Homily 8/27/2023 – Cycle A
Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082723.cfm
In today’s Gospel, Peter recognizes and accepts Jesus as The Messiah – true God and true man. I want to share this with you: called “You Need 100 Points.” It’s a story about a deacon who had a strange dream; a dream that he had died and was trying to get into heaven.
He approached the pearly gates, St. Peter told him he needed 100 points to get in. The deacon said, "Well, I was a deacon in THE CHURCH."
"Fine," said St. Peter, "That's worth one point."
"One point? Is that all?" "Yes, that's it," said St. Peter.
"Well," said the deacon, "I visited the sick whether they were from the parish or not." St. Peter said, "That's 1 point."
"I worked with young adults from our diocese," said the deacon. "That's worth one point.”
"I developed a number of excellent catechetical programs," said the deacon. "That's worth one point," - "You have four points now.”
“You only need 96 more.” "Oh no," said the deacon in somewhat of a panic.
"I feel so helpless, so inadequate. Except for the grace of God, I don't have a chance."
St. Peter smiled and said, "Grace of God--that counts for 96 points. Come on in!" That story that reminds us that there will be a final judgment; God's justice, God’s mercy and our free will demand it. (Sermons.com 8/24/14)
King Alfonso X, a.k.a. the Wise, the King of Spain in the 13th century said, “Had I been present at the creation, I would have given some useful hints for the better ordering of the universe.” I wonder what happened to Alfonso when he reached heaven’s gates? Occasionally each of us allows our pride to overtake our common sense and our commitment to follow Jesus. In today’s Gospel, Peter's great love for God NOT his pride, shines through as he blurts out a divine revelation: Jesus is the son of God!
Knowing . . .
Every day, for years, he visited his wife in the nursing home. She suffered from Alzheimer’s disease; with each day she slipped further and further away …. Every day he would feed her lunch. He would sit with her and show her the pictures of their children, telling her the latest family news and stories she would forget as soon as she heard them.
He would patiently remind her who he was and that they were married and (have) been for the past 52 years. They have three children and four beautiful grandchildren. He would hold her hand as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Before leaving, he would kiss her and tell her how much he loved her, and she would never remember … that he had … been there. His heartbroken friends would ask him, Why do you keep going when she doesn’t even know who you are? And he would always reply, “Because I know who I am.” [Table Talk Cycle A, 21st Sunday]
The husband’s faithfulness is the perfect & complete answer to Jesus’ ? in today’s Gospel.
Jesus, the Son of God calls us to Faithfulness in God. Today we have swipe keys, but once upon a time we had master keys. They could unlock every door in the house. The master key functioned something like a gatekeeper … the gatekeeper is not the King.
Today our readings remind us that the Church rests on the solid and indestructible foundation of the papacy, nothing stop it [the Church] from fulfilling its mission. Isaiah tells us “I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim's shoulder ….” Jesus tells Peter upon you I will build my church and I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
We are called to answer Who do we say Jesus is? And we are reminded that Christ has entrusted the keys, especially the keys of the Sacred Scriptures and the Sacraments to the Church and in a particular way to the Pope.
All the baptized, lay and clerical are invited to be nourished on the “keys” of Word and Sacrament.
Jesus asks us the most important. “But who do you say that I am?” [Mt 16:15]
How You answer will have lasting impact on your life and knowing who you are!
May God Be Praised.
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