet. When the priest explained that he did not have a wallet with him, the young man made him empty his pockets.

The priest pulled out his train pass, some change, and a little silver box. The young man demanded to know what was inside the box.

The priest said, “Well, I am a Catholic and it is Ash Wednesday so I am bringing some blessed ashes to someone who is sick.”

The young man responded, “Oh, I am Catholic, can I have some ashes?”

So the priest opened the little box, said the prayer and traced the cross on the man’s forehead.

The young man left at the next stop.



Read Sister Theresa’s little homily on how we all feel like this thief, here.  

11 comments:

  1. Loved both the story and Sister's thoughts. Not to mention Katerina's humor. :) Happy weekend!

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  2. I read that the other day. Loved it!

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  3. Aha ... was the young man arrested because of the tell-tale ashes on his forehead?

    God bless.

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  4. Well, Victor, let's hope that he didn't rob anyone after that!

    Thanks all. :)

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  5. Years ago I was mugged in London. A young man held a plastic knife at me and said "Your money or your life!" It took me a few minutes to decide what to do. I thought he said "Your money or your wife!" As she wasn't with me at the time I did not see how I could make a deal.

    He said "Hurry up. I ain't got all day mate!"

    I gave him the only two coins I had to save my life. A 50 pence piece and a 10 pence piece. He looked at them in disgust, took them and ran away.

    When I went to the police they asked me for a description. I told them the 50 pence piece was dated 2002 and the other one 2004. They never found my coins and returned them.

    God bless.

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  6. LOL that is one of the best Ash Wednesday stories ever

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    1. I know. I'm thinking of writing a short story around it. But I need some time to create the characters.

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