Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 7-25-03, Feast of Saint James, Apostle

Reading I
2 Cor 4:7-15

Brothers and sisters:
We hold this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.
For we who live are constantly being given up to death
for the sake of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith,
according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,
we too believe and therefore speak,
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus
and place us with you in his presence.
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 126:1bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

R (5) Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Gospel
Mt 20:20-28

The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her,
"What do you wish?"
She answered him,
"Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom."
Jesus said in reply,
"You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?"
They said to him, "We can."
He replied,
"My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, 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."

From: 2 Corinthians 4:7-15

The Trials He Has Experienced

[7] But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the
transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. [8] We are afflicted
in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;
[9] persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
[10] always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life
of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. [11] For while we live
we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life
of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. [12] So death is at
work in us, but life in you.

He Is Sustained By Hope in Heaven

[13] Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, "I
believed, and so I spoke," we too believe, and so we speak,
[14] knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with
Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. [15] For it is all for
your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may
increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

Commentary:

7-12. In contrast to the greatness of the Gospel--the "treasure"
entrusted to them by God--St. Paul emphasizes the limitations of its
ministers: they are "earthen vessels" (v. 7). To illustrate this he
describes the afflictions and persecution to which he finds himself
subjected and in which God's grace always comes to his aid.

In some way these sufferings of the Apostles and of all Christians
reproduce in their lives the sufferings of Christ in his passion and
death. In his case his suffering opened the way to his glorification
after the Resurrection; similarly his servants, even in this life, are
experiencing an anticipation of the life they will attain in heaven;
this helps them overcome every kind of affliction.

7. St. Paul again stresses that the effectiveness of all his apostolic
activity comes from God (cf., e.g., 1 Cor 1:26-31; 2 Cor 3:5); he it is
who places his treasures in poor earthenware vessels. The image the
Apostle uses--which is reminiscent of the clay which God used to make
Adam (cf. Gen 2:7)--helps Christians realize that through grace they
bear in their souls a wonderful treasure, God himself; like earthen
vessels they are very fragile and they need to be put together again in
the sacrament of Confession. As a gloss on these ideas Monsignor
Escriva taught that Christians by bearing God in their souls are
enabled to live at one and the same time "in heaven and on earth,
divinized: but knowing that we are of the world and made of clay, with
the frailty that is typical of clay--an earthenware pot which our Lord
has deigned to use in his service. And whenever it has got broken, we
have gone and riveted the bits together again, like the prodigal son:
'I have sinned against heaven and against you...'" (quoted in Bernal,
"Monsignor Escriva de Balaguer").

8-9. The Apostle's words assure the Christian that he or she can always
count on God's help: no matter what trials they have to undergo,
victory can be attained with the grace of God as happened in St. Paul's
case. "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your
strength, but with temptation will also provide you the way of escape,
that you may be able to endure it" (1 Cor 10:13). Moreover, St. Paul's
example reminds us that more or less severe suffering and tribulation
will be a normal thing in the lives of Christ's followers; theirs will
never be a comfortable, trouble-free life. "If it is your ambition to
win the esteem of men, if your desire to be well-regarded and seek only
a life of ease, you have gone astray [...]. In the city of the saints,
entrance is given and rest and eternal rule with the King, only to
those who have made their way along the rough, narrow way of
tribulation" (Pseudo-Macarius, "Homilies", XII, 5).

10-11. As happened in St. Paul's case, in their daily lives Christians
must relive the sufferings of Christ through self-denial and penance:
this is part of following Christ and imitating him. "The Christian
vocation is one of sacrifice, penance, expiation. We must make
reparation for our sins--for the many times we turned our face aside so
as to avoid the gaze of God--and all the sins of mankind. We must try
to imitate Christ, 'always carrying in the body the death of Christ',
his abnegation, his suffering on the cross, 'so that the life of Jesus
may be manifested in our bodies' (2 Cor 4:10). Our way is one of
immolation and, in this denial, we find "gaudium cum pace", both joy
and peace" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 9).

Self-denial, mortification, does not have to be something overt; it
should be practiced in the ordinary circumstances of life--for example,
by being punctual for appointments, carefully fulfilling one's duties,
treating everyone with as much charity as possible, accepting little
setbacks in a good-humored way (cf. [St] J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 138).

10. "The death of Jesus": more exactly, the "dying" of Christ: the
Greek word refers to the situation of someone who is dying.

12. In the Apostles, and also in other Christians, the paradox of
Jesus' life is verified: his death is the cause of life for all men.
"Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains
alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (Jn 12:24). Afflictions
and tribulations, physical and moral pain, daily self-denial and
penance, cause Christ's disciple to die to himself and, if united to
the sufferings of his Master, they become a source of life for others
through the communion of saints.

13-18. The Apostle explains where he gets the strength to bear all the
tribulations of life--from his hope in the resurrection and his
expectation of being in heaven with those to whom he is writing
(v. 14). There is nothing selfish about this desire for heaven: it
helps us to stay true to the faith and it enables us to see all the
sufferings of this life as something transitory and slight (v. 17), a
necessary step to heaven and a way to obtain incomparably greater
happiness. "If we wish to enjoy the pleasures of eternity," St.
Alphonsus reminds us, "we must deprive ourselves of the pleasures of
time. 'Whoever would save his life will lose it' (Mt 16:25) [...]. If
we wish to be saved, we must all be martyrs, either by the tyrant's
sword or through our own mortification. Let us have this
conviction--that everything we suffer is nothing compared with the
eternal glory that awaits us. 'I consider the sufferings of this
present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be
revealed to us' (Rom 8:18). These momentary afflictions will bring us
eternal happiness (cf. 2 Cor 4:17)" ("Treasury of Preaching Material",
II, 9).

13. The Apostle's faith leads him to keep on preaching, despite all
the difficulties this may involve. There is nothing else he can do: he
is convinced that his faith is what can save the world and he cannot
but strive to spread it. If he acted otherwise it would mean his faith
was asleep and he did not truly love others. "When you find that
something has done you good," St. Gregory the Great explains, "try to
bring it to the attention of others. You should, therefore, desire
others to join you on the ways of the Lord. If you are going to the
forum or the baths, and you meet someone who is not doing anything, you
invite him to go along with you. Apply this earthly custom to the
spiritual sphere, and as you make your way to God, do not do so alone"
("In Evangelia Homiliae", 6, 6).

14. What inspires St. Paul's apostolic activity and enables him to bear
all the difficulties it involves, is his firm belief in resurrection in
glory, the basis and cause of which is Christ's resurrection. He also
has the hope of sharing this happiness in heaven, in the presence of
God, with all the faithful for whose salvation he is working on earth.

15. After reminding the Corinthians that all the sufferings he has been
speaking about he has borne for their sake (cf. 4:5), St. Paul tells
them what motivates him most--the greater glory of God, to whom the
faithful should turn in deep gratitude (cf. 1:11; 9:12). This should
be man's primary attitude to God--one of profound adoration and
thanksgiving for all his benefits, as we are daily reminded in the
Preface of the Mass.

"If life's purpose were not to give glory to God, how contemptible, how
hateful it would be" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 783).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: Matthew 20:20-28

The Mother of the Sons of Zebedee Makes Her Request

[20] Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to Him, with her
sons, and kneeling before Him she asked Him for something. [21] And He
said to her, "What do you want?" She said to Him, "Command that these
two sons of mine may sit, one at Your right hand and one at Your left,
in Your Kingdom." [22] But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you
are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They
said to Him, "We are able." [23] He said to them, "You will drink My
cup, but to sit at My right hand and at My left is not Mine to grant,
but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father."
[24] And when the ten heard it they were indignant at the two brothers.
[25] But Jesus called them to Him and said, "You know that the rulers
of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise
authority over them. [26] It shall not be so among you; but whoever
would be great among you must be your servant, [27] and whoever would
be first among you must be your slave; [28] even as the Son of Man came
not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for
many."

Commentary:

20. The sons of Zebedee are James the Greater and John. Their mother,
Salome, thinking that the earthly reign of the Messiah is about to be
established, asks that her sons be given the two foremost positions in
it. Christ reproaches them for not grasping the true--spiritual--
nature of the Kingdom of Heaven and not realizing that government of
the Church He is going to found implies service and martyrdom. "If you
are working for Christ and imagine that a position of responsibility is
anything but a burden, what disillusionment awaits you!" ([St] J. Escriva,
"The Way", 950).

22. "Drinking the cup" means suffering persecution and martyrdom for
following Christ. "We are able": the sons of Zebedee boldly reply that
they can drink the cup; their generous expression evokes what St. Paul
will write years later: "I can do all things in Him who strengthens
me." (Philippians 4:13).

23. "You will drink My cup": James the Greater will die a martyr's
death in Jerusalem around the year 44 (cf. Acts 12:2); and John, after
suffering imprisonment and the lash in Jerusalem (cf. Acts 4:3;
5:40-41), will spend a long period of exile on the island of Patmos
(cf. Revelation 1:9).

From what our Lord says here we can take it that positions of
authority in the Church should not be the goal of ambition or the
subject of human intrigue, but the outcome of a divine calling. Intent
on doing the will of His Heavenly Father, Christ was not going to
allocate positions of authority on the basis of human considerations
but, rather, in line with God's plans.

26. Vatican II puts a marked emphasis on this "service" which the
Church offers to the world and which Christians should show as proof of
their Christian identity: "In proclaiming the noble destiny of man and
affirming an element of the divine in him, this sacred Synod offers to
cooperate unreservedly with mankind in fostering a sense of brotherhood
to correspond to this destiny of theirs. The Church is not motivated
by an earthly ambition but is interested in one thing only--to carry on
the work of Christ under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, for He came
into the world to bear witness to the truth, to save and not to judge,
to serve and not to be served" ("Gaudium Et Spes", 3 cf. "Lumen
Gentium", 32: "Ad Gentes", 12; "Unitatis Redintegratio", 7).

27-28. Jesus sets Himself as an example to be imitated by those who
hold authority in the Church. He who is God and Judge of all men (cf.
Philippians 2:5-11; John 5:22-27; Acts 10:42; Matthew 28:18) does not
impose Himself on us: He renders us loving service to the point of
giving His life for us (cf. John 15:13); that is His way of being the
first. St. Peter understood Him right; he later exhorted priests to
tend the flock of God entrusted to them, not domineering over them but
being exemplary in their behavior (cf. 1 Peter 5:1-3); and St. Paul
also was clear on this "service": though He was "free from all men", He
became the servant of all in order to win all (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:19
ff; 2 Corinthians 4:5).

Christ's "service" of mankind aims at salvation. The phrase "to give
His life as a ransom for many" is in line with the terminology of
liturgical sacrificial language. These words were used prophetically
in Chapter 53 of Isaiah.

Verse 28 also underlines the fact that Christ is a priest, who offers
Himself as priest and victim on the altar of the cross. The
expression "as a ransom for many" should not be interpreted as implying
that God does not will the salvation of all men. "Many", here, is used
to contrast with "one" rather than "all": there is only one Savior, and
salvation is offered to all.

FEAST OF THE DAY

St. James the Greater and St. John, the sons of thunder, were both
Apostles and sons of Zebedee. He is called "Greater" because he
was the first apostle named James to be called by the Lord. It is
believed that James was born at Bethsaida in Israel. James was a
fisherman before Jesus called him and was one of the three
privileged apostles who saw the transfiguration, the raising of the
daughter of Jarius, and the agony in the garden. James was present
at most of the miracles that Jesus performed.

He was put to death by Herod Agrippa I around the year 42 and was
the first of the Twelve to be martyred. James the Greater is not the
author of the Epistle of James in the New Testament nor was he the
leader of the Jerusalem community. He is specially honored at
Compostella in Spain where there is a famous church dedicated to
his name. James is the patron of pilgrims, Spain, Guatemala, and
Nicaragua.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the
son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their
father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and
immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. -Mt 4:21-22

TODAY IN HISTORY

44 Death of St. James the Greater

TODAY'S TIDBIT

The word "vocation" comes from Latin roots meaning "to call." It
refers to the calling by God to a specific way of life. It is generally
used to refer to the common call of all persons, from God, to holiness
and salvation. It is often used in a more specific way to refer
particular states in life that show a response to the universal calling
of God. This term is often used to refer to a person being called to
priesthood, religious life, or married life.

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for the pope

Readings

St. James

James, son of Zebedee and brother of John, was a fisherman by trade before Jesus called him (Mark 1:19-20). This type of hard physical labor probably made James tough in body as well as temperament. Seeing James’ determination and desire to serve God, Jesus included him with Peter and John as one of his more intimate friends. He was present when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Mark 5:37). He witnessed Jesus transfigured (Mark 9:2) and was with Jesus as he suffered his agony in Gethsemane (Mark 14:33).

Throughout his time with Jesus, James experienced a progressive stripping of his old life of self-reliance so that he could receive from Jesus the new life of the Spirit. For example, when a Samaritan town refused to welcome Jesus, James and his brother wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy it (Luke 9:54). Such a response earned them Jesus’ rebuke and may have been the reason for their nickname “Boanerges”—Sons of Thunder (Mark 3:17).

At another time, when James asked boldly for a prominent place in the kingdom, Jesus took the opportunity to show James how his thinking was in strong conflict with the true nature of discipleship (Mark 10:35-45). Ultimately, this stripping process meant the loss of James’ very life, and yet by that point James had freely embraced the life of Christ and was willing to give everything to glorify his Master and Friend (Acts 12:1-2).

Just as he did with James, Jesus wants to strip us of our self-love. Through our attention to God’s word and openness to the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, we can make our-selves available to Jesus and let him refashion us in his image. We may not die a martyr’s death, but we will find ourselves progressively freed from sin and darkness. Jesus will reign more and more in our hearts and fill us more and more with his wisdom and strength. Let’s ask Jesus to show us where we need to be stripped, so that there might be less of us and more of him. Let’s rejoice in our position as heirs of his kingdom.

“Lord Jesus, keep me faithful to you as you remove from me all that is not of you. I rejoice in the power of your cross to deliver me from death.”

One Bread, One Body

<< Friday, July 25, 2003 >>

St. James

2 Corinthians 4:7-15

Psalm 126

Matthew 20:20-28

View Readings

CROSSMEMBER

“While we live we are constantly being delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.” —2 Corinthians 4:11

Mary and a very few others were “near the cross” (Jn 19:25). Almost all of Jesus’ disciples were nowhere near the cross. A few disciples were “looking on from a distance” (Mt 27:55). But Jesus wants us to be as close to the cross as Simon of Cyrene, Veronica, and Mary were. The Lord wants us to be near the cross spiritually. The Lord wants us continually carrying “about in our bodies the dying of Jesus” (2 Cor 4:10) and “constantly being delivered to death for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor 4:11). The Lord keeps pushing us closer and closer to the cross while we, like Peter (see Mt 16:22), James, and John (see Mt 20:21ff) tend to put as much distance between us and the cross as possible.

Will you quit running from the cross and run to the cross? Will you embrace the cross as the sign of perfect love and the way of your salvation? Will you boast of nothing but the cross of Jesus? (Gal 6:14) Will you pray with St. Francis of Assisi: “We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world”?

Near the cross is the fountain of grace and love. Near the cross are Mary, James, and all the saints. You belong near the cross.

Prayer: Father, put me at the foot of the cross and keep me near the cross.

Promise: “Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest, and whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all.” —Mt 20:26-27

Praise: St. James witnessed Christ’s Transfiguration and agony in the garden. He himself later witnessed to others by laying down his life and becoming the first apostle to be martyred.

Catholic Online Saints

St. James the Greater
Apostle
Feastday: July 25
Patron of Laborers

For James there was no indication that this was the day that his life would change. The dawn for him was not the bright beginning of a new day, but the end of long fruitless night of fishing. As James sat mending his nets in the boat with his brother John and his father Zebedee, he must have watched in wonder as his partner Simon brought in nets loaded with fish he had caught at the command of Jesus. Was he shocked when he saw Simon and his brother Andrew walk away from this incredible catch at a word from this same Jesus?

As he watched Jesus walk toward him followed by Simon and Andrew, did he feel curiosity, fear, hope, envy? Jesus didn't pass him by but, stopping by their boat, called James and his brother John to do just what Simon and Andrew had done. Without argument or discussion, James and John left their boat and even their father behind, and followed Jesus.

The first thing James saw after he followed Jesus was his teaching with authority in the synagogue and the cure of Simon's mother-in-law.

We all know that Jesus was the focus of James' life from then on, but it is also evident that James held a special place in Jesus' life.

He was chosen by Jesus to be one of the twelve apostles, given the mission to proclaim the good news, and authority to heal and cast out demons. To be named one of the twelve James must have had faith and commitment.

But even among the apostles he held a special place. When Jesus raised Jairus' daughter when all thought her dead, he only allowed James, John, and Peter to come with him. Even more important when he went up to the mountain to pray, he wanted James, John, and Peter to go with him. And it was there on the mountain they were privileged to witness what no one else had seen -- Jesus transfigured in his glory, speaking to Moses and Elijah, as the voice of God spoke from a cloud.

And with Simon Peter, James and John were the only ones of the apostles that Jesus gave a special name: Sons of Thunder.

To be singled out in these ways, James must have been a close and respected friend of Jesus.

It's no wonder then that James, along with John, felt that he had the right to go to Jesus and ask him to give them whatever they asked. As a mark of his love, Jesus didn't rebuke them but asked them what they wanted. They showed their lack of understanding of his mission when the asked that he let one of them sit on his right and the other on his left when he came into his glory. He replied that they didn't know what they were asking. They didn't see the cross in his future, but an earthly throne. Could they drink of the cup he would drink of? They replied that they could. He assured them they would indeed drink of that cup.

(Matthew has their mother asking for this favor for her sons. Despite the bad reputation their mother got for this, it should be remembered that she too had followed Jesus in his travels, providing for him, and was one of the women who stayed with Jesus as he was crucified when the apostles, including her son James, had fled.)

The other apostles were furious at this request. But Jesus used this opportunity to teach all of them that in order to be great one must be a servant.

James and John did show further lack of understanding of their friend and Lord when he was turned away by Samaritans. They wanted to use their newfound authority as apostles not to heal but to bring fire down on the town. (Perhaps Jesus gave them their Sons of Thunder nickname because of their passion, their own fire, or their temper.) Jesus did reprimand them for their unforgiving, vengeful view of their power.

But despite all these misunderstandings, it was still James, Peter, and John that Jesus chose to join him in prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane for his final prayer before his arrest. It must have hurt Jesus that the three of them fell asleep on this agonizing evening.

James did drink of the cup Jesus drank of, all too shortly after the Resurrection. Acts 12:1 tells us that James was one of the first martyrs of the Church. King Herod Agrippa I killed him with a sword in an early persecution of the Church. There is a story that the man who arrested James became a convert after hearing James speak at his trial and was executed with him.

James is called James the Greater because another younger apostle was named James. He should not be accused with this James, or the James who is a relative of Jesus, or the James who was an elder of the Church in Jerusalem and heard Peter's defense of baptizing Gentiles. James, son of Thunder, was dead by then.

Legends have sprung up that James evangelized Spain before he died but these stories have no basis in historical fact.

James is the patron saint of hatmakers, rheumatoid sufferers, and laborers.

In His Footsteps
What name would Jesus give you if he would describe who you are and your gifts?

Prayer:
Saint James, pray for us that we may be willing to leave everything to follow Jesus as you did. Help us to become special friends of Jesus as you were. Amen

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