Today is the Feast of Saint James, the son of Zebedee. An important distinction, as two apostles were named James. The other James was the son of Alpheus. In my research, I discovered that James the son of Zebedee is the patron saint of many things, several of which I identify with! Therefore, I would like to start my reflection by asking Saint James to intercede on behalf of those in the occupations for which he is the patron saint (druggists, equestrians, and soldiers to name a few). That he may protect them and help them to serve God though their work.

In today’s Gospel, we encounter James the son of Zebedee in one of the more well-known passages of which he is a part. We are witness to a bold request: a mother asks Jesus if her sons may sit at His right and left in the Kingdom of God (It is worth noting that in the Gospel of Mark, the brothers make this request themselves). When the ten apostles hear Jesus’s response to the brothers, they get upset. It seems like they may be getting special treatment. How come they might get the most powerful, high-status positions by siting at the right and left hand of God?  But our Lord had a good lesson for them- those who wish to be great will be humbled, and He reminded them that we are on this earth to serve God, just as Jesus came to give his life for us.

This passage led me to examine ways in which I seek power in my life. How often do I seek intellectual superiority because I have a strong desire to be right? Why do I find myself keeping tabs on all the tasks I’ve done in a day so I can “win” the invisible race of who has done more around the house? Do I seek higher paying jobs for the prestige? There are so many ways we may seek power or control in our daily lives, and the more I examined my personal life, I realized how much the pursuit of power can hurt my mental well-being and my relationships. What if, instead, I took on the mind set of servitude? If I found joy in serving those at work, in my home, and in public? This is what I think Jesus is calling us to in the end of this passage. Serving others is how we bring Christ to them.  In a power-hungry world, what would it look like if we chose to serve one another instead of chase power?