Beginning last Sunday and for
these five Sundays of September, the Second Reading in the Liturgy of the Word
is taken from the Letter of St. James.
James is referred to as James
the Lesser; not a standard of importance but by the chronology of age, being
the younger James, son of Alphaeus or Cleophas as mentioned in John. James was
leader of the Church in Jerusalem and this letter is thought to have been
written about AD 47. St. James wrote his Letter for the Jewish Christians
outside Palestine, who, for the greater part, were poor and oppressed.
St. James was moved to write
his Letter as he witnessed that the first fervour of the Jewish Christians had
grown cold, and a certain spirit of discouragement was developing amongst them.
How appropriate for us to hear his words in our own time of declining fervour
and faith in the Church. The Jewish Christians James is addressing had come
into a beautiful new living faith through the gospel and the Gift of the Holy
Spirit – some may have even heard or witnessed Jesus before his death on the
Cross. Ignored at first by the people among whom they lived, now they were experiencing
backlash, rejection, even persecution. Their social condition was becoming even
worse than before they embraced the faith. Our challenges to the Faith today
are also rooted in the cultural influence that surround us – the secularism of
society – the injustice that divides people – the rich getting richer, the poor
getting poorer.
Let us look for a moment at
some of St. James’ words we will here in the next few Sundays.
In chapter one, last Suday – “Religion that is pure and undefiled before
God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction
and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
In chapter two, as we heard
today - “Did not God choose those who are
poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised
to those who love him?”
Again in chapter two, next
Sunday, one of James’ most powerful lessons – “Faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
Then, the following week from
chapter three – “Where do the wars and
where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that
make war within your members? You covet but do not possess. You ask but do not
receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”
Lastly in chapter five – “Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes
have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion
will be a testimony against you;”
James does not hold back in
his use of strong language, because of the urgency of his message. We need to
hear the same kind of uncompromising straight talk today, lest we be swallowed
up by the chaos around us. Our faith in Jesus is a treasure beyond price. Let nothing
rob you of it.
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