First reading Isaiah 22:19-23
I place the key of the House of David on my servant’s shoulder
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.
Responsorial Psalm 137(138):1-3,6,8
Your love, O Lord, is eternal: discard not the work of your hands.
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:
you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you.
I will adore before your holy temple.
I thank you for your faithfulness and love,
which excel all we ever knew of you.
On the day I called, you answered;
you increased the strength of my soul.
The Lord is high yet he looks on the lowly
and the haughty he knows from afar.
Your love, O Lord, is eternal,
discard not the work of your hands.
Second reading Romans 11:33-36
All that exists comes from him; all is by him and from him.
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
You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church
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.
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Who do you say I am?
In today’s gospel, Jesus asked His disciples, after they had witnessed the healings He did, heard the teachings He taught, “Who do people say I am?” They answered, “John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He then asked them another question, “Who do you say I am?”. The “you” refers to each one of us today. Jesus is not looking for answers from saints, theologians or Popes. He wants us to be in touch with the God-moments we experience and respond to His question. Peter told Jesus, “You are the Christ” and these words reveal how he viewed Jesus- not just another admirable prophet or famous healer, but the Christ who knew and loved him, the Christ who forgave all his sins and changed his life for the better, the Christ who shared in his joy and pain.
Today, let us ponder this question: Lord, who are you to me? Let us not try to make Jesus into our image and likeness, but to have eyes of faith to recognise Him as who He truly is- our Lord and God, our Friend and Companion, our source of love and peace. Through our words and deeds, we witness who He is so that others may also know and love Him.
Reflective question:
Who is Jesus for me?
Who is Jesus for me?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
