As a nation we are very proud of our achievements, especially in our sporting successes where we enthuse if the national or local football team wins a game. The stands are full every year as people crowd in to watch the Wimbledon tennis tournament and our hopeful young players showing off their skills. Another very popular game, usually played by the more mature sportsmen and women is the humble game of golf.

Fr. Paul hasn't been with us very long so we haven’t really had time to get to know him, but I have managed to find out that he has a secret passion; he also loves a game of golf. One Sunday morning he awoke to find it was a beautiful autumn day, bright and sunny with just a nip in the air, ideal for playing golf. He phoned Fr. Solomon and asked if he would mind celebrating Mass as he really fancied a game of golf, Fr. Solomon readily agreed and told him to go enjoy his game. Quickly, Fr. Paul packed his golf clubs into the boot and set off, not to his usual golf club, but to another 20 miles away, so he wouldn't meet anyone who knew him. Setting up on the first tee he felt a pang of guilt, but was eager to get started and so drove off with his usual practised swing. As he progressed, he felt his game was the best he had ever played, until he reached the ninth hole. This was a 420 yard difficult shot, he swung the club, and the ball soared into the air, travelled down the fairway, hit the peg and dropped into the hole. It was a 420 yard Hole in One. Fr. Paul couldn't believe it; he dropped his club and started jumping up and down shouting “I've done it, a hole in one, a hole in one.” Unfortunately he wasn't alone on the course that day; our Lord and St Peter were looking down from heaven, having an early morning cup of tea. St Peter said to God, “This is disgraceful, he can’t be allowed to get away with this, he should be severely punished. God looked at St Peter with a smile and replied, “I think you will find he will be punished enough, this is the first hole in one he has achieved in twenty years, but as a Catholic Priest playing golf of a Sunday morning instead of celebrating Holy Mass, who is he going to tell?”

You couldn't make it up could you – or could you?