July 25: St. James the Apostle
He raised his hand and pointed to his disciples and said, "This is My mother and My brother..." (Mt 12:49)
READING I:2 Cor 4:7-15
"We always carry on our bodies the death of Jesus." Excerpt from St. Paul the Apostle's second letter to the Corinthians. Dear brothers, We store this treasure in crockery vessels to know that that unparalleled power is God's, not ours. We suffer privately, but are not crushed; we must be long, but not desperate; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; knocked down, but not destroyed. Because we always carry on our bodies the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our bodies. Therefore, even though we are alive, for Jesus' sake, we always surrender ourselves to death, so that Jesus' life may be revealed in our dead or dead bodies. So death rages in us, and life works in you.
But have a spirit of faith as it says, "I believed, so I spoke," and we believe, so we also speak, because we know that the One who raised Jesus, will also raise us to life with Jesus and will put us beside him as one with you. Everything is for the sake of brothers, that the more grace is filled, by many who give thanks, the more the glory of God increases. It is God's word. A: Tv 125, 1-2ab. 2cd-3. 4-5. 6 Answer: He who sows in sorrow will reap in joy (v. 5). Sing: 1) When God brought back the captured Zionists, we seemed to be dreaming; Now our mouths laughed, and our tongues uttered cries of joy. -Answer. 2) Then the people said to each other, "The Lord has treated them generously." The Lord had treated us generously, so we rejoiced. -Answer. 3) Lord, change our fate, like the streams of the south. He who sows in sorrow, will reap in joy. -Answer. 4) He walked and wept, carrying grain in his hands to sow; They returned jubilantly, shoulders carrying bundles of rice. -Answer. Good News: Mt 20, 20-28 At that time, the mother of Jebede's children and her two children went to see Jesus. She fell down to bow to him, intending to ask him for it. He asked, "What do you want?" She replied, "Please command my two children to sit on their right, one on their left, in your kingdom." Jesus replied, "You do not know what you ask. Can you drink the cup I'm about to drink?" They said to him, "Yes." He said to them, "Then ye shall drink of My cup, and sitting on the right or left, is not in my right, but for whom my Father has prepared him." Hearing this, the other ten expressed their displeasure with the brothers. Jesus called them back and said, "You know that the leaders of the nations dominate over them and those who do great exercise power over them. It can't be between you. Of you, whoever wants to be great, serves you, and whoever wants to lead you, be your servant. Just as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as ransom for many." Meditation (Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Nang) Message: To follow Jesus is not to gain status, wealth, comfort, but to follow him on the path of sacrifice, to serve in humility. Prayer: Jesus, it's not just St. James and St. John that we all dream of status, domination over others, wealth, comfort. At one point I wondered: I followed God and sacrificed for you, but why my life is still poor, hard, pinched.
Lord, you let me understand that to follow you is to accept to drink the bitter cup of your passion, to renounce yourself, not to enjoy or be privileged. God Himself came to serve and give his life as a ransom for mankind. As a disciple of God, I cannot live differently from you. I can have no other path but the path of selfless service to others. The deeper I go into the path of the cross, the more I am screened to be more like you. But in order to do that, I have to wrestle with myself, wrestle with the temptations of the world and, above all, accept disadvantage.
Lord, even if it comes at a cost, even if it takes sacrifice, I am ready to accept it all. This way of cross I have chosen, may your love become my sustaining strength. And I trust that it is you who will make my steps on the path of sacrifice and service, blossom so much that so that more people will know you and be willing to follow you unconditionally. Amen.
Remember: "You will drink My cup." Meditation 1: (Lm. Carolic Silver Lake) * Relic: St. James (money), Apostle
1. James' background:
James was the son of Debede and Solome, brother of St. John the Apostle; lived as net fishermen in the sea of Jenezareth, fishing friends with Peter and Andrew. The Gospel often mentions the brothers James and John the Apostle many times.
They belonged to Jesus' group of disciples (along with Peter and John). They witnessed:
God's resurrection of his daughter Joseph.
The Manifestation of God at Mount Thabor.
When the Lord prayed in the garden of Olives.
James was the first of the Twelve to bear witness to Jesus with his peach blood: Herod Antipa ordered his head beheaded in 44 (Acts 12:2; Mt 20:22-23). Thus fulfilling God's prophecy to him: "he has divided the cup of the Lord."
2. James' temperament: James is called the High Apostle (Mt 20:20). James was called the "son of heaven" by God, which shows how hot-tempered and passionate he was. Indeed, his reaction to the Samaritan peoples explained that. When the Lord crossed the Samaritan road to Jerusalem, along the way the Samaritans refused to welcome him, James suggested to the Lord, "Master, do you want us to bring fire down from heaven and destroy them?" (Lk 9:54). James' high hopes are also reflected in the fact that Solomeh, his mother, appealed to Jesus to James and John: "Command my children here to sit one on the left, one on His right in His kingdom" (Mt 20:21). The mother's ambition is so transmitted to the child that if the mother does not ask, the child asks for herself. The evidence is that Mark recounts the story of this petition without mentioning the mother, but only tells James and John to say it in their own mouths (Mk 10:37). Despite James' high ambitions, God chose him and trusted him, and He converted him. The Lord converted the disciples:
By his exemplary life: Jesus washed the feet of the Apostles and he told the Apostles to wash each other's feet, for "whoever wants to be great in you, serve you" (Mt 20:27).
By his death: man came to offer his life as ransom on behalf of many (Mt 20:28). The Apostles were martyred one by one to follow God's example.
3. Awareness and application:
St. James belonged to boatmen who worked hard as net fishermen; on the other hand there was ambition to go against the role and spirit of the apostle, but Jesus still called and chose him to follow him and be his Apostle. This proves that Christ's grace was so powerful to transform James' heart and life that he gave himself completely to God.
Following James' example: the apostle should not be self-conscious about his inferiorities, but trust in the love and power of God's grace to give himself fully to God.
Following the Lord, James still had mortal ambitions, but thanks to God's teaching and especially God's example, he gave up everything and gave himself up to God completely. The apostle needed to listen to God's word in order to receive God's teachings; at the same time, we must contemplate God's living example in order to imitate living fully for God. James was dedicated by God to his immediate circle to witness the events necessary for his mission as an Apostle.
Those who are called to consecrated life are also individually chosen during their cultivation to find the Lord, to come to the Lord, to remain with the Lord, and to be transformed into an identity with the Lord, so that they may fulfill their apostolate ministry.
A- Analysis (Seeds...)
Today's Gospel tells a not-so-good story about St. James. - Shortly after Jesus announces for the third time his impending suffering, the brothers ask their mother to ask for two privileges in the State they thought he was about to establish: "To sit on the right and sit on the left" are not just seats of honor but actually sharing the right to rule. - Before answering, Jesus makes a remark: "You do not know what you ask for." Yes, these 3 mothers and children thought the "water" of Jesus Just like all water on earth, there is status and rights. They want seats on Jesus' left and right, which means they want two priorities in that country.
- Then Jesus asks again, "Can ye drink the cup I am about to drink?" "Cup": A symbol of suffering. (cf. Psalm 75.9 ; Is 51:17-22). Jesus Himself in the Tree of Olives exclaimed, "Let me not drink this cup" (Mark 14:36). Jesus asked if they could bear His suffering and death. The two men replied indiscriminately that they could. He promised to let them share those things. In fact, James was later martyred around AD 44 (Acts 12:1-2); and John followed the Holy Tradition, and suffered great persecution. - Then Jesus calls them all together for education. In the education section, he first spoke of the behavior of the worldly leaders (namely the officials of the Roman Empire). They are extravagant and dictatorial. The part of Jesus' disciples, the future leaders of the Church, must behave differently. He used a very particular word "servant": this is the lowest category of people in society. Church leaders must be ready to serve people in the most vile position.
B- Meditation (... sprouting)
1. People often think of "gaining" rather than " losing." When doing something, people premeditate what it will give them; Whenever they see something that can make them "lose", they will immediately refuse and avoid it. That calculated way of thinking has also influenced people to follow God: to follow the religion to "get" to live peacefully and prosperously; Go to the monastery to "be" relaxed and valued by the world. James and John are also part of that calculated way of thinking.
But Jesus taught the opposite way of life: those who want to follow Him must dare to lose before they can "get" later. 2. "You do not know what you ask": Sometimes I do not know what I ask of God. I only ask for very secondary things that are not only not beneficial but also harmful to my true life. There are far more important and essential things for the journey to follow the Lord, I did not ask. 3. "You will drink my cup": This word Jesus not only addressed the 2 brothers James and John but in general to the 12 disciples, and also to me. Sooner or later I will "get" to drink God's cup. Am I prepared for that moment?
4. "Man came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many." (Mt 20:28) On the very feast day of St. James the Apostle, the Church chose the Gospel passage that recounts how the 3 mother and son of Jebedean came to see and asked God to sit on His right and left side in the Kingdom of Heaven, which was a pity for James. But I think God speaks not only for the 2 brothers James, but also for the other 10 disciples who are angry with the 2 brothers James, and for both me and you, who like to eat on the front seat, like to point 5 fingers, like high authority to use authority to command, to take the right to dominate. Generally prefer to be served rather than served. Lord, teach me: it is when you give yourself that you are received, when you forget yourself, when you see yourself again. 5. In the office of a Psychological Counselor, a young woman who is both young and rich, confided: "Whatever I want, my husband has it. I had everything, but I was incredibly empty inside. Please give me some advice."
The counselor did not answer, but asked her secretary to tell her life story. She said: "My husband died, 3 months ago my child also died from a car crash. I felt like I lost everything, I couldn't sleep, I didn't want to eat, I never laughed. One day I came home from work a little late. There was a kitten that kept following me. It was cold. I felt sorry for him, so I opened the door for him to enter the house. I made him a glass of milk. He meowed and rubbed himself against my leg. For the first time I laughed. Then I thought: if helping a kitten can make me laugh, then helping someone else can make me happy. So the next day I baked some loaves of cake and gave it to the old lady next door who was standing by. Every day I try to do something for the people I meet to be happy. And indeed I was happy. I've learned that we're not happy when we're just waiting for others to bring us happiness; On the contrary, I will be truly happy when I make others happy."
Hearing this, the young woman burst into tears. She had anything money could buy, but she had lost things that money couldn't buy. And she decided to follow the secretary's example.
Meditation 2: (Rev. Joseph Dinh Lap Liem)
St. James the Apostle, feast of veneration (Mt 20:20-28, Mk 20:35-45)
The third time Jesus announced his coming passion to his disciples, they didn't seem to understand. They still hold true to the Jewish notion of waiting for earthly glory in a political sense.
They thought only of the position in the country that Jesus was about to establish. They worry about arguing and arguing with each other, worried about occupying a higher place in the future kingdom. But Jesus taught them a lesson: in his kingdom true greatness is not in prestige and honor, but in serving others to the extreme, if necessary: "The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and give your life as a ransom for all."
According to the general psychology of humanity, everyone wants to be rich and rich, wants to have a high position, likes to eat on the front seat, wants to be served by people ... But those standards are not necessarily God's. The provisional ambition of Jebede's sons James and John was an occasion for Jesus to articulate: what is true greatness?
Jesus did not answer the pleas of the brothers James and John because it did not fit His ways. On this occasion he taught them to be his special disciples, and also to teach us a lesson: greatness is not about honor, wealth, fame or strength... but stay in the service of others. That's why he said, "He who wants to be big must be everyone's servant." This teaching goes against people's behavior, forcing us to brainstorm!
Meditation 3: (Rev. Nguyen Vinh Son SCJ)
St. James was the brother of St. John, son of Debede, who worked as a net fisherman. He was one of the first four disciples called by the Lord to follow him (cf. Mt 4:18-22).
He was one of God's close disciples, having witnessed important events in Jesus' life. He witnessed the resurrection of his son Zurous, his transformation on Mount Taborê, and Jesus' dying death in the Garden of Olives. He was the first of the apostles to shed his blood to attest to Jesus' resurrection under Herod Agrippa I between AD 43 and 44.
St. James is honored to be the first apostle to die to bear witness to the Gospel. May we find strength through his example of martyrdom.
Story One day Cardinal Roncalli just got out of the car. He's just gone so far. The delegation of the Episcopal See greeted him. Everyone was surprised that there were some country straw on the shoulders of the cardinal's shirt. Everyone who asked him laughed happily, but the assistants in the car understood. The cardinal's car was heading north to south through the fields. In the middle of the road an ox cart carrying straw fell into a pit. The coachman tried to push the side but the car didn't budge. The cardinal brought the car to a halt, rolled up his sleeves and pushed the sidekick, and the bogged straw car shifted gears again on its way. The straw on the Cardinal's shoulders was just a laugh to him. But it really shows us a cardinal who doesn't mind difficulties or fear dirty plush line shirts. Later, when he ascended the papacy, John XXIII continued a simple lifestyle of service.
Meditations Jesus announces his passion for the third time, the disciples still do not fully understand the mystery of the cross, they still hope for a Messianic dynasty that I am about to open with the glory of the Master - the Messiah - the Savior. The mother of the brothers James and John quickly asked for two places of honor in His country: Cho sat on his left and right when the Messian kingdom opened. Clearly this request ignores the revelation of the Jerusalem journey, ignores the cross that I am revealing. They still don't understand anything about Jesus' true destiny. By asking, "You do not know what you ask. Can ye drink the cup at least I'm going to drink?" Jesus tried to transform their thought from the "glory of the Messiah" in the human conception to the "path to glory" of through suffering through the image of the bitter cup. James and John did not understand what they asked, but nevertheless spoke. James and John were converted by God into the bitter grail of the Master which caused them like him to face their deaths: James was killed by Herod Agrippa in 44 and was the first martyred apostle in Jerusalem (cf. Acts 12:2) and John would be subjected to persecution under the emperor Neron, was put into a cauldron of boiling oil at the Latin door. He escaped bondage at Patmos Island (cf. Rev 1:9).
In the sense of the mystery of the cross through the image of the bitter cup and baptism, Jesus leads from the dreaming of the glorious authority they desire to the communion of life with him: "He who wants to be great, serves you, and he who wants to lead in you, then be your servant..." (Mt 20:26-27). Jesus had the full authority of a God, but He did not act as a ruler, but became like "a servant." He was not like a "lord" but a "servant" (cf. Jn 13:13) by washing the feet of his disciples on a holy Thursday afternoon and teaching the lesson of service to them. Therefore, the disciple of Jesus was chosen to serve you according to the teaching and example of the Master himself – Jesus. He affirmed his duty to serve on the basis of his behavior: "The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many" (Mt 20:28).
Life is a journey of the cross, and like the disciples John and James, we are called to drink the bitter cup through the hardships of life. To carry life as Jesus carries the cross is the bitter cup that the Father gives, pierces and rises.
GodsLove
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