Homily for the 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time. Readings: Isaiah 22:19-23; Gospel of St. Matthew 16:13-20. Theme: On This Rock
If you are someone who follows current Catholic world events these days then you probably know that there are some minor, but very vocal clergy in the Church, who speak out against Pope Francis. Most recently, this has been happening among our neighbors to the north in Sacramento, where a very popular young priest is leading some people against the Holy Father.
It is so very sad that this is happening and it is also so very much against the plan which Jesus made for his Church. The Church was willed by Jesus to be an organized community, a body of believers who are united and guided in their discipleship by a leadership that was meant to shepherd, guide and teach it. And today’s Gospel reading is the classic bible passage upon which the leadership of the pope is based, so let’s take a careful look at what Jesus is telling us.
Jesus starts out by asking his disciples who they say he is. And Simon the Fisherman replies, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” And in return, Jesus says in effect to him, “Well said! Now let me tell you, Simon, who you really are…You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church.” From this moment on, the first Christians begin referring to Simon as Peter. The name itself means “rock” and Jesus is doing a play on words here. The meaning of this verse is that the leadership ministry of the pope, of whom Peter was the first, would be a firm, dependable, rock-solid foundation for our faith in Jesus.
Then Jesus says, “The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” The phrase “gates of the netherworld” is biblical language for destruction and death. Jesus is saying that the community of the Church, built on the rock of the papacy, shall not be destroyed or pass away. And when we look at history we see that no other institution in the world still exists that is as ancient as the Catholic Church. Kingdoms, governments, dynasties and empires have all risen and fallen over time but the Church not only remains but continues to grow. Indeed, the gates of the netherworld have not prevailed.
Finally, Jesus makes a promise to Peter saying, “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven…” Now, to really understand this verse properly we need to go back to today’s first reading from the Book of the prophet Isaiah. The office of steward mentioned in that reading was second in command only to the King of Israel. The steward acted in the place of the king in many situations. He was given the keys to the kingdom by the king as a sign of sharing his authority. And so, we see here that Jesus Christ our King makes Peter – and by extension all of Peter’s successors – steward in governing the Church on earth. The popes are visible shepherds of the Church on earth standing in for the invisible Head and Good Shepherd of the Flock.
So, that’s the back story and biblical explanation of the reason as to why we have a pope. But this Scripture teaching will remain only ink on a page for us if we leave it at that. We need to ask ourselves: What does it mean for us today? Why does it matter?
Well, fundamentally, the leadership of the pope is meant to support our relationship with Jesus in two ways: to ignite us and to unite us.
First, the pope is meant to ignite us. That is, to set us on fire with love for Jesus so that we might live and spread the Gospel in the midst of a world that has grown cold and divided. The pope does not invent truth or make up doctrines. Instead, he faithfully hands on and applies the Gospel of Jesus to the various needs and situations of the times in which he lives. He fans the flames of faith within us so that they burn more intensely. In a world where there are so many voices clamoring for our attention and obedience, we need to be able to hear the voice of Christ. Jesus promised that this would be possible for us by listening to his Steward, the pope.
Second, the pope is meant to unite us. He is the leader, the shepherd, of a worldwide Church that embraces every nationality and that can be found on every continent on planet Earth. His mission is to keep this diverse group of disciples firmly united as one spiritual family, one Body of Christ. This is why we call him the “Holy Father.” We are not separate individuals, separate parishes, or separate dioceses. We are not in competition with one another. Rather, we are all part of the One Universal Church, which is what the word “catholic” means. And the pope is the Steward of Christ who binds us all together.
Jesus did not change Simon the Fisherman into Peter the Rock for Peter’s sake. No, he did it for our sakes. He did it for you and he did it for me, so that we could confidently know that truth that sets us free. In the office and ministry of the pope we have a gift from Jesus to ignite us and unite us in the midst of a world that is full of superficiality and harmful ideologies. The Rock of St. Peter keeps us firmly secured to Christ and to one another no matter what craziness is happening in the world around us.
This is why we pray for our unity with the Pope at every celebration of Holy Mass. Listen during the Eucharistic Prayer and you will hear it. And how fitting it is that we do this at Mass because the Eucharist is itself the very Source of our being ignited and united. By receiving Jesus truly present in Holy Communion, we have our faith kindled with the fire of his love and we are brought into unity with one another because we all receive of the one undivided Body of Christ.
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