The following was passed around in email between a couple of parishioners, Katie Black and Betty Jo Bartlett. They thought others in the parish might enjoy it:

REACTIVE SNEEZING (a must read!)

They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-three students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With rich maroon gowns flowing and the traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt.

Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and Moms freely brushed away tears.

This class would not pray during the commencements —– not by choice but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it. The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling.

They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families.

The speeches were nice, but they were
routine.. until the final speech received a standing ovation.

A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened.

All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED!!!!

The student on stage simply looked at the audience and said, “GOD BLESS YOU, each and every one of you!” And he walked off stage…

The audience exploded into applause. The graduating class had found a way to invoke God’s blessing on their future with or without the court’s approval!

Isn’t this a wonderful story? Pass it on to all your friends………

And

GOD BLESS YOU!!!!

It’s a cute story and a good one to pass along, as long as you know your audience. It mentions a serious issue, that of separation of church and state, but the tension is defused with humor. A good sense of humor can help us get through difficult situations; we should try to remember this always.