21st Sunday Ordinary Time August 23, 2026

Readings: Isaiah 22:19-23, Romans 11:33-36, Matthew 16:13-20

We are invited to wonder how Peter came to be able to profess such a faith. Peter had been with Jesus and watching and sharing in the life of Jesus. From the point of view of this Gospel, this participation in the life of Jesus changes Peter and allows Peter to say these strong words: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Because we have listened to other parts of the Gospels, we know that Peter still will deny Jesus at the time of the crucifixion, and this can perhaps encourage us in our faith. How often we are weak in faith, believing in Jesus as the mood comes upon us but at other times simply ignoring Him in various ways. It is not that we want to reject him. On the other hand, Jesus is clearly not yet the sole Master of our lives.

The other focus today is on Peter as somehow receiving a special role in the life of the early community of the followers of Jesus. It is important for us to realize that the “Church” is not something that was established in a moment. Rather, the Church is the living presence of Christ in our world and is always striving to reflect that presence. It is not even so much that the “authorities” in the Church are good and holy, because often they are not, but that the Holy Spirit is the very soul of the Church and throughout history continues to guide the Church and to make of the Church a faithful reflection of Jesus our Lord.

The first reading today is a background for the role of Peter in the Church. His role is similar to that of Shebna, the Master of the Palace. This is the obvious comparison in today’s readings. Shebna is given the keys of the palace to show that he has complete authority over what happens in the palace. And this is true for Peter as well. He has a role of complete authority in the Church, but always subject to the King, Jesus Christ. We know that Peter denies Jesus after he receives this role in the community of the followers of Jesus.

We Catholics believe that believing in Jesus Christ is an act of the Church as well as a personal act of faith. Our personal act of faith incorporates us into the group of the followers of Jesus. Just as in the early group of the followers of Jesus, so also now, there is a need for authority and for guidance of the “community of believers.” At the level of our personal spirituality, today we are invited to reflect on our personal faith in Jesus Christ and then on our faith in the Church. Surely it is only our faith in Jesus Christ that allows us to have faith in the Church. Just as the crucifixion of Jesus scandalized Peter, so also the defects and sins that we see in the Church can scandalize us. Let us pray today for a deeper, more profound faith in Jesus and in His living presence in the world, the Church, one, holy, catholic and apostolic.