24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A – September 13, 2026

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A – September 13, 2026

Sirach 27:30 – 28:7; Romains 14:7-9; Matthew 18:21-35

 

Theme: We Should Always Forgive our Offenders from our Hearts and Without Limit

 

A.    A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Matthew 18:21-35

 

1. Historical and Literary Contexts

Chapter 18 of Matthew’s Gospel contains five stories, with our Gospel passage being the final one. All the stories address relationships among church members in Matthew’s time. Like the fourth story (vv. 15-20), our Gospel account (vv. 21-35) emphasizes the disciples' responsibilities toward members who sin yet remain within the Church community. Immediately after our passage, Matthew recounts Jesus’ teachings on marriage and divorce (Mt 19:1-12).        

  

2. Form, Structure, and Movement

This Gospel narrative, which includes a parable, is structured in three movements: Peter’s question and Jesus’ answer (vv. 21-22); Jesus’ parable, which illustrates his answer (vv. 23-34); and a brief interpretation of the parable (v. 35).           

 

3. Detailed Analysis

Vv. 21-22. Peter’s question responds to Jesus’ previous two teachings (18:10-14; 15-20), in which Jesus instructed them to seek reconciliation without limit with those who offend them. The disciples are overly concerned about this teaching. Now, through Peter’s question in our passage (v. 21), the disciples want to know whether this instruction on reconciliation also applies to forgiveness, since the two concepts are often linked.

Peter’s question here is not about being wronged several times because Jesus has already addressed this situation in the Gospel of Saint Luke when he said, “Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him” (Lk 17:3-4, NABRE). In our passage, however, Peter deals with a scenario of a one-time sin, which leaves intense pain. Although they have already forgiven the same sin many times, they realize that they must start forgiving again whenever they encounter the offender or simply recall the offense. Thus, his proposed answer, “as many as seven times,” clearly suggests, “When will God be satisfied, up to seven times?” Since “seven” in biblical tradition means “perfection,” Peter wants Jesus to confirm that they should be perfect when they forgive up to seven times because he does not want to continue to struggle with forgiving those whose sins continue to hurt him. The expression, “not seven times but seventy-seven times,” Jesus uses in his answer (v. 22), “is no mere mathematical formula, but an appeal to unlimited forgiveness.”^[1]

Vv. 23-34. Jesus illustrates his answer about unlimited forgiveness with a parable of the unforgiving servant. This parable contrasts the vast amount (100,000 talents) that the unforgiving servant owed his master with the insignificant amount (100 denarii; one talent being the equivalent of about 6,000 denarii) that his fellow servant owed him.^[2] His compassionate master forgave him all his debt, but in turn, he did not forgive his fellow servant. This parable cannot be allegorized, as doing so risks considering God as a cruel despot, treating his servants, their wives, and children as property to be sold.^[3] Through this parable, Jesus contrasts Divine generosity with human generosity. He then calls his disciples to imitate Divine generosity in reconciliation and forgiveness.

V. 35. Jesus concludes this passage by warning his disciples that if they do not forgive their offenders from their hearts, God will not forgive them either.

      

4. Synthesis

Peter is concerned about seeking reconciliation with their offenders without limits, as Jesus taught them previously (see Mt 18:10-14; 15-21). His question in our passage suggests that Jesus might set a limit of at least seven times in their call to forgive others. In his answer, Jesus asks them to forgive without limits. He illustrates this with the parable of the unforgiving servant, teaching them that God will not forgive them unless they forgive their fellow disciples without limits.       

 

B.     Pastoral Implications

 

1. Liturgical Context

Today is the second Sunday of the Month of the Word of God. The Scripture readings we heard focus on forgiveness. In our first reading, Ben Sira teaches us not to hold anger against our brothers and sisters but to forgive them. In our Gospel, Jesus calls his disciples to forgive their offenders from the heart and without limit. Today's Psalmist sings that God is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion. Let us extend the kindness and mercy we receive from God to our brothers and sisters, because, as Saint Paul tells us in our second reading, we do not live nor die for ourselves; we live and die for the Lord.

 

2. What the Church Teaches Us Today

Like the disciples, many of us are overly concerned that Jesus asked us in last Sunday’s Gospel to work for reconciliation without limit. Again, today, he calls us to forgive our brothers and sisters without limit. Peter’s question here is not about being wronged many times. Jesus addressed the situation of being wronged several times in the Gospel of Saint Luke when he said, “Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him.” (Lk 17:3-4, NABRE). In our passage, however, Peter deals with a scenario of a one-time sin, which causes intense pain. Although we have already forgiven the same sin many times, we realize that we must start forgiving again whenever we meet the offender or simply recall the offense. Thus, his proposed answer, “as many as seven times” (v. 21), implies that Jesus indicates a limit to forgiving this kind of sin, suggesting we should not feel obligated to forgive anymore after reaching this point. In his response, Jesus challenges us to practice unlimited forgiveness.

Jesus illustrates his answer with the parable of the Unforgiving Servant. This parable teaches us that our sins against God are far more significant than the transgressions our brothers and sisters commit against us. Therefore, because God forgives us without limits, we should also forgive our fellow humans from our hearts and without limits. Sirach teaches us the same thing in our first reading. He tells us that God keeps a record of our sins, and if we seek vengeance on our offenders, God will seek vengeance on us; but if we forgive them, God will forgive our sins when we pray. He clarifies that we cannot expect God to pardon us while holding a grudge against those who wronged us (see Sir 28:1-3).

I found at least three reasons why we should forgive our offenders from our hearts, especially when we struggle with the pain of their sins. First, we should forgive our offenders because forgiveness enables us to love and be compassionate. When we cannot forgive, compassion slowly turns away, and bitterness and vengeance take control of us. Second, we should always forgive because forgiveness brings healing. In a scenario where the offenders are already dead, do not realize it, or even do not care that we are suffering from their offenses, we should not expect them to come to us and apologize. We are the ones who need healing, not them. Therefore, we should forgive them from our hearts to seek healing. Third, we should forgive our offenders because we all will die one day, as Sirach tells us in our first reading (Sir 28:6), and we need to go to heaven after our earthly lives. In our second reading, Saint Paul invites us to belong to the Lord always, whether we live or die. Thus, to belong to the Lord or to inherit the kingdom of God, we first need to pardon and reconcile with our brothers and sisters.

Let us pray for God’s grace during the liturgy of this Mass, that we may become merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion like our God, as today’s Psalmist sings in our Responsorial Psalm. Amen.

 

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

 

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[1] Ian Boxall, “Matthew” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century, 1210.

[2] Ian Boxall, “Matthew” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century, 1211.

[3] Ian Boxall, “Matthew” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century, 1211 

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A – Sept. 6, 2026

 23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A – Sept. 6, 2026

Ezekiel 33:7-9; Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 18:15-20

 

Theme: Reconciliation with God and with our Fellow Humans

 

A.    A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Matthew 18:15-20

 

1. Historical and Literary Contexts

Our Gospel passage comes from the discourse in the fourth book of Matthew’s Gospel (18:1-35). This discourse primarily addresses relationships among Church members during Matthew’s time. It contains five stories, and our passage is the fourth. First, Jesus told his disciples that greatness in the heavenly kingdom is measured by childlikeness, not by power or rank (vv. 1-5). Second, he warned them not to cause the “little ones” or themselves to sin (vv. 6-9). Third, he instructed them not to abandon or reject members who stray from the Church community but always to seek them out (vv. 10-14). While the third story deals with members who have strayed from the Church, the fourth, our Gospel passage (vv. 15-20), and the fifth (vv. 21-35) focus on what the disciples must do regarding members who sin yet remain within the Church community.         

 

2. Form, Structure, and Movement

This Gospel account has two movements. First, Jesus explains the three steps his disciples should follow when dealing with someone who sins (vv. 15-17). Second, he addresses his disciples' pastoral authority within the Church community (vv. 18-20).             

 

3. Detailed Analysis

Vv. 15-17. The offender here is “your brother,” who, primarily, represents a fellow disciple but also a member of the Christian community. Jesus reverses orders: it is not the offender who seeks reconciliation but the offended. The first step is to prioritize private correction. Jesus does not ask the offended disciples to spread news of the offenses they have suffered but to approach their offenders and seek reconciliation privately. The teaching here is that spreading news of the offenses they have suffered will never lead to reconciliation; it will only expand the circle of evil. If private correction fails, the disciples should proceed to the next step, which involves two or three witnesses in this reconciliation process. If the sinner still does not listen to the witnesses, the offended should ask the Church to intervene in the third step. The Church here does not refer to the universal Church of Jesus, as in Mt 16:18, but rather to the local Church, specifically to its leaders. If, after all these steps, the offenders still refuse to reconcile, then the local Church should treat them as “Gentiles or tax collectors,” meaning to separate from them (excommunication), just as devoted Jews avoided the company of Gentiles and tax collectors.

Vv. 18-20. Whatever the Church binds or looses on earth shall be confirmed in heaven. The Church of Jesus has the authority to excommunicate arrogant sinners and restore them to the Church community after they repent. Bible scholars argue whether Jesus granted this authority to bind and unbind to Peter alone (see Mt 16:19b) or to all disciples. My humble interpretation is that Jesus granted it to Peter as the leader of the Church and his successors, today Pope Leo XIV. This same authority is extended to all disciples in communion with Peter and their successors, the bishops, who are in communion with the pope. Considering vv. 19-20, this authority is also extended to the faithful believers who are in communion with the disciples and Peter, today, with the bishops and the pope, gathered in prayer in Jesus’ name. The keyword is “communion,” which Christians and disciples should maintain with Peter when they exercise this authority.  

What should be done with the “ex-communicated sinners?” Should the offended disciples and Christians definitively abandon the process of reconciliation with them? The answer is no. Immediately before this Gospel passage, Jesus told his disciples the parable of the Lost Sheep (18:10-14). The parable teaches that the “lost sheep” represents the “ex-communicated sinners,” whom, in our Gospel story, the offended disciples and Christians should continue to search for until they find them again because “it is not the will of [their] heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost." (18:14).

 

4. Synthesis

Jesus teaches his disciples how to deal with their eventual offenders. They should follow these three steps: first, initiate a private reconciliation. Second, if that does not work, the disciples should involve two or three witnesses. Third, if the offender still does not listen to the witnesses, they should call the Church. If the offenders refuse to listen even to the Church, they should be excommunicated from the Church. This decision to “ex-communicate the arrogant sinners" will be confirmed in heaven because Jesus has granted Peter, the leader of his Church, and his successors the authority to bind and unbind (ex-communicate and restore to the community) here on earth, which will be confirmed in heaven. However, excommunicating a sinner does not mean that the process for reconciliation is closed, since the purpose here is remedial. In light of the parable of the Lost Sheep (18:10-14), which immediately precedes our text, the offended disciples and Christians have a mission to constantly seek out their offended excommunicated until they find them again. This is because “it is not the will of [their] heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost." (18:14).   

 

B.    Pastoral Implications

 

1. Liturgical Context

The Catholic Church has dedicated September to the Word of God. The Church exhorts all faithful Christians to venerate the Word of God, both in the Church and within our families. First, in the liturgy of the Mass, we are called to celebrate the Word of God with reverence and to participate in it actively. This means we should listen attentively when God speaks to us through the Scripture readings and their interpretations (homilies) by the ordained ministers. Second, the Church also urges all families to venerate the Word of God at home. I recommend that each household create a “Family Bible Corner” at home. A “Family Bible Corner” is a suitable place prepared in the corner of your/my living room where you/I can display an open Bible. For example, it could be a small table covered with a white tablecloth (or any liturgical colors: red, purple, green, or white) and decorated with flowers, candles, and perhaps a crucifix or rosary. The Family Bible Corner should be visible to anyone who enters the house. Its purpose is to remind household members and visiting guests that the Word of God is central to your family. This Family Bible Corner can also serve as a gathering spot where the family meets for prayer, Bible sharing, or any other gathering. Third, the Church encourages all parishes to establish Bible Study Groups to give the faithful opportunities to meditate on, read, and study the Word of God (Evangelium Gaudium, 175). I then encourage you to attend my online Bible Study on the Sunday Mass Readings every Monday at 6:00 pm USA Central time. The Zoom ID is 836 4516 5259, and the passcode is Bible.

Today’s Bible readings teach us how and why we should always seek reconciliation with God and one another. Like the prophet Ezekiel in our first reading, we are appointed as “watchmen” and “watchwomen” for our brothers and sisters, to warn them and ourselves of the wickedness that leads to our death and to encourage them and ourselves to reconcile with God. In our Gospel, Jesus instructs us to follow a three-step process for seeking reconciliation with those who sin against us. This requires us to love God and our offenders, as Saint Paul exhorts us in our second reading. Today, we heard God's voice calling us to fulfill our prophetic mission of reconciling with God and our brothers and sisters. The responsorial psalm then reminds us not to harden our hearts.

 

2. What the Church Teaches Us Today

Our Gospel passage calls us to initiate reconciliation with those who offend us. Notice how Jesus reverses the order: it is not our offenders who should come to us to seek reconciliation, but we are the ones who should go to them (v. 15). This requires humility, courage, and love. Jesus did it, and as his followers, he wants us to do the same. 

Jesus recommends three steps for seeking reconciliation. In the first step, he suggests a private correction. This approach contrasts with what many of us do today. When offended, we often tell our friends first. This part of the Gospel teaches us that spreading news of our offenses does not lead to reconciliation but instead perpetuates the circle of evil. Jesus calls us to prioritize one-on-one correction instead. If this conversation fails, our Lord asks us to proceed to the second step, which involves bringing two or three witnesses into the reconciliation process. If our offenders still do not listen to the witnesses, Jesus instructs us to tell the Church. If, even with the Church, the sinners still refuse to reconcile, then we should treat them as “Gentiles and tax collectors.” The expression “Gentiles and tax collectors” here refers to those declared outside the communion of the Church, or “excommunicated.”

Now, what should we do with the “excommunicated people”? Does Jesus ask us to abandon reconciliation with them? The answer is no. To better understand what Jesus wants to teach us here, we need to connect our Gospel story to the parable of the lost sheep (vv. 10-14), which immediately precedes it.

The allegory of this parable is that the caring shepherd stands for Jesus. The ninety-nine sheep represent the Jews in a covenant with God; today, they represent all Christians in a new covenant with God through Jesus. The one lost sheep represents Gentiles, tax collectors, and other sinners considered outside God’s covenant. Today, this “lost sheep” refers to all those who are not members of the Church (including the excommunicated), which is the Body of Christ. The parable emphasizes the significant effort of Jesus, the “caring shepherd,” who seeks out tax collectors, Gentiles, and other sinners and brings them in. So, in our Gospel passage, when Jesus recommends treating wicked people as “Gentiles and tax collectors,” he calls us to consider them as “the lost sheep.” Thus, like Jesus, the caring shepherd, we are called to go and seek them out until we find them and bring them back into the sheepfold, which is communion with God and with Church members. To seek them out means to evangelize and minister to them. This is the mission God assigned to Ezekiel in our first reading.

In our first reading, the prophet Ezekiel receives a call from God to warn his people of their wrongdoing and invite them to reconcile with God. As in our time today, people have transformed wrongful deeds into virtues. What God and the Church call sins are often actions that people prefer and even pressure societies to recognize as virtues. Should the Church and all of us Christians allow them to continue living in a state of sin? No! Our first reading teaches us that God commissions us with the same mission he gave to the prophet Ezekiel: to openly warn our brothers and sisters, as well as ourselves, of the wickedness that leads to our demise. This mission invites everyone, including us, to repent and reconcile with God to attain salvation. 

However, it is sad that many of us feel uncomfortable and unsafe discussing widespread, popular sins in our societies because we wish to protect our friendships, jobs, reputations, and lives. For instance, many parents and schoolteachers choose not to correct their teenagers and students for fear of hurting their feelings. When we opt not to warn people about their sins, we should understand that mortal sins are like cancer. If we do not stop them early, they spread throughout our families, parishes, cities, and societies. If we love people, we will not allow them to turn away from God and lose eternal salvation at the Last Judgment; instead, with great love, we must warn and invite them to repent and reconcile with God. When we do this, we save them and ourselves; but when we fail to warn them, God will hold us responsible for their condemnation (Ez 33:8-9).

We are not just “the prophet Ezekiel,” but also among those who should heed warnings from the “prophet Ezekiel” of our time (priests, parents, schoolteachers, catechists, and brothers and sisters), even when it is painful to hear them speak directly to us about our sins. We are all sinners, and we all need reconciliation with God.

To reconcile with our offenders and warn people of their wrongdoing, we need a profound love for God and our brothers and sisters, including our offenders, as Saint Paul exhorts us in the second reading. Only love can make our prophetic mission possible. As we understand our prophetic mission today, our responsorial psalm urges us not to harden our hearts.

May the liturgy of this Mass empower us to continue working toward reconciliation with God and our fellow humans, with great love and without weariness. Amen. 

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

 

 

 

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A – August 30, 2026

 

22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A – August 30, 2026

Jeremiah 20:7-9; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27

 

Theme: How to Respond to the Love of God

 

A.    A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Matthew 16:21-27

 

1. Historical and Literary Contexts

Our Gospel passage is taken from the final part of chapter 16 in the Gospel of Matthew. In this chapter, Jesus first warns his disciples against the teaching authority of the Pharisees and Sadducees (16:5-12). Then, he prepares them for a new way of teaching the Word of God in his Church, which he promises to build upon Peter (16:13-20). Finally, in our text, he predicts his Passion to his disciples and discusses the conditions for discipleship, preparing them to oversee his Church after his earthly life (16:21-28). The story of the Transfiguration of Jesus (17:1-8) immediately follows.  

 

2. Form, Structure, and Movement

This Gospel narrative is structured into two movements: the first prediction of Jesus’ Passion (vv. 21-23) and the discourse on the conditions of discipleship (vv. 24-27).            

 

3. Detailed Analysis

Vv. 21-23. The first prediction of Jesus’ Passion comes immediately after the disciples confessed their faith that Jesus is the Messiah and after Jesus promised Peter that he would build his Church upon him and give him the keys to the kingdom of heaven (16:13-20). It was a positive experience for the disciples; however, in our text, the mood changes dramatically. Jesus now explains to them what type of Messiah he is: not the conquering Messiah the disciples had in mind when they professed their faith, but the suffering Messiah willing to undergo Passion and Death for humanity’s salvation. Peter opposes: “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” Peter not only refuses “such thing” (Passion and Death) to happen to Jesus, but also refuses it to happen to them because he knows very well that as Jesus’ disciples, they are called to follow in their Master’s footsteps. When Peter professed that Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus declared that Peter was inspired by God (16:17). However, here, the fact that he rejects the type of Messiah Jesus is, which constitutes an obstacle to the salvific plan, suggests that Satan inspires Peter.

Matthew uses the expression “From that time on” (v. 21a) to emphasize that the first prediction of Jesus’ Passion marks a new phase of the Gospel.^[1]  The verb “must,” “He must go to Jerusalem and suffer…” (v. 21b), indicates that Jesus’ death is not an option but a necessity.

Vv. 24-27. Based on the disciples’ objection to the suffering Messiah Jesus announced he is, Jesus proceeds to teach them the three conditions of discipleship. (1) Jesus’ followers must deny themselves, meaning that Jesus and his mission must be their priority. (2) They must take up their crosses, which asserts that suffering is part of their mission and that they must not escape it. (3) They must follow in Jesus’ footsteps, signifying that they should learn from him and imitate him. Accepting these conditions of discipleship means they agree to lose their earthly lives for Jesus’ sake to gain eternal salvation in the new age. However, refusing these conditions means they choose to protect their earthly lives and lose them to eternal condemnation at the final judgment.   

 

4. Synthesis

Jesus announces his upcoming Passion and Death for the first time to his disciples. This clarifies that he is not the conqueror Messiah that the disciples expected, but a suffering Messiah. Peter objects. By refusing to allow suffering and death to happen to Jesus, Peter denies that they (the disciples) must follow the same pattern, as they know they are called to walk in Jesus’ footsteps. Jesus rebukes Peter, declaring that he is inspired not by God but by Satan, constituting an obstacle to God’s plan of saving humanity. This incident leads Jesus to teach them the three conditions of discipleship. They must deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow in Jesus’ footsteps to be considered Jesus’ disciples. Accepting these three conditions means they accept losing their lives in this world for Jesus’ sake to achieve eternal salvation in the new age. Conversely, refusing these conditions means they choose to protect their earthly lives, ultimately losing them to eternal condemnation at the last judgment.      

 

B.     Pastoral Implications

 

1. Liturgical Context

This Sunday’s liturgy addresses our response as Christians to God’s love for us. In the Gospel, Jesus embraces his Passion and Death in response to God's love for him. In the first reading, Jeremiah conveys his painful mission experience and his ultimate decision not to give up as he initially considered. In his letter to the Romans, Saint Paul thoroughly outlines God’s immense love for humanity (Rm 1 – 11). The most significant sign of God's love is the arrival of his only Son, Jesus Christ, to save humanity from the bondage of sin. Furthermore, beginning in Chapter 12, today’s second reading, Saint Paul discusses Christian ethics as a response to God’s love. For him, responding to the greatness of God’s love involves offering our bodies as a living sacrifice, not conforming to this present age, being transformed by the renewal of our minds, and discerning God's will (Rm 12:1-2).

 

2. What the Church Teaches Us Today

From our Gospel, our Holy Mother Church teaches us to view Jesus not as the conquering Messiah, but rather as a suffering Messiah who accepted suffering and died for the salvation of humankind. This exemplifies how Jesus responded to God's great love for him. As Jesus’ followers, we should continue his mission with courage and faith, even amid our daily suffering, to save our brothers and sisters. This reflects how we can respond to his love for us. His mission requires us to do three things: deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow in his footsteps.

(1) Denying ourselves means we must prioritize Jesus and his mission (Masses, Church activities, and our spiritual lives) above all else. This is what Saint Paul signifies in our second reading when he urges us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, our spiritual worship (Rm 12:1).

(2) The crosses we are called to bear may include our daily sufferings, the mockeries of others, discouragements, and any form of persecution we face as Christians. In our first reading, Jeremiah endured all these trials. He laments to God because the mission assigned to him was painful. The people consistently rejected, mocked, and hated him. Reflecting on this, Jeremiah felt that God had tricked him into embracing such a difficult task. He then resolved not to prophesy anymore. “I say I will not mention him, I will no longer speak in his name.” (Jr 20:9). However, he realizes that the more he wishes to quit, the more the Word of God burns in his heart like fire. He grows weary of holding back, so he cannot abandon God’s mission (Jr 20:9b). You and I may feel the same as Jeremiah. Sometimes, we consider giving up our faith and good works when we face mockery, discouragement, and hatred, or when we endure our daily sufferings. Like Jeremiah, let us feel the Word of God that continues to burn in our hearts and choose not to abandon our faith and Jesus’ mission.

(3) To follow Jesus means to walk in his footsteps. This signifies that we should learn from him and imitate him. For instance, we know that Jesus remained obedient to his Father God until the end of his earthly life. Therefore, “to follow Jesus” requires us to obey, not our wills, but God’s will, even when it challenges us, and even amid our trials.

 Accepting these three conditions of discipleship means we agree to “lose” our earthly lives for Jesus’ sake to “gain” eternal salvation in the new age. However, refusing these conditions means we choose to “protect” our earthly lives and “lose” them to eternal condemnation at the final judgment. (Mt 16:25-27).

May the liturgy of this Mass empower us to consistently respond to God’s love for us by denying ourselves, taking up our crosses, and following Jesus. Amen.

 

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

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[1] NABRE, note to Mt 16:21-23.

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A - August 23, 2026

 

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A - August 23, 2026

Isaiah 22:19-23; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20

 

Theme: Christology, Ecclesiology, and Soteriology

 

A.    A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Matthew 16:13-20

 

1. Historical and Literary Contexts

Immediately before our text, Jesus warned his disciples against the teaching authority of the Pharisees and Sadducees (16:5-12). Then, in our Gospel passage, he prepares his disciples for a new way of teaching the Word of God in his Church, which he promises to build upon Peter. The disciples will begin exercising this authority after Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection, which he will predict for the first time in the story that follows our passage (16:21-23).  

 

2. Form, Structure, and Movement

V. 13a introduces this Gospel narrative, while v. 20 concludes it. The main part of the text comprises two movements. The first movement (vv. 13b-16) details Jesus’ conversation with his disciples about his divine identity. The second movement (vv. 17-19) comprises Jesus’ address to Simon Peter, in which he promises to build his Church upon him and to grant him the keys to the kingdom of heaven.           

 

3. Detailed Analysis

V. 13a. This story is set in the region of Caesarea Philippi, located about twenty miles north of the Sea of Galilee.

 Vv. 13b-16. Jesus asks his disciples double questions to determine whether the people and his disciples have recognized his divine identity (v. 13b). First, the disciples report that popular opinions regard Jesus as John the Baptist, others as Elijah, and still others as Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Why do people confuse Jesus with these three significant figures? John the Baptist, Elijah, and a prophet (Jeremiah) share a common characteristic. (1) John the Baptist prepared the people to welcome Jesus as the Messiah by urging them to embrace radical repentance. Even Herod confused Jesus with John the Baptist (see Mt 14:1-2). (2) In 800 B.C., Elijah’s mission was to call the Israelites to repent and remain faithful to God. Additionally, Malachi prophesied that Elijah must return to convert people before God comes for final judgment (see Malachi 3:23-24). (3) Each prophet, including Jeremiah, had a mission to call the people of his generation to repentance and faithfulness to God. Second, unlike popular opinions, the disciples, through Peter's confession of faith, believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

 

Vv. 17-19. Jesus declares Simon blessed because he believes in Jesus’ divine identity. “Flesh and blood” is a “Semitic expression for human beings, especially in their weakness.” Thus, Peter’s profession of faith is a revelation from God, not from humans. Jesus gives Simon a new name: “Peter,” meaning the “rock,” and promises him two things. (1) He will build his Church “upon him, the “rock.” The expression “upon this rock” could refer to Peter’s profession of faith, the Christ that Peter confessed, or to Peter himself as the rock. The “netherworld” (Greek Hadēs, the abode of the dead) is conceived of as a walled city (v. 18b). Therefore, in this verse, Jesus reassures that the power of death will not overcome his Church.

(2) Jesus promises to give Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven. This recalls Eliakim, who, when he replaced Shebna as steward of the royal house in Jerusalem, received “the key to the House of David.” (Is 22:15-25). “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (v. 19b). Through this promise, Jesus empowers Peter with the authority to teach and to impose or lift the excommunication ban.

V. 20. The narrator concludes the story by stating that Jesus strictly commands his disciples not to reveal his divine identity to others.

 

4. Synthesis

Unlike popular belief that confuses Jesus with John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, and other prophets, the disciples, through Simon Peter, confess that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus declared Simon Peter “blessed” and attested that his profession of faith is a revelation not from humans but from God. After giving Simon a new name, “Peter,” meaning “Rock,” Jesus promises Peter two things: he will build his Church upon him and he will give him the keys to the kingdom of heaven, empowering him with the authority to teach and to impose or lift the ban of excommunication. Then, Jesus strictly orders his disciples not to reveal his divine identity to others.  

 

B.     Pastoral Implications

 

1. Liturgical Context

In our Gospel account, we can meditate either on Christology by focusing on Peter’s confession regarding Jesus’ divine identity, or on Ecclesiology when reflecting on the Church that Jesus assures to build upon Peter, or on Soteriology by concentrating on the keys to the kingdom of heaven that Jesus promises to give to Peter. These keys recall the key God gave to Eliakim in the story we heard in our first reading. In our second reading, Saint Paul speaks of the wisdom of God’s plan of salvation, which connects to the topic of Soteriology. 

 

2. What the Church Teaches Us Today

a) Christology

The Church invites us to reflect on our relationship with Jesus. Through his double questions to his disciples, Jesus seeks to understand how both the people and his own disciples relate to him. The people have not yet discovered his divine identity, as they confuse him with John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. The disciples, through Peter, have already realized that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Today, Jesus asks us this same question: “Who do you say that I am?” Here, Jesus does not expect us to tell him how much we have learned about him, but rather how we relate to him, especially when we attend Mass and pray. Do we attend Mass solely because Sunday is a day of obligation and out of pressure from our parents or others, or do we do so out of our love for Jesus, which responds to Jesus’ love for us? If we attend Mass out of obligation or because of external pressure and if we pray to God only when we are in need, this indicates that we still confuse Jesus in the same way the popular belief misidentified him in our Gospel. The level of our relationship with Jesus determines how we perceive him. Our Holy Mother Church exhorts us to deepen our one-on-one relationship with our Lord. He is our Messiah, the Son of the living God, who came to save us.

 

b) Ecclesiology

Ecclesiology pertains to the Church of Jesus, which he promises to build upon Peter. Our Catholic Church is apostolic. Over two thousand years later, our Holy Mother Church recognizes Peter's authority through the pope, the bishop of Rome. Pope Leo XIV is Peter's current successor. Just as Peter was the leader and sign of unity for the disciples, Pope Leo XIV serves as the leader and sign of unity for the bishops and all the faithful today. As a leader, Pope Leo XIV possesses ultimate authority over the Church as pastor and teacher. By giving Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven, Jesus granted Peter and his successors the authority to teach and to impose and lift excommunication. Therefore, when the Pope declares a doctrine on faith and morals, God ensures that doctrine is true. This is called “infallibility.”

As the Pope is the successor of Peter, the bishops are the successors of the apostles. Each bishop is responsible for leading and ministering to the people within their own area, known as a “diocese.” The bishops also collaborate with the pope to address issues concerning the wider Church. Priests and deacons, who operate under the authority of bishops, help them fulfill their duties of caring for the faithful.

In our Catholic Church, alongside priests and deacons, we also have religious brothers and sisters who choose to live a life of consecration. Although they are not ordained, they have committed themselves to a distinct form of service to the Lord. They have taken various vows or promises to embrace a lifestyle dedicated to Christ.

The main body of the Church of Jesus consists of the laity, the faithful members who are not ordained. They play a vital role in the Church's mission. They seek the Reign of God in their everyday lives, wherever they live or work. Since their baptism, they are called to bless the world by uniting their daily lives with the sacrifice Christ made on the cross and offering their lives to God.

We, the Church leaders and faithful members, are all called to work together to maintain the Church of Jesus in our local Church communities. In doing so, we witness Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

 

c) Soteriology

Soteriology deals with salvation. Through the keys to the kingdom of heaven that Jesus has given to Peter and his successors, he has empowered the Church to exercise its authority to bind or unbind anything here on earth, which will be confirmed in heaven. This means the Church has divine authority to impose and lift excommunication. Through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Confession, the Church opens the door of salvation to all the faithful.

May the liturgy of this Mass enable us to continue believing in Jesus as our Messiah, actively participate in his Church, and faithfully follow its teachings to be saved on the last day. Amen.

 

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator