Saint of the day · July 25
St James, Apostle
FeastLiturgical colour : Red
St James the Apostle, known also as James the Greater, was one of the first disciples called by Jesus and is counted among the Twelve Apostles. He was the son of Zebedee and the brother of John, both fishermen on the Sea of Galilee, who left everything at Christ’s call. James witnessed key moments of Jesus’ public ministry, including the Transfiguration and the Agony in the Garden. According to the Acts of the Apostles, he was the first apostle to be martyred, executed by Herod Agrippa I in Jerusalem. Tradition holds that, after Pentecost, James may have preached the Gospel as far away as the Iberian Peninsula, although concrete historical evidence for this is lacking; this tradition has led to widespread devotion to him in Spain, especially at the shrine of Santiago de Compostela. The Church honors St James for his fervor, his bold witness to Christ, and his ultimate sacrifice. The feast encourages Christians to grow in apostolic zeal, to persevere in faith even at great personal cost, and to seek the Lord’s presence as James did.
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Mass readings
"We carry in our body the death of Jesus" — 2 Co 4, 7-15
Brothers,
we carry a treasure as in earthen vessels;
thus, it is clear that this extraordinary power
belongs to God and does not come from us.
In every circumstance, we are in distress,
but without being anxious;
we are perplexed,
but not in despair;
we are persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed.
We always carry in our body the death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus, also,
may be manifested in our body.
In fact, we who are alive,
are continually given over to death because of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus, also,
may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
Thus death is at work in us,
and life in you.
Scripture says:
I believed, therefore I spoke.
And we too, who have the same spirit of faith, we believe,
and therefore we speak.
For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will also raise us with Jesus,
and he will place us with you beside him.
And all this is for you,
so that grace,
more widely spread among more people,
may cause thanksgiving to overflow
for the glory of God.
– The word of the Lord.
Ps 125 (126), 1-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6
When the Lord brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like those who dream!
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and we shouted for joy.
Then it was said among the nations:
"What wonders the Lord has done for them!"
What wonders the Lord did for us:
we were filled with joy!
Restore our captives, Lord,
like streams in the desert.
Those who sow in tears
reap with joy:
He goes off, he goes off weeping,
he carries the seed;
he comes back, he comes back with joy,
bringing his sheaves.
"My cup, you will drink" — Mt 20, 20-28
At that time,
the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
approached Jesus with her sons James and John,
and she knelt down to make a request of him.
Jesus said to her:
"What do you want?"
She answered:
"Command that these two sons of mine
may sit, one at your right and the other at your left,
in your Kingdom."
Jesus replied:
"You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?"
They said to him:
"We can."
He said to them:
"My cup, you will indeed drink;
as for sitting at my right and at my left,
this is not mine to grant;
there are those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant with the two brothers.
But Jesus called them to him and said:
"You know it:
the rulers of the nations lord it over them,
and the great make their authority felt.
Among you, it must not be so:
whoever wants to be great among you
must be your servant;
and whoever wants to be first among you
must be your slave.
Thus, the Son of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many."
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org