A Homily for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, August 23, 2026
Isaiah 22:19-23; Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20
Audio Recording
There is something about having a key that gives us a sense of security. A key opens a door and gives us access to something that not everyone has. Sometimes, when we hand someone a key, we are doing more than giving them a piece of metal. We are giving them trust. We are saying, “I am giving you access to something that matters to me, and I trust you to take care of it.”
Keys are important in Scripture too. In our first reading, God speaks through the prophet Isaiah about Eliakim, who is being given an important position in the kingdom of David. God says, “I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim’s shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open.” The key was a symbol of authority. The royal steward exercised authority on behalf of the king.
Then we come to the Gospel, and that same image appears again. Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They give him the answers they have heard: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Those answers recognize that Jesus is important. They recognize that he is a man of God. But they still fall short of the truth.
Then Jesus makes the question personal: “But who do you say that I am?”
That is the question at the heart of today’s Gospel. And it is not simply a question for Peter. It is a question Jesus asks every one of us.
Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
That answer changes everything. Jesus is not merely a great teacher, prophet, or moral example. He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Peter recognizes something that “flesh and blood” could never discover on its own. Jesus tells him that this truth has been revealed by the Father.
But notice what Jesus does next. He doesn’t simply congratulate Peter for getting the right answer. He gives Peter a mission: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.” And then he says, “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.”
The key from the first reading has now appeared again. The authority given to the royal steward in the house of David becomes an image of the authority Jesus gives to Peter in the Church. This is an office, not simply a personal gift. The responsibility is passed from one steward to another.
This matters because Christianity is not simply a matter of each person deciding privately what Jesus means to them. Jesus did not leave us to construct the faith for ourselves. He established a Church. He gave Peter the keys. He gave the Apostles authority to teach, to govern, to bind and to loose.
That authority did not disappear when the Apostles died. The Church has always understood that the authority given to Peter continues in his successors. That is why we have a pope. It is part of the provision Christ made for his Church from the beginning.
And that should give us confidence. The people who lead the Church are human beings. They have personalities, strengths and weaknesses. They can disappoint us. But the promise of Jesus is not that every pope will be perfect. The promise is that the Church will endure: “The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”
That promise is echoed in our responsorial psalm: “Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.” Despite human failures and the passing of centuries, God’s covenant faithfulness endures. The Church remains the work of his hands.
St. Paul reaches the same conclusion in the second reading. After reflecting on the mystery of God’s plan, he can only respond with wonder: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” We do not always understand what God is doing, but we can trust the One who does.
So what does this mean for us today?
First, we need to answer Jesus’ question personally. Not simply, “What do other people say about Jesus?” But, “Who do I say that Jesus is?” Is he truly the Christ, the Son of the living God? Is he the Lord of my life? If so, he must become the center of our lives.
Second, we need to trust the Church Christ established. There will always be voices telling us that we can construct Christianity for ourselves, choosing the teachings we like and setting aside the ones we don’t. But Jesus did not leave us to figure everything out by ourselves. He left us a Church, entrusted with the keys of the kingdom and guided by the Holy Spirit.
And third, we need to remember that the keys ultimately belong to Christ. Peter receives them because Jesus entrusts him with responsibility in the kingdom. The Church does not replace Christ. She points us to Christ and opens the door to him.
And that brings us back to the question Jesus asks: “Who do you say that I am?”
Peter gave his answer, and the Church has proclaimed it for two thousand years. Today, each of us is invited to make it our own: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
In just a few moments, we will come forward to receive our risen Lord in the Eucharist. The One we receive is not merely a teacher we admire or a prophet we respect. He is the Christ. He is the Son of the living God. He is the One who died for us, rose from the dead, and opened the way to eternal life.
So as we come forward to receive our risen Lord today, let us carry that question with us: “Who do you say that I am?”
May our answer, like Peter’s, be more than words. May it become the foundation of our lives: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”