Gospel of Luke, Chapter 22:19

A Priest placed a rusty, bent, old bird cage on the pulpit as he began to deliver his Sunday morning homily.

“I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. “What are you going to do with these little birds?” I asked.

“Take ‘em home and have fun with ’em,” he answered. “I’m gonna tease ’em and pull out their feathers to make ’em fight. I’m gonna have a real good time.” The Priest was silent for a moment. “How much do you want for those birds, son?” The boy sized up the Priest and said, “$10?”

The priest reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy’s hand. In a flash the boy was gone. The Priest picked up the cage and gently carried it to where there was a grassy spot, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free. Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit during Sunday Mass, as the Priest began his Homily:

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan was gloating and boasting: “Yes, sir, I just caught a world full of people. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn’t resist. Got ‘em all!” “What are you going to do with them?” Jesus asked. Satan replied, “Oh, I’m gonna have fun! I’m gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other; how to hate and abuse each other; how to drink and smoke and curse. I’m gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I’m really gonna have fun!”

“And what will you do when you are done with them?” Jesus asked. “Oh, I’ll kill ‘em” Satan glared proudly. “How much do you want for them?” Jesus asked.

“Oh, you don’t want those people. They ain’t no good. Why, you’ll take them and they’ll just hate you. They’ll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don’t want those people!!” “How much?” He asked again. Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, “All your blood, tears and your life.” Jesus said, “DONE!” Then He paid the price.

The Priest picked up the cage; and placed it on the Altar to begin Holy Mass, the Sacrament which Jesus gave us at the last supper for the “forgiveness of sins.”

An Allegory