December 14, 2009

Overheard: Next to Godliness

A friar, observing another putting his habit into the washing machine: "Oh, it must be Christmas time!"

Laundering friar: "Once a year, whether it needs it or not!"

6 comments:

Tina aka Snupnjake said...

Please please tell me that it is a joke. Will send laundry detergent, fabric softner and quarters if needed....

Anonymous said...

Please say it isn't so.

pennyante said...

Perhaps wearing a habit for such a long time is a form of mortification us ordinary people haven't taken up yet!!! :)

Qualis Rex said...

I have found that in the Eastern church...it is unfortunately not a joke.

Tom said...

Didn't Francis have to beat his to get the vermin out? We're gettin' lax guys. I think the rule should be 'when it stands up on its own then it needs a wash'.

Qualis Rex said...

Br Tom - can I just say...eeeek. : )

There is definitely the correlation between humility and cleanliness (or lack thereof) in the early church. St Simeon Sytlites was famous (notorious) for his lack of hygiene. There are many stories of him being so pungeant that the other monks of his order couldn't eat around him, hence his finding a nice solitary pillar to camp out on. Another story which makes me furrow my brow is that he was fond of pulling maggots out of his beard to give as gifts to people, which would "miraculously" turn into pearls.

To me, there is vanity and there is hygiene. I can see banning hair products or mustache wax but keep them soapy suds a comin.