With Opened Bible
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
“I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16,19)
When we think of the Kingdom of God, we might be tempted to believe it mirrors the governments of this earth. In reality, that is not the case!
The Kingdom of God is a gift revealed in Jesus—a gift that leads us to Him. Yet, to help us grasp it, the Bible employs earthly imagery. In this Sunday's first reading and Gospel, the image used is that of power. God chooses a man worthy of Him to govern His people. He entrusts him with the key—a symbol of authority and governance—to care for His flock: "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" (Isaiah 22:22). The man who holds the power to open and shut is the one upon whom power and authority rest.
This same concept runs through the Gospel we proclaim. Jesus—reflecting the Father who chose Eliakim and granted him power—chooses to do the same with Peter for the sake of His Church: "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19). The keys of the Kingdom are spiritu-al in nature. They represent the graces of governance and authority entrusted to Peter, enabling him to guide Christ's flock—the Church safely.
These two readings invite us to appreciate God's love for Israel and the Church, but above all, the trust He places in humanity. When He en-trusts us with a mission, He grants us the power and grace to fulfill it. Saint Paul confirms this: "And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glori-fied." (Romans 8:30)
