Feast of Saint James, Apostle
Today we celebrate the Feast of St. James the Great, Apostle of Jesus and martyr. In the Gospel, we have the story of the mother of the sons of Zebedee, James and John, approaching Jesus with a request. She asked that Jesus “command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom.” Jesus replies, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” Their mother sought prestige for her sons, but she did not understand what that would mean. She was seeking worldly prestige, but Jesus began to direct them into the true prestige of his sacrifice: “Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” Their reply, “We can,” brings them into the life of Christ and begins their journey into Christ’s sacrificial love. When the other heard this, they became indignant toward them, but Jesus uses this moment to teach them what it means to be truly great in the Kingdom. He says, “Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” It is important to remember that Jesus does not tell us to stop seeking greatness. Instead, he calls us to seek the kind of greatness that God desires for us. This greatness that we are to seek is to live the example of Christ, which is to live a life of sacrifice and love for humanity. St. James took this message to heart and continued to serve the Lord and spread the Gospel to Spain and even to the point of martyrdom. Although we are not all called to give our lives in this way, may we all seek the greatness that God is calling us into; to love Jesus and all of humanity fully. Let us seek to be the servant of God’s love so that all may see it manifested in how we live. St. James, pray for our strength to be a servant to all and to give our lives, in the love of Christ, to all we encounter.
Reflection by Br. Placid Dale, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections