A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 20:20-28

The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her,

"What do you wish?" She answered him, "Command that these two sons of mind sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom." Jesus said in reply, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?" They said to him, "We can." He replied, " My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, " You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you . 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." The Gospel of the Lord.

Reflections: "the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve"

When this happened, James was still a neophyte, thinking of a place of privilege because Jesus had chosen him along with John and Peter to witness miracles and to be closer to Jesus. He was not quite ready to "serve" but it was more "to be served". His mother was doing his bidding. It was a place of honor they were asking without any true specific reason he would have thought to be so honored.

However, after he received the Holy Spirit , he had a change of heart. Truly he was ready to serve and to serve in a far off land. He preached in Spain and many have gone to his shrine at Santiago de Compostela. He was martyred and indeed he " drank the chalice" that Jesus drank.

In artwork, he is often seen as a pilgrim with a hat, staff, gourd and scallop shell.

PRAYER: Dearest Lord, please let us be another James, asking for the highest to be close to you, but willing to be the lowliest . Keep us on on the path to the heavenly city. Amen.

God Bless

Please pray for PAPA priests.