You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God

You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God

By REV. FR. SAMUEL FREDERICK

Ish 22:19-23, Rom. 11:33-36, Mt. 16:13-20. On this Twenty first Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, the Church challenges us to reflect on what God wants of us and what we think of Him. In today's first reading, the Lord spoke to Isaiah regarding the man named Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, whose background was the financial manager of the kingdom of Judah and also the royal steward of the palace, as recorded in the Book of Kings. Eliakim was entrusted with the treasury of the kingdom and the management of the palace and this is symbolically presented with the entrustment of the keys of the house of David to Eliakim, as he was given the authority of the king. This was truly a position of great honour that spoke of the historic events behind the appointment of Eliakim, but then at the same time, God reveals a prophecy of what would happen in the future. For this story of Eliakim, the royal steward entrusted with authority and keys of the house of David is a clear parallel of what happened in today's Gospel where Jesus entrusts to Peter the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, as well as the foundation of His Church on earth, as Peter, the ‘Rock’.

This is a very significant event, as Peter was granted the authority by the entrustment of the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, that whatever he opens shall be opened and whatever He shuts shall be shut. This is the royal authority the Lord entrusted to His Church and invested in Peter and his successors, the Bishop of the Papal and Apostolic See of Rome, right from Peter up to our current Pope Francis, the 265th successor of St Peter. At the same time, we have to think of what Jesus is saying is important to us. In making us disciples, Jesus teaches us that there are only two realities left in our lives and the first reality is faith. It is an act of faith, the giving of ourselves to Him, totally and completely. The second thing, of course, is an act of love. This is what Jesus is finally establishing: a community of men and women, very ordinary, like Peter, full of weaknesses, very much a part of this life and open to the misfortunes and the difficulties and the pains of this life, but also open to share with God His own life and to become one with His Son, Jesus, to be moved by Him, to believe in Him, walk with Him, be one with Him, above all others, above all the things that we might in our broken little hearts and broken little lives in love.

May the Lord open the door of our faith and make us see the fullness of His love! Amen!! Stay safe and save life, Jesus loves you, happy Sunday!!!

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