The Secular Franciscan Home Page: http://secularfranciscans.org Cheerful Heart Archives: Two Evil Brothers

Cheerful Heart Archives

Two Evil Brothers


There were two wealthy brothers who were evil. They belonged to the same parish and fooled everyone but their pastor. One of them died suddenly. The remaining brother told the pastor that he would pay off the church debt if, at the funeral, he would say his brother was a saint. The pastor agreed and deposited the check. At the funeral the pastor went on and on about how evil the dead man had been. He told the congregation how the man had abused his wife and his children. He concluded his sermon by saying, "But compared to his brother, he was a saint."

(Franciscans should strive to be holy as their Father in heaven is holy.)