Florida Catholic | Sunday Word

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus the prophet, the Christ, the Son of God

August 24, 2008 :: Is 22:19-23; Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8; Rom 11:33-36; Mt 16:13-20

SISTER SALLIE LATKOVICH | SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA CATHOLIC

The text we are given to hear from Isaiah is a typical oracle of a prophet: that the god-like power of the master of the palace will be replaced by God’s own servant who will exercise his authority according to God’s designs.

Thus, we are given some background about the prophets, before we hear Jesus called a prophet in Matthew’s Gospel.

The prophets of the Hebrew Bible spoke the truth to power, confronted the “royal consciousness” of those who acted like God, who expected to be revered as God was revered. The pre-exilic prophets spoke out against such leaders, promising that God would replace them. In hindsight, we know that Jesus himself, son of God, would save the world.

In the letter to the Romans, Paul makes it clear that faith itself is God’s gift, and is given at God’s initiative. The short text is a hymn of praise proclaiming the greatness of God. Paul uses two sentences from Job, reflecting on his faith in the divine Creator. The doxology has a liturgical sound, indeed, one that we hear at the conclusion of the Eucharistic Prayer: “For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

In Matthew’s Gospel, we hear the familiar text of Jesus asking the disciples who people say that he is. Some said Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Jesus must have acted like a prophet and preached like a prophet, as discussed above. Finally, Peter speaks and says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!”

Immediately following, Jesus notes that this is God’s revelation; we know Jesus as Christ and Son of God by God’s gift of belief. And, upon our recognition of Jesus, we come to recognize ourselves. Jesus calls Peter by name, and assigns him his mission. Jesus’ blessing of Peter exalts the emerging rock-like faith not only of Peter, but of the whole community of disciples. Our own identity is in direct relationship to our professing God. This has strong implications for the baptismal ritual of our church.

Finally, Jesus assures the community that God will stand behind its decisions about membership, regulations and forgiveness. The binding and loosing is not about judging others’ sinfulness, but about all that is bound to build the community of faith, or what must be loosed for the same purpose.

Once again, in this “ordinary time” we are called to proclaim our faith in Jesus – prophet, Christ, Son of God; to rediscover our own identity as members baptized into Christ; and to reclaim our mission to build up the body of Christ.

Sister Sallie Latkovich, Sisters of St. Joseph, is an assistant professor at the Blessed Edmund Rice School of Pastoral Ministry in the Diocese of Venice, a part of Barry University of Miami.

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