Patron saint of: Equestrians, furriers, tanners, veterinarians, pharmacists, and Spain!
The Apostle James, brother of John the Evangelist, wrote nothing of which we have any record, and there is little even recorded of what he said, but I find his story extremely significant.
First, the alacrity with which the two brothers gave themselves over to Christ and his mission is quite something. Clearly they were destined, and Christ must have known this. Immediately, they came when He called them. I ask myself, do I go to Jesus as soon as He calls me? Am I a willing participant in this offering up of my life of pain and suffering that he has willed for me? Am I grateful to be able to share in Christ's martyrdom - the offering up of his body for the sake of all of us in the ultimate act of sacrificial service?
Early on, the mother of James and John asks for something shameful, highlighting how little, if anything, this family may have understood about Jesus' mission, in the beginning. She wants reassurance from Jesus that her boys are going to sit on either side of Him in heaven. She wants that status for them, good Jewish mother that she is. But the highest status in the realm of our Lord is in abasing oneself in service to others, not in arrogantly towering over others and taking the best for oneself.
Jesus turns to the brothers and asks them, "can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?" and they answer yes, they can - no doubt ignorant of what exactly that entails. Like the nickname that he gave them, the "sons of thunder" are making a lot of noise.
But he tells them that whoever wishes to be great among the apostles "shall be your servant." He is specifically calling his close people to live a life of sacrificial service and martyrdom - because He will soon be martyred for the sake of all mankind - and James will be the first Apostle to be martyred - put to death by the sword.
In the modern Catholic Church, some people have lost track of the lesson of sacrificial service. Many seem to be intent on lording it over others, keeping the parish family small and pushing people away who do not conform to some fixed ideas of who may be acceptable. OFTEN I notice class divisions based on income and socio-economic caste. They act like the doorman to a swanky New York nightclub that only lets in the most well-to-do folks or the leader of the cool girls in high school who bullies the more ordinary looking girls who don't possess her glamour.
This isn't a strictly Catholic thing by any means at all. It is in every major religious tradition, but it is more pronounced in Catholicism because this type of behavior is so distant from the clearly stated ideal.
Despite the Biblical imperative, some church people seem intent on enjoying themselves as much as possible, and they complain if they don't get that pleasure they are craving. The music doesn't suit them, the words of the liturgy don't appeal to them or they are not "right" for some reason. They argue about Vatican II or Pope Francis or the scandal of Pope Benedict retiring and swanning away to enjoy himself in his golden years instead of suffering with the job until his last breath, as Pope John Paul II did.
Some are concerned with whether or not Russia was REALLY consecrated to Our Lady after all, or they are obsessed with the Latin Mass, even though no one speaks Latin any more. But they talk about how it is traditional, and in that tradition they find a beauty they do not want to live without. There is SO much controversy in the blogs and newspapers and in social media, it drives me nuts! I became Catholic because of the union with God that was experienced by the mystics, but I am drowning in politics and resentments in a good deal of the Catholic arenas. I used to see it in the parishes also, but my disabilities have grown so bad, and the Covid infections are still so prevalent, that it has been some time since I have been able to attend church. I hope to rectify this soon.
There are, however, a lot of good folks in the faith, and I often stop during my day, as I did today, to say a prayer of thanks because I happen to know a few really devoted Catholic people who are dead serious about their life of service to others, and one lady in particular who, in addition to her serving her extended family, also wears herself out in service to all sorts of people, including me. I have been the recipient of tremendous kindness from these people, and it is all the more beautiful because theirs are the hands, but Jesus is the giver. He is behind it all, and we all know it. Each time we come together to share anything, from the case of paper towels from Costco, to a bag of vegies from Sprouts, Jesus is there with us. Sacrificial service is how He makes himself known to us, in many cases. It isn't just the mystics who enjoy His company. He is in the most ordinary of circumstances. The kingdom of Heaven is among us, and HE knows that my special friends who wear themselves out in service to others are very great indeed and that I am receiving Him through them.
Not everyone is so spiritually advanced as my benefactors, though. Part of my day was spent in trying, for the second time in two weeks, to go directly to someone who had disappointed and surprised me by something she had done but there was no self-reflection on her part, and she got huffy and imperious and tried to squirm out of something she should have just apologized about. You can't force people to be kind and considerate. They've got it in them or they don't.
I try very hard to support and uplift the female friends and well-wishers in my life. I have often said that the reason men are in charge of the world and women have such little power is because many women do not know how to lend support and lift up other women - but there ARE a few of us who are committed to supporting our sisters in spirit, and I hope we can generate enough positive energy to encourage more to join us, over time. It will take some canvassing and development because it requires the cooperation of women who are egalitarian rather than personalities seeking fans and acolytes.
Another prayer for which I ask for contributions is for my poor little service dog. He is chittering his teeth and his little body feels a bit warm. His usual vet has no appointments available for the next two weeks, and I don't think it would be a good idea to wait because I think he may have a tooth infection. This comes on top of my car needing almost $1,000 of work, and I have just had to get rid of all my shoes and buy new ones because the ones I had were destroying the tendons in my feet and causing me terrible pain. If you can afford to donate a few dollars to the GOFUNDME, that would be wonderful. Otherwise, if you would tells others about it on your Facebook and elsewhere, I would be most grateful.
May we all be blessed!
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