Friday – Saint James, apostle

H. James was a fisherman in Galilee. First apostle to die martyrdom.
Leader first Christian church after Peter’s death.

Invitation

May I hereby draw your attention to
the daily reading of the Gospel?

This invitation wants to share with You the joy
of the Gospel. Everyone, no one excepted,
can experience that joy by opening their hearts
to the healing power of God’s word.

Available every day

Consideration

Saint James ( 43) was the first apostle to die a martyr’s death. With his brother John and with Peter, he was among the three apostles who stood beside Jesus on Mount Tabor at the Lord’s transformation. The trio were also present with Jesus in the Garden of Olives. It is strange that it is precisely these disciples whom Jesus regularly has to admonish: think of the two brothers’ request to be given the chief place in the Kingdom of God, of the many times Peter took wrong paths. On the contrary, those who want to be great among the disciples must become servants to all. In the kingdom of God, the world’s scale of values no longer counts: all human endeavour there is focused on service to God and people.

FIRST READING    2 Cor. 4, 7-15
Always we carry the dying of Jesus in our bodies.

From the holy apostle Paul’s second letter to the Christians
of Corinth

Brothers and sisters,

We carry treasure in earthen pots ;
clearly shows
that this oversized power comes from God and not from us.
We are bombarded on all sides
but still do not get stuck ;
we no longer see a way out
but we are never at our wit’s end ;
we are hunted down
but not abandoned ;
we are knocked down
but do not die from it.
Always we carry the dying of Jesus in our bodies,
because the life of Jesus
must be revealed in our bodies.
Constantly our life is
handed over to death for Jesus’ sake
so that the life of Jesus
would reveal itself in our mortal existence.
Thus death performs its work in us and life in you.
But we possess that spirit of faith of which Scripture says :
“I have believed ,
therefore I have spoken.”
We too believe and therefore we speak.
For we know
that He who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead,
will also raise us to life like Jesus
to take us to Himself, together with you.
For everything happens for you :
Grace must multiply in many
so that more and more people give thanks to God
to the glory of his name.

INTERLUDIUM       Ps. 126(125), 1-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

Who sow under tears
they reap with jubilation.

The Lord brought back Zion’s exiles:
It was as if we were dreaming.
Then all mouths laughed
and every tongue rejoiced.

Then people among the nations said :
Great is what the Lord did to them.
Great was what the Lord did to us,
which is why we are so happy.

Now turn our fate for the better, Lord,
as a brook does in the southern desert.
Who sow under tears
they reap with jubilation.

Full of care they go out
with sowing bags laden ;
but return singing
laden with their sheaves.

ALLELUIA               John 15, 16

Alleluia.
I have chosen you
and I have given you the task of going on a journey
and bring forth fruit that may last.
Alleluia.

GOSPEL       Mt 20:20-28
My cup shalt thou drink.

From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew

At that time the mother of the sons of Zebedeeus entered
approached Jesus with them
and threw herself at His feet to ask Him something.
He spoke to her :
“What do you desire?”
She answered Him :
“Let these two boys of mine sit in your kingdom,
one on thy right hand and one on thy left.”
But Jesus replied :
“Thou knowest not what thou askest.
“Art thou able to drink the cup which I am about to drink?”
They said to Him :
“Yes we can.”
He spoke :
“Indeed, My cup shalt thou drink ,
but it is not for Me
to make thee sit on My right or left hand ,
because only they obtain this
for whom my Father has prepared it.”
When the ten others heard this
they became angry with the two brothers.
Jesus, however, called them to Himself and spoke :
“You know that the rulers of the nations
rule them with an iron fist
and that the great ones abuse their power over them.
“This must not be the case with you ;
whoever wants to become great among you
must be a servant of yours ,
and whoever wants to be first among you
must be slave of you,
just as the Son of Man
did not come to be served,
but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

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Laudato Si
Encyclical of
Pope Francis
On caring for the common home

The gospel of creation
62. Why do we include in this document, which is addressed to all people
of good will, include a chapter of beliefs? I am
aware that in the field of politics and philosophy, some people
strongly reject the idea of a Creator or hold it to be irrelevant,
so that they fail to appreciate the richness that religions can offer for an integral
ecology and the full development of the human race, relegated
to the realm of the irrational. Other times, they presume
these constitute a subculture that must simply be tolerated.
Science and religion, which offer different approaches to reality
offer, however, can engage in an intensive and, for both, productive
dialogue.

To be continued
Every day at 1 am