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 II
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/082320.cfm
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)
https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2020&date=aug23
WENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY,
AUGUST 23, 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.
http://www.togetherwithgodsword.com/commentaries-on-the-daily-gospel-of-the-mass.html
Sunday 23 August 2020
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 22:19-23. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the
work of your hands – Psalm 137(138):1-3, 6, 8. Romans 11:33-36. Matthew
16:13-20.
You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church
We can distinguish three moments in Jesus appointing a vicar for
himself on earth.
When Peter makes his confession of faith, Jesus does two things:
he commends Peter, then he makes Peter 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.’ The
college of apostles will be dependent on Peter. 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.
https://www.pray.com.au/gospel_reflection/sunday-23-august-2020/
Saint Rose of Lima
Saint of the Day for August 23
(April 20, 1586 – August 24, 1617)
Saint Rose of Lima with Child Jesus | anonymous
Saint Rose of Lima’s Story
The first canonized saint of the New World has one
characteristic of all saints—the suffering of opposition—and another
characteristic which is more for admiration than for imitation—excessive
practice of mortification.
She was born to parents of Spanish descent in Lima, Peru, at a
time when South America was in its first century of evangelization. She seems
to have taken Catherine of Siena as a model, in spite of the objections and
ridicule of parents and friends.
The saints have so great a love of God that what seems bizarre
to us, and is indeed sometimes imprudent, is simply a logical carrying out of a
conviction that anything that might endanger a loving relationship with God
must be rooted out. So, because her beauty was so often admired, Rose used to
rub her face with pepper to produce disfiguring blotches. Later, she wore a
thick circlet of silver on her head, studded on the inside, like a crown of
thorns.
When her parents fell into financial trouble, she worked in the
garden all day and sewed at night. Ten years of struggle against her parents
began when they tried to make Rose marry. They refused to let her enter a
convent, and out of obedience she continued her life of penance and solitude at
home as a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. So deep was her
desire to live the life of Christ that she spent most of her time at home in
solitude.
During the last few years of her life, Rose set up a room in the
house where she cared for homeless children, the elderly, and the sick. This
was a beginning of social services in Peru. Though secluded in life and
activity, she was brought to the attention of Inquisition interrogators, who
could only say that she was influenced by grace.
What might have been a merely eccentric life was transfigured
from the inside. If we remember some unusual penances, we should also remember
the greatest thing about Rose: a love of God so ardent that it withstood
ridicule from without, violent temptation, and lengthy periods of sickness.
When she died at 31, the city turned out for her funeral. Prominent men took
turns carrying her coffin.
Reflection
It is easy to dismiss excessive penances of the saints as the
expression of a certain culture or temperament. But a woman wearing a crown of
thorns may at least prod our consciences. We enjoy the most comfort-oriented
life in human history. We eat too much, drink too much, use a million gadgets,
fill our eyes and ears with everything imaginable. Commerce thrives on creating
useless needs on which to spend our money. It seems that when we have become
most like slaves, there is the greatest talk of “freedom.” Are we willing to
discipline ourselves in such an atmosphere?
Saint Rose of Lima is the Patron Saint of:
Americas
Florists
Latin America
Peru
Philippines
South America
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-rose-of-lima/
Lectio Divina: 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Lectio Divina
Sunday, August 23, 2020
Peter, you are the rock!
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 silence in us 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 on
the way to 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 the Father to us
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
Matthew16:17-20: 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 learning 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 on 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! 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 tell 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) What are the opinions of people concerning Jesus? What is the opinion of the
disciples and of Peter concerning Jesus?
c) What 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 faith in Jesus, the Messiah, who came to fulfill 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 fulfillment 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: Jesus’ reply to Peter: “Blessed are you,
Peter!”
Jesus proclaims Peter as “Blessed!” because he has received a revelation from
the Father. In this case also, Jesus’ response 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
Apocalypse. 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, as in the case of the community of Corinth (1
Cor 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” (Isa 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 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, 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 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 is 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 twice, “Lord, you know that I love you!” (Jn 21:15, 16). When Jesus
repeats the same question a third time, Peter becomes 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 begins to
announce to the people the Good News of Jesus (Acts 2:14-40). And he did not
stop doing it! Thanks to this courageous announcement of the Resurrection, he
was imprisoned (Acts 4:3). During the trial, he was forbidden to announce the
Good News (Acts 4:18), but Peter does not obey this prohibition. He says, “We
know that we have to obey God more than men!” (Acts 4: 19; 5:29). He was
arrested again (Acts 5:18-26). He was tortured (Acts 5:40). But he says, “Thank
you. But we shall continue!” (cf. Acts 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 his 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 (Isa 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 journey to the
cross! But Peter does not accept the correction and seeks to dissuade Him.
Jesus’ response 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.
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 for ever.
7. Final Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank You 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 what 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.
https://ocarm.org/en/content/lectio/lectio-divina-21st-sunday-ordinary-time
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