Gospel: Jesus Gives the Keys to Heaven

Today marks the Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time, and the Gospel proclamation for today's Eucharistic celebration will be lifted from the narrative of St Matthew (tap here for the full Mass readings from USCCB).

It is important to read today's Gospel and next week's Gospel as two parts of a single story. These readings are a turning point in St Matthew's narrative. This week we hear Jesus' name Simon Peter as the rock upon which he will build his Church.  Next week we will hear Jesus call this same Simon Peter "Satan" when he reacts negatively to Jesus' prediction about his passion and death.

In today's Gospel, Jesus asks his disciples what people are saying about his identity. The disciples indicate that most people believe that Jesus is a prophet of Israel. Then Jesus asks his disciples who they believe he is. Simon Peter answers, identifying Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God.

Jesus commends Simon Peter for this profession of faith, saying that his insight has come from God. Because of Simon Peter's response, Jesus calls him the "rock" upon which Jesus will build his Church. This is a word play on the name Peter, which is the Greek word for rock. St Peter is then given special authority by Jesus, a symbolic key to the Kingdom of Heaven. Later on, St Peter will play an important role in the early Christian community as a spokesman and a leader.

Further in the narrative, it was written that St Peter's recognition of Jesus' identity is credited to a revelation from God. This will contrast sharply with Jesus' rebuke of Simon Peter in next week's Gospel. When St Peter rejects Jesus' prediction of his passion and death, Simon Peter is said to no longer be thinking as God does but as humans do.

The use of the term church in today's Gospel is one of only three such occurences in St Matthew's solemn account. St Peter, in this particular passage, is being credited as the foundation for the church, a privilege granted to him because of his recognition of Jesus' identity. The Church always continues in this way, unhindered, to be grounded in the faith that Jesus Christ is Lord.

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