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Friday September 5, 1997

In first person... Imagine that! Jewish man teaches a priest how to pray

LOU SIPORIN
Special to the Bulletin

We were in the rectory one afternoon when a pale-looking man came hurrying toward the priest. The man had his arm outstretched and his fist full of dollars.

"Holy Father," the man said, "please help me. My wife is very ill and the doctor says she might not live. Holy Father, please take this money and pray for her."

Father Riesling looked concerned. He took the money and promised the man he would say prayers for his sick wife.

I was shocked.

"My friend," I said. "You know that I respect you and I respect your religion. But you've done wrong just now. You did not do the right thing for that man."

"Why, Louie, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying you've done wrong. You took the man's money and told him you'd pray for him. But, it would have been much better if you took the man to the church and taught him how to pray for himself. Then, if he needed prayer in the middle of the night, he could talk to God for himself."

"Louie," Father Riesling said, "you are so right. I never thought about it that way before. Thank you for explaining it to me."

Imagine that, a Jewish man teaching a Catholic priest how to pray.

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