Daily Readings - Sun Aug 27 2023

¹⁵Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts: Go forth and enter to him who lives in the tabernacle, to Shebna, who is in charge of the temple, and you shall say to him¹⁹And I will expel you from your station, and I will depose you from your ministry²⁰And this shall be in that day: I will call my servant Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah²¹And I will clothe him with your vestment, and I will strengthen him with your belt, and I will give your authority to his hand. And he shall be like a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah²²And I will place the key of the house of David upon his shoulder. And when he opens, no one will close. And when he closes, no one will open²³And I will fasten him like a peg in a trustworthy place. And he will be upon a throne of glory in the house of his father

Romans

Chapter 11

³³Oh, the depths of the richness of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments, and how unsearchable are his ways³⁴For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor³⁵Or who first gave to him, so that repayment would be owed³⁶For from him, and through him, and in him are all things. To him is glory, for all eternity. Amen

Matthew

Chapter 16

¹³Then Jesus went into parts of Caesarea Philippi. And he questioned his disciples, saying, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?¹⁴And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, and others say Elijah, still others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.¹⁵Jesus said to them, "But who do you say that I am?¹⁶Simon Peter responded by saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.¹⁷And in response, Jesus said to him: "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father, who is in heaven¹⁸And I say to you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it¹⁹And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound, even in heaven. And whatever you shall release on earth shall be released, even in heaven.²⁰Then he instructed his disciples that they should tell no one that he is Jesus the Christ

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the mystery of God’s wisdom and the call to faithful leadership in His plan of salvation. In the first reading from Isaiah, we encounter a dramatic shift in authority. Shebna, who had been entrusted with the care of the temple, is removed from his position, and Eliakim is appointed in his place. Eliakim is given the key of the house of David, symbolizing his new role as a steward of God’s people. This passage reminds us that all authority comes from God and that with it comes great responsibility to serve and lead with integrity. The second reading from Romans takes us deeper into the mystery of God’s wisdom. St. Paul marvels at the incomprehensibility of God’s judgments and ways, emphasizing that all things come from Him, through Him, and for Him. This passage calls us to humility and trust in the face of life’s uncertainties. It reminds us that while we may not always understand God’s plan, we can rely on His infinite wisdom and love. In the Gospel, we witness a pivotal moment in the life of Jesus and His disciples. When Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter responds with a confession of faith, declaring Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus praises Peter for this gift of faith, which comes not from human understanding but from the Father in heaven. He then entrusts Peter with the keys of the kingdom, symbolizing the authority to lead and serve the Church. This passage reminds us that faith is a gift, and with it comes the responsibility to build up the Body of Christ. These readings challenge us to live out our faith with courage and humility. Like Eliakim, we are called to serve others with integrity, trusting in God’s wisdom even when the path is unclear. Like Peter, we are called to profess our faith boldly and to use the gifts and authority we have been given to serve the Church and the world. May we, like the saints, allow ourselves to be instruments of God’s plan, trusting in His wisdom and living out our faith in love and service.