The Catholic Calendar for Sunday, August 21, 2005
The Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Isaiah 22:15, 19-23
Psalm 138:1-3, 6, 8
Romans 11:33-36
Matthew 16:13-20

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

"Blessed are you, Simon, Son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And upon this rock, I will build my Church and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16: 13-20)

“Who do you say that ‘I Am’?”

One immediately identifies that a soul that receives from the Father, the revelation of Who the Son is, becomes 'rock' upon which Christ's church may be built with the promise that the gates of the netherworld will not prevail against it.

Apostolically, Peter is chosen by the Father as the rock through which Christ's successive authority is enlivened. "Son of Jonah", Christ characterizes Peter, is to extend Christ's redemption through the forgiveness of sins. Like Jonah, Peter, and indeed the body of Christ as His Church, is “sent” to extend this good news beyond the Jewish nation to those souls willing to repent.

Through apostolic succession, forgiveness of sins for each baptized soul builds the body of Christ as His Church. One receives ‘He Who is Truth’ through the actions of the Holy Spirit and Christ present in the sacraments. One's very life, conformed to these graces and actions of God, builds His church within and extends this to the waiting world. “Go and make disciples of all nations.”

O Lord, open our hearts to receive and extend your presence of Truth to all with the blessed assurance that the gates of hell will not prevail against us, your holy Church. May we see in our Lady, the image of the first, "full of grace", beholding You, conforming her life at each moment to Your perfect will, and faithfully cooperating in your redemptive actions, thus serving You in this purpose. Amen.

- Mary Williams
(www.impactbydesign.biz)

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