Meditation: Thursday, July 25, 2002

[Joachim]

Title: Meditation: Thursday, July 25, 2002

The Catholic Calendar for Thursday, July 25, 2002     The Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time     St. James, apostle Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:     2 Corinthians 4:7-15     Psalm 126:1-6     Matthew 20:20-28 A Reflection on Today's Scripture: Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Apostle James. The gospel recounts the story when James' mother asks Jesus to assure her that her sons (James and John) will be awarded a special place in the Kingdom of God. Jesus replies in a way that spells out what meriting such a place might cost. It is, no less, than the way of suffering. For cowards like myself I'm frightened to think that I may ever really have to suffer. Although I trust that God will support me no matter what may come, I'm still frightened. Perhaps that is why God revealed to Peter, James and John a glimpse of His glory, so that when they saw Christ suffer and might be asked to suffer themselves, they would have a hint of the end game (so to speak). If this is so, and the way of suffering is the lot of all who would ask a share in the Kingdom, then couldn't it be that the Lord has given us a glimpse of His glory and the value of the final prize? Perhaps we weren't on Tabor, but all who have been Baptized were given the supernatural gifts of Faith, Hope and Love. With these gifts we believe in things we do not see or fully understand, trust that God's word (Word) and what He promised would be accomplished, and like St. James, might drink of the cup of suffering -- out of love. Let us then beg the Lord, not to spare us or remove from us the sufferings of life, but to accept them should they come our way and to drink; not only for our salvation, but that of the world. St. James, pray for us. Amen. - Donna Raye Nelson, ocds ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) YOU CAN HELP to evangelize the Word of God: Please recommend our website to your friends and Catholic webmasters at: http://www.borg.com/~joachim/DailyMeds.html (case sensitive). ARCHIVED Meditations: http://www.abcsoffaith.com/quiet/quietplace.html and at: http://www.mail-archive.com/dailymed@saturn.nibcomp.com For ALL communications, including subscribe/unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (c)2002 The Way, The Truth, The Life. Permission granted to make reprints of the meditations or to post on any web page, except for profit. Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament and Revised Psalms (c)1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Full text from the New American Bible: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/index.htm Lives of the Saints: http://www.christdesert.org/public_texts/martyrology/