July 25, 2011
Feast of St. James, apostle
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:26b-28
Piety
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10
Study
Presence. How close can we place ourselves in the presence of the Lord?
In our first reading, St. Paul understands that his "negative" human tendency for sin is always a part of his being. Yet that nature never completely prevails; there is always some experience of rescue, of salvation. In this shared resurrection experience, Paul and we are connected with Christ's suffering, and in Christ's victory over death.
By placing himself in the presence of the Lord, Paul get strength to overcome his weaknesses. James and his brother try to go beyond being in the mere presence of the Lord. They seek (through the request of their mother) to sit next to Jesus in his Kingdom.
Yet, Jesus reminds them that in the Kingdom, the tables of power are overturned. The last shall be first. The great shall be a servant. This then is the way we share in Jesus' life, death and resurrection just as he came to serve and offer his freedom for us.
Action
Presence. How close can we place ourselves in the presence of the Lord?
In order to do this, we must first make ourselves aware of his presence in our lives. During the spring, with flowers blooming and new life coming into being, that is easy to sense. In the middle of a sweltering summer heat wave, we must continually remind ourselves of the gift of life that surrounds us in the light, the warmth, and the ways that we have to cope with the environment. The scorching heat allows us to consider the way of life Jesus endured. Living in the desert, he and his followers could not escape the sun except by planning the activity of their days when the heat was least oppressive.
As you sit in your air-conditioned home, car, school or workplace, imagine that Jesus is sitting in there with you. Consider all those who cannot escape the heat into such comfortable places. How can you offer them hospitality on their desert experience?
