21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
My granddaughter Molly has been afraid of police officers most of her life. As a little girl, she would get out of her car seat. Mom and Dad used the arrest tactic to get her to abide by the law. She’s seventeen, and yesterday while cruising on the beach with her friends, she was stopped for speeding. She was petrified and began crying, telling the officer she was moving with the traffic. To make matters worse, she didn’t have her driver’s license or proof of insurance. Her friend recorded the incident to help prove that the officer was abusing his authority. I listened to it, hugged her, and taught her a lesson on identifying the officer as someone here to help and uphold the law, and she broke the law.
In the first reading, Isaiah is angry with Shebna for using his authority for self-gratification rather than revealing God’s love, warning Shebna that God will take his power away, giving it to Eliakim, who will receive the key to the House of David, when he opens, no one shall shut when he shuts no one shall open.
In the gospel, Jesus gets down to business, pressing his disciples as to who people say the Son of Man is. They respond with several people leaving Jesus to press further. But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter responds: You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Peter is awarded full authority over the Church by identifying Jesus as the Son of God and his understanding that his revelation came from God the Father and not the flesh of Jesus. Jesus further reminds us that the good we do on earth must be done in heaven.
Who do you say Jesus is? Do you trust in the authority of God the Father?
Closing Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name. Thy Kingdom come; they will be done on earth as it is heaven. Amen.
