The Man in the Well, Part 3a: Roman Catholic Priest
“Do, Father,” I urged. “Tell me what must I do in order to get out of this well?”
“First of all, you must know that the Roman Catholic Church has many traditions, which though not found in the Bible, are nevertheless binding and authoritative. Then too, the priest of the Catholic Church are called ‘Father’ and are forbidden to marry.”
“As for you, my son, you must never eat meat on Friday, or during Lent.”
“Now I want you to accept this rosary from me, and with it say your prayers. You must repeat as many prayers as there are beads, fifty-three ‘Hail Marys’ and six ‘Our Fathers’. It was the Virgin Mary who gave the rosary to St. Dominick.”
The Man in the Well, Part 2: Jewish Rabbi
“Well, then, my son,” began the Rabbi, “if you would be delivered from this well and inherit the world to come, you must, first of all, do as Rabbi Alazar, quoting from Rabbi Abina, says, namely, ‘Any one who repeats David’s Psalm of Praise (Psalm 145) three times daily is sure to inherit the world to come'” (Talmud, Tractate Berakhoth 4b).
“Three times a day!” I exclaimed in dismay. “Then I cannot get out at once.”
‘”Patience, my son, patience. There is plenty of time.”
The Man in the Well, Part 1: Greek Orthodox Priest
“While walking across the fields one night, I suddenly fell headlong into a deep, but empty well. I was stunned by the force of the fall, but as I gradually recovered and realized the seriousness of my predicament, I began to wonder how I could get out!
Save for a single shaft of light that shone through the opening far above me, I was in pitch dark. I felt the walls of the well and found them wet and clammy. I shuddered at the apparent hopelessness of my plight …”