A life of mission and vocation
August 23, 2026 – Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Isaiah 22:19-23; Psalm 138,
R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.; Romans 11:33-36;
Gospel – Matthew 16:13-20
This Sunday’s Gospel is one of the scriptural passages that established the papacy. The Lord declared to Peter, “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church…” There are two points in the Gospel that led to this declaration. These will be our first two points for reflection.
Our third point is the mission, and authority Jesus gave to the church through Peter.
The heart of our vocation and mission
The first point for reflection is Jesus’ second question to his disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” The personal relationship with Jesus lies at the heart of our vocation and mission. And this is the first point I invite you to consider and contemplate—Jesus asking you: “Who do you say that I am?”
In his book “Discovering Your Personal Vocation: The Search for Meaning Through the Spiritual Exercises,” Fr. Herbert Alphonso, S.J. emphasized that the quality of our relationship with Jesus—who Jesus is to us personally—is part of what we are to witness to.
My experience of my relationship with Jesus became clear to me in a 2003 annual retreat. From the second day of my eight-day Ignatian retreat up to the eighth day, I recalled, reflected on, and prayed over the significant moments of my life. It started with a vivid memory of a childhood, aged five years old, and went through the succeeding 40 years of my life.
It became clear to me that in the many ups and downs of my life, Jesus was always present. His presence was always providential. His providence was deeply loving.
This was a turning point in my journey to follow Jesus and live out my vocation and mission. With God’s mysterious grace and love, it led me to go back to the core of my vocation and mission to dedicate my life to the formation and education of the youth.
Two years after, my late spiritual director told me in the final stages of my two-year discernment: “Go! The movements are very clear. God wants you to do!”
It led to my asking to be dismissed from the Society of Jesus, leave the Ateneo de Manila—my life for a combined 40 years—and work with public schools. I have no regrets to this day, despite more challenges, ups and downs. I held on to what Fr. Benny told me: “God wants you to do this.”
The foundation of the church
Peter in confessing, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” described who Jesus was to him—and the quality of his relationship with Jesus. As Jesus pointed out: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.”
This now was the personal encounter that defined the heart of Peter’s vocation and mission. “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church…”
The quality of Peter’s relationship with Jesus became the foundation of the church. This was the first confession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah which is the foundation of our Christianity; the central mystery of our faith—Christ has died. Christ is Risen. Christ will come again—the core proclamation of our faith, “Rejoice, the Lord is Risen!”
This not only made clear to us the meaning and importance of the papacy, but also the grace that our mission and vocation is always a participation in the mission and vocation of Jesus.
The authority on earth and in heaven
To Peter the Lord entrusted his mission as the foundation of the church. “The gates of the Netherworld shall not prevail against it. 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.”
We share in this grace. We too always share in Jesus’ mission. There is no Christian mission that is not a sharing in Jesus’ mission. In entrusting his mission to Peter, Jesus also turns over the authority. What is amazing is the authority of Peter on earth was also reflected in heaven: Peter, and the office of the Papacy, his Peterine ministry—as the Pontiff is derived from the word “pontifex,” which means “bridge-builder.” He is the bridge between God and humanity.
And this, too, is a grace available to us. As we live our Christian mission and vocation, we also become a bridge between God and man, the people we serve.
I cannot help but recall the beautiful line from a song from Les Miserables: “To love another person is to see the face of God.” This is a life of mission and vocation. It is to love all that are entrusted to our care. There, we will see the face of God, only to mirror Him to others.
