Homily – July 25, 2009 – St. James the Greater

+ Today we celebrate the feast of St. James the Greater! He is brother to St. John, and with John a son of Zebedee the fishermen. They were both intent on following the footsteps of their father in the family fishing business until they saw another set of footprints in the sand: those belonging to Jesus of Nazareth. There was something simply irresistible about those impressions in the sand, and something quite irresistible about the person who made them. When Jesus said to them: Come, follow me! They dropped everything that moment and went and became his follower his disciples. They never looked back – but I am sure that their father, Zebedee understood perfectly well what was going on and was very proud of this sons.

Out of all those Jesus would choose as Apostles: his chosen band of intimate companions, James, John and later Peter would be his closest and dearest friends: Jesus had every right to call some of their number for a special relationship with him – because he was preparing each of them all for very different apostolic ministries – some need extra special care and treatment at the beginning: and even among the three: St. John was the closest of them all; and this was probably because John, though a well-rounded young man, was also most likely the most child-like of them all, the most trusting, the most open-and-good-hearted, the most willing to receive anything at all that his beloved best friend would offer him!

James said that he would drink the cup of the Lord's Passion, at a time when he hardly knew what that meant – and he did drink it, when he was the very first of the Twelve to give his life for the faith – for the cause of making sure that the Light of Christ his beloved Friend would take root in the world and that the Power of the Holy Spirit would be seen as a force to be reckoned with by all the worldly spirits and powers. His death gave great encouragement to his brother Apostles to give their lives: Peter and Paul were the next in line to do so: and that did it with the ease that comes from life in the Spirit of God: the Spirit of Courage and Strength and Consolation!

When we drink the chalice of the Lord at Mass – we too are fortifying ourselves for the challenges of the day as well as readying ourselves for the joys and successes of the day! With the Risen Christ deep within our hearts we can eagerly and trustingly go into the day and be an instrument of Light and Life to a world that needs this kind of Light and Life so badly!

I chose you from the world, (the Lord tells St. James, as well as us) to go and bear fruit that will last! May we do that today, with the Spirit's soothing aid!