St. James

Matthew 20:20-28

The story in today’s gospel sheds light upon the Christian life. We look at the early church and realize so many of them died a martyr’s death. Our death might not be that dramatic! And so the cup that Jesus asks us to drink may well be the long, sometimes boring routine of Christian living with all the daily sacrifices we make for one another, its heartbreaks, the disappointments and the tears. Our suffering and martyrdom may just be trying to live out each day at a time. (A Roman coin had a picture of an ox and the ox was facing two things – an altar and a plough – the inscription read – ready for either.)