At five o'clock in the afternoon, the December sun in Texas is about to set in the western mountains.
Instead of sharing Christmas dinner with the whole family, Tom sat in the office eating noodles alone.
Tom was rolling out the dough with one hand, and with the other he was flipping through the information that John had brought, information about Father Martin King.
Father Martin was an orphan picked up by an old priest in the church. He was picked up in the field in front of the church. He was only a two or three-year-old baby when he was picked up.
The old priest’s surname was King. Although he was a Hispanic Catholic priest, he unexpectedly agreed with Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses. The old priest also believed that the Catholic church was too ungrateful.
This is where Father Martin's name, Martin King, comes from.
Father Martin is a devout Catholic. He received a less "Catholic" Catholic education from the old priest since he was a child. He is also a gentleman. At least the "father and son" will not leave the little boy alone for one-on-one time.
"prayer".
Also, if Father Martin could not pass this test, he would have been sent by John to meet his most worshiped Lord. If Martin can come to the Smith Farm to participate in the Christmas banquet, at least there will be no problem with his moral character.
Father Martin's childhood has always been around the Lord. When he was less than ten years old, Father Martin began working in the church to help the old priest.
A few years before the Civil War, the old priest went to see God. With the support of the Smith family, Father Martin now manages three churches in Houston.
Father Martin has been working conscientiously for religious causes until now, living the life that Tom despises most - a poor, fulfilling and meaningful life.
The source of funds for Martin King's previous trip to Italy, Rome, and the Vatican was Father Martin's lifelong search and savings. He hoped to see the Holy Land in his lifetime.
Father Martin relied on his status as a clergyman and religious knowledge to solicit donations from various sources along the way, almost begging all the way to Rome and the Vatican City. According to Tom, Father Martin traveled to the Vatican "on a budget".
In Tom's eyes, Father Martin's behavior is a kind of "pilgrimage" behavior of a fanatical religious person.
After staying in the Vatican for half a month, Father Martin returned to Houston.
Father Martin, who had just returned, sat alone at home for several days, not going out, and refusing all visitors. He even did not attend the church services for two consecutive weeks...
Tom was looking at the detailed life record of Father Martin in his hand, when there was a knock on the door:
"Dong~dongdong~dong~"
"Enter."
Tom Tom put down the information and chopsticks in his hands and let the person who knocked on the door come in.
After the door opened, Father Martin entered Tom's office under the leadership of the female secretary.
Martin King is a middle-aged man who looks about thirty-five to forty years old. Different from the average Texas redneck, Father Martin's body is slightly thin and there are no calluses on his hands.
I just haven’t experienced much labor.
Although he looks thin, Father Martin's demeanor and clothing make him appear very energetic, completely different from the old-fashioned, white-haired perverted priest in Tom's impression.
Father Martin walked slowly up to Tom, shook hands with Tom excitedly, grabbed Tom's right hand with both hands and moved it up and down, and began to verbally thank the Smith family for their support of the church over the years:
"Mr. Smith, you are rich and generous, and your mother is noble and generous. Thank you, mother and son, for your continued free support of religious causes in Texas."
"Praise me and my mother more, I don't mind, you can continue to praise me."
Tom's straightforward answer left Father Martin a little confused.
After all, Father Martin has been to the Vatican and has seen a lot of clergy in the world. What kind of people have he not seen? He regained his composure in less than a second and continued to praise Tom and Penny:
"Mrs. Smith is like Andre among the Twelve Apostles. She likes to lead everyone to pray to the Lord and lead everyone to believe in the Lord."
"And generous Mr. Smith, you must be the Lord's most faithful believer."
"You are like Rock Peter, our strongest foundation in Texas."
"No amount of praise can compare to what you have done for the church in Texas."
"Your greatness is like the reappearance of a saint."
Father Martin has also seen some wealthy people asking clergy to praise themselves. It’s just praise, but it’s not enough to praise them.
With a stroke of their pen, these rich people can donate more money, and Father Martin can take this opportunity to build a few more churches.
Father Martin was raised by the church. His current dream is to build more churches and adopt more orphans who lost their families due to the Civil War.
What a devout priest.
Tom III was a man who was somewhat involved in the complex types of sects in Europe. Tom pretended to be unhappy and asked Father Martin:
"Peter, is he the disciple who was condemned to die on the cross?"
"Well, your focus is really interesting. Peter did devote his life to the Lord. That was a noble martyrdom."
"I'm just curious, which one is more expensive, Peter's cross or Jesus' cross? You're not a magician... Bah, Father, how much do you think Jesus' cross can be sold for?"
"..."
Father Martin heard Tom's strange focus and didn't know how to answer the question.
The atmosphere became awkward for the first time.
Father Martin has been a professional priest for thirty years, and he stopped trying to please the "financier" because of this small setback. Father Martin heard from Penny that all the money Penny donated to the church was given by Tom.
A small part of "pocket money".
Father Martin had already decided on the road that he must find a way to get this big "donor" to donate to ten or eight churches, and bring over all the war orphans in Houston, even Texas, and the United States, and accept them together.
A truly "Catholic" education.
Father Martin also does not want those despicable "believers" to use the name of "clergy" to taint God.
The priest put on a flattering expression again and flattered Tom:
"Why do you, a devout believer like you, care about these vulgar money matters?"
"Oh, is that so? I am a devout believer? I don't even know that I am devout. You forgot that I asked you if God understands quantum mechanics?"
"Everyone has confusion and confusion, and the existence of the Lord is to guide the lost children out of the predicament. I believe you will definitely get out of the "prison cell" of quantum mechanics."
"I feel that I can't get out of the "prison" of quantum mechanics. Not only me, but no one in the world can get out of the prison of quantum mechanics."
"..."
"For the quantum mechanics cell, it is possible to step out of the cell but not step out of the cell at the same time."
The atmosphere fell into awkwardness for the second time.
Father Martin was also confused by Tom. What does it mean to come out but not come out, or is it possible?
If you come out, you are coming out; if you are not coming out, you are not coming out!