CAN YOU DRINK THE CUP? ~ CookingFood.Org

“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”

Daily Reflections

Tuesday, 25^th July 2017,

Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Feast of St. James, Apostle

2 Cor 4: 7-15;

Ps 125: 1-6;

Mt 20: 20-28

CAN YOU DRINK THE CUP?

St James, whose feast we commemorate today, was a son of Zebedee and Salome and the brother of John the Apostle and Evangelist. He was one of three apostles whom Jesus selected to bear witness to his greatest miracles - his Transfiguration, and his agony in the garden of Gethsemane. He was prominent in the church in Jerusalem, and the first Apostle to die for Christ. He died a martyr, executed by sword by Herod Agrippa I.

Today’s Gospel is truly a word of life for all of us. Indeed, it shows the path of life for Christians: “Be like the Son of Man who has come, not to be served but to serve and to give his life to redeem many.” “If you want to be first, make yourself servant to all.” The mentality of the world is to dominate people. It is to have powers so that we may benefit from that power. And in the end we will be served according to what we want and need. But Christianity is the opposite! To be a Christian means to think like Christ, to act like Christ. It means to live in a radical way, that is, to live contrary to the values of the world. Today’s gospel invites us to true happiness, which is to serve. And the reward will be that we shall be called sons and daughters of God and we will sit at the Heavenly banquet.

“Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” James and John replied, “We can.” Jesus replied, “My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” This was a very gentle rebuke by Jesus. Jesus gently was asking, can you embrace my Cross? Can you embrace my suffering? Can you walk with me through my ultimate sacrifice and participate in that sacrifice by also offering your lives? The Apostles indeed, eventually did follow Jesus in His sacrifice by giving themselves completely to others.

Can you drink that chalice? Can you willingly accept the Cross in your life? Can you endure hardship, sacrifice and, perhaps, even persecution for being a follower of Jesus? Can you walk with Him through His suffering? It’s worth it and it’s an invitation that you will never regret accepting.

Prayer: Lord, I do desire to drink the chalice You drank. I desire to receive Your Precious Body and Blood and in that reception to receive the strength and grace I need to follow You in Your sufferings. As I follow You in Your sufferings, help me also to share in Your glory. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.