I Need Some Laughter, Lord
I have had enough
of sad saints
and sour religion.
I have had enough
of sin spotting
and grace doubting.
I need some laughter, Lord,
the kind you planted in Sarah.
But please, may I not have to wait
until I am ninety
and pregnant.
—Church of Scotland
St. Teresa of Ávila, the 16th-century Carmelite nun and reformer, said, “A sad nun is a bad nun… I am more afraid of one unhappy sister than a crowd of evil spirits. What would happen if we hid what little sense of humor we had? Let each of us humbly use this to cheer others.”
From silly devotions and sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us. —St. Teresa of Ávila
I am a husband, father, pastor, leader & reader. I love God, love people & love life.
The poem makes me smile, especially since ‘religious’ Scotsman weren’t known for humor or mirth, unless drinking with an Irishman. Or maybe that’s why they developed good spirits of the liquid kind. All that aside, growing up a good little Catholic girl, I read the “Lives of the Saints”, particularly St. Teresa, since her ‘feast day’ was the same as my birthday. One thing mentioned there still sticks with me, what she called “the little way”. It was simply offering everything we do, from scrubbing floors to great works, to the Lord as prayer and service to Him. Little did I know then of Paul’s exhortation to “whatever you do, do as unto the Lord”. I missed this quote about humor, but church and faith was supposed to be serious and penance-filled. Bring on the light heart!
I love that Cathy… “the little way.” beautiful!
St. Teresa apparently knew a thing or two about not taking herself – or others – too seriously. Let the laughter roll!