August 23, 2026
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 121
Reading 1
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."
Responsorial Psalm
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.
Reading 2
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.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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.
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082326.cfm
Commentary on Isaiah
22:19-23; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20
(Note: This commentary is in two parts, the first section
is about the Gospel, and below that is the commentary on the Readings)
In today’s Gospel, we recall a high point in Jesus’
relationship with his disciples. It represents a quantum leap in their understanding
of who he really is, and it took them quite a while to come to this point. Yet
even here, as subsequent events in the rest of the Gospel clearly indicate,
they still did not fully understand the implications of what they had just
begun to realise. We will see a clear indication of this in next Sunday’s
Gospel reading.
In a way, of course, today’s passage really is an expression
of the faith of the early Church rather than just that of the disciples at the
time of the event described. Mark, in particular, likes to emphasise the poor
understanding of the disciples regarding the identity and teaching of Jesus.
The first person in Mark’s Gospel to recognise Jesus fully was a pagan soldier
at the foot of the Cross (Mark 15:39). At that moment, Jesus’ disciples, his
chosen followers, were nowhere to be seen.
Who do you say…
The passage today begins with Jesus asking his disciples who people
think he is. Jesus calls himself “Son of Man” here, thus identifying himself
with the Messianic figure in the Book of Daniel:
I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of
heaven…To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples,
nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting
dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be
destroyed.
(Dan 7:13-14)
In reply the disciples give various answers:
- the
prophet John the Baptist, executed recently by Herod and, in the person of
Jesus, thought by some to have come back to life (see Luke 9:7);
- the
prophet Elijah, who went to heaven in a fiery chariot and was expected to
return soon to earth as a sign of the imminent coming of the Messiah;
- the
prophet Jeremiah, who through his own experience of rejection and
suffering, announced the rejection and suffering of the Messiah (note that
only Matthew among the Synoptics mentions Jeremiah).
What is clear is that while Jesus is seen by the people as a
prophet, a spokesperson for God, he is no more than that.
Then Jesus asks his disciples directly who they think he is.
Peter, assuming his recognised leadership role in the group, replies:
You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
It is indeed a dramatic moment in their relationship with
Jesus. For they have now acknowledged that their rabbi, their teacher and
guide, is no less than the long-awaited Messiah, the anointed king of Israel
(in the Greek, Messiah is translated as Christos, which means the
‘Anointed One’). It is a major breakthrough for them, but as the rest of the
Gospel will show, they still have a long way to go in understanding fully just
what ‘messiahship’ will mean for Jesus—and for them.
A happy man
Nevertheless, aware of their limited grasp of what they are saying,
Jesus praises Peter:
Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood
has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.
Only faith could have led Peter to say what he did. He
needed faith to recognise the Saviour-King in the dusty human figure standing
before him, so different surely from the images that most Jews would have had
of their long-expected, all-conquering and nation-liberating leader. Only with
God’s enlightenment could they see God’s presence in this carpenter from
Galilee, their friend and teacher. Peter must have glowed with pride and this
will partly explain his bitter disappointment and shock in the passage
immediately following (see next Sunday’s readings).
Despite this moment of insight, Peter and the rest have a
long way to go in fully knowing Jesus. We might say at this point that we
are in exactly the same position. Perhaps for a long time we have recognised in
Jesus the Son of God and our Lord, but we too have a long way to go in
completely understanding and in accepting the full implications of being his
followers.
Peter the Rock
There now follows a passage which will be the foundation for the
authority given to the disciples and to Peter in particular in the
post-Resurrection community. In response to Peter’s declaration of faith, Jesus
now says:
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will
build my church…
In the English translation, the play on words here is lost.
In the Greek, ‘Peter’ is Petros (Petros) and ‘rock’ is petra while,
in the Aramaic language which Jesus and his disciples normally spoke, both
words would be represented by kepa. Hence, Peter is called Cephas
in some New Testament letters (see for example, Gal 2:11).
Peter is the rock, the foundation of the community which
will carry the name and the authority of Jesus to the whole world. On
him, together with his Apostolic companions as the faithful communicators of
Jesus’ life and message, will be built the Church, the ekklesia,
the assembly of God’s people. Note that in the four Gospels, this word (ekklesia)
appears only in Matthew’s—once in today’s passage, and twice later on when
Jesus says:
If that person refuses to listen to them, tell it to the
church, and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church…
(Matt 18:17)
The term does not appear in Mark, Luke or John.
A promise for the future
Then there is the promise of endurance against all assaults of evil. A
promise that has been remarkably kept through the centuries down to our own
day. It is a testimony to the firmness of a foundation whose strength basically
comes from Truth and Love. As long as these divinely originating qualities are
in the Church, and any part of it, there is nothing to fear.
Peter is then given a special stewardship and responsibility
for the community:
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…
We have spoken often in these weeks about the Kingdom. The
Church is not itself the Kingdom, but it does have the “keys”, in the sense of
both authority and access, to the building of that Kingdom. Then he says:
…and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
There is a use of passive verbs in this verse (routinely
used in Matthew) so that the name of God need not be explicitly mentioned to a
Jewish audience very sensitive about the use of God’s name. God’s own authority
passes through Jesus to the community he will leave behind. Whatever they
decide corporately under the leadership of Peter and the Apostles will be
acknowledged by God. They can do this because they will later be given the
Spirit as Teacher and Protector and, through the same Spirit, Jesus will be
with them forever. They will be the Body of Christ and when they speak as a
body, Christ speaks.
A special kind of leadership
The leadership of Peter and his successors is not one of coercion and
political power, but of example and service. As long as faith, hope, and love
are strong in the community, it will survive and flourish. It is not just a
matter of unquestioning obedience to the decrees of an institution, issued from
some far-off headquarters.
Today we see in the pope the successor of Peter. He shares
the same charism or gift of leadership, a leadership of
service. Traditionally the popes have called themselves Servus servorum
Dei, the ‘servant of the servants of God’. The pope is not a dictator with
absolute powers as he is sometimes depicted. He is limited by the faith of the
whole Church. He is not the originator of that faith; he does not decide what
we should believe. Rather, he communicates to the Church at large what it
already believes. He is the focal point of unity of that one faith, the
unity in the Spirit. The pope is the servant of that one community united in
one faith.
Point of unity
In a Church where there are now so many conflicting theologies and
spiritualities, there has never been a greater need for a focal point, not of
uniformity, but of Christian unity:
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called
to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and
Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. (Eph
4:4-6)
This is something of which many of our Anglican and Lutheran
brothers and sisters have become strongly aware. It is something whose
importance is so well realised by our Catholic brothers and sisters in parts of
the world where they are as scattered and cut off from each other as they are.
The pope is our point of reference, whom we must always take
into account, as we search for new understandings of what it means to be a
disciple of Christ in a constantly changing world. He is the shepherd
that keeps us in fellowship with Christians everywhere, but who also cooperates
with the creativity of the Spirit in living out the gospel in such a huge
variety of contexts. For we are simultaneously one Church and many churches.
For us here in our own church, our concern will be to remain
in close union with fellow-disciples everywhere while, at the same time, living
a Christian life in a way that most effectively will bring the spirit of the
Kingdom among us in these challenging times.
Commentary on Isaiah 22:19-23; Romans 11:33-36
In today’s First Reading, the prophet Isaiah introduces two court
authorities in an oracle of judgement against the city of Jerusalem. As a
vision, it remains obscure. What time frame in Israel’s long history is this
oracle meant to address? Rarely are secondary officials named in an oracle
setting, but two are named in today’s reading, Shebna and Eliakim. Shebna loses
his position while Eliakim succeeds this office in responsibility to the House
of David. About Eliakim, whose name means ‘God raised’ and possibly refers to
one delivered from disaster, Isaiah writes,
I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of
David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, and no one shall
open.
Rare Words
The Hebrew text uses the word ‘key’ in this instance as a rank of office
placed on one’s shoulder and made visible for all to witness. While it is rare
to find this word being used in the Bible, it is also used in today’s Gospel
when Jesus gives the “keys of the kingdom of heaven” to Peter. There is, of course,
another wordplay present in the Gospel on the name given the Apostle as both
‘rock’ (Greek, Petros) and ‘foundation’ (Greek, petra). As well, in the Gospel
passage, the word ‘church’ (Greek, ekklesia) enters the discussion about
‘authority’. This term is also rare and only found in Matthew’s text among the
Gospels.
What are we as readers to make of all this rare usage of
words to describe authority? Perhaps that’s the point from today’s First
Reading: All authority rests with the Lord and it is a rare phenomenon when an
official believes that fully in faith. Any deviation from that Source
ultimately fails over time. This becomes the fate of Shebna who turned to other
deities looking to spare his city from destruction. His plan failed.
Paul’s Doxology
From an oracle of the Lord in today’s First Reading, we move to a
doxology from the Letter of Paul to the Romans. ‘Doxology’ means ‘words of
praise or glory’. Here Paul praises God’s ultimate plan of salvation for all.
Since all fall short—Jew and Gentile alike—all are equally indebted to the
hidden means of salvation through God that are too complicated for the human
mind to unravel. Moreover, in this age of artificial intelligence, even the
most advanced form of this technology will never be able to fathom every manner
by which God is at work for his creation. This is why Paul can say in today’s
reading confidently:
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever. Amen.
Paul’s cry in poetic expression could only come about as a
gift of faith. Just like the gift of faith needed for Peter to recognize Jesus’
authority.
Ultimately, the passages for this Sunday are not about
recognizing human rank, but have more to do with the spiritual reality required
to recognize God at work in the world. It is about the faith needed to
recognize divine authority in the person of Jesus. Peter captures the central
need for faith in order to experience Jesus as the Christ.
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Sunday,
August 23, 2026
Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us read the Scriptures
with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In
the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the
presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the
cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life
and of resurrection. Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice
in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the
poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two
disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and
witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice,
and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the
Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.
Gospel Reading - Matthew 16: 13-20
A Division of the Text to Help in the
Reading:
•
Matthew 16: 13-14: Jesus wants to know the
opinion of the people;
•
Matthew 16: 15-16: Jesus challenges the
disciples, and Peter responds in the name of all;
•
Matthew 16: 17-20: Solemn response of Jesus to
Peter. Key for the Reading:
In the Gospel of this Sunday, Jesus questions concerning who
people think he is: “Who do people say that I am?” After knowing the opinion of
the people, he wants to know the opinion of his disciples. Peter, in the name
of all makes his profession of faith. Jesus confirms Peter’s faith. In the
course of the reading, let us pay attention to what follows: “Which type of
confirmation does Jesus confer to Peter?” The
Text:
13 When Jesus came to the region
of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, 'Who do people say
the Son of man is?' 14 And they said, 'Some say John the
Baptist, some
Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 15 'But you,' he said,
'who do you say I am?' 16 Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, 'You are the
Christ, the Son of the living God.' 17 Jesus replied, 'Simon son of Jonah, you
are a blessed man! Because it was no human agency that revealed this to you but
my Father in heaven. 18 So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I
will build my community. And the gates of the underworld can never overpower
it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven: whatever you bind on
earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in
heaven.' 20 Then he gave the disciples strict orders not to say to anyone that
he was the Christ.
A
Moment of Prayerful Silence
so that the
Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.
Some Questions
to help us in our personal
reflection.
•
Which is the point which struck you the most?
Why?
•
Which are the opinions of people concerning
Jesus? Which is the opinion of the disciples and of Peter concerning Jesus?
•
Which is my opinion concerning Jesus? Who am I
for Jesus?
•
Peter is rock in two ways. Which? (Mt 16: 21-23)
•
What type of rock am I for others? What type of
rock is our community?
•
In the text there are many opinions concerning
Jesus and several ways of expressing faith. Today, also there are many diverse
opinions concerning Jesus. Which are the opinions of our community concerning
Jesus? What mission results for us from this?
To deepen the theme
Context in Which Our Text Appears in the
Gospel of Matthew:
•
The conversation between Jesus and Peter
receives diverse interpretations and even opposite ones in the several
Christian Churches. In the Catholic Church, this is the foundation for the
primacy of Peter. This is why, without in fact, diminishing the significance of
the text, it is convenient to place it in the context of the Gospel of Matthew,
in which, in other texts, the same qualities conferred on Peter are almost all,
attributed to other persons. They do not belong exclusively to Peter.
•
It is always well to keep in mind that the
Gospel of Matthew was written at the end of the first century for the community
of the converted Jews who lived in the Region of Galilee and Syria. They were
communities which suffered and were victims of many doubts concerning their
faith in Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew tries to help them to overcome the crisis
and to confirm them in the faith in Jesus, the Messiah, who came to fulfil the
promises of the Old Testament.
Commentary on the Text:
•
Matthew 15: 13-16: The opinions of the people
and of the disciples concerning Jesus.
Jesus asks the opinion of the people and of his disciples
concerning himself. The answers are quite varied. John the Baptist. Elijah,
Jeremiah, or one of the Prophets. When Jesus questions about the opinion of his
own disciples, Peter becomes the spokesman and says: “You are the Christ, the
Son of the living God!”. Peter’s answer signifies that he recognizes in Jesus
the fulfilment of the prophecy of the Old Testament and that in Jesus we have
the definitive revelation of the Father for us. This confession of Peter is not
new. First, after having walked on the water, the other disciples had already
made the same profession of faith: “Truly You are the Son of God!” (Mt 14: 33).
In the Gospel of John, Martha makes this same profession of Peter: “You are the
Christ, the Son of God who has come into the world” (Jn 11, 27).
•
Matthew 16: 17: The response of Jesus to Peter:
“Blessed are you, Peter!”
Jesus proclaims Peter as “Blessed!” because he has received
a revelation from the Father. In this case also, the response of Jesus is not
new. First Jesus had made an identical proclamation of joy to the disciples for
having seen and heard things which before nobody knew (Mt 13: 16), and had
praised the Father for having revealed the Son to little ones and not to the wise
(Mt 11: 25). Peter is one of these little ones to whom the Father reveals
himself. The perception of the presence of God in Jesus does not come “from the
flesh nor from the blood”, that is, it is not the fruit of the merit of a human
effort, but rather it is a gift which God grants to whom he wants.
•
Matthew 16: 18-20: the attributions of Peter:
Peter receives three attributions from Jesus:
•
To be
Rock of Support: Simon, the son of Jonah, receives from Jesus a new name
which is Cephas, and that means, Rock. this is why he is called Peter. Peter
has to be rock, that is, he has to be a sure foundation for the Church so that the
gates of the underworld can never overpower it. With these words from Jesus to
Peter, Matthew encourages the communities of Syria and Palestine, which are
suffering and are the victims of persecutions, to see in Peter a leader on whom
to find support, to base themselves concerning their origin. In spite of being
weak and persecuted communities, they had a secure basis, guaranteed by the
word of Jesus. At that time, the communities had very strong affective bonds
with the persons who had begun, who were at the origin of the community. Thus,
the Community of Syria and Palestine fostered their bond of union with the
person of Peter. The community of Greece with the person of Paul. Some
communities of Asia, with the person of the Beloved disciple and others with
the person of John of the Apocalypses. Identifying themselves with these
leaders of their origin helped the communities to foster their identity and
spirituality better. But this could also be a cause of dispute, like in the
case of the community of Corinth (1 Co 1:
11-12).
To be rock as the basis of faith evokes the
Word of God to the people
who are in exile in Babylonia: “Listen
to me you who pursue saying injustice, you who seek Yahweh. Consider the rock
from which you were hewn, the quarry from which you were dug. Consider Abraham
your father, and Sarah who gave you birth; when I called him, he was the only
one, but I blessed him and made him numerous” (Is 51: 1-2). Applied to Peter,
this quality of peter-foundation indicates
a new beginning of the people of God.
•
To
Receive the Keys of the Kingdom:
Peter receives the keys of the
Kingdom to bind and to loosen, that is, to reconcile the persons among
themselves and with God. Behold, that here again the same power to bind and to
loosen, is given not only to Peter, but also to the other disciples (Jn 20: 23)
and to their own communities (Mt 18: 18). One of the points on which the Gospel
of Matthew insists more is the reconciliation and forgiveness (Mt 5: 7, 2324,
38-42-48; 6: 14-15- 35). In the years 80’s and 90’s, in Syria, because of faith
in Jesus, there were many tensions in the communities and there were divisions
in the families. Some accepted him as Messiah and others did not, and this was
the cause for many tensions and conflicts. Matthew insists on reconciliation.
Reconciliation was and continues to be one of the most important tasks of the
coordinators of the communities at present. Imitating Peter, they have to bind
and loosen, that is, do everything possible so that there be reconciliation,
mutual acceptance, building up of the true fraternity “Seventy times seven!”
(Mt 18: 22).
•
To be the
Foundation of the Church:
The word Church, in Greek eklésia, appears 105
times in the New Testament, almost exclusively in the Acts of the Apostles and
in the Letters. Only three times in the Gospels, and once only in the Gospel of
Matthew. The word literally means “convoked” or “chosen”. It indicates the
people who get together convoked by the Word of God, and who seek to live the
message of the Kingdom which Jesus came to bring to us. The Church or the
community is not the Kingdom, but an instrument or an indication of the
Kingdom. The Kingdom is much greater. In the Church, in the community, what
happens when a human group allows God to
reign and allows God to be ‘Lord’ in one’s life, is rendered or should be
rendered present to the eyes of all.
Deepening:
A Picture of Saint Peter:
Peter, who was a fisherman of
fish, became fisherman of men (Mk 1: 17). He was married (Mk 1: 30). He was a
good man, very human. He was a natural leader among the twelve first disciples
of Jesus. Jesus respects this leadership and makes Peter the animator of his
first community (Jn 21: 17). Before entering into the community of Jesus, Peter
was called Simäo Bar Jona (Mt 16:
17), that is, Simon, son of Jonah. Jesus calls him Cefas or Rock (Jn 1: 42), who later becomes Peter (Lk 6: 14).
By his nature and character,
Peter could be everything, except pietra
– rock. He was courageous in speaking, but in the moment of danger he
allows himself to be dominated by fear and flees. For example, the time in
which Jesus walked on the sea, Peter asks: “Jesus, allow me also to walk on the
sea”. Jesus says: “You may come, Peter!” Peter got off from the boat and walked
on the sea. But as soon as he saw a high wave, he was taken up with panic, lost
trust, and began to sink and cry out: “Lord, save me!” Jesus assured him and
saved him (Mt 14: 28-
31).
In the Last Supper, Peter tells
Jesus: “I will never deny you, Lord!” (Mk 14: 31), but a few hours later, in
the Palace of the High Priest, in front of a servant, when Jesus had already
been arrested, Peter denied, swearing that he had nothing to do with Jesus (Mk
14: 66-72).
When Jesus was in the Garden of
Olives, Peter takes out the sword (Jn 18: 10), but ends fleeing, leaving Jesus
alone. (Mk 14: 50). By nature, Peter was not rock! But this Peter, so weak and
human, so similar to us, becomes rock, because Jesus prays for him and says:
“Peter, I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail, and once you have
recovered, you in your turn must strengthen your brothers!” (Lk 22: 31-32).
This is why Jesus could say: “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my
Church” (Mt 16: 18). Jesus helps him to be rock. After the
Resurrection, in Galilee, Jesus appears to Peter and asks him two times:
“Peter, do you love me?” And Peter responds two times: “Lord, you know that I
love you!” (Jn 21: 15, 16). When Jesus repeats the same question a third time,
Peter became sad. Perhaps he remembered that he had denied Jesus three times.
To this third question he answers: “Lord, you know all things! You know that I love
you very much!” And it is then that Jesus entrusted to him the care of his
sheep, saying: “Peter, feed my lambs!” (Jn 21: 17). With the help of Jesus, the
firmness of the rock grows in Peter and is revealed on the day of Pentecost.
On the day of
Pentecost, after the descent of the Holy Spirit, Peter opens the door of the
room where all were meeting together, locked with a key because of fear of the
Jews (Jn 20: 19), he takes courage and began to announce to the people the Good
News of Jesus (Ac 2: 14-40). And he did not stop doing it! Thanks to this
courageous announcement of the Resurrection, he was imprisoned (Ac 4: 3).
During the trial, he was forbidden to announce the Good News (Ac 4: 18), but
Peter does not obey this prohibition. He said: “We know that we have to obey
God more than men!” (Ac 4: 19; 5: 29). He was arrested again (Ac 5: 18-26). He
was tortured (Ac 5: 40). But he said: “Thank you. But we shall continue!” (cf.
Ac 5: 42).
Tradition says that, towards the
end of his life, in Rome, Peter was arrested and condemned to death, and death
on the cross. He asked to be crucified with the head down. He believed he was
not worthy to die like Jesus. Peter was faithful to himself up to the end!.
Completing the Context: Matthew 16: 21-23
Peter had
confessed: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” He had imagined a
glorious Messiah, and Jesus corrects him: “It is necessary for the Messiah to
suffer and to die in Jerusalem”. By saying that “it is necessary”, he indicates
that suffering has already been foreseen in the Prophecies (Is 53: 2-8). If
Peter accepts Jesus as Messiah and Son of God, he has to accept him also as the
servant Messiah who will be put to death. Not only the triumph of the glory,
but also the journeys to the cross! But Peter does not accept the correction
and seeks to dissuade him.
The response of
Jesus is surprising: “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path
because you are thinking not as God thinks but as human beings do”. Satan is
the one who separates us from the path which God has traced for us. Literally,
Jesus says: “Get behind me” (Get away!). Peter wanted to place himself in front
and indicate the direction. Jesus says: “Get behind me!” He who indicates the
course and direction is not Peter, but Jesus. The disciple has to follow the Master. He has to live in continuous
conversion.
The Word of
Jesus is also a reminder for all those who guide or direct a community. They
have “to follow” Jesus and not place themselves in front of him as Peter wanted
to do. No, only they can indicate the direction or the route. Otherwise, like
Peter, they are not rock of support, but they become a rock of obstacle. Thus,
were some of the leaders of the communities at the time of Matthew, full of
ambiguity. Thus, it also happens among us even today!
Psalm 121
The Lord is My Support
I lift up my eyes to the
mountains; where is my help to come from? My help comes from Yahweh who made
heaven and earth.
May he save your foot from stumbling; may he, your guardian,
not fall asleep!
You see -- he neither sleeps nor slumbers, the guardian of
Israel.
Yahweh is your guardian, your
shade, Yahweh, at your right hand. By day the sun will not strike you, nor the moon
by night.
Yahweh guards you from all harm Yahweh guards your life,
Yahweh guards your comings and goings, henceforth and forever.
Final Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to
understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions
and grant us the strength to practice that which your Word has revealed to us.
May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word.
You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever
and ever. Amen.
