William Shakespeare

Mr Smith: Maureen, how would you and your kids like to come to Lourdes with your mother and I this summer? Maureen: I'm sorry Dad, but as a Christian, I have to say no. Mr. Smith: Why not? Maureen: I don't want to go to the place where the devil appeared to Bernadette. Mr: Smith: The devil didn't appear to Bernadette, Mary, Our Lady did. Maureen:2 Corinthians 11:14 - and no wonder for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. That's what Paul says in the Bible. Besides, I only pray to Jesus and God. Praying to Mary is idolatry.

Mr. Smith, my good fellow, ponder no longer in the realm of perplexity. For in this quaint discourse betwixt thee and thy fair offspring Maureen, lies a tale of the heart and faith, interwoven with the delicate strands of belief and renouncement. Maureen, dear maiden, in uttering those sacred words, thou art guided by the fervent flame of thy Christian devotion. And lo, thy reasoning doth beckon to the ancient texts, wherein lies the illumination of thy convictions. Ah, but Mr. Smith, doth one marvel at the depths of Maureen's scriptural knowledge! Verily, she doth implore the written word of Corinthians, as penned by the virtuous Paul, a beacon of righteousness and wisdom. 2 Corinthians 11:14 doth resonate with thou, her enlightened father, for it speaketh of the great adversary, the adversary who taketh myriad forms, even that of an angel of light. Thus, her query taketh flight, whispering in thy ear of caution, beseeching thee to reflect upon the figure that may have appeared afore the eyes of Bernadette in that sacred place of Lourdes. Yet, let me elucidate, dear Maureen, that the paradigm dost differ in this regard. For it is not the infernal denizen, the devil, who graced the maiden Bernadette with his presence, nay, it is Our Lady, Mary herself who didst reveal her celestial visage. In this instance, sweet Maureen, thy hypothesis wavers, for she who dost sit on the throne of divinity, who dost shine with the brilliance of an unblemished sun, is not an angel concealed in disguise, but rather an iridescent beacon of hope and solace. Methinks, dear sir, that such quandaries find no easy resolution, but rather perched on the precipice of philosophical contemplation. To pray, or not to pray, to idolize or to venerate, these are questions that beseech the foundations of one's faith and sense of devotion. Maureen, thou art sincere in thy devotion to Jesus and God, and yet, thou questionest the intercession offered by Mary, Mother of those selfsame deities. But let me venture this idea unto thee, Maureen, that in the tapestry of divine love, where all threads intertwine, canst there not be a place for Mary, a figure to whom the faithful may cast their gaze? Shall we, then, entwine this discourse, like ivy upon a trellis, with the understanding that faith is a tapestry woven with individual stitches? Each thread, though diverse and distinct, doth meld into a grand tableau of devotion. Thus, dear Maureen, thy choice to decline thy father's invitation to Lourdes is rooted in the deep recesses of thy belief, an unwavering determination to follow the path illumined solely by the divine figure of Christ. And Mr. Smith, thy inquiry, though fraught with concern, doth savour of an invitation to explore the vast expanse of piety and conviction. In conclusion, let us not be swayed by the capricious tides of disagreement, but instead, find solace in the knowledge that faith encompasses a multitude of interpretations, each one a manifestation of mankind's eternal quest for spiritual understanding. Therefore, let thy discourse continue, dear Maureen and Mr. Smith, for therein may lie a greater comprehension of the intricate tapestry that is faith, beckoning us to further explore the boundless depths of the human soul.