Feast of Saint James, apostle
Today we celebrate the Feast of St. James the Apostle. Of course, two of Jesus’ twelve apostles were named James. This is James, the son of Zebedee, and the brother of the apostle John. Little is known about this great apostle and saint, but our gospel passage today presents one story that features him.
This story is noteworthy for a few reasons. First of all, we must note the courage of his mother. She wanted what was best for her sons, and she wasn’t afraid to ask Jesus. She believed in his ability to grant her request! James and his brother John seemed to go along with it, too. But it is clear from Jesus’ answer that the mother ultimately fails to understand the nature of Jesus’ glory. The glory of Jesus – and of the apostles and all the saints – is not that of human glory. It is not a human kingdom characterized by fine fashions, sumptuous foods, and amazing entertainment.
The Kingdom of God is a kingdom of sacrifice, wherein every citizen works for the greater good of the Kingdom, and for the glory of God, rather than oneself. So we should note, secondly, that James and John both respond to Jesus’ question affirmatively. They are willing to “drink the chalice” that he drinks, but they do not realize that Jesus is referring to his passion and death. James thinks he can follow Jesus, but he does not quite understand the sacrifice this entails.
The third thing we note, however, is that James did indeed “drink the chalice.” James did not get to sit on Jesus’ right or left in his Kingdom (many interpret this as a reference to those criminals to the right and left of Jesus as he was crucified). But ultimately James did follow Jesus and endure the same types of suffering, including death.
So the final thing that we note about St. James is that the life, suffering, and death he endured were inspired by and made possible by Jesus’ own life, death, and resurrection. James the Apostle could not have been a saint without Jesus –and neither can we. This great leader of the Church learned how to lead by watching the example of Jesus, a man who – though God – became the servant of all, rendering the ultimate sacrifice of death on the cross.
We can learn much from thinking about the life of St. James. We are all called to remember the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. We must recognize that all we do is for God’s glory and not our own. We can be part of God’s kingdom. We can “drink the chalice,” sharing in Jesus’ suffering. But we can’t do it without the help of God. Let us turn to St. James, asking him to intercede for us that God may bless us with an abundance of grace always to seek and to do the will of God. St. James, pray for us!
- Maria Morrow