The Apostle Paul in today’s first reading gives an account of their courage and patience in the face of sufferings. The Saviour had forewarned them that in the world, they will face great tribulation, they will be troubled on every side and afflicted in many ways. St. Paul says, “we are persecuted by men, pursued with hatred and violence from place to place as men not worthy to live, yet not forsaken of God”

Beloved, whatever condition the children of God may be in, in this world, though bad, nevertheless, the Lord shall comfort them.

The treasure of the gospel light and grace is put into earthen vessels. So, in this vain, the ministers of the gospel are weak and frail creatures and are subject to the likes of passion and infirmities yet there is an excellence of power in the gospel of Christ, to enlighten the mind, to convince the conscience, and to convert the soul.

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of one of the Lord’s great Twelve Apostles, namely St. James the Greater, the elder brother of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, and one of the sons of Zebedee who followed the Lord Jesus since the very beginning of His ministry. St. James did suffer a lot of persecution, sufferings and oppressions throughout his many years on earth.

Nonetheless, he followed the Lord faithfully and with great dedication to the very end, enduring many challenges and hardships, struggles and difficulties throughout his ministry, and did all that he could to proclaim the Good News of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be strengthened by the example and dedication shown by St. James the Apostle, all his works and ministry, and in his courage in spreading the word of God and the faith, and having drunk of the cup of suffering and martyrdom that the Lord Himself had drunk from. Let us all be genuine and committed disciples of the Lord and seek to do what the Lord had called us to do, and be ever more faithful to Him in all of our ways.

In today’s gospel reading for the feast of Saint James, the question James and John, asked Jesus through their mother focuses on glory, honour and status. The question asked by Jesus to James and John focuses on the experience of rejection and suffering that he was about to face “Can you drink the cup that I must drink, or be baptized with the baptism with which I must be baptized?”

Beloved, Jesus was referring to the cup of suffering and the baptism of fire. The question of James and John showed their interest in self-promotion. However, the question of Jesus showed that his priority was self-giving.

Brethren, at the heart of being a disciple of Jesus is a self-giving love, thus, becoming a servant to others, and this will often mean taking the way of the cross, as Jesus himself did. Like James and John, we can display a side of ourselves that falls short of what the Lord desires for us. Nonetheless, such failures need not hold us back from continuing to take the path the Lord is calling us to take or becoming the faithful servant the Lord desires us to be.

Therefore, friends let us all be exemplary and good in our every word, action and deed and in our every interaction and relationship with one another.