​Today the Church celebrates the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A.

Here's my reflection...

First Reading, Isaiah 22:19-23​
God strips the unfaithful Shebna of his office and hands the key of the House of David to Eliakim. One man out, one man in, the authority entrusted and the office continuing. The Church must pair this reading with today's Gospel deliberately. Eliakim is the steward of David's household carrying the key on his shoulder. Peter is the steward of the new David's household receiving the keys of the kingdom. The pattern is identical. Real authority, entrusted by God, passed through a succession of servants accountable to the King. That is not a medieval invention. That is Isaiah and Matthew read together the way the Church has always read them. The papacy is older than you might think.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalm 138​
"Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands." You are the work of His hands. Not a finished product. A work in progress. Something He is still shaping. Life is full of ups and downs and Our Lord is ever revealing parts of us that need healing. Bring that prayer to Mass today about your own recovery. Do not forsake what you started in me. He will not.

Second Reading, Romans 11:33-36​
St. Paul breaks into spontaneous praise. How deep the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. His ways are unsearchable. His judgments beyond tracing. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. When your recovery makes no sense and the road feels longer than it should, this is the way. Praise anyway.

Gospel, Matthew 16:13-20​
Jesus asks who people say He is. The apostles give safe answers. Then He makes it personal. Who do you say that I am?

Peter answers quickly. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. [Matthew 16:16] Jesus calls him blessed, renames him Rock, and hands him 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. [Matthew 16:19]

That binding and loosing is the foundation of the sacrament of confession.

The Church Jesus built on Peter has the actual authority to forgive sins in His name.

Not as a symbol.

As a reality.

The priest in the confessional is exercising the power of those keys every single time he pronounces absolution in the person of Christ.

After the resurrection, Jesus finds Peter on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias.

Peter who denied Him three times.

Peter who ran away when Our Lord was crucified.

Jesus does not hand back the keys and walk away.

He asks Peter three times: do you love me? [John 21:15-17]

Three times.

Once for each denial.

And each time Peter says yes, Jesus restores him.

Feed my lambs.

Tend my sheep.

Follow me.

The same man who confessed Jesus perfectly, who received the keys, who later denied Him three times in a courtyard, who fled, came back to the shore and was restored.

Not demoted.

Not disqualified.

Restored and recommissioned.

That's how amazing confession is.

You come to the shore.

Jesus asks the question.

You answer honestly.

And He gives the commission back.

Now reflect on the question Jesus asked Peter personally today.

Who do you say that I am?

Not who does the crowd say.

Not who does your tradition say.

You.

Personally.

Right now.

Because here's what that question actually means for those of us in recovery...

• Do you believe He is who He says He is?
• Do you believe He can do what He says He can do?
• Do you believe sobriety is actually possible for you, not just for other men?
• Do you believe your marriage can actually heal, not just survive?
• Do you believe confession actually does something real, not just makes you feel better temporarily?
• Do you believe God is working in this mess right now even when you cannot feel it?

Your answer to who do you say that I am is written not in what you say at Mass but in how you live your recovery this week.

The man who truly believes Jesus is the Son of the living God acts like it.

He goes to confession because he believes absolution is real.

He shows up to his group because he believes the Body of Christ actually functions.

He tells his wife the truth because he believes honesty is the road to something better than what hiding built.

The keys are real.

Confession works.

The shore is open.

Jesus is already there asking the question.

And for the betrayed wife reading this: Jesus asked Peter who he said He was and then asked him three times if he loved Him.

Not as punishment.

As restoration.

If you are waiting to see whether your husband's love is real or just words, watch whether he keeps coming back to the shore.

The man who keeps showing up, who keeps answering the question honestly, who keeps receiving the commission and trying again, is the man being restored.

That is what to watch for.

2 Practical Tips:

To Battle Lust: Go to confession this week. Not someday. This week. Schedule it before Sunday is over. The keys are real, absolution is real, and the commission waiting on the other side of it is real. Do not leave it on the table.

To Help Your Wife Heal: Ask her today who she needs Jesus to be for her right now in this process. Then pray that over her out loud before the day is over. "I want to pray for you today. Not a long prayer. Just me telling God what I think you need right now. Can I do that?"

Who do you say that He is?

Let your answer look like something this week.

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