Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

Frank is a very simple man here in the parish. He lost his employment and for the longest time kept getting turned down at every interview he attended. But Frank along with his family remained faithful to God. I would see them each Sunday at Church. His heart ached both as a family man and from the fact that he could not support the parish financially. Frank finally walked up and offered to help the parish with his time. Over months Frank painted every door in the church basement and the school. That is only part of the story. The more I came to know Frank the more I discovered his personal faith in Christ and the influence his faith had in his work for the community. As if a blessing, Frank now has a full time job and a part time job here at IC. Frank is not the only one. An Eagle Scout member spent many hours in the summer painting and renovating the school gym and the adult education room. A new parishioner helped with waxing the school floors and trimming bushes. John is here year round taking care of the grounds. Our faith formation and youth ministry are taking off big time because of the generous work of some wonderful folks. Because people set time aside, www.itemissaest.org is a unique ministry in the entire deanery. I was at a denary meeting last week and the Rock with Jesus mass was mentioned as an example for good, creative liturgy. The parish festival last week and the set up for it was for me a spiritual experience of people’s faith in God and this community. For the people I meet each day and in every ministry, I know that their love for this community comes from their personal faith in Christ. Today’s readings bring to the fore two integrally related dimensions of our faith- the personal and the communitarian. It seems that whereas personal faith is absolutely necessary for salvation this personal faith is barely for its own sake; rather, this faith is for the sake of the community. In the first reading we have the example of Shebna and Eliakim. Shebna was the master of the palace. These two men were very important royal officials of King Hezekiah’s court in the late eighth century. In about 701 BC these men along with Joah were entrusted with the task of negotiating with the Assyrians who were standing at the walls of Jerusalem ready to destroy the city. However, today’s first reading suggests that Shebna has lost God’s favor for a reason not explained by Isaiah. It could have been for some act that was inconsistent with his faith. As the reading says, “the key of the House of David” will be given to Eliakim. The relationship between one’s personal faith and one’s community is once again revealed when God says about Eliakim “when he (Eliakim) opens, non one shall shut and when he shuts no one shall open.”

This point is further emphasized in today’s gospel reading. Jesus asks his disciples a personal question, “Who do people say that I am?” When Peter answers that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” in an act that parallels the appointment of Eliakim as master of the palace, Peter is appointed head of the disciples. The same words that were said to Eliakim are now repeated for Peter, “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.” Peter’s personal confession leads him to the position as the head of the church. Peter’s personal confession leads him to the position as the head of the community of God.

What are the practical implications of these readings for us today? I would like to suggest that there are both personal and communitarian implications of the gospel. Let me offer three practical implications:

1. Jesus said to Peter, “…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.” That Jesus would entrust his church to a mere human person baffles me. That is why we believe that the church is both, human and divine, holy and sinful at the same time. Peter was a weak man. He did not want to carry the cross, talked too much and denied the Lord three times. However, Jesus chose Peter knowing that Peter was weak and promised him constant divine presence. Two thousand years later the church looks just like Peter. There are times the church does not want to carry the cross; there are times she does not walk the talk; there are times she denies the presence of the Lord through its actions. But the promise that Jesus made to Peter still holds good. It has been two thousand years and this parish community is a witness both to our weaknesses and the presence of Christ in and through us. Today, we must be aware both of the human nature of the church and divine presence it is infused with; we must be aware of our weaknesses and God’s promise.

2. Peter’s appointment as the head of the Church began with a personal confession - “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” Even in the midst of his human weaknesses Peter is able to get in touch with his innermost self and then express his faith in the deepest sense of the word. This personal confession is crucial because without it Christian life is superficial. The question “Who do you say I am?” is an eternal, existential question. Every human person at some point in time must answer this question. There comes a time when a Jew, a Hindu, a Muslim, or a Buddhist answers that question and says, “You are nothing to me.” But that is their personal confession and I respect that. But you and I, we who are baptized in the name of Jesus, what is our confession? This is the question I would like to send you home with today. Take time and pray about it. Talk about it with your friends and family. “Who do you say that I am?”

3. As I said earlier, a personal confession of faith is not for its own sake. Just as Shebna, Eliakim and Peter’s confession led them to either lead or serve the community our personal confession too has a community dimension. We are the church as much as the Church is us. We exist for the church as much as the Church exists for us. Today we must reflect on how our personal confession leads us to the community. We must ask ourselves the question – where is it that this community needs me? Can I be a Eucharistic minister, or a lector, or train servers or sit at the front desk during the week, or sing in choir/band, or be there to take down the decorations as Christmas and Easter, or be a PREP teacher, or help with the food pantry, or lead a mission trip. We must also evaluate how we provide support for the financial needs of the parish. Is it possible that we can afford to support the church more but hold back from God the very blessing God has given us? Is it possible that the Church does not figure in the list of my financial or life priorities? And if you find yourself at the fringe of the community I hope it is not because you have yet to make that personal confession. Moreover, I hope it is not because you have failed to take your personal confession the community.

As we celebrate this Eucharist let us remember that it is God who calls ordinary people like us and consecrates us to God’s work. Today, Christ asks us the same question that he asked Peter – “Who do you say that I am?” Let us be aware of our weaknesses but let us also not hesitate to make our personal confession. And like Peter, let us allow our confession to offer our lives to the Church, the community of God.

- Fr. Satish Joseph