September 1st
22d Sunday in Ordinary time Mt 16/21-27

Background

We must read the Gospel stories with an awareness that the authors are aiming their messages at the problem of the Christian community to which they are writing. Many early Christians (and remember that there were probably no more than a thousand at the end of the first century) found it hard to accept the fact that their leader, a man who was the son of God in a special way would have died the horrible and humiliating death of crucifixion, a death reserved for criminals and slaves. Peter’s protest is in effect their protest. Life must be lost, Jesus responds. All of us must die, therefore he had to die to, since he was one of us. He showed us how to die and brought God down with us into the valley of death.

Story

Once upon a time there was a little boy whose dog was killed by a car when the dog ran across the street. The boy was furious at the teenager who drove the car. He shouted at him and hit him. I didn’t mean to do it said the teen. But you did it said the boy and I hate you. It was the first time the boy had ever seen anything that was dead and this was a dog which was very dear to him. The boy’s mother tried to explain to him that everything living must die. If you live, then you will die. Some day Daddy and I will die just like your grandparents you never knew. Some day you will die too. But we believe that love is as strong as death, so nothing that God loves ever really dies. The little boy thought about it for a while and then asked whether God loved his dog. The mommy said that she was sure God did. So then doggy really isn’t dead. The mommy reached for an answer: everything that is in the mind of God exists for ever, she said. The little boy brightened, then, he said, everything will be all right. Yes, said the mommy everything will be all right and all manner of things will be all right.

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