August 15, 2011

Retreat Notes: Trappist Humor

[On the last afternoon of my retreat, when I was doing my gift shopping, one of the monks told me a Trappist joke.]

A Jesuit, a Dominican, and a Trappist were on a deserted island. There they found a magical bottle, out of which came a genie. The genie granted them three wishes in thanksgiving for his liberation. The men decided to divide the wishes equally, one for each.

The Jesuit went first.

"I wish I were teaching in the most prestigious university in the world!" he proclaimed. As soon as he had said this, the Jesuit vanished from sight, whisked away to his glorious new academic appointment.

The Dominican went next.

"I wish I were preaching in the most beautiful cathedral in Christendom!" he piously wished. As soon as he had said this, he too vanished from sight, spirited away to his august new pulpit.

At last the genie came to the Trappist.

"And what do you wish for, brother monk?"

"Never mind," said the Trappist, "I already got it."

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

First male genie I've heard of.

Brother Charles said...

Angelogy and related disciplines are not really my field.

Tom said...

In the version I heard a Franciscan priest tell, the third guy's a Franciscan who says, "Gee, I miss my friends. Can you bring them back?"

Elizabeth Mahlou said...

Tom, that's the one I heard, in various permutations. Either way, pretty funny.