THE ZEAL OF ST. JAMES:

 Monday 25th July, 2016
by Rev. Fr. Christopher Ugwuta.

Some of those who witnessed Jesus' earthly sojourn misinterpreted the essence of His mission. They were misled by their thought into believing that Jesus was in campaign for earthly Kingdom and its glory. And may be guided by such impression, the two sons of Zebedee (James and his brother John) led by their mother placed a request to flank Jesus in his empire. But to correct their request and dispose them for the challenges of true Christianity, Jesus asks them” are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink? Which in other words means “are you able to suffer persecution and endure sufferings with me? This is a salient question meant for all Christians today in our devotion to God. Jesus reminds us all that Christianity is not cross-less but one strewn with thorns and challenges. God's love for us is not a love that always exempts us from trials, but rather, a love that sees us through trials. With the company of Jesus, we are sure to surmount all our problems and tribulations. One interesting thing here is that after their encounter with Jesus, James proved his readiness to die with Christ by spending the rest of his life in active service to God even to the point of undergoing martyrdom for the sake of Christ and today, the Church celebrates and presents him to us as a model of Christian life.  St. James did not realize this feat by a flip of a finger; he was committed to (i) Obedience to Christ, (ii) steadfastness in faith and (iii) Unconditional love of Christ. May we imitate these virtues.