This is me, Eccles

This is me, Eccles
This is me, Eccles

Tuesday 28 September 2021

Thoughts are better than prayers

Taking our guidance from Britain's most prominent Catholic, Boris Johnson, we learn that thoughts are far more useful than prayers.

For example, in response to the murder of Sabina Nessa, the great man tweeted as follows:

Boris thoughts

The prime minister thinks.

On the other hand, for totally trivial matters, such as a European Football Championship, only a totally trivial response is appropriate, such as this letter written to the football manager.

Boris letter

Prayers and hope!

Well, if Boris, my spiritual director, says so, it must be so. Prayers are only to be used for trivial matters ("O Lord, make sure the bus is on time" or "I humbly beseech Thee, grant that the shop still has a copy of the Tablet"). For really serious crises, it's THOUGHTS that count.

We used the ECCLESPROBE (TM) to drop in on the almost-empty mind of devout Catholic Joe Biden as he was attending Mass. It was impossible to get a coherent reading, but his thoughts seemed to be mainly of a huge ball of ice-cream flavoured with chocolate chips. Our theologians are still trying to explain this.

Biden and ice-cream

Spiritual nourishment.

Take this week's disaster, the volcano in La Palma, which has caused widespread damage, not to mention climate change. So prayers would be inappropriate here: only THOUGHTS are good enough. "Hmm, it must be hot there." "This volcano's CO2 emissions have stolen my dreams and my childhood." That sort of thing. The fact that people are thinking such deep thoughts must be a great comfort to those who've lost their homes.

volcano

THOUGHTS: "This is the fault of those Traddy Catholics." "No, this is the fault of Pope Francis."

Today is the Feast of St Wenceslaus (assassinated at the age of 24, so all those photos of an old man carrying pine logs are inaccurate). So, in best Catholic tradition, we think about him. Ready? Go!

Good King Wenceslaus

This walk is the only thing I'll ever be remembered for."

4 comments:

  1. My thoughts...and thoughts...are with you...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have been busy these past few days but I wanted to let you know that I've been thinking about you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think . . . therefore, I am.

    Eccles for Pope !!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thoughts are better than prayer, and clearly, pagan rites are also better.

    After all, “This is crow and cockatoo dreaming land whose families and ancestors tread the grounds, leaving footprints upon the land where their spirit lingers on, surrounding us through stories as we listen, look, learn, talk and later on we will celebrate.”

    ReplyDelete