Note to our readers: We are right in the middle of summer vacation for many folks and several of our regular writers are taking some much needed time off. We expect them to return to their regular schedule soon!
The Gospel reading for Mass today is the story about the mother of James and John, who had the audacity to ask Jesus to,“Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.”
We are just human beings and we all have human weaknesses, flaws and shortcomings. Sometimes we may fail to live up to the kind of behavior that Jesus or other people expect of us, because of our human weaknesses. Sometimes we have these weaknesses by choice, like the sin of pride that James and John had in wanting to sit beside Jesus in his kingdom, and sometimes our weaknesses may be a physical problem or illness that prevents us from fulfilling the expectations that other people have of us.
Should we give up trying to do God’s will in our lives because we can not do a perfect job at it? The readings for mass today do not seem to indicate that would be the right thing to do. If we were perfect, then other people would look up to us too much and become distracted from developing their own relationship with the Lord.
We can also look up to to our holy priests and bishops too much, expecting them to be perfect in even minor things, since they are our spiritual leaders who guide us in how to live holy lives. It is hard to live your life in the public eye though, because everything you do is on public display. If you commit a venial sin or fail to live up to what people expect of you in even a small way, then everyone else knows all about it. News travels fast and gossip is something that we all need to work on in our personal lives, but also in our parishes as well.
(There is also a danger in the way that Catholics have historically viewed our priests and leaders of our church though, like the current situation regarding some of the clergy’s abuse of minors. This of course is something that does need to be talked about and addressed.)
The gospel today said that when the other ten disciples heard that James and John wanted a special place in Jesus’s kingdom though, they became angry at them. This happens in our families, workplaces, schools and parishes too when people gossip about the weaknesses of others or become jealous about their talents and abilities. It can stir up a lot of unnecessary anger and hard feelings.
It’s really awesome though, how Jesus handled this whole situation in today’s gospel. When James and John asked to sit beside Jesus in his kingdom, Jesus did not reply right away that, “it is not mine to grant, but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” That wasn’t actually the very first thing he said. The very first thing that Jesus did, was to ask them, “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They answered yes.
We should stop for a moment and think about this, because their response was not necessarily a bad thing. It would be easy to overlook this. James and John were prepared to face whatever the Lord himself would face. However imperfectly they actually did that, is another story. Today is the feast day of Saint James, and it is a bit of a shame that this passage in the gospel is the main thing he is remembered for in the mass today. Saint James actually did go on to have his own people turn against him and sacrifice his life for the Lord. Saint James was the first apostle to be martyred. Whatever his moment of weakness was that was depicted in today’s gospel, is totally insignificant when measured against the fact that he gave his own life for Christ.
Jesus went on to tell his disciples in today’s gospel that, “whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”.
Saint James went on to do just that. Whatever weaknesses he might have had, in the long run they did not rule his life. Jesus Christ did. Saint James listened to Jesus and followed in his footsteps, however faltering they may have been. In fact, his entire life’s journey may have been imperfect in many ways but one thing is clear, he loved Jesus enough to give his own life for him and that is what made him a saint. We would do well to remember this, and maybe have a little patience with our own shortcomings, and those with whom we live and work with as well. Jesus can help us to overcome these human weaknesses, if we just remain open to his grace. That actually glorifies the Lord more, than our own personal perfection, because Christ becomes the one who shines through us.
