The CatholiCity Message
Volume II, Number 32 – August 26, 1998
Dear CatholiCity Citizen,
We just concluded a very serious meeting with our staff. We have made a decision about the future of CatholiCity. Next week this CatholiCity Message will present you with the opportunity to determine whether or not CatholiCity will continue to exist, so please start praying now that God would fill your heart and the hearts of your fellow CatholiCity Citizens with the wisdom necessary to guide your response.
There is only item and joke this week, along with a letter we received today and would like to share with you by Mrs. Rene Wiley, who gave us permission to reprint it.
JOKE OF THE WEEK
An Irishman moves into a tiny hamlet in County Kerry and walks into the pub and promptly orders three beers. The bartender raises his eyebrows, but serves the man three beers, which he drinks quietly at a table, alone. An hour later, the man has finished the three and orders three more. This happens again. The next evening the man again orders and drinks three beers at a time several times. Soon the entire town is whispering about the Man Who Orders Three Beers. Finally, a week later, the bartender broaches the subject on behalf of the town. "I don't mean to pry, but folks around here are wondering why you always order three beers?"
"Tis odd, isn't it?" the man replies, "You see, I have two brothers, and one went to America, and the other to Australia. We promised each other that we would always order an extra two beers whenever we drank as a way of keeping up the family bond."
The bartender and the whole town was pleased with this answer, and soon the Man Who Orders Three Beers became a local celebrity and source of pride to the hamlet, even to the extent that out-of-towners would come to watch him drink.
Then one day, the man comes in and orders only two beers. The bartender pours them with a heavy heart. This continues for most of the evening: he orders only two beers. The word flies around town. Prayers are offered for the soul of one of the brothers. The next day, the bartender says to the man, "Folks around here, me first of all, want to offer condolences to you for the death of your brother. You know–the two beers and all."
The man ponders this for a moment, then replies, "You'll be happy to hear that my two brothers are alive and well. It's just that I've decided to give up drinking for Lent."
1. LETTER FROM RENE
For a free copy of the book described in the letter below, go to:
http://www.catholicity.com/saintjude/
Dear Saint Jude Media,
I would like to share the incredible miracle that has taken place in our lives. After I read your novel, "Pierced by a Sword" I asked my agnostic husband Ben to read it. I was hoping he would be able to understand how I see the condition of the world, and to think about Pascal's Wager. What he got was much, much more. After finishing Pierced, he began to search out other books to read and study. Within a few weeks God has granted him the gift of faith, which poured into him like the great Light of the Holy Spirit! He is now enrolled in RCIA and very much looking forward to becoming a Catholic. We have been married 18 years, and this is the most surprising and amazing gift–a never-dared-dream come true. Your book was just the right catalyst for this miracle. We are now sharing it with many friends and family.
Thank You Sincerely,
Rene W.
Conroe, Texas
We receive many such letters and messages. It keeps us going when times get tough. We have no other comment except to say how humbling it is to receive such a letter, and to thank all of you who participate in the work of CatholiCity, the Mary Foundation, and Saint Jude Media through prayers, financial support, and distribution of our books. Welcome home, Mr. Wiley. Glory to God!
With Immaculate Mary and Joseph,
Your Friends at CatholiCity
