Religion is far too important to be taken seriously all the time--so says author Tom Sheridan, who in The Book of Catholic Jokes invites readers to laugh along with him and remember that faith can be--and should be--fun. Sheridan begins by discussing the importance of laughter and the relationship of humor to religion before launching into hilarious jokes. After all, Jesus said, "Unless you become like children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven."
As Pope Benedict XVI has said, "A writer once said that angels can fly because they don't take themselves too seriously. Maybe we could also fly a bit if we didn't think we were so important." Imagine the pontiff, now in his eighties and undoubtedly feeling the pains of growing older himself, cracking a joke about it to one of the cardinals in the Vatican. So must every married couple do as they go about the business of maintaining a loving, committed relationship...but discover that they still get on each other's nerves occasionally.Here is The Third Book of Catholic Jokes, chosen and told by Deacon Tom Sheridan, the former editor of The Catholic New World, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Chicago. He is now retired and living with his wife in Florida. The book also features a Foreword by Father James Martin, SJ, the culture editor of America magazine and the author of Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life.This edition of this popular series of books focuses on the universal--and often hilarious--human experience of relating to one another and growing old together. These stories, jokes, lists, and one-liners are mostly about lay people and are told from a "Catholic" (that is, Roman Catholic) or a "catholic" (that is, universal and about everyone) perspective. They are "clean" and not "mean" and are certainly not intended to offend anyone of any faith or situation in life. But if we can't make fun of ourselves about the difficulties of growing older or trying to maintain our most intimate relationships over a lifetime, then how can we ever expect to "fly a bit"?
A surprisingly reverent collection of religious humor clean enough to be used in the pulpit. St. Peter jokes, mock sermons, church bulletin misprints and age-old denominational rivalries are all here. Illustrated.
Bestselling jokester Bob Phillips (more than 5.4 million books sold) and godly, goodly humor cartoonist Jonny Hawkins team up to take a lighthearted look at church, Bible characters and events, and faith in this collection that offers a bit of humor for those in the pulpit, pews, and anywhere in between. Eve: Adam, do you love me? Adam: Who else? Question: What caused Abel to feel neglected? Answer: His parents were raising Cain. This collection of jokes, quotes, and cartoons, alphabetized and indexed from Abel to Zacchaeus, will be a favorite resource for those who want to freshen their bulletins, newsletters, speeches, or sermons--or just infuse their earthly days with some good clean fun. Rerelease of The Awesome Book of Heavenly Humor.
A core tenet of Ignatian spirituality is that God can be found in all things. From the standpoint of the Jesuits, “all things” most definitely includes humor! In Jesuits Telling Jokes, Nikolaas Sintobin, SJ, uses a little Jesuit jocularity to introduce us to the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits)—how they began, who they are, what they do. Each chapter opens with a humorous cartoon and joke to illuminate one particular aspect of the Jesuits, and the rest of the chapter offers a brief but insightful look into a foundational Ignatian principle or practice, such as the discernment of spirits, finding freedom in obedience, and making the street a monastery. For anyone wanting a good laugh and a great introduction to how the Jesuits live, work, think, and pray, Jesuits Telling Jokes is the perfect place to start.
In this follow up to the bestselling Book of Catholic Jokes, Tom Sheridan again offers a hilarious collection of clean and well-intentioned jokes designed to spark smiles, laughter, and maybe even a little introspection on the human condition. With a foreword by Father Paul Boudreau, The Second of Book of Catholic Jokes promises to show that faith can be--and should be--fun. SAMPLE JOKEIt was Palm Sunday but because of a sore throat, little Jonnie stayed home with a sitter. When the family returned home, they were carrying several palm fronds. Little Jonnie asked them what they were for. "People held them over Jesus' head as he walked by," his father told him."Wouldn't you know it," little Jonnie fumed, "the one Sunday I don't go and he shows up."
ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'S 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR NAMED ONE OF THE 50 BEST MEMOIRS OF THE PAST 50 YEARS BY THE NEW YORK TIMES SELECTED AS A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY: The Washington Post * Elle * NPR * New York Magazine * Boston Globe * Nylon * Slate * The Cut * The New Yorker * Chicago Tribune WINNER OF THE THURBER PRIZE FOR AMERICAN HUMOR “Affectionate and very funny . . . wonderfully grounded and authentic. This book proves Lockwood to be a formidably gifted writer who can do pretty much anything she pleases.” – The New York Times Book Review From Booker Prize finalist Patricia Lockwood, author of the novel No One Is Talking About This, a vivid, heartbreakingly funny memoir about balancing identity with family and tradition. Father Greg Lockwood is unlike any Catholic priest you have ever met—a man who lounges in boxer shorts, loves action movies, and whose constant jamming on the guitar reverberates “like a whole band dying in a plane crash in 1972.” His daughter is an irreverent poet who long ago left the Church’s country. When an unexpected crisis leads her and her husband to move back into her parents’ rectory, their two worlds collide. In Priestdaddy, Lockwood interweaves emblematic moments from her childhood and adolescence—from an ill-fated family hunting trip and an abortion clinic sit-in where her father was arrested to her involvement in a cultlike Catholic youth group—with scenes that chronicle the eight-month adventure she and her husband had in her parents’ household after a decade of living on their own. Lockwood details her education of a seminarian who is also living at the rectory, tries to explain Catholicism to her husband, who is mystified by its bloodthirstiness and arcane laws, and encounters a mysterious substance on a hotel bed with her mother. Lockwood pivots from the raunchy to the sublime, from the comic to the deeply serious, exploring issues of belief, belonging, and personhood. Priestdaddy is an entertaining, unforgettable portrait of a deeply odd religious upbringing, and how one balances a hard-won identity with the weight of family and tradition.
“Between Heaven and Mirth will make any reader smile. . . . Father Martin reminds us that happiness is the good God’s own goal for us.” —Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York From The Colbert Report’s “official chaplain” James Martin, SJ, author of the New York Times bestselling The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, comes a revolutionary look at how joy, humor, and laughter can change our lives and save our spirits. A Jesuit priest with a busy media ministry, Martin understands the intersections between spirituality and daily life. In Between Heaven and Mirth, he uses scriptural passages, the lives of the saints, the spiritual teachings of other traditions, and his own personal reflections to show us why joy is the inevitable result of faith, because a healthy spirituality and a healthy sense of humor go hand-in-hand with God's great plan for humankind.
The original edition of Growing Up Catholic, along with its sequels, struck a heavenly chord with a generation of Catholics of all persuasions. Now, to commemorate the Great Catholic Jubilee of the Year 2000, the authors bless us with an updated and expanded version of this beloved national bestseller. Filled with a witty, poignant, and downright hilarious potpourri of essays, lists, games, drawings, photos, and quizzes, it includes the best of all three Growing Up Catholic books, along with many all-new features, such as: Jubilee 2000: Not Your Average Birthday Party Father Phil: Confessor to the Sopranos Who Will Be The Next Pope?: A Handicapper's Guide Ansubstantiationtray: Can't Anybody Here Speak Latin Anymore? www.holy.com For Catholics of all ages -- from those who lived through Vatican II to those who've never seen a nun's habit except in a movie -- Growing Up Catholic celebrates in a lighthearted way the funny and sublime side of day-to-day Catholic life.
