Penance Observance
A young
Protestant couple wants to become Catholic.
“How long have you been Protestant?” asks the priest.
“All our
lives.”
The priest thinks a while, then replies,
“We
usually ask those who wish to join the faith to perform some kind of penance to
prove their sincerity. Your penance is simple. You must not make love for thirty
days.”
Thirty days later, the husband returns.
“How did it go?” asks the priest.
“Well,
for the first twenty-nine days, it was fine. We didn't even look at each other.
And then, on the thirtieth day… I saw her standing over the freezer… and I just
had to. I'm sorry, Father.”
The priest frowns.
“Well,
I'm afraid this means I won't be able to let you into the arms of the Church.”
“That's okay,” says the husband.
“They won't let me into the supermarket
any more either.”