SEPTEMBER 16, 2007

Recently I played some poker with a few grade school classmates. I had not played the game in several years since a number of priests friends that I had played regularly with had died. (As a side note, Fr. Al was himself a charter member of said group.) I was reminded of a Baptist minister who long ago criticized Catholics for playing cards, saying it was frivolous and a tool of the devil. I don't recall exactly where I heard the original response to this attack, but the content remained with me over the years. Since this is Catechetical Sunday, the thought occurred to me that the deck of playing cards as we know it can also be a catechetical tool, a way to teach about our Faith if we interpret the symbols properly. Think about this the next time you are playing bridge, pinochle, poker or whatever:

Ace      There is but One God
Deuce   There are two natures in Christ, human and divine
Trey     There are three Persons in the Blessed Trinity
Four     The evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Five      Jesus fed 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread
Six       The number of days of creation
Seven   There are seven sacraments
Eight     The Sermon on the Mount has eight Beatitudes
Nine     The fruits of the Holy Spirit (ask the confirmands)
Ten      Moses brought God's Ten Commandments
Jack     Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a jackass
Queen  Mary was crowned queen of heaven
King     Jesus is honored as Christ the King, King of Kings

Spades      Death as the punishment for sin
Clubs        Cain killed his brother Able with one
Diamonds  Mary's crown
Hearts       The Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Nothing in the material world is in and of itself evil. God created all as good, and if we are aware and well intentioned, we can find the sacred in even the most secular of pursuits. After all, the old joke says that Las Vegas casinos are as holy as most churches, since the name of God is invoked in supplication and prayer more often there than anywhere else. Maybe all of those black jack players know the above symbols. All of our children in St. John of God School and the Sunday School children in both St. John and St. Catherine will certainly know the doctrines thanks to our fine catechists.