Sunday 23 August 2026
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
First Reading - Isaiah 51.1-4
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
I say
to all who aim for righteousness,
to all who seek the Lord:
Look to the rock
from which you were cut,
the quarry
from which you were dug.
Look to Abraham your father,
and Sarah who carried you.
The Lord blessed them,
and made you a great nation.
And surely now
the Lord will comfort Jerusalem
once again,
and will look with compassion
on her ruins.
The wilderness that is Jerusalem today
will flourish
like the Garden of Eden.
And there will be joy, and gladness,
thanksgiving, and song.
And the word of the Lord
will bring justice
and light
to all nations.
This is the word of the Lord.
Second Reading - Romans 12.4-8
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
In one body,
there are many members.
And not all the members
have the same function.
In the same way,
we, though many,
are one body, in Christ,
belonging to one another.
And by God’s grace,
we have received
a great diversity of gifts,
including prophecy,
teaching, and encouragement;
practical generosity,
good deeds, and acts of service;
leadership;
and gracious compassion.
So make full use
of each gift
that you have received.
This is the word of the Lord.
Gospel - Matthew 16.13-20
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Matthew.
Jesus travelled north,
to the region beyond Galilee.
There he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say
that I am?’
The disciples replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist;
others say Elijah,
or Jeremiah,
or one of the prophets.’
Jesus asked them, ‘But who do you say
that I am?’
Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah,
the Son
of the living God.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Blessed are you,
Simon,
son of Jonah,
for this was
revealed to you
not by
flesh and blood,
but by
my Father in heaven.
And I say to you:
you are Peter, the rock,
and on this rock,
I will
build my church,
and the powers of hell
will not
prevail against it.
I will give you
the keys
of the kingdom of heaven,
and whatever you lock or unlock
on earth
will be locked or unlocked
in heaven.’
Then Jesus asked the disciples
not
to say
to anyone
that he was
the Messiah.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
