Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 121
Lectionary: 121
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."
"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
PsalmPS 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.
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 2ROM 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.
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.
AlleluiaMT 16:18
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.
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.
GospelMT 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.
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.
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A
1st Reading - Isaiah 22:19-23
At various times we have reviewed the three author theory for the Book of Isaiah, the last time being the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time for this cycle. The first reading for this week comes from the first portion, that which has been attributed to Isaiah himself by all scholars. But are there really three authors? Aside from scholarly interests, Jewish-Christian tradition has always recognized Isaiah as the human author of the entire 66 chapters.
After the Psalms, Isaiah is the Old Testament book most quoted in the New Testament: 22 quotations and 13 references (six to the first part of the book and seven to the second) and all the references refer to Isaiah by name.
Three documents testify to the Book of Isaiah having its present form between the second and third centuries B.C. These are the complete Hebrew text discovered in 1947 (the Dead Sea Scrolls), the Greek translations of the Septuagint, and the praise of Isaiah in the Book of Sirach which refers to chapters 40, 51, and 66.
Our reading for today is important in understanding how the king’s household (and kingdom) were operated. It goes without saying that we all understand that when the king died, he was replaced by his eldest son (the firstborn, the blessed). But what about all the other positions in the kingdom? What if some official died or wasn’t performing up to expectations?
[Thus says the LORD to Shebna, master of the palace,]
This introductory material comes from Isaiah 22:15. The Hebrew word soken, translated as “master,” is not found anywhere else in the Old Testament. Non-biblical uses in similar languages support its use as “master of the palace” rather than as “scribe” or “secretary of state.” A similar position today would be something like Prime Minister; the minister to whom all the other ministers report.
19 I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station. 20 On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah;
Yahweh is speaking – this is indication of a new day – a new beginning.
21 I will clothe him with your robe, and gird him with your sash, and give over to him your authority.
He will have your distinctive methods of dress, the trappings of your position; as well as the authority which goes with it.
He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
This reflects the quality of his rule. He will care for them like they are his own children.
22 I will place the key of the House of David
The key is the absolute symbol of authority over the entire royal palace, in fact, the entire kingdom of David although David himself has been dead for some two hundred years. He who possesses the key has the ability to open the door to whomever he desires and to lock out others.
on his shoulder;
This may represent the actual investiture ceremony.
when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open. 23 I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot, to be a place of honor for his family.
The family shares in the privileges of the official. Notice that although the occupant of the position has changed, the position itself has remained unchanged.
2nd Reading - Romans 11:33-36
Today’s second reading continues from where the second reading for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time left off. Saint Paul is pointing out how the Jews will attain salvation through the example provided by the Gentiles.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
Saint Paul is exclaiming, not in awe and fear, but in wonder and gratitude, at the boundless providence of God in arranging the mutual assistance of Jews and Gentiles in attaining salvation. Israel’s role in the divine plan of salvation may never have been otherwise.
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given him anything that he may be repaid?”
Saint Paul is quoting Isaiah 40:13.
“It is clear that only God knows everything and it is only He who lacks nothing, because everything comes from Him. No one can understand or measure this knowledge, because the inferior cannot comprehend what is superior to it. Jewish believers could not understand that the salvation of the Gentiles could be God’s plan and will. Likewise, it seemed unlikely and incredible to the Gentiles that the Jews, who had not believed, could be converted or accepted as believers.” [The Ambrosiaster (ca. A.D. 366-384), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles Romans 11,34]
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
This is a doxology to God the Father as creator, sustainer, and goal of the universe. The prayer expresses the absolute dependence of all creation on God. It is much like the doxology we hear at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer “Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever. Amen.”
Gospel - Matthew 16:13-20
While Shebna may have proven not to be a worthy steward of the Davidic kingdom, Simon the fisherman has shown himself worthy of a new mission of stewardship in the Davidic kingdom; a kingdom which now has Jesus as its sovereign. As signs of this new mission of stewardship, Simon is given a new name and the symbol of his office as master of the palace.
13 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples,
The area where this event is believed to have taken place is at the headwaters of the Jordan River, at the site of a temple to the pagan god Pan. There is a large stone cliff there with the temple carved into it and a spring which feeds a stream which discharges into Lake Merom (which feeds into the Sea of Galilee which feeds into the Jordan River which feeds into the Dead Sea). This site exists even today.
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
The title “Son of Man” is a title which Jesus applies to Himself, it is never applied by His disciples. It refers back to Daniel 7:13.
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist,
John the Baptist has recently been beheaded. If he has returned, he would have special powers and be able to perform the miracles which Jesus does.
others Elijah,
Popular Jewish thought was that Elijah would return to announce the coming of the messiah [Malachi 4:5 (Malachi 3:23 in the New American Bible and the New Jerusalem Bible)]. Even today when the Passover Seder is celebrated in the Jewish household, a place is set for Elijah.
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
Jeremiah is the prophet who in his own experience of rejection and suffering announces the rejection and suffering of the messiah.
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter said in reply,
Although all the disciples had been addressed, Simon takes it upon himself to act as the spokesman and answer for them all.
“You are the Messiah,
The name means “anointed.” Although various figures in ancient Israel were anointed, the term came to be applied most distinctively to kings. Some writings in Jesus’ time used the term to describe Israel’s future leader in the period before and during the end times; he would fulfill Israel’s hopes based on God’s promises.
the Son of the living God.”
Jesus has a unique consciousness of His sonship. Saint Matthew uses this relationship to direct attention away from the military-national connotations of the title “messiah.”
17 Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
Recall that it was Jonah who announced the impending destruction of Nineveh and effected repentance of the people. This could be an early symbol of Peter’s role.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 18 And so I say to you, you are Peter,
In Aramaic the word is kepha, in Greek it is petros. The name means “rock.” No one had ever been named “Rock” before. Some will point out that petros means small stone while petra means large bolder in Greek. The text reads “You are petros and on this petra ...” Petra is the feminine form of the word and the Church has enough problems without the sacred author calling Peter effeminate. The usage in Greek at the time of Christ did not make a distinction in the meaning of the masculine and feminine forms of the word. In Aramaic, the language which Jesus spoke, kepha has no gender. You will see kepha transliterated as Cephas (Kephas) in John’s gospel, 1st Corinthians and Galatians.
and upon this rock I will build my church,
The Greek term ekklesia is found only here and in Matthew 18:17 in the four gospels.
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
The netherworld is sheol in Hebrew, hades in Greek. It is the abode of the dead; where all departed souls go at the end of their earthly life since heaven has been closed from the time of Adam and Eve and will not be opened until the perfect sacrifice of the messiah. The gates of the netherworld will not prevail because even if the occupant of the office dies, the office will continue.
19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Just as in our first reading, the keys are the symbol of authority – given only to the most trusted servant – the Prime Minister.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Again just as in our first reading where the power to open and shut were given, here the ability to bind and loose are given. This is the ability to make the earthly rules for the Church – not change God’s rules, but make the rules which implement His rules. He has full authority on earth, an authority which is bestowed and guaranteed by God. The earthly Church is related to the heavenly kingdom as it mediates salvation in the time between the earthly ministry of Jesus and the future coming of the heavenly kingdom. Binding and loosing are rabbinic technical terms that can refer to binding the devil in exorcism and the juridical acts of excommunication and of definitive decision making (which is a form of teaching through legislation and policy setting). The authority to bind and loose is given to the disciples in Matthew 18:18, but to Peter alone are accorded the revelation, the role of the rock of foundation (see Ephesians 2:20), and especially the keys. Notice that the binding and loosing are initiated on earth but are confirmed in heaven.
20 Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah.
By counseling His disciples to be silent, Jesus avoids false interpretation of His messiahship as He prepares them for the instructions that are to follow.
Just as in our first reading, the office of Peter is a perpetual office; in fact it is the same office which was once occupied by Shebna and Eliakim. The position continues even though the occupant changes. Each occupant of the office of Peter is invested with the keys and the responsibility to bind and loose for the entire Church. This is why the popes are called the “Successors of Peter.”
The Magisterium of the Church, in the First Vatican Council, defined the doctrine of the primacy of Peter and his successors in these terms:
“We teach and declare, therefore, according to the testimony of the Gospel that the primacy of jurisdiction over the whole Church was immediately and directly promised to and conferred upon the blessed Apostle Peter by Christ the Lord. For to Simon, Christ had said, ‘You shall be called Cephas’ (John 1:42). Then, after Simon had acknowledged Christ with the confession, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’ (Matthew 16:16), it was to Simon alone that the solemn words were spoken by the Lord: ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven’ (Matthew 16:17-19). And after His Resurrection, Jesus conferred upon Simon Peter alone the jurisdiction of supreme shepherd and ruler over His whole fold with the words, ‘Feed my lambs ... Feed my sheep’” (John 21:15-17). [...]
“(Canon) Therefore, if anyone says that the blessed Apostle Peter was not constituted by Christ the Lord as the Prince of all the Apostles and the visible head of the whole Church militant, or that he received immediately and directly from Jesus Christ our Lord only a primacy of honor and not a true and proper primacy of jurisdiction: let him be condemned.
“Now, what Christ the Lord, supreme shepherd and watchful guardian of the flock, established in the person of the blessed Apostle Peter for the perpetual safety and everlasting food of the Church must, by the will of the same, endure without interruption in the Church which was founded on the rock and which will remain firm until the end of the world. Indeed, ‘no one doubts, in fact it is obvious to all ages, that the holy and most blessed Peter, Prince and head of the Apostles, the pillar of faith, and the foundation of the Catholic Church, received the keys of the kingdom from our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior and the Redeemer of the human race; and even to this time and forever He lives,’ and governs, ‘and exercises judgment in his successors’ (cf. Council of Ephesus), the bishops of the holy Roman See, which He established and consecrated with His blood. Therefore, whoever succeeds Peter in this Chair holds Peter’s primacy over the whole Church according to the plan of Christ Himself [...]. For this reason, ‘because of its greater sovereignty,’ it was always ‘necessary for every church, that is, the faithful who are everywhere, to be in agreement’ with the same Roman Church [...].
“(Canon) Therefore, if anyone says that it is not according to the institution of Christ our Lord Himself, that is, by divine law, that Saint Peter has perpetual successors in the primacy over the whole Church; or if anyone says that the Roman Pontiff is not the successor of Saint Peter in the same primacy: let him be condemned [...].
“We think it extremely necessary to assert solemnly the prerogative which the only-begotten Son of God deigned to join to the highest pastoral office. And so, faithfully keeping to the tradition received from the beginning of the Christian faith, for the glory of God our Savior, for the exaltation of the Catholic religion, and for the salvation of the Christian peoples, We, with the approval of the sacred council, teach and define that it is a divinely revealed dogma: that the Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra, that is, when, acting in the office of shepherd and teacher of all Christians, he defines, by virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the universal Church, possesses through the divine assistance promised to him in the person of Saint Peter, the infallibility with which the divine Redeemer willed His Church to be endowed in defining doctrine concerning faith or morals; and that such definitions of the Roman Pontiff are therefore irreformable because of their nature, but not because of the agreement of the Church.
“(Canon) But if anyone presumes to contradict this our definition (God forbid that he do so): let him be condemned” (Vatican I, Pastor aeternus, chapters 1, 2 and 4).
1st Reading - Isaiah 22:19-23
At various times we have reviewed the three author theory for the Book of Isaiah, the last time being the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time for this cycle. The first reading for this week comes from the first portion, that which has been attributed to Isaiah himself by all scholars. But are there really three authors? Aside from scholarly interests, Jewish-Christian tradition has always recognized Isaiah as the human author of the entire 66 chapters.
After the Psalms, Isaiah is the Old Testament book most quoted in the New Testament: 22 quotations and 13 references (six to the first part of the book and seven to the second) and all the references refer to Isaiah by name.
Three documents testify to the Book of Isaiah having its present form between the second and third centuries B.C. These are the complete Hebrew text discovered in 1947 (the Dead Sea Scrolls), the Greek translations of the Septuagint, and the praise of Isaiah in the Book of Sirach which refers to chapters 40, 51, and 66.
Our reading for today is important in understanding how the king’s household (and kingdom) were operated. It goes without saying that we all understand that when the king died, he was replaced by his eldest son (the firstborn, the blessed). But what about all the other positions in the kingdom? What if some official died or wasn’t performing up to expectations?
[Thus says the LORD to Shebna, master of the palace,]
This introductory material comes from Isaiah 22:15. The Hebrew word soken, translated as “master,” is not found anywhere else in the Old Testament. Non-biblical uses in similar languages support its use as “master of the palace” rather than as “scribe” or “secretary of state.” A similar position today would be something like Prime Minister; the minister to whom all the other ministers report.
19 I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station. 20 On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah;
Yahweh is speaking – this is indication of a new day – a new beginning.
21 I will clothe him with your robe, and gird him with your sash, and give over to him your authority.
He will have your distinctive methods of dress, the trappings of your position; as well as the authority which goes with it.
He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
This reflects the quality of his rule. He will care for them like they are his own children.
22 I will place the key of the House of David
The key is the absolute symbol of authority over the entire royal palace, in fact, the entire kingdom of David although David himself has been dead for some two hundred years. He who possesses the key has the ability to open the door to whomever he desires and to lock out others.
on his shoulder;
This may represent the actual investiture ceremony.
when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open. 23 I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot, to be a place of honor for his family.
The family shares in the privileges of the official. Notice that although the occupant of the position has changed, the position itself has remained unchanged.
2nd Reading - Romans 11:33-36
Today’s second reading continues from where the second reading for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time left off. Saint Paul is pointing out how the Jews will attain salvation through the example provided by the Gentiles.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
Saint Paul is exclaiming, not in awe and fear, but in wonder and gratitude, at the boundless providence of God in arranging the mutual assistance of Jews and Gentiles in attaining salvation. Israel’s role in the divine plan of salvation may never have been otherwise.
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given him anything that he may be repaid?”
Saint Paul is quoting Isaiah 40:13.
“It is clear that only God knows everything and it is only He who lacks nothing, because everything comes from Him. No one can understand or measure this knowledge, because the inferior cannot comprehend what is superior to it. Jewish believers could not understand that the salvation of the Gentiles could be God’s plan and will. Likewise, it seemed unlikely and incredible to the Gentiles that the Jews, who had not believed, could be converted or accepted as believers.” [The Ambrosiaster (ca. A.D. 366-384), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles Romans 11,34]
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
This is a doxology to God the Father as creator, sustainer, and goal of the universe. The prayer expresses the absolute dependence of all creation on God. It is much like the doxology we hear at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer “Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever. Amen.”
Gospel - Matthew 16:13-20
While Shebna may have proven not to be a worthy steward of the Davidic kingdom, Simon the fisherman has shown himself worthy of a new mission of stewardship in the Davidic kingdom; a kingdom which now has Jesus as its sovereign. As signs of this new mission of stewardship, Simon is given a new name and the symbol of his office as master of the palace.
13 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples,
The area where this event is believed to have taken place is at the headwaters of the Jordan River, at the site of a temple to the pagan god Pan. There is a large stone cliff there with the temple carved into it and a spring which feeds a stream which discharges into Lake Merom (which feeds into the Sea of Galilee which feeds into the Jordan River which feeds into the Dead Sea). This site exists even today.
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
The title “Son of Man” is a title which Jesus applies to Himself, it is never applied by His disciples. It refers back to Daniel 7:13.
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist,
John the Baptist has recently been beheaded. If he has returned, he would have special powers and be able to perform the miracles which Jesus does.
others Elijah,
Popular Jewish thought was that Elijah would return to announce the coming of the messiah [Malachi 4:5 (Malachi 3:23 in the New American Bible and the New Jerusalem Bible)]. Even today when the Passover Seder is celebrated in the Jewish household, a place is set for Elijah.
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
Jeremiah is the prophet who in his own experience of rejection and suffering announces the rejection and suffering of the messiah.
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter said in reply,
Although all the disciples had been addressed, Simon takes it upon himself to act as the spokesman and answer for them all.
“You are the Messiah,
The name means “anointed.” Although various figures in ancient Israel were anointed, the term came to be applied most distinctively to kings. Some writings in Jesus’ time used the term to describe Israel’s future leader in the period before and during the end times; he would fulfill Israel’s hopes based on God’s promises.
the Son of the living God.”
Jesus has a unique consciousness of His sonship. Saint Matthew uses this relationship to direct attention away from the military-national connotations of the title “messiah.”
17 Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
Recall that it was Jonah who announced the impending destruction of Nineveh and effected repentance of the people. This could be an early symbol of Peter’s role.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 18 And so I say to you, you are Peter,
In Aramaic the word is kepha, in Greek it is petros. The name means “rock.” No one had ever been named “Rock” before. Some will point out that petros means small stone while petra means large bolder in Greek. The text reads “You are petros and on this petra ...” Petra is the feminine form of the word and the Church has enough problems without the sacred author calling Peter effeminate. The usage in Greek at the time of Christ did not make a distinction in the meaning of the masculine and feminine forms of the word. In Aramaic, the language which Jesus spoke, kepha has no gender. You will see kepha transliterated as Cephas (Kephas) in John’s gospel, 1st Corinthians and Galatians.
and upon this rock I will build my church,
The Greek term ekklesia is found only here and in Matthew 18:17 in the four gospels.
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
The netherworld is sheol in Hebrew, hades in Greek. It is the abode of the dead; where all departed souls go at the end of their earthly life since heaven has been closed from the time of Adam and Eve and will not be opened until the perfect sacrifice of the messiah. The gates of the netherworld will not prevail because even if the occupant of the office dies, the office will continue.
19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Just as in our first reading, the keys are the symbol of authority – given only to the most trusted servant – the Prime Minister.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Again just as in our first reading where the power to open and shut were given, here the ability to bind and loose are given. This is the ability to make the earthly rules for the Church – not change God’s rules, but make the rules which implement His rules. He has full authority on earth, an authority which is bestowed and guaranteed by God. The earthly Church is related to the heavenly kingdom as it mediates salvation in the time between the earthly ministry of Jesus and the future coming of the heavenly kingdom. Binding and loosing are rabbinic technical terms that can refer to binding the devil in exorcism and the juridical acts of excommunication and of definitive decision making (which is a form of teaching through legislation and policy setting). The authority to bind and loose is given to the disciples in Matthew 18:18, but to Peter alone are accorded the revelation, the role of the rock of foundation (see Ephesians 2:20), and especially the keys. Notice that the binding and loosing are initiated on earth but are confirmed in heaven.
20 Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah.
By counseling His disciples to be silent, Jesus avoids false interpretation of His messiahship as He prepares them for the instructions that are to follow.
Just as in our first reading, the office of Peter is a perpetual office; in fact it is the same office which was once occupied by Shebna and Eliakim. The position continues even though the occupant changes. Each occupant of the office of Peter is invested with the keys and the responsibility to bind and loose for the entire Church. This is why the popes are called the “Successors of Peter.”
The Magisterium of the Church, in the First Vatican Council, defined the doctrine of the primacy of Peter and his successors in these terms:
“We teach and declare, therefore, according to the testimony of the Gospel that the primacy of jurisdiction over the whole Church was immediately and directly promised to and conferred upon the blessed Apostle Peter by Christ the Lord. For to Simon, Christ had said, ‘You shall be called Cephas’ (John 1:42). Then, after Simon had acknowledged Christ with the confession, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’ (Matthew 16:16), it was to Simon alone that the solemn words were spoken by the Lord: ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven’ (Matthew 16:17-19). And after His Resurrection, Jesus conferred upon Simon Peter alone the jurisdiction of supreme shepherd and ruler over His whole fold with the words, ‘Feed my lambs ... Feed my sheep’” (John 21:15-17). [...]
“(Canon) Therefore, if anyone says that the blessed Apostle Peter was not constituted by Christ the Lord as the Prince of all the Apostles and the visible head of the whole Church militant, or that he received immediately and directly from Jesus Christ our Lord only a primacy of honor and not a true and proper primacy of jurisdiction: let him be condemned.
“Now, what Christ the Lord, supreme shepherd and watchful guardian of the flock, established in the person of the blessed Apostle Peter for the perpetual safety and everlasting food of the Church must, by the will of the same, endure without interruption in the Church which was founded on the rock and which will remain firm until the end of the world. Indeed, ‘no one doubts, in fact it is obvious to all ages, that the holy and most blessed Peter, Prince and head of the Apostles, the pillar of faith, and the foundation of the Catholic Church, received the keys of the kingdom from our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior and the Redeemer of the human race; and even to this time and forever He lives,’ and governs, ‘and exercises judgment in his successors’ (cf. Council of Ephesus), the bishops of the holy Roman See, which He established and consecrated with His blood. Therefore, whoever succeeds Peter in this Chair holds Peter’s primacy over the whole Church according to the plan of Christ Himself [...]. For this reason, ‘because of its greater sovereignty,’ it was always ‘necessary for every church, that is, the faithful who are everywhere, to be in agreement’ with the same Roman Church [...].
“(Canon) Therefore, if anyone says that it is not according to the institution of Christ our Lord Himself, that is, by divine law, that Saint Peter has perpetual successors in the primacy over the whole Church; or if anyone says that the Roman Pontiff is not the successor of Saint Peter in the same primacy: let him be condemned [...].
“We think it extremely necessary to assert solemnly the prerogative which the only-begotten Son of God deigned to join to the highest pastoral office. And so, faithfully keeping to the tradition received from the beginning of the Christian faith, for the glory of God our Savior, for the exaltation of the Catholic religion, and for the salvation of the Christian peoples, We, with the approval of the sacred council, teach and define that it is a divinely revealed dogma: that the Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra, that is, when, acting in the office of shepherd and teacher of all Christians, he defines, by virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the universal Church, possesses through the divine assistance promised to him in the person of Saint Peter, the infallibility with which the divine Redeemer willed His Church to be endowed in defining doctrine concerning faith or morals; and that such definitions of the Roman Pontiff are therefore irreformable because of their nature, but not because of the agreement of the Church.
“(Canon) But if anyone presumes to contradict this our definition (God forbid that he do so): let him be condemned” (Vatican I, Pastor aeternus, chapters 1, 2 and 4).
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church,
Picayune, MS http://www.scborromeo.org
Meditation: The keys of the kingdom of
heaven
At an opportune time Jesus tests his disciples with a
crucial question: Who do men say that I am and who do you say that I am? He
was widely recognized in Israel as a mighty man of God, even being compared
with the greatest of the prophets, John the Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah.
Peter, always quick to respond, exclaimed that he was the Christ, the
Son of the living God. No mortal being could have revealed this to
Peter; but only God.
Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD), an early church
father comments on Peter's profession of faith in Jesus:
Peter did not say "you are a
Christ" or "a son of God" but "the Christ, the Son
of God." For there are many christs [meaning anointed ones] by
grace, who have attained the rank of adoption [as sons], but [there is] only
one who is by nature the Son of God. Thus, using the definite article, he said,
the Christ, the Son of God. And in calling him Son of the living God, Peter
indicates that Christ himself is life and that death has no authority over him.
And even if the flesh, for a short while, was weak and died, nevertheless it
rose again, since the Word, who indwelled it, could not be held under the bonds
of death. (FRAGMENT 190)
Jesus plays on Peter's
name which is the same word for "rock" in both Aramaic and
Greek. To call someone a "rock" is one of the greatest of
compliments. The ancient rabbis had a saying that when God saw Abraham, he exclaimed:
"I have discovered a rock to found the world upon". Through Abraham
God established a nation for himself. Through faith Peter grasped who Jesus
truly was. He was the first apostle to recognize Jesus as the Anointed One (Messiah and Christ) and the only begotten Son of God. The New Testament describes the
church as a spiritual house or temple with each member joined together as living stones (see 1 Peter 2:5). Faith in Jesus Christ makes us into rocks or spiritual stones.
Jesus then confers on Peter authority to govern the
church that Jesus would build, a church that no powers would overcome because
it is founded on the rock which is Christ himself. Epiphanius, a 6th century
Scripture scholar who also translated many early church commentaries from Greek
into Latin, explains the significance of Jesus handing down the "keys of
the kingdom":
For Christ is a rock which is never
disturbed or worn away. Therefore Peter gladly received his name from Christ to
signify the established and unshaken faith of the church... The devil is the
gateway of death who always hastens to stir up against the holy church
calamities and temptations and persecutions. But the faith of the apostle,
which was founded upon the rock of Christ, abides always unconquered and
unshaken. And the very keys of the kingdom of the heavens have been handed down
so that one whom he has bound on earth has been bound in heaven, and one whom
he has set free on earth he has also set free in heaven. (INTERPRETATION OF THE GOSPELS 28)
The Lord Jesus offers us
the gift of unshakeable faith, enduring hope, and unquenchable love - and the
joyful boldness to proclaim him as the one true Savior who brings us the
kingdom of God both now and forever. Who do you say he is to yourself and to
your neighbor?
"Lord Jesus, I profess and believe that you are
the Christ, the Son of the living God. You are my Lord and my Savior. Make my
faith strong like Peter's and give me boldness to speak of you to others that
they may come to know you personally as Lord and Savior and grow in the
knowledge of your great love."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Christ, the Son of the living God, by Epiphanius the
Latin (315-403 AD)
Did the Lord not know what people called him? But by
questioning he brought forth the conviction of the apostle Peter and left for
us in the future a strong affirmation of faith. For the Lord questioned not
only Peter but all the apostles when he said, “Who do you say that I am?” Yet
one on behalf of all answered the King, who is in due time to judge the whole
world. He is God, both God and man. How miserable does this make those who are
false teachers and strangers now, and to be judged in eternity. If Christ is
the Son of God, by all means he is also God. If he is not God, he is not the
Son of God. But since he himself is the Son, and as the Son takes up all things
from the Father, let us hold this same one inseparably in our heart because
there is no one who escapes his hand. (excerpt
from INTERPRETATION OF THE GOSPELS 28)
TWENTY-FIRST
SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, MATTHEW 16:13-20
(Isaiah 22:19-23; Psalm 138; Romans 11:33-36)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, MATTHEW 16:13-20
(Isaiah 22:19-23; Psalm 138; Romans 11:33-36)
KEY VERSE: "And I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church" (v 19).
TO KNOW: Jesus went to the region of Caesarea Philippi, about 20 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. This territory was ruled by Philip, a son of Herod the Great. Philip named the place for himself and in honor of the emperor of Rome. In this non-Jewish area, Jesus questioned his disciples as to the people's understanding of his role and mission. They answered with the commonly held view that Jesus was a prophet like John the Baptist, Jeremiah or even Elijah. Jesus then asked who they personally believed him to be. Simon Peter spoke for the Twelve, proclaiming Jesus as the "Messiah, the Son of the living God" (v 16). Because Peter understood this revelation from God, Jesus gave him the "keys to the kingdom," a metaphor for the authority Peter would exercise in the Church (Ekklesia, used only here and in Mt 18:17). The name that Jesus conferred on Peter, "rock," indicated his role as the firm foundation upon which Jesus would establish his Church. Peter's strong faith enabled him to follow Jesus right up to his death as a martyr.
TO LOVE: How would you explain Jesus to a person who had not heard of him?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me serve your people with love and justice as you did.
NOTE: Peter's original name was Simon, but Jesus gave him the name "Peter" ("Petros", the Greek masculine for petra, "rock") or "Cephas" (Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, and the name by which Paul usually addressed him, Gal 1:18). What made this name distinctive was that neither Peter nor Cephas had been used before as a man's name. Peter's name always appears first in the listing of the Apostles (see Mark 3:16), and he acted as the Apostles' spokesman whenever Jesus questioned them (Mt 16:16). Peter was present at the Transfiguration (Mt 17:1-8), when Jesus raised Jairus' daughter (Lk 8:51), and at Gethsemane (Mk 14:33). At the Resurrection the angel announced: "Go tell the disciples and Peter" (Mk 16:7). After the resurrection, Peter directed the selection of a successor to Judas (Acts 1:15-26), and he presided at the first council in Jerusalem (Acts 15:6-12). The Catholic Church regards Peter as the chief apostle and first leader of the Church.
Sunday 27 August
2017
Week I Psalter. 21st Sunday in
Ordinary Time.
Isaiah
22:19-23. Psalm 137(138):1-3, 6, 8. Romans 11:33-36. Matthew 16:13-20.
Lord, your
love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands — Psalm 137(138):1-3, 6,
8.
‘Blessed
are you, Simon, son of Jonah!’
We can distinguish three moments
in Jesus appointing a vicar for himself on earth. When Peter makes his
confession of faith, Jesus commends Peter, and appoints him the Rock on which
he will build his church. At the time of the Passion, Jesus warns Peter of his
approaching denial. But he adds, ‘When you have come back, strengthen your
brethren.’ Finally, after the resurrection, Jesus, having three times drawn
from Peter a protestation of love, installs him in the pastoral office: ‘Feed
my lambs; feed my sheep’.
It is in the context of a
revelation by the Father that Jesus makes Peter the foundation rock of his
church. It is in a context of human weakness sustained by the prayer of Christ
that Jesus makes Peter the president of the apostolic college. It is in a
context of love that Jesus installs Peter in the pastoral office. The teaching
authority within the church is to be an expression first of the love of Christ
and then of his flock.
ST. MONICA
On August 27, one day before the feast of her son St. Augustine,
the Catholic Church honors St. Monica, whose holy example and fervent
intercession led to one of the most dramatic conversions in Church history.
Monica
was born into a Catholic family in 332, in the North African city of Tagaste
located in present-day Algeria. She was raised by a maidservant who taught her
the virtues of obedience and temperance. While still relatively young, she
married Patricius, a Roman civil servant with a bad temper and a disdain for
his wife's religion.
Patricius'
wife dealt patiently with his distressing behavior, which included infidelity
to their marriage vows. But she experienced a greater grief when he would not
allow their three children – Augustine, Nagivius, and Perpetua – to receive
Baptism. When Augustine, the oldest, became sick and was in danger of death,
Patricius gave consent for his Baptism, but withdrew it when he recovered.
Monica's
long-suffering patience and prayers eventually helped Patricius to see the
error of his ways, and he was baptized into the Church one year before his
death in 371. Her oldest son, however, soon embraced a way of life that brought
her further grief, as he fathered a child out of wedlock in 372. One year
later, he began to practice the occult religion of Manichaeism.
In
her distress and grief, Monica initially shunned her oldest son. However, she
experienced a mysterious dream that strengthened her hope for Augustine's soul,
in which a messenger assured her: “Your son is with you.” After this
experience, which took place around 377, she allowed him back into her home,
and continued to beg God for his conversion.
But
this would not take place for another nine years. In the meantime, Monica
sought the advice of local clergy, wondering what they might do to persuade her
son away from the Manichean heresy. One bishop, who had once belonged to that
sect himself, assured Monica that it was “impossible that the son of such tears
should perish.”
These
tears and prayers intensified when Augustine, at age 29, abandoned Monica
without warning as she passed the night praying in a chapel. Without saying
goodbye to his mother, Augustine boarded a ship bound for Rome. Yet even this
painful event would serve God's greater purpose, as Augustine left to become a
teacher in the place where he was destined to become a Catholic.
Under
the influence of the bishop St. Ambrose of Milan, Augustine renounced the
teaching of the Manichees around 384. Monica followed her son to Milan, and
drew encouragement from her son's growing interest in the saintly bishop's
preaching. After three years of struggle against his own desires and
perplexities, Augustine succumbed to God's grace and was baptized in 387.
Shortly
before her death, Monica shared a profound mystical experience of God with
Augustine, who chronicled the event in his “Confessions.” Finally, she told
him: “Son, for myself I have no longer any pleasure in anything in this life.
Now that my hopes in this world are satisfied, I do not know what more I want
here or why I am here.”
“The
only thing I ask of you both,” she told Augustine and his brother Nagivius, “is
that you make remembrance of me at the altar of the Lord wherever you are.”
St.
Monica died at age 56, in the year 387. In modern times, she has become the
inspiration for the St. Monica Sodality, which encourages prayer and penance
among Catholics whose children have left the faith.
LECTIO DIVINA: 21ST SUNDAY OF
ORDINARY TIME (A)
Lectio Divina:
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Peter, you are the rock!
Rock of support, Rock of obstacle
Matthew 16, 13-20
Rock of support, Rock of obstacle
Matthew 16, 13-20
1. 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.
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.
2. Reading
a) 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
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
b) 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?”
c) 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.
3. A moment of prayerful silence
so
that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.
4. Some questions
to
help us in our personal reflection.
a)
Which is the point which struck you the most? Why?
b) Which are the opinions of people concerning Jesus? Which is the opinion of the disciples and of Peter concerning Jesus?
c) Which is my opinion concerning Jesus? Who am I for Jesus?
d) Peter is rock in two ways. Which? (Mt 16, 21-23)
e) What type of rock am I for others? What type of rock is our community?
f) 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?
b) Which are the opinions of people concerning Jesus? Which is the opinion of the disciples and of Peter concerning Jesus?
c) Which is my opinion concerning Jesus? Who am I for Jesus?
d) Peter is rock in two ways. Which? (Mt 16, 21-23)
e) What type of rock am I for others? What type of rock is our community?
f) 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?
5. For those who wish to deepen more into the theme
a) 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.
b) 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).
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.
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: (i) To be a rock of support, (ii) to receive the keys of the Kingdom, and (iii) to be foundation of the Church.
i) To be Rock: 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..
Peter receives three attributions from Jesus: (i) To be a rock of support, (ii) to receive the keys of the Kingdom, and (iii) to be foundation of the Church.
i) To be Rock: 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..
ii) 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, 7.23-24.38-42-48; 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).
iii) 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.
c) Deepening:
i) 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!.
ii) 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!
6. 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.
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.
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 for ever.
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 for ever.
7. 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 practise the Word. You who live and reign
with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
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