Matthew 20: 20-28 (Wednesday, July 25, 2007 – Feast of St. James)

The mother of James and John desires higher authority for her son. Jesus Christ in the gospel gives us the Christian meaning of authority. For the gentiles, authority means Lording it over others. We see this all over the world with the corrupt and dictatorial governments. Unfortunately, many persons who call themselves Christians are engaged in this unchristian practice. Jesus Christ in the gospel tells us that Christian authority is for service. This was the ultimate example of his own life when he did not want to be crowned a political king but he took on the form of a slave and died a shameful death on the Cross. The Apostles of Christ understood clearly this teaching of Jesus and they were always at the service of his people. St. James the Greater whose feast day we celebrate today took this example of Jesus seriously. He became the first apostle to be martyred.

In our daily lives, let us take seriously this teaching of Jesus. Opening the door for someone, attending to the needs of others in the community, treating others with respect and love and little but great acts of service we can do. To be the people God wants us to be, we must make ourselves available to others who need us.