JULY 25 – ST. JAMES, APOSTLE.

AMONG the twelve, three were chosen as the familiar companions of our Blessed Lord, and of these James was one. He alone, with Peter and John, was admitted to the house of Jairus when the dead maiden was raised to life. They alone were taken up to the high mountain apart, and saw the face of Jesus shining as the sun, and His garments white as snow; and these three alone witnessed the fearful agony in Gethsemane. What was it that won James a place among the favorite three? Faith, burning, impetuous, and outspoken, but which needed. purifying before the “Son of Thunder” could proclaim the gospel of peace. It was James who demanded fire from heaven to consume the inhospitable Samaritans, and who sought the place of honor by Christ in His kingdom. Yet our Lord, in rebuking his presumption, prophesied his faithfulness to death. When St. James was brought before King Herod Agrippa, his fearless confession of Jesus crucified so moved the public prosecutor that he declared himself a Christian on the spot. Accused and accuser were hurried off together to execution, and on the road the latter begged pardon of the Saint. The Apostle had long since forgiven him, but hesitated for a moment whether publicly to accept as a brother one still unbaptized. God quickly recalled to him the Church’s faith, that the blood of martyrdom supplies for every sacrament, and, falling on his companion’s neck, he embraced him, with the words, “Peace be with thee!” Together then they knelt for the sword, and together received the crown.

REFLECTION: We must all desire a place in the kingdom of our Father; but can we drink the chalice which He holds out to each? Possumus, we must say with St. James-“We can”-but only in the strength of Him who has drunk it first for us.

WORD OF THE DAY

SIMILITUDE. Some likeness or resemblance of one to another. Similitudes are the basis of all teaching of revealed truth. We come to know, more or less, of the meaning of the mysteries of faith by means of comparison with things that are known by reason. Every truth of revelation is communicated to the world as a similitude, e.g., grace as life, sacraments as signs, the Church as a body, heaven as a kingdom. (Etym. Latin similitudo, likeness.)

Modern Catholic Dictionary, Fr. John Hardon SJ (Get the real one at Eternal Life — don’t accept an abridged or edited version of this masterpiece!)

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