Podcast: 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Hi and welcome to The Modern Psalmist Podcast. I’m Rebecca De La Torre.

This weekend we celebrate the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, where Jesus establishes Peter as the first leader of his church by giving him the “keys to the kingdom of heaven”.

The readings today collectively underscore God’s active role in the world, His ultimate sovereignty, and the importance of recognizing and praising Him for His benevolence.

The Entrance Antiphon, the Responsorial Psalm, Communion Antiphon all emphasize calling upon the Lord in times of need and His merciful response to our call. There is a profound sense of trust and reliance on God, recognizing His consistent love and mercy.

We begin the holy mass with the Entrance Antiphon, taken from Psalm chapter 86, verses 1-3:

“Turn your ear, O Lord, and answer me;
save the servant who trusts in you, my God.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all the day long.”

Our Psalm for today is from chapter 138, and the response comes from verse 8:

“Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.”

In Psalm 138 – considered a psalm of praise – there’s a strong theme of thanksgiving and praise towards God for His deeds, His kindness, and truth. It matches the second reading for today from Romans, which also culminates in praise.

In Romans chapter 11 verse 36 we read:

“For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be glory forever. Amen.”

The Communion Antiphon is taken from Psalm chapter 104, verses 13-15:

“The earth is replete with the fruits of your work, O Lord;
you bring forth bread from the earth
and wine to cheer the heart.”

These words serve to maintain our thoughts on the Lord while we receive this same bread and wine as his body and blood.

The Gospel and the first reading are directly connected today.

In the first reading from Isaiah chapter 22, we see the authority of God as He thrusts Shebna from his office and installs Eliakim in his place, giving him the key to the House of David. In verse 22 we read:

“I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim’s shoulder;
when he opens, no one shall shut,
when he shuts, no one shall open.”

Similarly, in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of giving Peter the “keys to the kingdom of heaven”, signifying Peter’s leadership role and the divine authority granted to him – replacing the previous establishment with a new Church and a new Covenant.

In Matthew chapter 16 verse 19, Jesus says to Peter:

“I will give you the keys to 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.”

When Jesus had previously asked his disciples who they think he is, Peter said to Jesus in verse 15:

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Peter knew something before many of the others – that Jesus is truly the Son of God.

In my song “O Lord, to Whom Shall We Go?” one of the lines in the chorus is

“We believe that you are the Christ:
the Holy One one of God.”

In singing this, we are answering Jesus’ question of us – who do *we* say that he is?

And if we really believe that he is the Christ and that he has the words of eternal life, then we need to regularly evaluate our own lives so that they follow and conform to Christ’s teachings.

Thank you for joining me on the Modern Psalmist Podcast for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A. Check the links in the show notes for the sheet music and recordings of the songs featured today.

Until next week, may God bless you abundantly.