Don’t Be A Dropout!

The story is told of an ancient Irish bishop who, for many months, had been instructing a well-known wealthy landowner in the Faith…

Because the man was accustomed to a life of ease, the bishop endeavored to impress him with the sacrificial nature of the Christian life-style, often repeating Jesus’ instructions we find in today’s Gospel Lesson: “Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.” The bishop made it clear that Christian discipleship comes at a cost. “To remain a loyal follower of Christ one must often be willing to accept much pain and suffering,” he said. Through it all, the potential convert continued to express his strong desire to be baptized.

Finally, the bishop decided that the man was ready to formally embrace the Faith and the baptismal ceremony was scheduled to take place out in an open field where all the neighboring farmers could assemble to witness it.

At the appointed time, the bishop approached…