Feast of James the Greater (Year B)

Today, the Church celebrates the feast day of James, the brother of John. He was the first apostle to suffer martyrdom, killed by Herod in 44 A.D. (Acts 12:2). Herod did it to please the Jews. This was a grim reality for a religious minority. The early Church had to wait for three more centuries before she could enjoy the freedom to worship. However, once the emperor lent her a helping hand, making her the state religion, there was no mechanism to stop the state from meddling with church affairs and even what church-goers should believe. Of course, we believe that God is behind all these. The gruesome death of Herod recorded in the Acts shows the optimism of Christians in their reliance on God (Acts 12:23).

In his second epistle written to the Corinthians, Paul opened up his chest to show us his attitude towards sufferings for Jesus. He knew that it was not yet his time of martyrdom. His advice is more appropriate for us because it seems that this is an age of martyrdom no more. Yet, for good or for bad, we suffer discrimination and various kinds of social injustice daily and the late Pope John Paul II has talked a lot about modern martyrdom in his long pontificate. So, when we read the list of sufferings in Paul's epistle, we will not find them unfamiliar (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). How did Paul face these? We find his answer in 2 Corinthians 4.

First of all, our body is but an earthen vessel. Therefore, it is our honour to suffer for the glory of God.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us (2 Corinthians 4:7).
And what is this treasure? It is the gospel of Jesus. Through this gospel, God
give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christφωτισμὸν τῆς γνώσεως τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν προσώπῳ [Ἰησοῦ] Χριστοῦ (2 Corinthians 4:6b).
We are unworthy earthen vessels. Yet, we are entrusted with the gospel of Christ through which God gives light, knowledge and glory to the world. The gospel cannot be our invention. It comes from God and its power belongs to God.
So, how is the light, the knowledge and the glory be shown to the world? In his words,
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies
ἐν παντὶ θλιβόμενοι ἀλλ' οὐ στενοχωρούμενοι, ἀπορούμενοι ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐξαπορούμενοι,
διωκόμενοι ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐγκαταλειπόμενοι, καταβαλλόμενοι ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπολλύμενοι,
πάντοτε τὴν νέκρωσιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι περιφέροντες, ἵνα καὶ ἡ ζωὴ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι ἡμῶν φανερωθῇ. (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).
We may be able to appreciate more Paul's persuasive rhetoric in Greek and he was genuine. Read his admirable CV in chapter 11.

Dear Lord, You have chosen Your apostles well. They were able to bend their innate character traits to do Your will. We thank You and praise You. I pray that we may join their rank to serve You and the gospel. Amen.