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BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD
A LECTIO DIVINA Approach
to the Sunday Liturgy and Holy Days,
Year A SUNDAYS IN ORDINARY TIME: Week 21-34 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 55)
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 56)
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 57)
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 58)
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 59)
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 60)
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 61)
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 62)
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 63)
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 64)
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 65)
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 66)
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 67)
34th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Christ the King (n. 68)
Prepared by
Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang, PDDM
*** Text of the Cover Page ends here. *** A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy & Holy Days BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 55)
TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A
"JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Church's One Foundation"

BIBLE READINGS
Is 22:19-23 // Rom 11:33-36 // Mt 16:13-20


I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO A. Gospel Reading (Mt 16:13-20): "You are Peter, and to you I will give the
keys of the kingdom of heaven."

The Gospel episode (Mt 16:13-20) is situated in cosmopolitan Caesarea
Philippi, a city built by Philip the Tetrarch in northern Palestine to give
homage to Caesar, the Roman emperor. With regards to the locale and the
ensuing dialogue between Jesus and his disciples, Harold Buetow comments:
"Caesarea Philippi was a place where many religions met. There was, for
example, a great temple of white marble built to the godhead of Caesar that
reminded you, even from a distance, of the power and splendor of Rome. And
in a large cave beneath a great hill a deep lake, allegedly one of the
sources of the Jordan River, was said to be the birthplace of Pan, the
great Greek god of nature. In fact, the original name of the town was
Panias, and even today its name is Bania. There were, besides, no fewer
than fourteen temples dedicated to the worship of the ancient Syrian god
Baal. It seems that, for whatever it was that he was about to do, Jesus
deliberately chose the backdrop of the splendor of the world's religions of
the time and would invite comparisons. Jesus realized that his days were
numbered and he wanted to do something to continue his work. He was now
some time on the roads of the earth, and there were all kinds of different
opinions about him. He had to know if there was anyone who recognized him
for who he was and would be able to carry on after he was gone. He led up
to that by first asking what people thought of him. The answers were highly
complimentary ... Then came the fatal question: But who do you say that I
am?"

In that stage of the dialogue, Jesus does not ask for popular
speculation, but the disciples' own assessment. Peter, assuming the role of
spokesman for the group, declares: "You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God". Simon Peter's confession of faith is remarkable. He declares
not only that Jesus is the "Messiah", that is, the long-awaited Son of
David who ushers in the reign of God. Above all, he avows that Jesus is the
"Son of the living God", that is, the unique representative of God to all
people, possessing God's Spirit and enjoying an exclusive union with the
Father. In today's terms, Jesus as the "Son of the living God" means that
he is divine.

Indeed, Simon Peter's confession of faith evokes Jesus' admiration and
blessing. There is an investiture and a "nomination". Jesus calls Simon and
surnames him Peter. Simon is designated as the rock upon which Jesus builds
his Church. The stone is Jesus himself, the sole foundation. But Simon is,
by the solemn designation of the Lord, the stone solidly set upon the
unique foundation. He is the visible "rock" joined to it by the mortar of
faith that the Father has given Peter.

Concerning the keys to the kingdom of heaven entrusted to Peter, the
authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 4, comment: "It goes without saying
that we are not speaking here of a discretionary power but of pastoral
power. Such power can be that of a trusted steward only if it is exercised
according to the example and in the spirit of the Lord ... This Church will
know crises, persecutions, and storms, but the gates of the netherworld
shall not prevail against it, because its leader is the Risen One, who has
definitively conquered sin and death. Peter underwent martyrdom, and the
other apostles have disappeared along with the first disciples and the
converts of successive generations. But the Church remains, and the keys
given to Peter have been transmitted to his successors. Whatever the
concrete exercise of the papal ministry, the development brought to it by
Christian reflection and practice, the vicissitudes it has known, this
ministry draws its legitimacy from the investiture of Peter, on whom Jesus
built his Church."

The following account on the Internet concerning the recently
canonized pope John XXIII gives insight into how Jesus continues to guide
and build his Church through divinely instituted pastors (cf. Loyola Press
Internet Service, James Martin, "My Life with the Saints").
One night [during retreat], around ten 'clock, I was exploring the
house library, a small, wood-paneled room with the typically motley
jumble of old, used, worn and downright ugly furniture that
characterizes "Jesuit style". (In fairness, the little library at
Eastern Point has since been spruced up.) Poking through the selves, I
came upon a book called Wit and Wisdom of Good Pope John.
Published in 1964, not long after the pope's death, the book had torn
and yellowed pages. Despite [the assistant novice director's] warning
not to lose myself in books, the temptation to peek inside was
irresistible. After a few pages I was hooked: who knew John XXIII was
so funny? Of course, not all the stories were laugh-out-loud funny.
And I had already heard his famous answer to the journalist who asked
innocently, "How many people work in the Vatican?" "About half of
them," said His Holiness.
But the passage that made me laugh in the retreat house (and drew
pointed glances from more silent retreatants) was one that placed the
pope in a Roman hospital called the Hospital of the Holy Spirit.
Shortly after entering the building, he was introduced to the sister
who ran the hospital. "Holy Father," she said, "I am the superior of
the Holy Spirit." "You're very lucky," said the pope, delighted. "I'm
only the Vicar of Christ!"
It was that somewhat frivolous story that drew me to John XXIII. How
wonderful to keep his sense of humor, even while holding a position of
such authority, when he could easily have become cold or
authoritarian. How wonderful to have a sense of humor at all! A
requirement of the Christian life, I think.
It reminded me of a story I had heard from a friend about Fr. Pedro
Arrupe, the former superior general of the Jesuits, often called
"Father General," or, more simply, "the General." Once, Father General
was visiting Xavier High School in New York City, which has, since its
founding, sponsored a military cadet corps for its boys, a sort of
junior ROTC. For his visit, the school's cadets, in full uniform,
lined both sides of the street. When Father General emerged from his
car, the phalanx of cadets snapped to attention and saluted crisply.
He turned to my friend. "Now," he said, "I feel like a real general!"
Pope John XXIII had a similarly wry sense of humor, and who couldn't
love a pope who had a sense of humor? Who couldn't feel affection for
a man who was so comfortable with himself that he constantly made
jokes about his height (which was short), his ears (which were big),
and his weight (which was considerable). When he once met a little boy
named Angelo, he exclaimed, "That was my name, too!" And then,
conspiratorially, "But then they made me change it!"
For his humor, his openness, his generosity, and his warmth, many
people loved him: Good Pope John. But to see John XXIII as a sort of
papal Santa Claus is to only partly understand him. An experienced
diplomat, a veteran of ecumenical dialogue, and a gifted pastor and
bishop, he brought a wealth of experience to the office of pope....
Soon after finishing the long retreat, I decided that I wanted to know
more about Angelo Roncalli than just the few funny stories I had read
in the retreat house library. So I slowly made my way through Journal
of a Soul and Peter Hebblethwaite's biography John XXIII: Pope of the
Century as a way of getting to know him better. In time, I realized
that I was drawn to John XXIII not as much for his wit, or his
writings, or h