02 October 2011: Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus Christ said he had never been to a football match. So we took him to one, my friends and I. It was a ferocious battle between the Protestant Punchers and the Catholic Crusaders.

The Crusaders scored first. Jesus cheered wildly and threw his hat high up in the air. Then the Punchers scored. And Jesus cheered wildly and threw his hat high up in the air.

This seemed to puzzle the man behind us. He tapped Jesus on the shoulder and asked. “Which side are you shouting for, my good man?”

“Me?” replied Jesus, by now visibly excited by the game. “Oh! I’m not shouting for either side. I’m just here to enjoy the game.”

The questioner turned to his neighbour and sneered, “Hmm, an atheist!”

On the way back we briefed Jesus on the religious situation of the world today.  "It's a funny thing about religious people, Lord," we said, "They always seem to think that God is on their side and against the people on the other side."

Jesus agreed.  "That is why I don't back Religions, I back People," he said.  "People are more important than Religions.  Man is more important than the Sabbath."

"You ought to watch your words," one of us said with some concern.  "You were crucified once for saying that sort of thing, you know."  "Yes - and by religious people," said Jesus with a smile.

Anthony de Mello sj