August 23rd 2020. The Twenty-first Sunday of Ordinary Time
GOSPEL: Matthew 16, 13-20
Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini broadcast on Vatican Radio
Don Fabio’s homily follows the Gospel
GOSPEL: Matthew 16, 13-20
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Then he strictly ordered his disciples
to tell no one that he was the Christ.
The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
1. The location in which Jesus asked his disciples to make their profession of faith was an area dedicated to idolatry. Christians are always asked to testify to their faith in the midst of idolatry!
In the Gospel for this Sunday, we encounter Peter's famous declaration of faith. This declaration takes place in today's Banias, which, in the past, was the location of three sanctuaries dedicated to the worship of Canaanite, Greek, and Roman gods. It was essentially an open-air Pantheon. Jesus brings his disciples there and asks them to acknowledge his identity in the midst of idolatry. The faith is professed in the face of such idol worship. The Christianity of the martyrs will manifest itself in every era, particularly in unfamiliar and hostile places. At the heart of the site lies the Canaanite cult—a cave with an eerie appearance, where a spring would emerge and then settle before reappearing downstream. It's important to note that in recent years, the spring seems to have sunk even deeper, although it was active not long ago. Let us pass over the scant details of the Canaanite cult, which involved the sacrificial offering of children, sons, as human sacrifices into a rocky crevice, symbolizing the Underworld, the realm of death. This is why Jesus addresses this issue. Jesus initiates this dialogue to test their perception of his identity, which becomes a trial for his disciples, leading to the insightful response from Saint Peter.
2. Peter’s name is changed. He becomes the foundation of the faith for others. Every Christian is a priest by virtue of baptism and is called to be a foundation that conduces to the Father.
The unfolding discourse revolves around the identities of Jesus and Simon. What lies in between? Names in the Bible often relate to lineage, and Simon, Jonah's son, affirms that Jesus is the Son of the living God. Because of this recognition, Simon's name is permanently changed and he becomes a foundation for the faith of many others. The term "rock" in this context is intriguing. Saint John Paul II, in his earlier reflections, suggested that becoming a "rock" means becoming a pathway for others to reach Christ—a foundation in the true sense, and then as Pontiff, meaning a bridge. Every Christian, as a priest through baptism, is called to be a foundation, a stepping stone, for the faith of others—a conduit towards the Father.
3. Why does Jesus take the disciples to Banias? To show them that what saves us from the gates of hell is fundamentally an act of God. Christs builds the Church upon Peter, but it is an act of God. We cooperate with God’s work, becoming a conduit for it, but our guarantee is the power of God.
However, this understanding of Christ, which comes solely from the Father's revelation, as Jesus states, "flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven," is also fundamentally an act of God within us. "Upon this Rock, I will build my church." It is Christ who builds the church; it is God's work, not our own. We cooperate with the divine work within us, becoming a conduit for God's work. This church possesses a unique attribute expressed by the phrase: "The powers of Hell shall not prevail against it." In the new precise translation, the Greek text reads: "The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it," implying that it's not the powers but the gates of Hell that are at issue. In the original text, the struggle occurs at the gates of Hell in Banias—a dreadful mouth of nothingness that seems to devour everything and evokes fear and idolatry. Those gates will not withstand; the church will indeed rescue people from death and free them from darkness. This is how the Eastern tradition depicts resurrection: Christ pulling Adam and Eve out of the dark mouth of Hell. Peter recognizes Christ because the Father reveals him. This isn't Peter's own invention; he, as the son of Jonah, is a gift from God. Knowing the Lord means knowing the way to rescue humanity from darkness. Understanding Christ implies knowing what saves us from Hell. Knowing Christ is not merely an intellectual comprehension; it's an experience of liberation. Otherwise, the reason for going to Banias to make this profession of faith wouldn't be clear.
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