21st Sunday of Ordinary Time

 


TWENTY FIRST SUNDAY, ORDINARY TIME 


We’re hearing a selection from Matthew chapter 16—emphasis on the word “selection.”  As we leave off at verse twenty it sounds like Peter has found favor with the Master. But what happens if you read on, just a few more verses? Peter goes from progress to regress. By all appearances he goes from favor to disfavor. However, we should be careful about thinking in absolute terms. It’s not as if favor is actually being withdrawn from Peter. He’s not duplicating the fate of that Old Testament figure, Shebna. In the case of Shebna, favor is being completely withdrawn (see Isaiah 22:15-19). He vanishes. He’s no longer part of the picture. 


Peter, as we will come to see, does remain a critical part of the picture. Therefore, the events of Matthew 16 need to be understood as remedial. Peter is not being banished. He’s not being dismissed. Rather, he’s being subjected to a form of remedial training. It’s not what he would prefer. It doesn’t rate as something desirable. But it could be described as something essential, something necessary. In many ways it parallels the bitter pill that Mickey Mantle had to swallow back in 1951. Having made his way into the starting lineup for the Yankees, he ends up being sent back to the minors. He becomes very discouraged. His father urges him to look on the bright side: Take advantage of this opportunity. You need this. Work on those fundamentals. This way, when you return to the Yankees, your position will be a truly secure position. 


Mantle will respond by committing himself to the process. He will rejoin the major league Yankees and ultimately earn his way into the Hall of Fame. Willie McCovey of the Giants will follow a similar pattern. He will descend from the majors, apply himself in the minors, re-enter the majors, and eventually reach the Hall of Fame. Early on in Matthew 16 we are presented with a Peter who has found his way into the majors—even if just briefly. By the end of the chapter he has been assigned to the minors. He will shift back and forth for a period. Then finally he will attain his fullest potential. Like Mantle and McCovey, he comes back better than ever. 


So we can say that remedial training was a benefit for each of these individuals. What should this mean for the rest of us? It seems that we shouldn’t be taken by surprise if a remedial element works its way into our own story. Remedial stages may very well become a part of your journey—and also mine. According to St. Paul, there can be no way of measuring the immensity of the Lord’s wisdom. It’s been revealed as both infinite and likewise mysterious (see Romans 11:33-36). It doesn’t always bring you what it is that you want. But it provides you with what it is that you need. 

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome

 These are text versions of the sermons I have prepared for the Sundays of the calendar year. I am a Catholic priest of the diocese of Gaylord (Michigan), ordained in 1997. 
Read more

Second Sunday of Easter [B]

Image
  SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER  You will find that some Bible passages have a way of explaining themselves. These verses come across as straight-forward. You don’t need any help forming your interpretation. But then you make your way into the First Letter of St. John. Chapter five outlines a series of witnesses; referred to as the Spirit, the Water, and the Blood (5:6-8). Jesus comes to us by way of the Spirit, by way of the Water, and by way of the Blood. Upon consulting the commentaries you discover that scholarly opinion remains divided, regarding this selection. A definitive interpretation has not yet been reached. Generally, however, speculation has leaned in the direction of the Jordan River, with Jesus stepping forward to be baptized.   If you pray the Rosary, this ranks as the first of the Luminous Mysteries. You know that this mystery centers around the symbol of water. You know also that the Holy Spirit becomes visible in the image of a dove (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10). Two of the wit
Read more

Passion Sunday [B]

Image
  PASSION SUNDAY Because we are in the “B” cycle, this year’s Passion reading will come from the Gospel of St. Mark. Last year, with cycle “A,” we heard St. Matthew’s account. Next year, observing cycle “C,” we will hear from St. Luke. If you are wondering about St. John, we spend time in his Gospel every year, especially during the seasons of Lent and Easter. As for Mark, his Gospel bears a resemblance to both Matthew and Luke. These are called the “Synoptic Gospels,” because they appear to be synchronized around a common body of source material. We find plenty in the way of similarities, but we also find peculiarities---elements that are unique to each of the Synoptics. For example, with regard to Mark’s version of the Passion, attention is called to a particular young man who panics as the authorities come to arrest Jesus. He, likewise, very nearly gets apprehended, but they manage only to grip the hem of his tunic. The unnamed disciple slips out of his garment and runs off into the
Read more