Homily for the Feast of St. James, Apostle

The Gospel passage today illustrates the human tendency to seek status and importance. In this instance, the mother of two of Jesus' disciples seeks this for her sons. We understand that this tendency can be rooted in pride, whether for ourselves or for those we love. The offense taken by the other Apostles is another example of the desire to appear important in the eyes of others.

This tendency is evident in various areas such as the media, government, and other areas where people aim to seem more important and influential than others.

Jesus's teaching in this story is clear: status-seeking has no place in the lives of His disciples. To truly follow Him, they must be willing to experience suffering, as He did. They must serve others and not seek to be served. Humility and putting others before ourselves are the keys to true greatness, the kind of greatness to which we are all called. It's the greatness of being born in the image of God, following His ways, and returning home to our Father at the end of time, with nothing except the fruits of our actions on earth.