The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friend,

St James and his brother John were the sons of Zebedee. It is their mother that we see in today's Gospel petitioning Christ that these two sons be given high places in Christ's kingdom: one on His left and the other on His right. It appears that perhaps these two sons had put their mother up to this task, because Christ does not speak to the mother but to the sons. He asks them if they are prepared to follow Him in His suffering. He informs them that He cannot give them this position as it is reserved to the Father to assign these positions.

And in today's Epistle St. Paul tells us some of the suffering of an apostle. The life of an apostle of Jesus Christ is one that closely follows Christ's, especially in His cross and suffering. The Apostles "were men appointed to death" . . . "fools for Christ's sake". A worthy follower of Christ will be hated by the world, will be deemed a fool as Christ was, etc. But, the height of glory is in dying for Christ as He has died for us. There is no greater love than to willingly die for the love of God. St. James suffered martyrdom in 42 or 43 AD under Herod Agrippa.

St. James along with his brother St. John and St. Peter were the three that were present to see Jesus at the Transfiguration. Perhaps this is what occasioned their holy ambition. In any case this was to strengthen them all for the attacks that were soon to follow.

This petition of the brothers was rather disturbing to the other apostles and it is on this occasion that our Lord instructs them on the need for humility. The greatest in the Kingdom must become the least. And thus we see proud and worldly ambitions men transformed into humble and spiritually ambitious men.

In this humble spiritual ambition we find the apostles now vying for the last place here on earth so that they may attain the first place in Heaven. Now, with the grace of the Holy Ghost they fear no earthly power, or suffering, cross, or even death. On the contrary they now whole heartedly embrace with love and look eagerly forward to everything that will allow them to follow Our Lord in His suffering. Martyrdom is no longer a punishment but a reward. Death is not an enemy but a friend.

The cross of Christ which appeared to the rest of the world as foolishness and became a spiritual stumbling block to them became for the Apostles wisdom and a ladder into Heaven.

The cross is now the foundation which our spiritual life is built upon. It is the starting point or the key for us in meriting our eternal reward in Heaven. All men must bear crosses, but only the spiritual one bears his cross to find eternal glory. The worldly who fight and resist their crosses are not relieved of their present crosses and find greater and eternal crosses in Hell.

It does not matter whether we are steeped in sin or free from sin, there is no escaping the cross. It is obvious that those who have offended God must have a cross of penance to make reparation for their sins. Unless we take up our cross daily and follow Him we will find no rest for our souls. Only when we accept the sufferings that are our due will justice begin to be approached so that we will be made worthy to receive the blessings merited for us by Christ's suffering. Unless we approach beneath the cross of Christ with our own crosses, the mercy and grace of God will never fall upon us.

But, we see even the Blessed Mother standing beneath the cross. How is it that it was necessary for her to carry a cross and stand beneath the cross of her Son? The Blessed Mother who was without sin, preserved even from original sin, found it profitable to carry her cross of pain and suffering. And she did so willingly and lovingly. It must be that for us to merit God's grace we must conform ourselves to Him. And even the most perfect of His creatures _ the Blessed Mother _ found it necessary to imitate and follow her Son.

The only hope for us is in likewise taking up the cross and following lovingly our Lord Jesus Christ. The only path to Heaven passes directly through Calvary.

St. James and the other Apostles and saints throughout history have all taken to heart Our Lord's admonition to become the least and thus they have merited a high place in Heaven. Sadly most people today shun and fear humility and the last place rather than cherish it. What will be waiting for them in eternity? If the last will be first, then logically those who sought the first place here on earth will be the last in Heaven (That is if they make it into Heaven at all.)

The beauty, glory and joys of Heaven are real and worthy to be desired with our whole being, but they are only obtained with the works of faith. It is foolishness to believe that we will be rewarded for doing nothing. St. James and His brother desired a high place as an unmerited gift, but Our Lord shows them and us that there is a price to pay if we are to receive the blessings of Heaven. The highest places in Heaven are reserved to those who are most in conformity to Jesus Christ. Both St. James and St. John followed Jesus in suffering and death. The two brothers that were here on earth are now two brothers in Heaven.

The Blessed Mother was innocent like her Son and bore her life of sorrows like and for the love of her Son, and so she drew the nearest in conformity to Him and thus holds the highest place next to Him. So too, all the Apostles and saints now in Heaven _ each holds that station near to Christ in glory as they held near to Him in suffering while they lived here on earth.

It is good to desire Heaven but is necessary that it not be just a dream, but a goal in which we work to achieve it by daily taking up our cross and drawing nearer and nearer to Christ in every thought, word, and deed _ and especially in every cross of humiliation and suffering.

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