Feast of St. James, Apostle
(Matthew 20:20-28)
According to the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, St. James is one of Jesus’ first and most intimate disciples. Along with Peter and John, James accompanies Jesus to the mountaintop of transfiguration and to his place of agony in Gethsemane. He is also featured with John as the one of the brothers who (or, as we have it today, whose mother) make the pretentious bid for the seats of highest honor in Jesus’ kingdom. The Acts of the Apostles features James as the first of the twelve to be martyred. Despite these Scriptural references, Europe remembers St. James more as a legend than as a biblical figure. He is said to have visited Spain where, since the early Middle Ages, pilgrims have traveled to his supposed tomb in the city of Compostela.
A pilgrimage symbolizes the Christian journey to God. The destination of life’s pilgrimage is the heavenly city where the faithful find relaxation in the Lord. Pilgrims enjoy moments of companionship with one another and the hospitality of local people along the way. These experiences anticipate the end of the journey. We may have never been on a full-blown pilgrimage, but perhaps we have participated in a procession, which is a mini-pilgrimage. Processions, we remember, are filled with distractions – people greeting one another or complaining how their feet ache! -- even as they recite the rosary.
So we should not be too surprised at the shameless request of James and John’s mother as Jesus is finishing his journey to Jerusalem. She is part of a bigger movement given to a bit of recklessness. As we walk with the Lord on life’s journey, let us ask him to forgive our sins and to help us control inordinate desires. Like the mother of James and John let us boldly make our request.
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