Saint James

Today the Catholic Church celebrates one of the apostles of our Lord, Saint James. We know of James and his brother John because they were fishermen, along with their father, Zebedee. According to the gospel, we know that they followed the Lord immediately. We are told that Jesus first called Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, then he walked a little further and called James and John who were in the boat with their father. These men left everything to follow Jesus and be instrumental in the building of the early Church. We also know James and John from the gospel we hear at Mass on this day, Matthew 20:20-28. Their mother approached Jesus and asked that her sons be given a place of honor in the Kingdom. Jesus said that is not mine to give, but that they would drink that chalice that he would be drinking from. It is not about greatness or places of honor, but it is about service. Jesus emphasizes that in the gospel's conclusion, "The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." Our Lord continues to call us by name and leads us in the service we are to show our brothers and sisters. Saint James went forth to proclaim the Good News and till the soil for the seed of God's Word. May his intercession guide us in our journey so that the seeds of God's Word will produce an abundant harvest! Saint James