Remember the Signs

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Aug 24
First reading                                          Isaiah 22:19-23

Thus says the Lord of Hosts to Shebna, the master of the palace:

I dismiss you from your office,

I remove you from your post,

and the same day I call on my servant

Eliakim son of Hilkiah.

I invest him with your robe,

gird him with your sash,

entrust him with your authority;

and he shall be a father

to the inhabitants of Jerusalem

and to the House of Judah.

I place the key of the House of David

on his shoulder;

should he open, no one shall close,

should he close, no one shall open.

I drive him like a peg

into a firm place;

he will become a throne of glory

for his father’s house.

                

Psalm                                                 Psalm 137:1-3,6,8

Second reading                               Romans 11:33-36

How rich are the depths of God – how deep his wisdom and knowledge – and how
impossible to penetrate his motives or understand his methods! Who could ever know
the mind of the Lord? Who could ever be his counsellor? Who could ever give him
anything or lend him anything? All that exists comes from him; all is by him and for
him. To him be glory for ever! Amen.

.

Gospel                                           Matthew 16:13-20

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?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some

Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’

Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said, ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus

replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that

revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this

rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will 

give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered 

bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’ Then he 

gave the disciples strict orders not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

Reflection
By Bernard Borja

I have a friend who always looks for signs (or formulate conditions) before he decides to do something. Let’s call him “Ace” (not his real name but his favourite song goes like “I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes I saw the sign”). Whenever Ace is on his way to work, he will look for signs whether he shall take the MRT or the bus. He says, “I’ll take the MRT if I arrive at the station early and there are less than ten people in line to buy a ticket.” For some reasons, he always takes the bus. If he wants to go on a diet he will say, “I will only eat fruits today if I pass by the market when I visit my grandmother.” His grandmother’s house was just two blocks away from his and nowhere near any market.

One Saturday night, Ace was feeling sad because he could not find fulfillment at work and the emptiness in his heart was growing as time goes by (maybe some kind of a quarter life crisis). He prayed to God for a sign if he needs to move on and look for another work. Sunday morning, after serving in the church, he came across an old friend who greeted him profusely as they have not seen each other for a long time. They had a little chat and his friend opened up that their company is looking for a new trainer. Ace fits the qualifications and he said to his friend that he’s interested to apply but asks to give him some time. He then handed Ace his business card should he make up his mind. Ace prayed to God that if this is the work he is looking for, he will wait for a sign as he says, “Lord, if tomorrow I’m able to ride the MRT with few passengers, I will send my application for the new work opportunity.” Monday came and to his surprise, there were only a handful of passengers in the MRT. He prayed again saying, “Lord, if my boss and I will not have a disagreement today, I will send my application for the new work opportunity.” All through the day, his boss just agreed to whatever he does (maybe his boss is just too lazy to work that day). Ace was filled with joy as he prayed again saying, “This is it Lord! One last sign! If my friend calls and ask me about my application, I will send it immediately.” Days have passed but there was no call from his friend. He started to feel sad again. Then came Sunday, Ace saw his old friend again and asked about the work opportunity. His friend said to him, “Oh! Sorry. The opportunity closed just last Friday.” To Ace’s dismay, he asked his friend, “Why did you not call me to send my application?” His friend paused for a moment and said, “Well, I was waiting for a sign. That is for you to contact me. You got my card, right?”

Many times, we do not realize that God has always been there for us. We do not even recognize the power He has over us. The miracles of Jesus, from the fishing when they first met to the feeding of the four thousand, may have brought Peter to faithfully declare that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of the living God. Earlier in the chapter of the Gospel (Matthew 16), Jesus even made the disciples recall the multiplication of the loaves when they brought no bread. The disciples failed many times to recognize Jesus even though they are the ones who witnessed most of the heavenly signs.

Have we not yet seen enough of God’s work for us to live a wonderful life? Have we not yet recognize His miracles in our everyday schedule? The moment of waking up is already a reminder of God’s love for us. Even in our sleep He is there to protect us from harm. It is easier for us to see God in every good that happens in our life yet take the simple things for granted. But it’s harder for us to see God in our difficulties. Even in our prayers, there are times when we doubt His goodness as if all His promises are never enough.

How do we really come to know who Jesus Christ is? We go to church and hear about Him but there is more to that. It is not just how priests and preachers describe Him and His works. It is not just learning about His miracles in the Bible. We come to know Jesus Christ by living in His unfailing love for us through the signs that we see in every single moment of our life. Because God has revealed His Messiah not just through earthly signs, but by bringing heaven to our life.

Prayer

Jesus, we believe in You. We have seen your miracles not just as it was told to us but as it lives in us. Open our hearts to know You more and become like You as we declare in our life that You are our Saviour, our deepest desire. Lead us Lord, as our Shepherd King, past the perils of despair to the higher heavens in the greater glory of God our Father.Amen.