From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   - Philippians 4:19 and 1 Thessalonians 5:18 -   
      
       And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in   
   Christ Jesus.   
       ...give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in   
   Christ Jesus.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Lord, I am willing to -   
       Receive what you give,   
       Lack what you withhold,   
       Relinquish what you take.   
      
      
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   July 25th - St. James the Greater   
      
   (Hebrew Yakob; Septuagint Iakob; N.T. Greek Iakobos; a favourite name among   
   the   
   later Jews).   
      
   The son of Zebedee and Salome (Cf. Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40; 16:1). Zahn   
   asserts that Salome was the daughter of a priest. James is styled "the   
   Greater"   
   to distinguish him from the Apostle James "the Less", who was probably   
   shorter   
   of stature. We know nothing of St. James's early life. He was the brother of   
   John, the beloved disciple, and probably the elder of the two.   
      
   His parents seem to have been people of means as appears from the following   
   facts.   
      
       * Zebedee was a fisherman of the Lake of Galilee, who probably lived in   
   or   
   near Bethsaida (John 1:44), perhaps in Capharnaum; and had some boatmen or   
   hired   
   men as his usual attendants (Mark 1:20).   
       * Salome was one of the pious women who afterwards followed Christ and   
   "ministered unto him of their substance" (cf. Matthew 27:55, sq.; Mark   
   15:40;   
   16:1; Luke 8:2 sq.; 23:55-24:1).   
       * St. John was personally known to the high-priest (John 18:16); and   
   must   
   have had wherewithal to provide for the Mother of Jesus (John 19:27).   
      
   It is probable, according to Acts 4:13, that John (and consequently his   
   brother   
   James) had not received the technical training of the rabbinical schools; in   
   this sense they were unlearned and without any official position among the   
   Jews.   
   But, according to the social rank of their parents, they must have been men   
   of   
   ordinary education, in the common walks of Jewish life. They had frequent   
   opportunity of coming in contact with Greek life and language, which were   
   already widely spread along the shores of the Galilean Sea.   
      
   Relation of St. James to Jesus   
      
   Some authors, comparing John 19:25 with Matthew 28:56 and Mark 15:40,   
   identify,   
   and probably rightly so, Mary the Mother of James the Less and of Joseph in   
   Mark   
   and Matthew with "Mary of Cleophas" in John. As the name of Mary Magdalen   
   occurs   
   in the three lists, they identify further Salome in Mark with "the mother of   
   the   
   sons of Zebedee" in Matthew; finally they identify Salome with "his mother's   
   sister" in John. They suppose, for this last identification, that four women   
   are   
   designated by John 19:25; the Syriac "Peshito" gives the reading: "His   
   mother   
   and his mother's sister, and Mary of Cleophas and Mary Magdalen." If this   
   last   
   supposition is right, Salome was a sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and   
   James   
   the Greater and John were first cousins of the Lord; this may explain the   
   discipleship of the two brothers, Salome's request and their own claim to   
   the   
   first position in His kingdom, and His commendation of the Blessed Virgin to   
   her   
   own nephew. But it is doubtful whether the Greek admits of this construction   
   without the addition or the omission of kai (and). Thus the relationship of   
   St.   
   James to Jesus remains doubtful.   
      
   His life and apostolate   
      
   The Galilean origin of St. James in some degree explains the energy of   
   temper   
   and the vehemence of character which earned for him and St. John the name of   
   Boanerges, "sons of thunder" (Mark 3:17); the Galilean race was religious,   
   hardy, industrious, brave, and the strongest defender of the Jewish nation.   
      
   When John the Baptist proclaimed the kingdom of the Messias, St. John became   
   a   
   disciple (John 1:35); he was directed to "the Lamb of God" and afterwards   
   brought his brother James to the Messias; the obvious meaning of John 1:41,   
   is   
   that St. Andrew finds his brother (St. Peter) first and that afterwards St.   
   John   
   (who does not name himself, according to his habitual and characteristic   
   reserve   
   and silence about himself) finds his brother (St. James). The call of St.   
   James   
   to the discipleship of the Messias is reported in a parallel or identical   
   narration by Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:19 sq.; and Luke 5:1-11. The two sons   
   of   
   Zebedee, as well as Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew with whom they were   
   in   
   partnership (Luke 5:10), were called by the Lord upon the Sea of Galilee,   
   where   
   all four with Zebedee and his hired servants were engaged in their ordinary   
   occupation of fishing. The sons of Zebedee "forthwith left their nets and   
   father, and followed him" (Matthew 4:22), and became "fishers of men".   
      
   St. James was afterwards with the other eleven called to the Apostleship   
   (Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16; Acts 1:13). In all four lists   
   the   
   names of Peter and Andrew, James and John form the first group, a prominent   
   and   
   chosen group (cf. Mark 13:3); especially Peter, James, and John. These three   
   Apostles alone were admitted to be present at the miracle of the raising of   
   Jairus's daughter (Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51), at the Transfiguration (Mark 9:1;   
   Matthew 17:1; Luke 9:28), and the Agony in Gethsemani (Matthew 26:37; Mark   
   14:33). The fact that the name of James occurs always (except in Luke 8:51;   
   9:28; Acts 1:13 -- Greek Text) before that of his brother seems to imply   
   that   
   James was the elder of the two. It is worthy of notice that James is never   
   mentioned in theGospel of St. John; this author observes a humble reserve   
   not   
   only with regard to himself, but also about the members of his family.   
      
   Several incidents scattered through the Synoptics suggest that James and   
   John   
   had that particular character indicated by the name "Boanerges," sons of   
   thunder, given to them by the Lord (Mark 3:17); they were burning and   
   impetuous   
   in their evangelical zeal and severe in temper. The two brothers showed   
   their   
   fiery temperament against "a certain man casting out devils" in the name of   
   the   
   Christ; John, answering, said: "We [James is probably meant] forbade him,   
   because he followeth not with us" (Luke 9:49). When the Samaritans refused   
   to   
   receive Christ, James and John said: "Lord, wilt thou that we command fire   
   to   
   come down from heaven, and consume them?" (Luke 9:54; cf. 9:49).   
      
   His martyrdom   
      
   On the last journey to Jerusalem, their mother Salome came to the Lord and   
   said   
   to Him: "Say that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and   
   the   
   other on thy left, in thy kingdom" (Matthew 20:21). And the two brothers,   
   still   
   ignorant of the spiritual nature of the Messianic Kingdom, joined with their   
   mother in this eager ambition (Mark 10:37). And on their assertion that they   
   are   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)