Commentary on Matthew 16:13-20 from “Living Space”

We now reach a high point in Matthew’s narrative. More than any of the other gospels, his is a Gospel of the Church. (Mark emphasizes discipleship; Luke the communication of God’s love and compassion; John unity with God through Jesus.)

We find Jesus and his disciples in the district of Caesarea Philippi. This is not the fine city of Caesarea built by Herod the Great on the shore of the Mediterranean. It was a town, rebuilt by Herod’s son Philip, who called it after the emperor Tiberius Caesar and himself. It lay just to the north of the Sea of Galilee and near the slopes of Mount Hermon. It had originally been called Paneas, after the Greek god Pan and is known today as Banias.

The area was predominantly pagan, dominated by Rome. In a sense, therefore, it was both an unexpected yet fitting place for Jesus’ identity to be proclaimed. He was, after all, not just for his own people but for the whole world.

Jesus begins by asking his disciples who people think he really is. They respond with some of the speculations that were going round: he was John the Baptist resurrected from the dead (Herod’s view, for instance) or Elijah (whose return was expected to herald the imminent coming of the Messiah) or Jeremiah or some other of the great prophets.

The Jews at this time expected a revival of the prophetic spirit which had been extinct since Malachi. John was regarded by many of the people as a prophet, although he denied that he was the expected prophet, often thought to be Elijah returned. The early Christians saw Jesus as a prophet but with the appearance of prophecy as a charism in their communities the term was dropped in his case.

Interestingly, the people did not seem to think that Jesus himself was on a par with these ‘greats’ of their history. We do tend to undervalue the leaders of our own time when compared with those of the past.

“And you,” Jesus goes on, “who do you say I am?” It was a moment of truth, a very special moment in his disciples’ relationship with their Master. Simon speaks up: “You are the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God.” It is a huge step forward for Peter and his companions. As we shall see, it is not yet a total recognition of his identity or mission. But Jesus is no mere rabbi, no mere prophet, but the long-awaited Messiah and Saviour King who would deliver Israel. It is an exciting moment in their relationship with him. And it is only in Matthew that Peter calls him “Son of God”.

The focus now shifts immediately to Simon. He is praised for his insight but Jesus makes clear that it comes from divine inspiration and is not a mere deduction. A ‘mystery’, in the Scripture sense, is being uncovered.

And now comes the great promise. Simon from now on is to be called ‘Peter’, a play on the word for ‘rock’ (kepha in Aramaic, petra/petros in Greek), for he will become the rock on which the “church” will be built, a rock which will stand firm against all attacks on it. A promise which must have sounded very daring at the time it was written but which 2,000 years have again and again vindicated. ‘Peter’ in either its Aramaic or Hebrew was not a previously known personal name.

The term ‘church’ only appears twice in Matthew and not at all in the other three gospels. The Hebrew word qahal which in Greek is rendered as ekklesia (‘ekklhsia), means ‘an assembly called together’. It was used often in the Old Testament to indicate the community of the Chosen People.

“By using this term ekklesia side by side with ‘Kingdom of Heaven’, Jesus shows that this eschatological community (community of the ‘end-times’) is to have its beginnings here on earth in the form of an organised society whose leader he now appoints.” (Jerusalem Bible, loc. cit.)

And Simon is given power and authority, the “keys of the Kingdom”, all that he will need to make the Kingdom a reality. His authority and that of the ‘church’ is the authority of Jesus himself. Whatever Peter and the church formally decide is immediately ratified by God; they are his appointed agents.

Lastly, they are strictly ordered not to tell anyone else that Jesus is the Messiah. The people are not ready to hear it; they have their own expectations which are very different from the Messiah that Jesus is going to be. The disciples themselves have a totally wrong idea as becomes immediately clear in what follows.

From the moment that they recognise Jesus as Messiah, he begins to prepare them for what is going to happen. “[The Son of Man] must go to Jerusalem to suffer greatly at the hands of the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and to be put to death, and raised up on the third day.” This is the first of three ominous predictions.

After the euphoria of knowing their Master was the Messiah, all their dreams and hopes are shattered by these terrible revelations. It is hard for us to imagine the impact these words must have had. Peter, who had just covered himself in glory and been appointed leader, almost patronisingly takes Jesus aside, “God forbid that any such thing ever happen to you!”

For him and the others this was an unthinkable scenario for the Messiah they were all waiting for. How much more shocked Peter must have been at Jesus’ reaction. “Get out of my sight, you Satan! You are trying to make me trip and fall. You are not judging by God’s standards but by man’s.” The man who was just now called a Rock is accused of being Satan’s advocate! Instead of being a rock of stability, he is seen as a stumbling block in the way of Jesus.

Peter is seen as doing the very work of the devil in trying to divert Jesus from the way he was called to go, the way in which God’s love would be revealed to us, the way in which we would be liberated for the life of the Kingdom.

It will take time before Peter and the others both understand and accept the idea of a suffering and dying Messiah. It will not happen until after the resurrection. Before that the Rock will be guilty of a shameful betrayal of the Man who put such trust in him.

We too can ask ourselves to what extent we accept Jesus the rejected, suffering, dying and rising Messiah.

Structure of Matthew Chapter 16

Structure of Matthew chapter 16 can be divided into five parts:

1. The Pharisees demand a sign and Jesus responds (verses 1-4)

2. Jesus' warning to avoid the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees (verses 5-12)

3. Peter's profession of the Christ and the Son of God founds His Church (verses 13-20)

4. The first prediction of the Passion (verses 21-23)

5. Jesus states the conditions of discipleship (verses 24-28)

Matthew 16:1-4 ~ The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand a Sign from Heaven
1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came and, to test him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven.  2 He said to them in reply, "(in the evening you say, Tomorrow will be fair, for the sky is red'; 3 and, in the morning, Today will be stormy, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to judge the appearance of the sky, but you cannot judge the signs of the times.)  4 An evil and unfaithful [adulterous] generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Then he left them and went away. (..) this passage does not appear in all manuscripts; [..] = literal translation (The Interlinear Bible: Greek-English, vol. IV, pages 46-47).

This is the second time Jesus has been asked to produce a "sign" that His authority comes from God (12:38), but this time it isn't just the Pharisees and scribes who are asking. The Sadducees have also come from Jerusalem to demand that Jesus produce a sign from heaven to authenticate His claims (i.e., 9:6). Both groups are refusing to accept His exorcisms and healings as evidence of the authentication of His claims. That they are united in their desire to "test" Jesus (verse 1) may suggest a link to Satan who also tested Jesus (Mt 4:1-11). Jesus has already referred to the Pharisees and scribes who oppose Him as the "sons" of Satan when He called them a "brood of vipers" and accused them of being evil (Mt 12:34).

Question: What did Jesus tell the Pharisees and scribes who demanded a sign in 12:38-42?
Answer: Jesus called them an "evil and unfaithful/adultrous generation" and told them no sign would be given except the "sign of Jonah."

The Sadducees were rivals of the Pharisees; both groups competed for the approval and support of the people. Most of the chief priests were Sadducees. This is the first of several occasions where the two groups will be united in their opposition to Jesus. 

Question: Why are they asking for a "sign from heaven"/from God and what kind of sign are they demanding as proof that His authority comes from God if His words of healing of the sick, restoring of the physical disabled, casting out demons and raising the dead are not enough?
Answer: Their purpose is to discredit Jesus in front of the people. They are probably asking for a sign like the Theophany at Sinai.

Matthew 16:2-3 ~ He said to them in reply, "[in the evening you say, Tomorrow will be fair, for the sky is red'; 3 and, in the morning, Today will be stormy, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to judge the appearance of the sky, but you cannot judge the signs of the times.]  The bracketed passage is not found in a number of important Greek manuscripts of Matthew, but it is similar to a passage in Luke 12:54-56.

Question: What is Jesus' response to their demand for a sign from God in this passage?
Answer: He tells them they apparently know how to read the signs of the weather but cannot read the "signs of the times," meaning they cannot or will not interpret His miracles as signs of His authority and the beginning of the Messianic Age as predicted in the writings of the prophets.

Matthew 16:4 ~ An evil and unfaithful (adulterous) generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Then he left them and went away. 

Question: When did Jesus make this same charge previously and what is significant about Jesus using the charge of adultery in the literal translation? See the chart "Symbolic Images of the Old Testament Prophets."
Answer: Jesus' accusation that His generation is "adulterous," means that they are unfaithful to Yahweh who is Israel's divine Bridegroom; it is another symbolic image of the prophets "marriage" imagery for Israel's covenant relationship with God. When the Israelites become "unfaithful" to their covenant obligations they are behaving like an adulterous wife. Jesus made the same charge in 12:39.

Question: Once again Jesus tells His opponents that the only sign they will be given is the "sign of Jonah." What is that sign? See 12:39-40 and CCC 994.
Answer: Using the "sign" of the prophet Jonah who was inside the belly of the whale (or great fish) for three days before he was released, Jesus predicted His death and Resurrection as the only sign they will see.

Matthew 16:5-12 ~ Jesus' Warning against the Teaching of the Failed Leadership of the Old Covenant
5 In coming to the other side of the sea, the disciples had forgotten to bring bread.  6 Jesus said to them, "Look out, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  7 They concluded among themselves, saying, "It is because we have brought no bread."  8 When Jesus became aware of this he said, "You of little faith, why do you conclude among yourselves that it is because you have no bread?  9 Do you not yet understand, and do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many wicker baskets you took up?  10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up?  11 How do you not comprehend that I was not speaking to you about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 

There are some amusing elements to this exchange between Jesus and His disciples. Jesus is still focused on His confrontation with the Pharisees and Sadducees and uses leaven as a symbol of their false interpretation of the Law and their evil influence that spreads like an infection in the same way yeast expands dough. The disciples, however, are more concerned about their empty stomachs "their focus is more on the material than the spiritual.

Question: How does Jesus point out that it is ridiculous for them to be concerned about the lack of bread?
Answer: He reminds them of the two miracle feedings. If He can feed more than five thousand and more than four thousand He can certainly provide for their needs.

When Jesus repeats His warning, they suddenly understand that Jesus is comparing leaven to the false teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.(1) A small amount of leaven can ferment the whole batch of dough (13:33) but the wrong amount can also cause the dough to go bad (1 Cor 5:6; Gal 5:9) just as the false doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees threatens to misguide the people (Mt 15:14).

Matthew 16:13-20 ~ St. Peter's Profession of the Christ and Jesus Proclaims the Founding of His Church
13 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi 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 Messiah, 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 [Petros], and upon this rock [petra] I will build my Church [ekklesia], and the gates of the netherworld [Hades] shall not prevail against it.  19 I will give you the keys of 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 Messiah. [..] = literal translation (The Interlinear Bible: Greek-English, vol. IV, pages 47-48 ).

Jesus led His disciples to the region of Caesarea Philippi, about 40 km (more than 20 miles) north of the Sea of Galilee). Caesarea Philippi was a town (also described as a collection of villages in Mk 8:27) located on the southern slope of Mount Hermon, strategically located on the border with Syria. It was located in what had been the territory of the Israelite tribe of Dan that was at one time the northern boundary of the Promised Land. At this time it was part of the tetrarchy of Herod the Great's son Philip and had a largely Gentile population. It was near the site of one of the springs that was a source of the Jordan River, the site of which was considered to be a spiritual location from the time of the Canaanite inhabitants who built shrines to Baal-gad (Josh 11:17; 12:7; 13:5) and Baal-hermon (Judg 3:3; 1 Chr 5:23). After the Greek conquest in the 4th century BC, the Greeks dedicated a shrine to Pan (pagan god of nature, shepherds, flocks, the spring and fertility) at the site where the headwaters of the Jordan River emerged from the ground (Josephus, Antiquities, 15.10.3 [364]). They also named the nearly town Panias after the Greek god. Then, in the latter part of the 1st century BC, Herod the Great built a temple to Caesar Augustus near the source of the Jordan River. When Philip became the ruler of the region, he rebuilt the small town of Panias into a Hellenistic city, naming it after the Roman Caesar and adding his own name.(2)  In choosing this rocky mountain location to announce the foundation of His Church upon Peter and Peter's proclamation of faith in Jesus as the divine Messiah, Jesus was reclaiming holy ground that had been usurped by the pagans.

Question: Using His favorite title for Himself, what does Jesus ask the disciples and why do they respond the way they do?
Answer: He asks what was the common view of the people concerning His identity, and they respond that some think He is John the Baptist returned from the dead like Herod Antipas (Mt 14:2), others think He is the prophet Elijah who was prophesied to herald the coming of the Messiah (Mal 3:23/4:5), while others say Jesus has come in the spirit of the prophet Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.

All of the men mentioned by the disciples were prophets. While there had been many false prophets, the people realized that the true spirit of prophecy had been absent from the people of God since the last prophet Malachi in the 5th century BC. The coming of God's supreme prophet as promised in Deuteronomy 18:15-19 and an outpouring of God's Spirit (Ez 36:26-27; Joel 3:1-2) were the signs that the people believed heralded the coming of the Messianic Age. Jesus was teaching with authority, speaking in the symbolic language of the prophets and performing miracles and symbolic acts like the prophets.

Question: Does Jesus ever refer to Himself as a prophet? See Mt 13:57 and Lk 13:33.
Answer:  Yes, Jesus referred to Himself as a prophet during His visit to Nazareth and will again before He goes to Jerusalem to die.

Then Jesus asks His disciples what they believe about His true identity.

Question: How does St. Peter respond to Jesus' question concerning His true identity?
Answer: Peter confesses that He is not only the Messiah but that He is the Son of the Living God.

Question: What does Peter mean using these titles for Jesus in his confession of faith? See CCC 441-42.
Answer: While the usual meaning of the title "son of God" in the Old Testament referred to a form of adoption as "sons" of God for angels, prophets, the children of Israel, Davidic kings, etc., this is not the way Peter offers his confession of Jesus' identity. It is Jesus' response which tells us that Peter understands Jesus' true identity as the divine Son of God the Father.

Matthew 16:17 ~ 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 (emphasis added).

Question: What does Jesus' response reveal to the reader?
Answer: Acknowledging Peter's confession of faith, Jesus blesses him and tells the assembled disciples that Simon-Peter received this knowledge not from any human person ("flesh and blood") but, by the grace of God the Father, Peter has received a divine revelation of Jesus' true nature.

Matthew 16:18 ~ And so I say to you, you are Peter [Petros], and upon this rock [petra] I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld [Hades] shall not prevail against it.

Jesus would have been speaking in Aramaic and the Aramaic translation of the key words for "rock" in Jesus' statement would have been in English: "You are the Rock [Kepa] and upon this rock [kepa] I will build my Church." In response to Peter's confession of faith, Jesus reaffirms the new name He gave him when Jesus first met him on the banks of the Jordan River before He began His ministry in the Galilee. At that time He said, "You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Kephas" (which is translated Peter) (Jn 1:42; emphasis added; also see Mk 3:16 and Lk 6:14 for evidence an earlier name change). 

Kephas is the Greek transliteration of the Aramaic word kepa which means "rock."(3) In the Greek text Matthew uses the masculine Petros for the Greek feminine word for "rock" which is petra.  Bible scholars and historians have not found any evidence that either Kepha or Petros were used as personal names prior to Jesus conferring the name on Simon as the leader of the Apostles to symbolize his change in destiny from humble fisherman to the foundation stone of the Messiah's community of disciples (NJB Study Edition, page 1637, footnote "f").

Notice that Jesus identified the name of Peter's father as "John" (Yehohanan in Hebrew) in John 1:42. This same name for Peter's father is given in John 21:15, 16 and 17. However, in verse 17 Jesus calls him Simeon bar Jonah (Matthew uses the Aramaic word for son, "bar" instead of the Hebrew, "ben"). This is the sixth time Jesus has mentioned the Galilean prophet Jonah (see Mt 12:39, 40, 41 twice, and 16:4 or the chart in handout 1 of Lesson 16), symbolically linking the prophet Jonah to Jesus' mission. This time Jesus links Jonah to Peter's mission. 

Question: If Simon-Peter was the son of a man named "John," then why did Jesus call Peter "Simon son of Jonah"? How are Peter's mission and Jonah's mission alike?
Answer: Jonah was a Galilean who was sent by God to the Gentile people of Nineveh, the capital city of the region's super-power, the Assyrian Empire, to tell them to repent and to acknowledge the God of Israel. Jesus will send the Galilean, Simon-Peter, to Rome, the capital city of the region's super-power, the Roman Empire, to tell the Gentiles of the Roman world to repent and to accept Jesus as Lord-God and Savior.

Jesus changed Simon's name to Kepha "Rock, Petros in Greek and Peter in the English transliteration of the Greek name. A change in the name of a servant of God signifies a change in destiny, as in Hoshea's name change to Yehoshua/Joshua (Num 13:16). In the Old Testament "rock" was a word used to describe Abraham as the physical father from whom the children of Israel were hewn (Is 51:1-2). Rock is not just an adjective used to describe Peter as the spiritual father of the New Covenant children of God. Jesus uses the word as a personal name signifying a change in Simon's destiny as the leader and foundation "rock" of Jesus' Church (CCC 881). The Greek text uses the word ekklesia, meaning "called out." It is a word meant to define Jesus' assembly of believers. It is a word that in English is best translated as "Church" and expresses same meaning as the Hebrew word for the assembly of the chosen people who were the kahal, the "called out" ones "those called out of the world and into covenant with Yahweh.(4)

and the gates of the netherworld [Hades] shall not prevail against it.  Hades is the Greek word for the abode of the dead; in Hebrew the realm of the dead is Sheol. This realm of the dead was conceived of as a walled city in which its inhabitants were imprisoned. In this statement Jesus promises that His Church will not be overcome by the power of death "the Church of His heavenly kingdom will overcome death.

Matthew 16:19 ~ I will give you the keys of 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.

Question: What three spiritual gifts does Peter receive in Jesus' blessing in verses 17-19?
Answer: Peter has been given divine insight, power and authority. He has the authority to forgive sins or to bind sins (thus controlling the entrance into the heavenly kingdom) and is commissioned as the leader of the Apostles and the entire community of believers that will become the New Covenant Church.

Question: Jesus has elevated Simon-Peter above his fellow Apostles to be the leader of Jesus' ministers and the Vicar of His Kingdom. How is the office of the Davidic Vicar/Prime Minister Eliakim described in Isaiah 22:20-25?
Answer: 

• He wore a garment that identified his high office (verse 21)

• He was a "father" to the people of the kingdom (verse 21)

• As the Vicar of the King, the Davidic chief minister kept the "key of the house of David" (verse 22) 

• The key was his sign of authority and gave him the power to "open and shut" "make binding decisions for the good of the kingdom (verse 22) 

• He is responsible for the glory of his family "from the least to the greatest member ""all the little dishes, from bowls to jugs" (verse 24)

In the same way, Peter is now called to serve as the Vicar of Christ the King and have authority over His Kingdom of heaven on earth, the Church "the "household/family of Christ. Jesus' giving Peter the "keys of the kingdom of heaven" is Peter's official elevation to the office of Vicar of Christ's Kingdom and the shepherd of the whole flock (also see Jn 21:15-17; CCC 553). Peter's office, established by Jesus Christ and the pastoral office of the other Apostles as Christ's lesser ministers forms an apostolic college that belongs to the foundation of the Church. These are offices founded by Christ that are continued in the primacy of the Pope and the universal Magisterium of the bishops (CCC 869, 880-81).

Question: The responsibilities of Peter's high office have been passed down to Christ's Vicars who have succeeded him. How is the authority of the Popes of the Catholic Church, the Vicars of Christ who have succeeded St. Peter, the same as the Davidic Vicars?

Answer:

• The Pope wears a garment that identifies his high office

• He is a “father” to the people of Christ’s kingdom “the Church

• As the Vicar of the King, the Pope has the symbolic “keys of the Kingdom Jesus entrusted to Peter

• The keys are his sign of authority and give him the power to “bind and loose” “make binding decisions for the good of the Church

• He is responsible for the glory of his family, the community of the world-wide Church “from the least to the greatest members

Question: Unlike the Davidic Vicar in Isaiah 22:22, Peter will be given the "keys" plural. What are the two keys that are in Peter's control?
Answer: The two keys refer to the power Peter has to "bind and loose" sins, controlling the keys that give access to the kingdom of heaven "the key that releases man from the gates of death in Sheol/Hades and the key that provides entry into the gates of heaven.

Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

The authority to "bind and loose" will be repeated to Peter and the college of Apostles (Mt 18:18) and is reaffirmed after Jesus' Resurrection when Jesus breaths the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and tells them: "Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained" (Jn 20:21-23). 

Question: What authority did Jesus give Peter and the Apostles and their successors in using the metaphors of binding and loosing? See CCC 553, 1441-45.
Answer: The power to bind and loose is exercised by Christ's Vicar and the Magisterium:

• To forgive sins and to pronounce penance for sins to reconcile sinners to the Church

• To give authoritative teaching and make judgments concerning correct doctrine

• To discipline the congregation of the faithful when some fall into error by imposing or later lifting the ban of excommunication

From this time forward, the acknowledgement of Jesus' divine sonship will become the confession of apostolic faith revealed by God, first spoken by Peter and the Apostles and disciples, and repeated by the faithful across the world today; it is on the rock of this faith, confessed by Peter, that Christ built His Church (CCC 424).

Matthew 16:20 ~ Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah.  According to the Gospel of St. John, this is the second year of Jesus' ministry. Jesus warns the disciples not to reveal His true identity. Such a declaration would serve to intensify the enmity of the Pharisees and Sadducees and it is not yet time for the climax of salvation history's great drama of the revelation of the Messiah. However, now that His disciples know His true identity, Jesus will begin to prepare them for the traumatic events they are destined to experience.

Matthew 16:21-23 ~ Jesus' First Prediction of the Passion
21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.  22 Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."  23 He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

Verse 21 announces a turning point in Jesus' ministry. This is the first of three predictions that Jesus gives concerning His Passion (also see Mt 17:22-23; 20:17-19). In sharing this secret with the disciples, Jesus is correcting the common misperception that the Messiah is coming in triumph and glory to vanquish Israel's enemies and to re-establish the Davidic kingdom on earth just as it had been in the past in the glory days of kings David and Solomon. Jesus' revelation of His suffering and death in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies of the Suffering Servant (Is 52:13-53:12) marks a new phase in Jesus' ministry, as Matthew introduces with the phrase "From that time on ..." (Mt 16:21). See the chart Isaiah's Suffering Servant fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.

The reference to the "third day" in verse 21, in addition to being a link to the "sign of Jonah" may also be meant to recall Hosea 6:1-2: In their affliction, they shall look for me: "Come, let us return to the LORD, for it is he who has rent, but he will heal us; he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds. He will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up, to live in his presence.

Question: Why does Peter resist what Jesus has told the disciples about His suffering and death, and why does Jesus rebuke him so harshly? Hint: Peter may be thinking of the fate of other chief priests opposed God's plan in favor of their own (see Lev 10:1-2).
Answer: Peter now understands that Jesus is the divine Messiah "He is God Himself come to gather His scattered people and fulfill the prophecy of Ezekiel chapter 34. Peter knows the Temple hierarchy has no power over the Christ and so he cannot comprehend why Jesus would allow Himself to be killed by those in authority over the Church of the Sinai Covenant when He could simply consume them in holy fire like the rebellious priestly sons of Aaron. Jesus rebukes Peter because he has voiced opposition to God's plan when he should be humbly accepting God's plan and assisting Jesus in His mission.

The Hebrew word satan means adversary. Whenever one stands as an adversary to God's plan for man's salvation that person is indeed acting as Satan in human form. Jesus' rebuke of Peter is similar to His rebuke of Satan in Matthew 4:10.

Matthew 16:24-28 ~ Jesus States the Conditions of Discipleship
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.  25 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.  26 What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?  27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.  28 Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Jesus uses the image of a cross, an instrument of death in the execution of criminals, as a shocking metaphor for the obedience of discipleship. 

Question: What is Jesus condition for true discipleship?
Answer: The willingness to disown one's self interest to the point of being willing to die for Jesus.

Verse 27 is a prophecy of the return of Christ (the Parousia) after His Ascension and the Last Judgment, but in the next verse Jesus says that there are those standing in His presence who will witness the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. The coming in His glory and the coming of His Kingdom are two different events.

Question: What is "the Kingdom" of Jesus Christ in verse 28? See Mt 13:38 and 41.
Answer: According to the Parable of the Weeds and the Wheat, the Kingdom of the Son of Man is the world and the Church is the place where His kingdom is manifested.

Jesus' sovereignty over the world will be established in His glorious Resurrection when He has defeated sin and death. His sovereignty over the world precedes His Second Coming in glory in the event of the Parousia. Those who will live to see the Son of Man "coming in His Kingdom" are those who will live to see His glorious Resurrection and Ascension. The phrase the Son of Man coming in his kingdom is probably also a reference to Daniel's vision: I saw One like a son of man coming on the clouds of heaven; when he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, he received dominion, glory, and kingship; nations and peoples of every language serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed (Dan 7:13-14). Jesus will refer to this passage at His trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin (Mt 26:64; Mk 14:61-64).

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 20, 2023

We must have faith in God’s goodness against all indications to the contrary/God’s love is for all peoples

Matthew 15:21–28

Then Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not say a word in answer to her.

His disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”

Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Music Meditations

• “Lord of All Hopefulness” (by Jan Struther and Randall DeBruyn) [YouTube]
• “Hold Me In Life” (by Huub Oosterhuis and Bernard Huijbers) [YouTube]
• “Ahavat Olam” (Song of Thanksgiving) (sung by by Ben, Jonah and Henry Platt) [YouTube], a Hebrew song of trust in God
• “So Will I” (Ben Platt) [YouTube] (popular song)

Opening Prayer

Adapted from Thomas Merton:

Lord, there have been times when I was ready to give up, believing that nobody cared about my pain or that of a love one. Believing that nobody cared about the state of the earth. I need to remember Lord, that you care for me and mine and I need to remember your goodness when it seem all is lost.

Companions for the Journey

From Living Space, a Service of the Irish Jesuits:

Jesus is seen on one of his few visits outside Jewish territory. The cities of Tyre and Sidon are on the Mediterranean coast in what is today Lebanon. While he is there he is approached by a Canaanite (that is, a non-Jewish) woman whose child is “troubled by a demon”. Whether it was an actual possession or some natural physical or mental ailment does not really matter. Already the woman’s faith and trust in Jesus is indicated by the way she addresses him, “Lord, Son of David!” coupled with her plea for his compassion.

At first, Jesus ignores her completely. The disciples intervene and ask Jesus to give her what she wants because she is making such a nuisance of herself. Jesus replies that his mission is only to the “house of Israel”, to which this woman clearly does not belong. N the meantime the woman continues her pleading, “Help me, Lord!” She is following, in fact, advice that the Gospel gives – keep on asking. Jesus replies in words that sound very harsh, if not racist: “It is not right to take the children’s food and give it to the dogs.” ‘Dogs’, together with ‘swine’, was a common colloquial expression among Jews for Gentiles (cf. Matt 7:6: “Do not give what is holy to dogs or cast your pearls before swine.”) The dog was regarded as an unclean and promiscuous animal. Because it was such a common expression, it is probably not as harsh as it sounds to us and, if spoken with a measure of humor (implied by Jesus’ use of the diminutive, ‘doggies’), would not have given offence at all. As they say, everything is in the tone of voice. (Not unlike when my Chinese friends call me a gwai-lo [‘devil fellow’] – a common term for non-Chinese.) Jesus was not a racist; that is clear from other situations where he dealt with non-Jews and with other commonly despised groups. For her part, the woman certainly is not in the least fazed. She comes right back: “Even the dogs eat the leavings that fall from their masters’ tables.” That was enough for Jesus. She had proved her genuineness. “Woman, you have great faith. Your wish will come to pass.” Her daughter was cured on the spot. It is a hint of what is to come.

Membership of God’s people will be measured not by birth or circumcision but by a living faith in Jesus as Lord. A story like this is an occasion for us to look at our own attitudes to people of other races, ethnic groups and nationalities not to mention the socially disadvantaged or physically or mentally disabled – in other words, any people who are ‘different’. How inclusive are we in word and action? And does our parish community go out of its way to provide a welcome for the ‘outsider’? These are very real questions in societies which are becoming more and more inter-cultural.

Further reading:

• Reflection on Matthew 15:21–28 from “First Impressions” >>
• Reflection on Matthew 15:21–28 from The Lutheran School >>

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• Have I ever seen the hand of God in unexpected situations?
  How did I react?
• Did the reaction of the Canaanite woman surprise me? How would I have reacted if the first answer I got from Jesus was “no”?
• Has it ever seemed that at times God was ignoring me, or at least distant and unapproachable?
  Does initial rejection of a petition or hope send me away in defeat or resentment, or does it call forth an energy and determination to make myself known and heard?
  Have I ever felt that my misery was ignored by God, as Jesus seemed to ignore the Canaanite woman at first?
• Do I see in this woman an indomitable spirit that will never give up hoping and praying for someone she loves?
  Who or what in my own life calls out that persistence in me?
• Her prayer to Jesus was an expression of both helplessness and trust. Where in my prayer life have I expressed both?
• Often we think of faith as belief in a set of theological constructs, but Jesus in this paragraph identifies faith as a trust in his love and kindness. How would I characterize the word “faith” in my own life?
• In chapter 10 of this gospel Jesus tells his disciples not to stray out of Jewish territory, and at the beginning of this segment of chapter 15, he seems to be emphasizing that his mission is to the House of Israel only. However, by the end of the section, we see that Jesus has learned something profound about the faith of a non-Jew, and changes his negative response to a positive one.
  Do I forget that Jesus had to learn how to walk, how to be a carpenter, how to pray, how to shape a mission, how to follow it, and that this learning might be a gradual process, subject to possible human error?
• Is it hard for me to think of the humanity of Jesus, with its attendant learning curve?
  Is it hard for me to think of Jesus having to learn things about his mission?
  Although theology tells me that Jesus is both God and human do I frequently dwell on Jesus’ divinity, at the expense of his humanity?
• Do I harbor, maybe even unconsciously, a sense of exclusivity about how the faith should be lived out and by whom?
• Who are the people in my life that I don’t pay enough attention to?
• Might the purpose of this story be to illustrate that membership in God’s kingdom is not limited to religious identity or to other external circumstances? Do I harbor an unconscious sense that my affinity group (religion, ethnicity, university affiliation, country of origin, etc) is better than others, or even more beloved by God?
• “Dogs” was a Jewish name for Gentiles, and Jesus’ expression raised no eyebrows in his own time, when ethnic and tribal loyalty in the face of danger from the outside was the norm. Many of us have more unconscious tribal tendencies than we want to admit to. Do I have epithets or subtle exclusionary names for the “others” in my life?
  Does my parish or my social group provide welcome for “the other”, for the outsider?
• Have I ever felt like an “outsider”?
• Have I ever participated in an inter-religious dialogue?
  What happened?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

Jesus’ tone in much of the exchange with the non-Jewish woman seems rather exclusionary. In this very story, Jesus’ assumptions about certain groups in our present day might be:

• Would he exclude certain groups of people from our worship assemblies?
• Would the newcomer to our country find a warm welcome in his church?
• Would he favor the benefactors over the welfare mothers and their crying infants in the back row?
• Would he want teenagers to dress according to code?
• Does he hear the prayer of someone who hasn’t prayed in thirty years as much as he does the devout nun in a monastery?
• Does he confirm the notions of those exclusive Christians who see all others as “infidels” of one kind or another?

Are any of these possibilities above a reality in today’s religious groups, including mine?

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

Could we treat this pagan woman’s dialogue with Jesus as a prayer of petition and her response as a prayerful and honest reaction expressing her disappointment and feistiness? How often is our Prayer “sanitized”—expressing what we think God wants to hear? In many of the psalms (often called Psalms of Lamentation) we see a people who are honest and raw in their feelings about life, and willing to share their frustrations with God. Read selections from Psalm 42, then write your own honest psalm about where you are in your life right now:

4My tears have become my bread, by day, by night,
as they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”

10I will say to God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning oppressed by the foe?”
11With a deadly wound in my bones, my enemies revile me,
saying to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

I read selections from psalm 69:

2Save me, O God, for the waters have risen to my neck.
3I have sunk into the mud of the deep, where there is no foothold.
I have entered the waters of the deep, where the flood overwhelms me.
4I am wearied with crying aloud; my throat is parched.
My eyes are wasted away with waiting for my God.
5More numerous than the hairs on my head are those who hate me without cause.
Many are those who attack me, enemies with lies.
What I have never stolen, how can I restore?

9To my own kin I have become an outcast,
a stranger to the children of my mother.

14But I pray to you, O LORD, for a time of your favor.
In your great mercy, answer me, O God, with your salvation that never fails.
15Rescue me from sinking in the mud; from those who hate me, deliver me.
Save me from the waters of the deep,
16lest the waves overwhelm me.  Let not the deep engulf me, nor the pit close its mouth on me.
17LORD, answer, for your mercy is kind; in your great compassion, turn towards me.
18Do not hide your face from your servant;
answer me quickly, for I am in distress.

I consider how many times we as humans turn to God only in times of personal crisis. What am I hoping for when I pray at moments like these? Do I just want to share my anxiety, and yes, my anger? Or do I want to manipulate God into changing the plans set out for my life? Anne Lamott, in Traveling Mercies says:

Here are the two best prayers I know: “Help me, help me, help me”, and “Thank you, thank you, thank you”. A woman I know says, for her morning prayer: ”Whatever”, and then for the evening, “Oh well”, but has conceded that these prayers are more palatable for people without children.

What do I think that prayer is for anyway?

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:

In the midst of the financial crisis caused by this pandemic, mothers are watching, helpless, as their children go hungry.

In the face of built-in inequality, mothers are watching, frustrated, as their children lack the basic learning tools and experiences to thrive and grow into their potential.

In the face of the opioid crisis, mothers watch in pain as their children succumb to anxiety and hopelessness, seeking escape from the lives they are living.

In the system of institutionalized racism, mothers watch in fear as their young sons are targeted for violence simply because of the color of their skin.

How do we answer the pleas of these mothers, spoken and unspoken? How do we help them nurture and protect their beloved children? The first step would be to learn more about the causes of these social ills. The next step would be to pick one cause that speaks to you personally and use the internet to discover where your resources and your time would be of use in our very community. The CC@S website would be a good place to start; contact Sister Regena Ross for some information on social Justice groups in our Catholic community.

We need to do more than wring our hands. We need to do more than pray. We need to DO!

Poetic Reflection:

How does the following poem from the Rev. Ed Ingebretsen, S.J. capture the care Jesus takes of us in our deepest need?:

“From Narrow Places”

From narrow places
the strength of our voice
rises:

our every breath
is prayer,
the great poem of need,
a constant scattering
of praise.

Early
we reach to God
in the claim of our hearts,
while he,
our father,
mothers us
in his

Poetic Reflection:

This poem by Thomas Merton seems to reflect how deeply Jesus cares for the fate of each one of us. Nevertheless, we possess free will and sometimes He has to stand by and watch us destroy ourselves and the planet we live on:

Slowly, slowly
Comes Christ through the garden
Speaking to the sacred trees
Their branches bear his light
Without harm

Slowly, slowly
Comes Christ through the ruins
Seeking the lost disciple
A timid one
Too literate
To believe words
So he hides
Christ rises on the cornfields
It is only the harvest moon
The disciple
Turns over in his sleep
And murmurs:
“My regret!”

The disciple will awaken
When he knows history
But slowly, slowly
The Lord of History weeps into the fire

—Thomas Merton “Cables to the Ace” (stanza 80)

Closing Prayer

From Sacred Space:

Lord, I want to remember this. When I want something badly, I will persist, even when the answers are not to my liking. Help me to be transformed by whatever answers you give me in my prayer life.

Reflection on Matthew 15:21–28 from The Lutheran School

In Matthew 15 we read that after Jesus had yet another “run in” with the Pharisees who had come from Jerusalem to scrutinize His actions and criticize His failure to follow the ceremonial traditions of the elders, He and His disciples withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon, two Mediterranean seaside villages northwest of the Sea of Galilee.

From a distance, a Canaanite woman saw, recognized and cried out to Jesus, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.”(Matthew 15: 22) Surprisingly, He did not respond to her at all! He was not “ignoring” her. He may, instead, have been testing the tenacity of her faith. So, with a faith that wouldn’t give up, she kept crying out to Him – to the point that Jesus’ disciples begged Him to “send her away!”

At that time, Jesus finally did respond to her, telling her that His ministry is only to the children (lost sheep) of Israel. But even this response – His recognition of her – is enough to embolden her to come closer to Him, throw herself at His feet and beg Him “Lord, help me!”(Matthew 15: 25)

He then said something to her that seems to our ears as even more harsh and “off-putting”… He told her that it is not right for Him to give the blessings that belong to the children of Israel to the dogs that surround them! With a faith that just won’t give up, she told Him she believed that He had more than enough mercy, grace, love, care, power, help and healing for the children of Israel, for her and for her ailing daughter. What GREAT faith she had!

Jesus saw her faith, commended her, granted her request and completely healed her daughter “from that very hour.” Hers was a great faith that called Him “Lord” or “Master.” Her faith caused her to come on behalf of her daughter. Against all odds, even when it appeared that she was being ignored and even turned away, she trusted, believed and hoped in Jesus! Her tenacious faith kept hanging on to the hope that He would have mercy and help her; and He did!

Have you ever felt like you were “at the end of your rope, and just barely hanging on?” perhaps it a situation at work; with your health or that of a loved one; maybe your family – or one near you – is in crisis. Does it seem, at times, that God is ignoring you, or at least distant and unapproachable?

It is at times such as these, against all odds, that God calls us to trust, believe and hope in Jesus! Our gracious Heavenly Father welcomes all who come to Him by faith. (See Isaiah 56 and Romans 11, the other scripture readings from this weekend’s services.)

He does know, love, hear and provide for us as He knows is best for us. Chiefly, God shows His mercy, grace and help for all people through the cross of Jesus – through His life-giving sacrifice for our forgiveness and the salvation of the entire world!

As we live out our faith through trials and testing, our faith grows into the “Great Faith” which Jesus commends – a Great Faith which invites us to come to Him; empowers us to seek Him every day, in every situation; and enables us to trust Him completely.

May God graciously grant you that kind of faith – “A Faith that Won’t Give Up!” – a faith that trusts your Savior, won’t let go of His promises, and carries you safely through this world and eventually into the arms of your loving, waiting Savior in the world to come!

See you in church this next weekend!

Blessings in Christ, Pastor Snow

Reflection on Matthew 15:21–28 from “First Impressions”

Today’s gospel is strange, don’t you think? It is embarrassing too, since it seems to depict Jesus in an unflattering light. A desperate woman has come seeking help for her tormented daughter. Since she is a Canaanite, an outsider to the Jewish faith, Jesus treats her abruptly. First, he ignores her then, in the parlance of the day, refers to non-Jews, as “dogs.”

If the story does anything, it certainly gets us on the side of the “under dog” -- we want to cheer the woman on, “Don’t give up! He’ll give in!” How strange, to side with a petitioner, hoping Jesus’ heart will soften towards the mother.

It is not the usual stance we take when we hear a person in need invoke Jesus’ help. Usually he is the compassionate one, eager to help those who exhibit need and faith in him. But not in today’s story. Is Jesus really as indifferent as he first seems? What’s going on here?

What will help us enter today’s story is to begin by reflecting on our basic faith in Jesus. What do we believe about his humanity? Most of us, I dare say, were raised with a strong affirmation of Jesus’ divinity. He is, we believe, the eternal Word of God made flesh. Less emphasized in our formation was an equally true doctrine of our faith: Jesus was truly human. We have to keep these two truths in balance. But we often tend to emphasize one side of the truth of Jesus’ identity; we favor his divinity. What has been neglected, at least in my upbringing, is the equally important truth that Jesus was fully human.

So ask yourself: If someone knocked on his door, would Jesus know who was there before he opened it? Traditionally we would not hesitate in answering, “Yes, he was God and knew everything.” Taking that perspective, we would approach Jesus’ rough treatment of the woman in today’s text by claiming that he knew all along what he intended to do and was testing the woman’s faith. And the woman does have faith!

Her faith has pushed her beyond her usual boundaries. She is a Canaanite and so has left her homeland to go out to Jesus. Remember that the Canaanites were the original inhabitants of the Promise Land and had been pushed out by the Israelites. The conflicts between the Jews and the Canaanites were ancient and the woman had taken a risk when she entered enemy territory. She had the courage to leave the security of the familiar to venture into a place of tension in order to get help from Jesus. It’s possible that, in making the journey, the woman was acknowledging the priority of the Jews and their faith as a place to find a gracious God willing to help her. Her desperation and courage are shown in her going to Jesus unaccompanied by a male guardian – something unusual for women of that time.

The woman’s faith is also shown in her persistence with Jesus. She is not easily dissuaded, even when Jesus refers to throwing the “children’s” (the Jews) food to the “dogs” (the Gentiles). (In the original language the word Jesus used is “puppies,” not the harsher sounding “dogs.” We sense Jesus is open to the woman and has pulled back from the way his Jewish contemporaries would have referred to her, as one of the “dogs.”) The woman insists she has some rights, even though she belongs to the “dogs” who eat the scraps from the table. She seems to be implying her belief that God will feed the “children” and the “dogs” -- both Gentiles and Jews.

Jesus has just been criticized by the Pharisees for his disciples (and by extension, Jesus) not observing dietary and ritual cleansing rules (15: 1-20).

He called the religious leaders hypocrites who only pay lip service to God. In contrast, Jesus praised the Canaanite woman for having great faith. One of the very people the religious leaders would have despised for their religious and ethical practices receives the highest praise from Jesus. So, who are the truly pious and observant in Jesus’ eyes? Those who see in him God’s gracious desire to heal, forgive and welcome to the table. At that table, as at our eucharistic table today, God serves the best bread.

The disciples were all too ready to dismiss the woman. But as it turns out she exhibits more faith than even they have, for she sees that the God Jesus proclaims includes all people, even those believed unworthy by the pious and observant. God doesn’t count class or ethnic standing as an entitlement to God’s favor. All people of faith receive and find a receptive ear in God.

Back to our earlier question: If someone knocked at the door would Jesus know who it was before opening it?” With a strong emphasis on his divinity and a lesser one on his humanity, the answer would be, “Yes, of course.” However, in recent years we have come to a renewed appreciation of Jesus’ humanity through our reinvigorated studies of scripture. For example, Paul says that Christ emptied himself, “taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness, one like us in all things but sin (Phil. 2: 6-7). In Hebrews we are told Jesus was “tempted in every way that we are, yet never sinned” (4: 15). Again in Hebrews, Jesus “learned obedience from what he suffered.” After his parents found the boy Jesus in the temple Luke tells us he returned with them to his home, “was obedient to them” and “progressed in wisdom and age and grace before God and humans” (2: 51-52). From this biblical perspective we observe that Jesus, like all humans, did not come into this world fully developed and all-knowing, but like us he grew, “in wisdom and age and grace before God and humans.” From this second perspective we might say that when Jesus encountered the woman and heard her request, he was expressing his first intention: to preach his message to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But when he saw the woman’s strong faith in him, especially after just being rejected by those who should have known better, the religious leaders, he then modified his mission plan.

The woman was a clear sign to Jesus that God’s salvation was meant for all people and all nations – not just for the Jews. Today’s encounter with the Canaanite woman shows a change in Jesus’ human consciousness and his human understanding of God’s plan for humanity. How does this change take place? By the woman’s persistence and unwillingness to accept a narrow and restrictive view of God. She realized birth and religious origins cannot hold back the outpouring of God’s love on all people. If we make God too small and puny in love we have not heard the gospel.

Thus, we have two general paths of entry into this story. One, with stress on Jesus’ divinity, seeing his behavior as the all-knowing Lord who draws out of a Gentile the faith that will be preached “to the ends of the earth.” The other approach views the human Jesus in an exchange that helps him grow in his mission towards all nations.

The early church, an even our present one, would struggle with the message of inclusivity being affirmed in today’s gospel. Even after the resurrection some in the church thought Jesus’ message should be restricted to Israel, even though Matthew’s gospel ends with the risen Jesus’ mandate to go into the whole world and preach the gospel (28: 18-20).

God has included us in Jesus’ message of forgiveness and reconciliation. We didn’t do anything to earn that inclusion, it was handed to us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and we have accepted the invitation to the table where the food of God’s reign is given us. Gathered at this table we hear the risen Jesus’ mandate to proclaim the message to all.

Are there any people or groups who are automatically included in our circle of friends and church members? Are any overlooked or ignored? Whom do we consider superior?... Inferior and not worth our time? In other words, who are the Canaanites in our lives who are ignored or quickly brushed aside? Jesus heard the woman’s voice and accepted her. Am I also open to the voices who call out to me for help daily? We are tying to respond to the gospel we have received by doing to others what has been done for us. Just as our God has listened and responded to us, so we offer a willing ear and respond to those who express their needs to us.

—by Jude Siciliano, O.P.