Homily 21st Sunday A

Homily 21st Sunday  A   2026   Mt 16:13-20    Is 22, 15.19-23    Rom 11:33-36

The place which was called Banias or Caesarea Philippi at Biblical times

and which can be visited even today in Israel, impressed me very much

during my pilgrimage to the Holy Land years ago

because of its extraordinary natural beauty. The springs of the Jordan River are there,

water gushes forth from the rocks and from the ground

and collects in a round natural basin of crystal-clear water.

Rocks form a natural amphitheater. For many centuries before Jesus,

this had been a place of prayer. There were temples of Greek gods.

People simply felt that this was a holy place

where it was easier to get in touch with God.

There Jesus invites his disciples in today’s gospel

to reflect about what they have seen and heard in his company so far,

about the people’s comments on him and his person,

and about their own thoughts in regard of him.

Peter acknowledges Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Peter receives this insight as a gift, as revelation.

In our Sunday gospel two weeks ago, Peter expresses who Jesus is (“the Son of God”),

when he is saved from the stormy waters, despite his doubt.

Jesus reveals who he is through Peter’s experience of freight, sinking and being saved.

Peter pays attention to the experience.

This is the basis upon which his confession in today’s gospel is made.

The other disciples, without such a captivating personal experience

of Jesus’ saving power, answer Jesus’ question about who he is

according to traditional Jewish expectation. Peter, on the other hand,

has had a new experience of God’s saving power in Jesus

and thus answers from a deeper stance of faith than the others,

from a knowledge that the ‘heavenly Father’ has revealed to him.

Peter confesses Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah.

Jesus then announces that he will build his church on Peter, the rock.

Both the experience of fear and grace and the divine inspiration

lead to the confession of who Jesus is.

That Jesus, the Son of Man, is the Son of the living God, the Christ,

the long-awaited Messiah, is a truth that must be revealed.

Our faith as Christians today comes from hearing:

What was revealed to Peter is God’s Word, God’s revelation, also to us:

Jesus is the Christ. This revelation, if we really hear it and believe it,

becomes the rock-solid foundation for our lives.

My sisters and brothers, knowledge of God is not something that we can make happen;

it is God's gift and grace. What matters for us is to be attentive

to the different ways in which God communicates himself to us.

One source of God's revelation to us is Holy Scripture,

especially the New Testament, which presents to us today Jesus

as the Lord of our lives upon whom we can rely on. 

The fullness of God's self-communication is given to us in Jesus Christ,

but we need continuous guidance of the Holy Spirit

who helps us to understand God’s revelation ever more fully.

We need the Church, which Jesus built on the foundation of Peter

and his successors. I feel very much supported, encouraged and challenged

by the teaching of Pope Leo that I hear every night on Vatican news.

One quote may suffice. “Be agents of communion,” he recently said,

“capable of breaking down the logic of division and polarization,

of individualism and egocentrism. Center yourselves on Christ,

 so as to overcome the logic of the world, of fake news, of frivolity,

with the beauty and light of truth.”

Besides Scripture and Church teaching, our own lives, our experiences

of danger and rescue, our daily encounters with people

are a source of God's revelation to us.

As it was for Jesus and his disciples at Caesarea Philippi,

so it is good also for us on occasion to take time for praying more intensely,

for becoming quiet, for reflecting on the ups and downs of our life,

 in order to see more clearly the working of God.

Our retreatants are doing just that here at this place.

God's riches and wisdom are unfathomable and inexhaustible.

Let us thank God and give glory to God for the ways in which

God has already sheared with us from this treasure.                      AMEN.

Fr Thomas Leitner, OSB