Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links [1]
CCC 551-553: The Keys of the Kingdom
CCC 880-887: Foundations of unity: the college of bishops with its head, the successor of Peter
 

“The Handing-over the Keys”
by Sanzio Raffaello, 1515

Readings for the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Isaiah 22:19-23
 
Thus says the Lord to Shebna, master of the palace:
“I will thrust you from your office
and pull you down from your station.
On that day I will summon my servant
Eliakim, son of Hilkiah;
I will clothe him with your robe,
and gird him with your sash,
and give over to him your authority.
He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
and to the house of Judah.
I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim’s shoulder;
when he opens, no one shall shut
when he shuts, no one shall open.
I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot,
to be a place of honor for his family.”
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Commentary on Is 22:19-23
 
Occasionally the prophets denounced individuals who obstructed their work (see Amos 7:14-17 and Jeremiah 20:1-6). This is one of those cases. Shebna strongly encouraged King Hezekiah to ask Egypt for aid in attacking Assyria, which went against Isaiah’s policy of non-involvement. Here the prophet envisions a time when Shebna is stripped of his office as steward of Jerusalem and that trust bestowed upon another. Placed in context this passage is important because it gives a sense of the high honor associated with being given the keys to a place in biblical times (Key: symbol of authority, see also Matthew 16:19; Revelation 3:7).
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8
 
R. (8bc) Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
 
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple.
R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
 
I will give thanks to your name,
because of your kindness and your truth:
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
 
The Lord is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
Your kindness, O Lord, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
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Commentary on Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8
 
Psalm 138 is a hymn of thanksgiving. The psalmist sings of deliverance through the mercy of God who rescues the people, not because of their virtues, but out of his love for them.
 
“Spirituality, the meeting point of theology and human life, is very evident in this psalm. First, there is an interpretation of human experience in terms of divine providence. The speaker interprets the resolution of crisis in his life as divinely engineered, encouraged to do so because it followed a prayer for deliverance (v 3). Second, traditional theology is actualized in the experience of deliverance.” [5]
 
CCC: Ps 138 304; Ps 138:2 214
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Reading II: Romans 11:33-36
 
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord
or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given the Lord anything
that he may be repaid?
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be glory forever. Amen.
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Commentary on Rom 11:33-36
 
This passage is St. Paul’s final reflection on salvation assured for those justified by the love of God. The apostle has illustrated this theme by showing that God’s plan of salvation does not contradict the promise made to Israel. He next provides this hymn to a merciful God. In it he quotes Isaiah (the Greek version of Isaiah 40:13; and Job (Job 41:11a)) to emphasize that God is indebted to no one, either for his plan or his gifts to the people. All he gives come from his love and mercy.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20
 
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Then he strictly ordered his disciples
to tell no one that he was the Christ.
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Commentary on Mt 16:13-20
 
St. Matthew’s story of how Jesus asked about what people were saying about him has a profound impact on the Church. Here, when challenged by Jesus with the question: “But who do you say that I am?” Simon answers: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The second title is not present in St. Mark’s version of this encounter. It adds an understanding that Jesus is not just the Messiah, but also the Son of God.
 
Given this response, Jesus confers upon Simon a new name, “Kephas,” which comes from the root Aramaic word kepa or “rock.” When translated into Greek it came out petros and from there to Peter. The name, however, becomes the foundation for the Church, and Peter, as a consequence of this exchange, is given Christ’s authority which is passed down through papal succession to Pope Francis today.
 
"Blessed are you: Jesus blesses Peter and elevates him to be the chief patriarch of the New Covenant. Parallels between Genesis and Jesus' words (16:17-19) suggest that Peter assumes a role in salvation history similar to Abraham's. (1) Both are blessed by God (Genesis 14:19); (2) both respond with heroic faith (Hebrews 11:8); (3) both receive a divine mission (Genesis 12:1-3); (4) both have their names changed (Genesis 17:5); (5) both are called a "rock" (Isaiah 51:1-2); and (6) both are assured a victory over the "gate" of their enemies (Genesis 22:17).

“Simon Bar-Jona: Literally means "Simon son of Jonah". Since Peter's father is actually named "John" (John 1:42), the title may be symbolic. (1) Jesus' role as a new Jonah (12:39-41) may suggest he views Peter as his spiritual son. (2) Since the Hebrew name "Jonah" means "dove", Jesus may point to the relationship between Peter and the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the same Spirit who confirmed Jesus' Sonship in the form of a dove (3:16) now inspires Peter's confession, flesh and blood: A Semitic idiom for human beings, emphasizing their natural limitations and weaknesses (Sirach 14:18; Galatians 1:16)."[6]
 
CCC: Mt 16-18 1969; Mt 16:16-23 440; Mt 16:16 424, 442; Mt 16:17 153, 442; Mt 16:18-19 881; Mt 16:18 424, 442, 552, 586, 869; Mt 16:19 553, 1444
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Reflection:
 
The Gospel story begins a great saga of treasure handed down.  If we were to tell this part of the story as if it were for a child’s bedtime, it might go something like this:  Once upon a time there was a man named Simon.  Simon was a fisherman by trade.  He and his brother Andrew worked together in the family business.  They were good people. They were kind to their neighbors and went to church (synagogue) every sabbath. 
 
One day, Andrew, who had been following a teacher named John (the Baptist), came running home and told Simon: “I think I have found the one who was promised.  John says he is the one who is going to save us.”  You see an emperor from distant lands had taken over the country where Simon and Andrew lived, and almost everyone hated him and his army.  There was a prophecy that God would send someone to free them and restore them to a time long before, when they had been a great nation.
 
Simon didn’t think much about it at first, but one day that teacher, his name was Jesus of Nazareth, came down to the shore where Simon and Andrew were working. He asked Simon to follow him!  Something about the man Jesus compelled him.  To the shock of his neighbors, he just left his business, and he and Andrew started going around with Jesus.
 
For almost three years Simon and his brother (now joined by ten other special friends) followed the teacher around.  The teacher was incredible.  He did amazing things but would not take credit for them. He always would say things like: “It is my Father’s will,” or “Your faith has done this.”  But everyone knew Jesus was something very special.
 
One day the whole group of friends were walking along by the sea and Jesus turned to them and asked who the people thought he was.  Some of his friends said they thought he was a prophet or even that other teacher “John the Baptist” (Jesus and John were cousins you see).  Then Jesus asked who his friends thought he was, Simon just said right out: “You are Christ,” (that means Messiah – the one who was coming to save the people)”the Son of God.” (That part was totally new.)
 
To everyone’s surprise, Jesus stopped and looked at Simon.  Then he told him that what he just said did not come from anything Jesus had said or done, but God had told him directly.  Everyone knew that God didn’t talk to just anyone like that.  Sure, God listens to prayers and even talks to us too, but it’s really rare that he tells us something totally new.  In this case, he told Simon something no one had ever known before, that Jesus was God’s Son!
 
Jesus figured that since Simon was so special, and since he (Jesus) knew that he was going to need someone to take care all the treasure of knowledge and wisdom he was passing out when he had to go home to his Father, he would make Simon his steward.  It’s kind of like the executor of a will or someone giving their power of attorney. Jesus gave Simon the power to take care of all that knowledge.
 
Right then and there, Jesus changed his name.  He told Simon his new name was “Rock.”  It was because he was so solid in what he knew. In the language they spoke back then, the word rock or bedrock, was kephas.  In Greek, the language the Bible was first translated into, that word is translated as petros. And that’s where we get the name everyone knows him by now days – Peter.  Jesus told everyone there that he was going to build his Church upon that rock, that bedrock.
 
Then Jesus did something to make sure everyone knew he was giving Peter his authority on earth. He said he was giving Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven.  Everyone back then knew what that meant.  It meant that, when Jesus was not around, Peter was in charge of telling them what Jesus would want done or what Jesus meant by things he said when he was around.
 
Not too long after that Jesus was killed by people who did not understand him.  Peter was very frightened when that happened, but later on he did exactly what Jesus had asked him to do.  And when the time came for Peter to follow Jesus back to his home in heaven, Peter passed on those keys to someone else, a member of the new Church named Linus and he, in turn, passed the keys on to Cletus and he handed them to Clement the First and so on.  Two hundred and sixty-seven times this has happened until today Pope Francis has those keys that Jesus gave to Peter all those years ago.  So you see, the story is still going on and God is still proving he loves us through his Son and those keys.
 
Pax
 
In other years on August 27^th: Memorial for Saint Monica
 

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture used today is “The Handing-over the Keys” by Sanzio Raffaello, 1515.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] Leslie C. Allen, Psalms 101–150 (Revised), vol. 21, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), 315.
[6] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p.36.