Ordinary Time: July 25th
Feast of St. James, Apostle

The Feast of St. James, the Apostle, known as the Greater, is celebrated today. The designation “the Greater” is in order to distinguish him from the other Apostle St. James, and indicates he was chosen first before the other James. James the Greater was our Lord’s cousin, and was St. John’s brother, both sons of Zebedee. He is one of those that Jesus called Boanerges, “son of thunder”. Along with Peter and his brother John, James was part of the inner circle of Jesus, who witnessed the Transfiguration, were witnesses to certain of His miracles, like the raising of the daughter of Jairus, and accompanied Him to the Garden of Gethsemani. Jesus prophesied that James and his brother John would “drink of the same chalice” of suffering as Himself. The two brothers had asked to be seated at the right of Jesus and at His left in His kingdom, and Jesus told them that they would be with Him in a far different way than they expected. James was beheaded in Jerusalem in the year 42 or 43 A.D. on the orders of Herod Agrippa. His death is the only biblical record we have of the death of one of the Apostles, and he was the first of that chosen band to give his life for his Master.
 
The Martyrdom of St. James the Greater – Zurbarán

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LITURGY OF THE HOURS
Office of Readings, July 25th
Second reading
From a homily on Matthew by St. John Chrisostom, bishop
Sharers in the suffering of Christ
 
The sons of Zebedee press Christ: Promise that one may sit at your right side and the other at your left. What does he do? He wants to show them that it is not a spiritual gift for which they are asking, and that if they knew what their request involved, they would never dare make it. So he says: You do not know what you are asking, that is, what a great and splendid thing it is and how much beyond the reach even of the heavenly powers. Then he continues: Can you drink the cup which I must drink and be baptized with the baptism which I must undergo? He is saying: “You talk of sharing honors and rewards with me, but I must talk of struggle and toil. Now is not the time for rewards or the time for my glory to be revealed. Earthly life is the time for bloodshed, war and danger.”

Consider how by his manner of questioning he exhorts and draws them. He does not say: “Can you face being slaughtered? Can you shed your blood?” How does he put his question? Can you drink the cup? Then he makes it attractive by adding: which I must drink, so that the prospect of sharing it with him may make them more eager. He also calls his suffering a baptism, to show that it will effect a great cleansing of the entire world. The disciples answer him: We can! Fervor makes them answer promptly, though they really do not know what they are saying but still think they will receive what they ask for.

How does Christ reply? You will indeed drink my cup and be baptized with my baptism. He is really prophesying a great blessing for them, since he is telling them: “You will be found worthy of martyrdom; you will suffer what I suffer and end your life with a violent death, thus sharing all with me. But seats at my right and left are not mine to give; they belong to those for whom the Father has prepared them.” Thus, after lifting their minds to higher goals and preparing them to meet and overcome all that will make them desolate, he sets them straight on their request.

Then the other ten became angry at the two brothers. See how imperfect they all are: the two who tried to get ahead of the other ten, and the ten who were jealous of the two! But, as I said before, show them to me at a later date in their lives, and you will see that all these impulses and feelings have disappeared. Read how John, the very man who here asks for the first place, will always yield to Peter when it comes to preaching and performing miracles in the Acts of the Apostles. James, for his part, was not to live very much longer; for from the beginning he was inspired by great fervor and, setting aside all purely human goals, rose to such splendid heights that he straightway suffered martyrdom.
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Reflection: We must all desire a place in the kingdom of our Father; but can we drink the chalice which He holds out to each? “Possumus”, we must say with St. James – “We can” – but only in the strength of Him Who has drunk it first for us.—Butler, Lives of the Saints

DanDeplorable Devotional for Saturday, July 25

“Come Thou Fount”

https://gab.com/archippus417

BE STILL MY SOUL, THE LORD IS ON YOUR SIDE

Another familiar song from an unfamiliar group

last caturday of july …..

God

is the

Holy Trinity.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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Prayer of Saint Ioannikios the Great of Bithynia (+ 846)

My hope is the Father, my refuge the Son, my protection the Holy Spirit. O Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.