Feast if Saint James, apostle
(II Corinthians 4:7-17; Matthew 20:20-28)
The request for positions on Jesus’ right and left and the
indignation of the others reflect immature thinking. No doubt the disciples realize that some sacrifice
is required of apostles. But they hardly
can know of the peril of preaching Jesus Christ in a world partly set against
him.
St. Paul in the first reading suffers no illusions. He has been on the road preaching for years and
bears bruises on his body for it. James,
the elder of Zebedee’s sons, will learn before too long what Paul writes of. He will be the first apostle to be martyred. It will be a state killing as Herod Agrippa
orders his murder for unspecified reasons (see Acts 12:1-3).
It would have been wonderful to have walked with Jesus. After all, he not only had the words of
eternal life, but was eternal life. But let
us not suffer any illusion that it was an easy thing to do, day after day and
week after week. We should experience
some of the happiness and some of the challenge as we receive him in the
Eucharist and live his teaching.
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