The highlight of a somewhat stressful grocery shopping run to Whole Foods today was seeing an orthodox Jewish man. I have a deep love of the Jewish people, and often have to resist the urge to run up and hug them. I squeal in delight when I see them walking to their shabbat services, and wearing the trademark fedoras. This fellow was a big guy with a jolly belly (looking very squeezable), and was sporting his white tassels at the corners of his shirt. We kept running into him as we were attempting to buy the boys’ food, and he took a special delight in talking to Boo Boo. By the time we got to the check-out line, they were chatting it up like old friends.
Later, I mentioned to Boo Boo, “Do you know that nice man in the grocery store? That was a Jewish man; one of God’s chosen people.”
“Really?! A Hebrew!” Boo Boo exclaimed, “How did he get way over here from the Holy Land?”
“Well, after the Jewish Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., after Jesus died, the Jews dispersed, but mainly settled in Spain and Germany; now they live throughout the world,” I explained.
And to connect things for him even more, I went on to say, “Remember Adolf Hitler and the Nazis? They were very mean to the Jewish people in Germany and in Europe, so it’s very important that we are nice to them.”
That sparked Boo Boo into action. “Do you know what I’d do to Adolph Hitler?” he said. “I’d sneak up behind him and head-butt him in the back. Then I would make him my chiefest friend, because he’s my enemy.”
A little incredulous, I responded, “That’s what Jesus asks us to do: love our enemies.”
Boo Boo repeated, “Yep; that’s what I would do to Hitler … after I head-butted him …”

Despite joyful Christmas cards and shopping euphoria, Advent is supposed to be a penitential season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving — just like Lent. Accordingly, my book club chose to read St. Augustine’s “Confessions” for December.
I mentioned our friends’ little boy, Thomas, 




