Tuesday, 30 October 2007

The sheep of his flock


It used to be the custom in Ireland that a bishop, before confirming children, would personally examine them in their catechism. My father resented to the end of his life that his confirmation was deferred a year because the boy next to him answered a question wrong, and my father got the blame.

A parishioner here told me this about his own confirmation interview.

Bishop: Now if our Lord likens you laypeople to his sheep, what does that make me?
Nervous farmer's son: Er, the ram, me lord.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

With due consideration, I'm not sure the boy got it wrong.:-)

Anonymous said...

"because the boy next to him answered a question wrong, and my father got the blame."

How come?