Twenty First Sunday Homily in Ordinary Time Year A

1st Reading – Isaiah 22:19-23

Thus says the LORD to Shebna, master of the palace:
¹⁹ “I will expel you from your station, and I will depose you from your ministry.

²⁰ And this shall be in that day: I will call my servant Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah.

²¹ And 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 Judah.

²² And 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 open.

²³ And 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.

Responsorial Psalm – Psalms 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8

R. (8bc) Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

¹ I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
^2A I will worship at your holy temple.
R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

^2B I will give thanks to your name,
because of your kindness and your truth:
³ When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

⁶ The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
⁸ Your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

2nd Reading – Romans 11:33-36

³³ Oh, the depths of the richness of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments, and how unsearchable are his ways!

³⁴ For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?

³⁵ Or who first gave to him, so that repayment would be owed?

³⁶ For from him, and through him, and in him are all things. To him is glory, for all eternity. Amen.

Alleluia – Matthew 16:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
¹⁸ You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – Matthew 16:13-20

¹³ Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷ 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.

¹⁸ 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.

¹⁹ 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.”

²⁰ Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.