Religious Education 

WEEKEND GOSPEL 

GOSPEL    Matthew 16:21-27

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself.

Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him. ‘Heaven preserve you, Lord,’ he said. ‘This must not happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.’

Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?

‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour.’

 A beginning point for discussion of this week's Gospel with children:

• What are some of your favourite games?
• In which of these games do people have to take turns?
• What happens if people do not take turns?

Jesus tells us in today’s gospel that we must forget about ourselves and put others first. 

• What does Jesus mean by this?
• How can we put others’ needs before our own?
• Why is it sometimes hard to do this?

We pray that we will think about others before ourselves this week.