Gospel for Sunday, August 23, 2026

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel for Sunday, August 23, 2026

A reading from the Holy Gospel, Matthew 16:13-20

When Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? ¹⁴And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. ¹⁵He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? ¹⁶And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. ¹⁷And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar, jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. ¹⁸And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. ²⁰Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

First reading Isaiah 22:19-23

¹⁹And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down. ²⁰And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: ²¹And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. ²²And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. ²³And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house.

Responsorial psalm Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8

Second reading Romans 11:33-36

³³O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! ³⁴For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? ³⁵Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? ³⁶For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Scripture quotations: King James Version (KJV), public domain. Mass readings: Roman Lectionary references.