21st Sunday in Ordinary Time 2026

 

Have you ever been to the little park across the street from St. Peter's Church in Plattsburgh?

I remember when that park was created. At the time I was serving there as the parochial vicar, and one of the most striking features of the park was a new statue of St. Peter.

But it isn't carved from marble or cast in bronze.

If you look closely, you'll discover that the entire statue is made from old keys welded together.

Some of the keys are large. Others are tiny. Some are old-fashioned skeleton keys. Others look like they came from someone's front door, a toolbox, or a filing cabinet. Every key is different. Every key once opened a different lock. By themselves, they were ordinary pieces of metal. But when they were joined together, they became an image of St. Peter.

Every time I see that statue, I think of today's Gospel.

Jesus asks his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" They give all kinds of answers. Some say John the Baptist. Others Elijah. Still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

Then Jesus makes it personal.

"But who do you say that I am?"

Simon answers, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

It is one of the greatest professions of faith in all of Scripture.

Jesus responds by giving Simon a new name.

"You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church."

Throughout the Bible, whenever God changes someone's name, it signals a new mission. Abram becomes Abraham. Jacob becomes Israel. Simon becomes Peter.

Then Jesus does something even more remarkable.

"I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven."

Those keys aren't just decorative. They symbolize authority and responsibility. Our first reading from Isaiah helps us understand why. The chief steward of the king's household was entrusted with the keys of the kingdom. Jesus, the Son of David and the true King, now entrusts Peter with the keys of his Kingdom. Catholics have always understood this moment as the beginning of Peter's unique ministry—the office that continues today in his successors, the popes.

But there's another lesson hidden in those keys.

That statue in Plattsburgh isn't made from one enormous key. It's made from hundreds of different ones.

That's a wonderful image of the Church.

Every one of us is different.

Some of us are outgoing. Others are quiet.

Some are young. Others have decades of wisdom.

Some teach. Some serve behind the scenes.

Some sing in the choir. Some count the collection. Some visit the sick. Some pray faithfully every day without anyone ever noticing.

Each of us has been given different gifts by God.

By ourselves, we may seem ordinary.

But Christ brings us together into something far greater than any one of us could become alone. He builds his Church from ordinary people who place their faith in him.

There is one more thing about a key.

A key doesn't exist simply to be admired.

It exists to open doors.

As Christians, that's our mission too.

We're called to open the door of faith for our children and grandchildren.

To open the door of forgiveness after an argument.

To open the door of hope for someone who is discouraged.

To open the door of welcome to someone who feels alone.

To open the door that leads others to Christ.

Peter received the keys because he first answered Jesus' question.

Today, Jesus asks each of us that same question:

"Who do you say that I am?"

Our answer isn't given only with our lips.

It's given by the way we live.

May our lives become keys that unlock hearts, open doors, and lead others to discover that Jesus truly is the Christ, the Son of the living God.