Joel’s ears rang with the exciting sound of singing sparrows. The stale crumbs of harvest bread he discarded outside earlier this morning attracted greater attention than anticipated. Watching the birds enjoy the morsels strewn throughout the church’s grounds put a smile to the priest’s face. Additional birds rapidly joined the gathering and bolstered the cacophony of joyous cries, diminishing the serenity of their once soothing sounds. Upon realizing the beauty of the moment has past, Joel retreated indoors. 

The harsh sound of Joel’s stomach churning reminded him that he neglected to feed himself today, instead offering his attention to the birds outside. Hungrily, he scans his pantry for something to eat, and finds himself with a quandary. An overabundance of bread litters his shelves, and if not eaten soon, it would share the fate of the crumbs outside. Investigating other ingredients within his reach, an idea eventually dawns. 

Joel begins taking inventory of his various meats, cheeses, and other goodies in the hope that he may be able to assemble a proper charcuterie, but his selection of pork is minute compared to his wealth of bread. Undisturbed by this, the priest merrily retrieves any ingredients his whim compels him to, and stores them into a large wicker basket, including a fine bottle of sweet wine. Content with his mélange of a picnic basket, Joel exuberantly steps out of the church, inadvertently scattering the noisy sparrows that happily presided there. 

 Beside the church’s entrance, Joel places his signature placard, which reads: “Come in, or come find me friend.” Even when absent from the church, the priest preferred to keep the facility unlocked, so anyone may have access to it if they should desire. With a spring in his step and a twirl of his walking stick, Joel wandered to Dr. Albero’s clinic next door. 

Reaching the clinic, Joel set down his basket, and rapped upon the doorway, “Mornin’ Alex, I hope you are in the mood for a treat.” Waiting for a response, Joel digs into his basket in an effort to unearth sweet ingredients to flavor his bland bread supply.