St James the Apostle
Readings:
2 Corinthians 4:7-15
Matthew 20:20-28
Reflection:
I began preparing this reflection just after reading a review of the recent movie, which everyone seems to be reviewing, The Odyssey. Many reviews seem to deal with how faithful this movie version is to Homer’s epic, but this review focuses on what Nolan, the producer, was trying to say in this movie. It describes how war changes everyone; when dehumanisation and murder are institutionalised, social morals disappear. how it destroys the very home it’s meant to protect. The review is so graphic that it puts me off even wanting to see the movie.
However, in our readings today for this feast of St. James, we have St. Paul’s beautiful image of the earthenware vessel that contains a treasure. Any treasure that we contain has nothing to do with our achievements or with our success or with our doing. It comes from allowing ourselves to be shaped by the gentle hand of God. Any treasure we actually do contain is not really about us. It’s about the way God has shaped Christ himself in us, using our hearts as the clay.
Matthew tells us a different story, though, in James and John, their mother and their self-preoccupation, their ambition, their pride and their overweening sense of self-entitlement. What they think they deserve. In trying to achieve what they want, the gospel says, suddenly the beautiful community and communion of the disciples that Christ has been creating gets destroyed. Rivalry, jealousy, bitterness, anger, discord all suddenly become the poison that destroys the community that’s being built. They actually destroy the very kingdom that they hoped to be in charge of. [Pardon me for you ending a sentence with the preposition].
As always happens when life is all about me, and no longer about the One who is that gentle spring of living water bubbling quietly to the surface. When it’s not about the One who is that tiny seed planted in the earth. The One who is that humble basket of life-giving bread, the One who is the shepherd’s gentle crook guiding the sheep, when it’s not about the One whose broken, blood-soaked body shows what happens when pride and ambition have their way.
Tom Mcdonough CP is the parish priest and community leader at St. Paul of the Cross, Glen Osmond.