St James Catholic Church

Today is the 17th Sunday in the Ordinary Time of the Church calendar.  It is also the feast of St. James the Great.  (Greater-in the sense of older, taller, and first called, to distinguish him from St. James the Less, or younger son of Alpheus.  Not more important).  And so this weekend we celebrate the feast of the patron Saint of our parish community.  We welcome back to our family former staff and parishioners, and those who have been away because of the Corona virus.

Today we hear Jesus ask, “What do you wish me to do for you?”  While the mother of Zebedee’s sons ask that James and John “sit one at your right hand and the other at your left, in your kingdom.”  The request seems somewhat self-centered.  It even got the other disciples envious and angry.  They all misunderstood what the kingdom of God was all about.  The glory these future saints imagined is not one of recognition for their status, for in the kingdom, just to be in the eternal presence of God is glorious.

As usual, Jesus uses the occasion for a teachable moment.  “Anyone among you aspires to greatness must serve the rest, and whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all.  Just as Jesus came not to be served, but to serve.”

Recall the words of former president John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”  Maybe that’s the greatest lesson we can learn from our patron,           St. James.  Ask not what your Lord can do for you, but what you can  do for the Lord and His people.  This attitude of service makes us true disciples.

Love, Peace, Joy,

Fr. Bob