Bible Diary

Daily Reading

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
121

FIRST READING

IS 22:19-23

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."

PSALM

PS 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8

Response: 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.

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.

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.

SECOND READING

ROM 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.

GOSPEL

MT 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.

Daily Reflection

Who is God? This question has puzzled sages, scientists and philosophers. Each of them have tried to limit God within the box of human understanding, only to find that no key fits the lock!. God confounds the boundaries we create for Him.

St. Paul understands this and instead of being perplexed, is amazed — that God is an ever receding horizon is not frustrating, it is fascinating.

The people of Israel too, were fascinated with the person of Jesus. Their prime time preoccupation was: Who is this Man? — Elijah who is to come? John the Baptist come from the dead? Or just another prophet? The disciples tried to ‘unlock’ God with their theories but fell short. They always missed the “key” insight, because, without the light that comes from heaven, one cannot accept Jesus as God. This light of divine revelation is never to feed curiosity, but is a sacred responsibility to safeguard heaven.

Then, Jesus gave strict orders to keep this key hidden; Now, he sends us to unlock the minds and hearts of those who seek Him.