Today, 31st of July, we celebrate
Saint Ignatius of Loyola
First Reading: 2 Cor 4:7-15
Brothers and sisters:
We hold this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.
For we who live are constantly being given up to death
for the sake of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith,
according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,
we too believe and therefore speak,
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus
and place us with you in his presence.
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 126:1bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6
R./ Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R./ Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R./ Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R./ Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R./ Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
Gospel Reading: Mt 20:20-28
The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her,
“What do you wish?”
She answered him,
“Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom.”
Jesus said in reply,
“You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
They said to him, “We can.”
He replied,
“My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Today we celebrate the feast of Saint James the Apostle. He is the patron saint of Spain, and in many towns and cities across Latin America, his image is also found on church altars. There are two main images of this apostle that people often see. In one, he is shown riding a horse, sword in hand, leading Castilian troops against Muslim forces in the battle of Clavijo. In the other, he appears as a pilgrim—not with a sword or on horseback, but walking, with a staff in hand.
To be honest, I think the first image doesn’t reflect the Gospel well. It’s more a creation of tradition—especially among Christians who felt threatened by Muslim expansion—than a real picture of the apostle. I can’t imagine James, or any of the apostles, killing enemies with a sword. That simply doesn’t match what the Gospel is about, or what was at the heart of Jesus’ life. You would really have to twist the message of the Gospel to imagine an apostle killing «infidels,» as those images show.
The image of James the pilgrim, on the other hand, feels much more in line with the Gospel and is much more inspiring for Christian life. Just the fact that he’s not on a horse already says a lot. When we walk on foot, we’re closer to people, to “the joys and hopes, the sorrows and anxieties of the men and women of our time, especially the poor and those who suffer,” as the Second Vatican Council says in Gaudium et Spes. Jesus himself walked on foot. Walking means sharing the journey with our brothers and sisters, the people of today. And it means serving them, just as today’s Gospel says in its final words. Because we are here to serve the Kingdom, to build fraternity and justice. Just like Jesus, who came not to be served, but to serve.
Fernando Torres, cmf Introduction
James became a disciple of Jesus together with his brother John. He was, with Peter and John, among the apostles closest to Jesus, witnessing the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter, the Lord’s transfiguration and agony.
A “son of thunder” in his zeal for the kingdom, he proposed a hard line against those who did not accept the gospel. But Jesus told him that his task was not to destroy but to save. James himself experienced the consequences of the hard line when he died a martyr’s death, thus sharing Jesus’ cup of sacrifice as the Lord had foretold him.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
Your Son Jesus was your equal
and yet he made himself our brother and servant.
May his Spirit be alive in us,
as he was alive in St. James,
and dispose us to become, like your Son,
powerless and vulnerable
so that we can serve one another,
especially in the weakest of our brothers and sisters.
In this way may people experience
how bold you make our love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
General Intercessions
– That the basic attitude of our Christian leaders, bishops, priests, lay ministers, may be a spirit of service to their people, we pray:
– That those who are persecuted may never despair but keep trusting in the Lord, we pray:
– That no difficulties may keep our missionaries from preaching the Lord, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
your Son asks us to drink with him the cup
of self-sacrificing service.
Let Jesus fill us with that love
which alone can understand
that to be great is to serve others
and to use up our lives
to give them a chance to live
May we seek no other reward
than to share the destiny of Jesus,
our Lord and Savior for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
your Son Jesus Christ
gave his life for his friends
and lighted in them a fire
that cannot be extinguished.
Strengthened by the bread of Life
may we follow St. James,
your apostle and martyr,
in his total and lasting dedication
to the kingdom of your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Blessing
Our attitude in life is too much that we want to be served. It’s easy and pleasant. Jesus tells us that we have to learn how to serve. That is what will bring us true happiness. May almighty God give us that attitude and bless us, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
