21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
21 August 2011
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 Nats Vibiesca
When I was a kid, I have no idea about the importance of keys. We were poor like rats. We don’t need keys because we don’t have cabinets to open, no jewelry boxes to unlock, no drawers to keep important documents, even our door was made up of improvised locks.
To my recollection, I’m always amazed watching a locksmith duplicating other people’s keys. Actually, I’m envious seeing other people having many keys while we have none.
But now that I’m married and have my own family, the Lord made us rich! (hmm.. not so very rich) At least I own several keys now! Being a father, I know now the value of taking good care of the keys of the house.
I’m talking about the significance of necessary keys to keep our bodies well here on earth. In the Gospel, Jesus gave Peter the keys for the welfare of our souls. This is the reason why we put our complete trust to our Holy Father or the Pope, the Bishops, and the Priests in all that concerns our faith and morals.
My personal reflection about the Gospel is that Jesus gave all of us special keys to open God’s heart. These are the keys of virtues like responsibilities and love. More than taking care of the keys of our house, God gave me the keys to take care of my family.
As a father, I am also responsible of the keys of leading my children and my wife to know, love and serve God.
As a student, Jesus gave me the key of being responsible in all my school works. Thinking that I’m opening God’s heart everytime I do well in school.
As a teacher, writer, or any endeavor that God entrusted me, Jesus gave me the keys to be responsible and to love with all my heart the job to serve my neighbor. Jesus also gave the keys to empower other people and add value to their lives.
Let me share to you one of my favorite story written by S. Michael Wilcox about the parable of the keys:
Once there was a little boy and a little girl who loved Jesus very much, and He loved them.
"You may come to my house," Jesus told them one day, "and there I will give you a gift."
They met Jesus, and He gave them His gift. It was a key -- a wonderful key.
"Take care of this key," He said. "Put it next to your heart. One day it will open a wonderful door. Whenever you wish, you may return to my house, but each time I will ask to see the key."
They promised Him they would, and they went home. They returned often to Jesus' house, and each time He asked if they still had the key. And they always did.
One day He asked if they would follow Him. He led them to a hill covered with green grass and trees. On top of the hill was a mansion in the middle of a beautiful garden. Even in their dreams they had never imagined anything so magnificent.
"Who lives here?" they asked Him. "You may," He answered. "This is your eternal home. I've been building it for you. The key I gave you fits a lock in the front door. Now run up the path and put your key into the lock."
They ran up the hill and through the garden to the front door. "If it's this beautiful on the outside," they said, "it must be even more wonderful inside!"
But when they reached the front door, they stopped. It was the strangest door they had ever seen. Instead of one lock, the door was covered with locks, hundreds of locks, thousands of locks. And they had only one key.
They put their key into one of the locks. It wouldn't fit. They put it into another. It didn't fit that one either. They tried many different locks. Finally they found the one that fit. They turned the key and the lock clicked. But the door wouldn't open.
They ran back to Jesus. "We cannot open the door," they said. "It is covered with locks, and we have only one key." He smiled at them and said: "Do you think you will be happy living in your mansion all alone? Is there anyone you would like to live with you there?" They thought for a while and then answered, "We would like our families to live with us." "Go and find them," He said. "Invite them to my house, and I will give each one their very own key. Soon you will have many keys."
They rushed out eagerly to find their families. They found their fathers and mothers, their brothers and sisters, and all their cousins and brought them to Jesus' house. Just as He had promised, He gave each one a key. When all had been given a key, together they returned to the great door of the mansion.
Now they had dozens of keys, but there were thousands of locks, and the door still wouldn't open. They needed more keys.
Once again they returned to Jesus. "We have brought our families," they said. "But the door still won't open."
"Do your parents have a mother and father and brothers and sisters?" He asked them. "Do you think they will be happy living in the beautiful mansion without them? If you look hard enough, you will find many, many people. Bring them all to my house, and I will give each one a key."
They looked very hard, just as Jesus had told them. They found mothers and fathers. They found brothers and sisters. They found grandmas and grandpas and great-great-grandmothers and great-great-great grandfathers. Jesus gave each one his or her own key.
Soon all the families were gathered before the great door. There was a lock for every key. They turned the keys, but the door remained closed. There was one final lock, a great big one right in the middle of the door, and no one had its key.
The boy and girl returned to Jesus. "We have found all our families," they said. "But the door still won't open. We're missing a key and don't know where to find it." Jesus smiled, put his arms around them, and gave each one a kiss. "I have the last key," He said, and He held it up. It was bright and shining and beautiful.
"This is the key of my atonement," He said. "Am I not a member of the family? Do you think you will be happy living in your mansion without me? Do you think I would be happy living without you? Now that you have found the whole family, all my brothers and sisters, all our Father's children, together we will enter our eternal home, for home will always be where families live and love together."
He took their hands, and the whole family opened the door, entered the mansion, and spent an eternity of happiness together.
Lord Jesus, we thank You for giving us the keys to open God’s heart! We ask You to help us to be humble to accept our responsibilities in life and to keep our hearts burning with love for You. Amen.
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