Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A

"You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it."

Mt 16:13-20

Rev. Alexander Diaz

Today’s liturgy is rich in content and in meaning because we hear about two significant events; knowing Jesus in His fullness and who He really is and the second event is the institution of Peter who was given the power to bind and loose as head of the Apostolic College.

Jesus asked his disciples what people thought of Him and His personality. Not an easy question to answer because there was a risk of answering something foolish and pointless. Today it is Jesus who asks - "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

He does not ask, "What do the scribes and Pharisees says I am?" They were the experts, those who really knew what to expect in the difficult and complicated subjects of faith. He asks "Who do people say ..." he was talking about those who surrounded him, who had heard Him preaching and performing miracles, we can say that they were really in direct contact with Him.

The Pharisees despised people and it is Jesus himself who wants to hear the voice of the despised. Many times we forget those voices that implore those that can help and light up our way of life of faith. You may even believe that the saints are always away from us, far from our lives and our reality.

As we heard in the gospel, the answers about his identity varied; all have their own opinion about Him, and all see Him according to their convenience, sadly but that’s how it is. And sadly, until today it remains a controversy alive in the midst of humanity.

For some He is the first communist, for others a good psychologist and teacher, others see it as a revolutionary leader, but He is much, much more than that ... The Lord goes much further and now it's up to them, his intimate friends to define to their master: “But who do you say that I am?" A new question has another completely different content. It is more intimate. It's a closed circle with which he has summoned them and explained the parables.

Peter responds on behalf of the others. When He asked about the people, it was the disciples who responded, now it is Peter who becomes the spokesman of the group and makes a confession of faith: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Immediately Jesus called him Blessed (happy) because he had grasp exactly who is the Lord.

The sages of Israel did not capture what Peter and the Apostles themselves could grasp. They were wise and rational, but the simple and humble whom the Father reveals its mysteries. So show them who is your Son. (Matt. 11: 25)

To reason is to be in a sincere search for the truth, as the sterile arguments do not lead anywhere. We need simplicity, humility, spiritual childhood, to learn the secrets of God and to realize where God is. A living faith, fervent, persevering, unyielding only comes from God and only comes to those who are open to this gift. And the key that opens our hearts and minds to the things of God is humility.

Jesus rewards the apostle with words that resonate for eternity and have been disputed by many, although I've never understood why they do it is less clear if there is no room for discussion.

"You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church, the powers of death can never win..." (Mt.16, 18). Jesus speaks of His Church as something he was going to build, it is divine and not human. And promises that no force, even those in Hell will destroy his work.

"What you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven," which is to say: whatever you decide on the earth, will be decided well in Heaven. The decisions you make, must be approved by me. Prior approval from me in Heaven at all what you decide on the earth over my church. This weighed on Peter and all the popes after him, had to have special assistance.

Jesus builds his Church with the constant presence of his Holy Spirit to the end, as rational in a world like ours, it seems difficult to understand and accept. But it is. Christ founded His Church as well. He promised to be with her until the end. "I am with you always until the end of the age" (Mt. 28, 20)

TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

“O WOMAN, GREAT IS YOUR FAITH”

Mt. 15, 21-28

Rev. Alexander Diaz

Jesus leaves the Jews’ territory and goes to the region of Tyre and Sidon, a multitude followed Him, and among this multitude,  a Canaanite woman of that district appeared, she was a gentile (we have to make clear that when we talk about gentile, it does not refer to a kind person, the  gentiles were the people  who were not Jews). 

The main reason this woman approached Jesus is, because of her daughter, her daughter was sick, she comes looking for Jesus’ mercy.  This woman represents the heart of a depressed mother caused by the suffering of her child. To deeply understand this Gospel we have to understand that according to the Jews of that time, they were the only ones called for salvation and the Messiah was coming only to save them. 

According to their belief, the gentiles were an inferior race who had no access to salvation and therefore had no right to divine mercy or comfort. 

Jesus breaks this established way of thinking, because when He saw the faith of this woman He is not interested to know her nationality, whether she is Jew or not, He only has mercy for her. Even though the dialog between them is strong in nature. It is possible that our modern mentality will fail to capture the deep significance of the encounter between the woman and the Teacher, but it has a great significance, a great meaning.  

Sometimes God places us in a position of impotence and the only way out is to beg His mercy, whether we are Christians or Pagans, believers or non-believers, religious or non-religious, practicing Catholics or cold Catholics.  It is probably what happened to this mother,  even though she was Pagan, she was so distressed by her daughter’s situation, that she has no choice but to go to the Messiah of the Jews.

Impressive, this non-Jewish woman, called Jesus, “son of David”, by which term she is recognizing  Jesus as the Messiah  the Jewish people were waiting for.  Impressive, also, that being a pagan, she asked Jesus to heal her daughter, who is “terribly tormented by a demon”.  Jesus does not say a word in answer to her, ignores her plead, makes believe He does not hear. That is the way God acts sometimes: He makes believe He does not hear us.  And ¿why? or rather, ¿how come? – To reinforce our faith.

We talk about “to put to a test” our faith. But it is not about “a test” of our faith as a test in itself, rather as an exercise to strengthen our faith.  Anyone of us would have answered instantly without asking “where are you from or what is your status”, when He hears that “she is possessed by a demon” Jesus takes a strong, serious and difficult attitude, Jesus answered: “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs”.

As the trainer ask the athlete to tense his muscles and add more resistance to them, to be better prepared, the Lord keep on trying the faith of the Canaanite woman. 

The woman does not give up or loses her faith.  She does not walk away mad or disgusted, maybe thinking, nobody loves me, how mean he was and yet he calls himself the Messiah.  I am impressed, because definitely, she will not take “no” for an answer. Rather, she will humbly and simply respond to Jesus’ arguments inrefutely: “even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters”   

The woman’s faith have been reinforced with the apparent rejection of our Lord.  And now the woman’s faith is rewarded, because she obtains what she asked of Jesus.  The gospel tells us that “her daughter was healed from that hour”.  Then Jesus said to her in reply: “O woman, great is your faith”.  And, how great is the Lord! He  gives us credit for what comes from Him. Faith is a gift that God himself have given us!

This woman represents so many of us, men and women, who actually live and experience so much sorrow, grief, needs in our lives. The doctor visits us; the problems are many, the sadness and sorrow smother, suffocate us.  “Have pity on me, Lord!” It is the cry of the soul who feels God so distant, so far away. 

Without any doubt, we want an immediate answer and we get discouraged if we don’t get it. How many times we ask, most of the time, with no result.  ¿Why God does not listen to us? We become dishearten, discouraged, we tend to doubt God and many times we get desperate.  ¿Could it be that God is testing us? ¿For how long our faith will stand?  

Wait a bit longer. Insist like this woman did. God allows this anguish to purify your intention, so you continue to trust and believe in Him even if He does not pay you any attention the first time. 

The Canaanite woman of the Gospel followed Jesus calling out to Him. The disciples lost their patience and force Jesus to stop and take care of her.  We are surprised by Jesus reaction at first.   ¿Is it possible His heart was not moved, troubled, full of mercy for this poor woman?  Of course it was.  But He preferred to be patient and wait to see how far this woman believed and trusted Him. Since her faith was so great, Jesus finally told her:  “Let it be done for you as you wish.”

 At a certain moment and time He will also tell us:  “How great is your faith”.    AMEN!!

NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

“You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Mt. 14,22-33

Rev. Alexander Diaz

One thing that have always impressed me is the friendship between Jesus and his father.  That intimate relationship among the two of them and this close relationship is shown in this Sunday’s Gospel.  

The Gospel that is a continuation of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes.

He dismisses the crowd satisfied, with their stomach full and also their souls.  They did not want to leave him, but He sends them away, not so He could rest, but to be alone with His father, He needs to talk and wants to do it alone. 

He goes up the mountain and spends the night there in prayer.  What better way to rest than praying and the open dialog with the father, to be more intimate with him.

Many times people confuse loneliness with isolation.  The loneliness of so many moments of our lives is not only convenient but necessary. Loneliness keep away our deficiencies and riches and allow us to understand who we really are.  In loneliness our souls become naked and we find peace and tranquility, in meditative and peaceful solitude God answers and you can feel him closer and closer. 

The answers to my questioning, I have found in the silence and the solitude. This is what the Teacher does this Sunday.  There are many people who are not afraid of being alone, but are afraid of the loneliness, they cannot support or tolerate it.  It is very hard for them to find themselves in solitude.

The disciples get in the boat, I imagine them, excited and talking about what has happened.  They were happy, with the illusion of being part of this great and divine adventure, but when they were far from shore, they find themselves in a storm, being tossed about by the waves and the wind against them. 

I think we are all afraid of the storm which brings lighting and thunder and more so, if you are in the middle of a lake or the ocean.  It was normal for the disciples to be scared, to be afraid.  At daybreak Jesus comes to them walking, it is not normal for a man to walk in the water. 

Peter was afraid.  He was a daring man, terrified with what was going on around him, yet, even though he was afraid, he dares to ask Jesus to let him go next to Him.  He did not say:  “Send me to walk in the water”, instead he said, “Lord if it is you, command me to come to you in the water “.

To get strength out of our own fears, to ask the Lord to let us come to Him, we want to be with Him, to go His way, to be next to Him.  Jesus asked Peter to come to Him.  Peter got out of the boat and began to walk in the water towards Jesus, trusting Him.  How many times we have moved thru the turbulent and dangerous waters and only God is the One who will not let us sink in our own fears.   Peter started walking in the direction of the one he loved the most. 

His distrust was motivated by the strong wind and even though he was walking in the right direction, fear overpowered him and he began to sink.   While he was being sustained by his trust in Jesus he was afloat, as soon as he became frightened and lost his faith, he began to sink.

The sinking of our spirits is caused by the weakness of our faith.  Faith is intimately united to fidelity and perseverance.  True faith is the one that lasts through out the ages, is not the one that is attached to the circumstances of the person.  When one believes in God with all his heart, you conserve your faith independently of how good or bad life is or what his personal circumstances are. 

We are weak because our faith is weak.  The true believer will never sink completely.  Peter cried out to Jesus: “Lord, save me”. And in this, Peter leaves a permanent lesson for our own lives: we too, have to ask God in desperation for His salvation. 

But he was humble enough to ask for Jesus’ help, and Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, taking him back to the surface.   That is the key to keep our faith afloat: beg Jesus to help us.  Only by doing so, we will be able to conserve the gift of our faith.   And in case we have a crisis, Jesus will stretch out His hand and help us recover our faith.   Jesus saves you of dangers by holding on to Him.  

Jesus hand is always stretched out to save whoever needs salvation.  When we feel less doubtful.  All doubts and fears that discourage and dishearten us are caused by our weakened faith. We doubt because we don’t have enough faith  that was what happened to the disciples, they shared everything with Jesus and yet, were very fragile and lost their faith in Him at a certain time. 

We need to have faith that He is always with us. Trust not only when we have the storm around us, but to know that God is there.  He will be there in the storm and in the quiet and calm times, in the light as well as in the darkness.  The big problem with men and women of the present time is that they trust more in their own strength, their own resources, than in God and what God does for all of us.

We believe that the goals we have met are our own achievements.   We forget that nothing, nothing can be done if God does not do it for us and in us.   If we trust more in ourselves and not in God, if we believe more in us than in God, we are in danger of sinking, if we have not already sunk.  Be on land or the sea, when it is calm, peaceful or in the storm, we can go in peace and safely, if we have our trust in God.  

Do not be afraid of the storms, do not doubt, just have faith, be faithful.

Amen!!