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JOSEPH NOW said his usual table prayer and blessed the food
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and then asked the little Child if He had also prayed.
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Here the little Child smiled again and said to James,
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'Say, now we are going to catch it! For we have both forgotten to ask the blessing and to give thanks and have already eaten of the fish.
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You speak now as well as you can, otherwise we are sure to be punished again and will have to fast a bit.'
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And James, somewhat embarrassed, answered, 'Dear father Joseph, I ask your forgiveness - for this time, along with my Jesus, I have really forgotten to pray!'
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| 7 |
When Joseph heard this from James, his face took on a somewhat threatening look and he stated,
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'Since you have forgotten to pray, you can also forget to eat until evening, and in the meantime you can now go for a little walk out in the open.'
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At this the little Child smiled at James and said, 'Well, there we have it! Did I not say a little while ago that we would have to fast?
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But wait just a little longer - I want to speak a few words with Joseph first.
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Perhaps he will relent a bit as concerns the fasting until evening.'
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And James said in a low tone of voice, 'Lord, You do what seems best to You, and I shall follow Your example.'
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Thereupon the little Child asked, 'Joseph, are you really serious about that?'
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And Joseph replied, 'Yes, of course; for whoever does not pray, he shall not eat either!'
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At this the little Child smiled once more and said, 'Now that is what I call being strict!
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See, if I were as strict as you now are, a great many who still eat today, although they did not pray, would have to do penance by fasting!
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I really would like to hear from you for once why and exactly to whom I should pray.
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And then I would also like to find out from you just exactly to whom you pray in your prayer, and to whom poor James should have prayed.'
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Here Joseph replied, 'To the Lord God, Your holy Father must you pray, since He is holy, most holy!'
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And the little Child retorted, 'You are certainly correct there -
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but the unfortunate part of the matter is that you just do not know the Father of all glory to whom you pray.
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And you will not recognize this Father for a long time because your old, habitual blindness hinders you therein.'
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The little Child then said to James, 'Let us go outside now, and you will see that out in the open one can also get something to eat without prayer.'
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| 24 |
Thereupon the little Child went outside with His James and did not allow Himself to be detained.
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