Gospel Reflection For The 25th day of July in the year of Our Lord, 2024

Feast of Saint James, Apostle

Gospel

Matthew 20:20-28

20 Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, adoring and asking something of him.

21 Who said to her: What wilt thou? She saith to him: Say that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom. 22 And Jesus answering, said: You know not what you ask. Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink? They say to him: We can. 23 He saith to them: My chalice indeed you shall drink; but to sit on my right or left hand, is not mine to give to you, but to them for whom it is prepared by my Father. 24 And the ten hearing it, were moved with indignation against the two brethren. 25 But Jesus called them to him, and said: You know that the princes of the Gentiles lord it over them; and they that are the greater, exercise power upon them.

26 It shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be the greater among you, let him be your minister: 27 And he that will be first among you, shall be your servant. 28 Even as the Son of man is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a redemption for many.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives to His Apostles a more plain explanation of what is about to occur to Him than He has prior. We have to wonder though, if they understood Him fully… or, perhaps the mother of “Sons of Zebedee” did not hear Him. Perhaps His message was only heard by the twelve. But if so, why did the other Apostles become indignant at the brothers? I think we have to assume that all did hear, but still did not understand. Had they, I doubt this mother would volunteer her sons to be crucified! Of course, she could have been as bold and courageous as the mother in the Book of Maccabees who encouraged her sons to be tortured to death rather than to deny the faith. But, I think they probably thought that Jesus was, again, speaking in parables or perhaps they simply could not contemplate that the Messiah would allow Himself to suffer so. I wonder if they understood Him when He implied that they would also die as martyrs.

Regardless, one thing that our Lord makes very clear is the role of the Christian. We are called to serve. That is part of dying to self. Very few of us really enjoy serving others. Parents, especially a mother, may enjoy their role in caring for her children, finding it fulfilling. That is probably the best example of how we are to serve. Children, once given tasks and chores, rarely do them wholeheartedly and without complaint. That is a very good example of human nature as seen in a child still in a state of innocence. Original sin makes us bristle at being told or ordered to do something that we do not want to do. It offends our pride. Throughout our life, we will bristle and resent teachers, bosses and others in positions of authority. To serve willingly and with gladness requires meekness. That virtue comes through the grace of God.

In the Beatitudes, when our Lord says, “Blessed are the meek…” He is explaining one of the virtues that leads to sainthood. I recall a story of a certain nun who was thought by her bishop to be particularly holy and perhaps might be a candidate for sainthood after her death. The bishop sent a priest to investigate. This priest was quite clever in his tactics. He greeted her as was expected and showed her the respect she was used to. Then, surprisingly, he asked her to clean his boots. Shocked, she answered that she was not accustomed to such a request. That was a natural, human response. The priest reported back to the bishop that she had not yet developed meekness and the heart of a servant.

That may seem a bit unfair, but we have to remember that such qualities are super-human. As the Bible teaches us, one may attain all spiritual and earthly goods but if we lack love we have nothing. Love is what gives us the super-human quality of being a meek and humble servant. For one whom we love, we will do anything and refuse them nothing. That is why Jesus went willingly to be crucified, because He loves each one of us enough to suffer and die for our sins. Just as a parent would die for his or her child and will work as hard as possible to ensure their safety, comfort and future, Jesus does for us. If we are to become saints, we must have the same servant’s heart for all. I certainly have a lot of work to do in this regard! But, as with all Christian virtues, we may begin practicing them in our homes, with our families. When we can show that same love to all, then we will do as our Lord asked.

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Judson Carroll is the author of several books, including his newest, A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings July-December, 2024 It is Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3ZTXQB4

and

Confirmation, an Autobiography of Faith. It is also Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47Q1JNK

His new podcast is The Uncensored Catholic https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-uncensored-catholic