A man emerged from the confessional, said his prayers, and approached the poor box. He hesitated, then turned to leave. The priest, observing from a distance, quickly intervened, “Wait, you didn’t contribute to the poor box!” The man retorted with a sly grin, “Ah, but I rubbed the $50 on the box, and according to you, that’s equivalent to putting it in!”
In a separate encounter, a married man entered the confessional, revealing to the priest, “I nearly had an affair with another woman.” The priest inquired, “What do you mean by ‘nearly’?” The man explained, “We disrobed, embraced, and rubbed against each other, but I stopped short.” The priest sternly replied, “Remember, rubbing is equivalent to putting it in. You must avoid that woman from now on. As penance, recite five Hail Marys and contribute $50 to the poor box.
