July 25, 2026
Feast of Saint James, Apostle
Gospel: Matthew 20:20-28

Today is Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time. The Church celebrates the Feast of Saint James the Apostle. The recently published Roman Missal tells us: St James (+44), the son of Zebedee, was called by the Lord together with his brother St John. He was one of the three Apostles—along with St Peter and St John—who witnessed the Transfiguration (Mt 17:1) and the Agony in the Garden (Mt 26:37). He was condemned to death by Herod Agrippa and was beheaded in the year 44, becoming the first of the Twelve to be martyred. His venerated shrine at Santiago de Compostela, Spain, remains a renowned centre of pilgrimage to this day.

Today’s passage from the Gospel of Matthew recounts the dialogue between the mother of the sons of Zebedee and Jesus. I would like to offer some reflections on this encounter.

The Evangelist tells us that the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons, did him homage, and asked him for something. He said to her, “What do you wish?” She replied, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom” (cf. Mt 20:20–21). This reveals a misunderstanding she shared with many of her contemporaries regarding the nature of the Kingdom Jesus proclaimed. Like others of her time, she expected Jesus to establish an earthly kingdom in opposition to Rome; she imagined he would reign as a political messiah, and she sought positions of worldly power and status for her sons, James and John.

When we come before the Lord in his holy temple today, we too, like the mother of the sons of Zebedee, present our petitions. Often, our prayers seek worldly success, professional advancement, or social prestige. Such requests reveal that we have not yet fully grasped the true nature of God’s Kingdom.

Another moment in today’s Gospel calls for deeper reflection. Jesus answered her, “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 replied, “My cup you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right or left is not mine to grant. It is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father” (cf. Mt 20:22–23). Clearly, Jesus calls us to move beyond our own limited expectations and to embrace the path he sets before us: a life shaped by his teachings, marked by faithful responsibility, and expressed in self-giving love. The way of Christ is the way of love—loving our brothers and sisters as he has loved us, serving the Church with humility, and being willing to lay down our lives for others.

Almighty ever-living God,
who consecrated the first fruits of your Apostles
by the blood of Saint James,
grant, we pray,
that your Church may be strengthened by his confession of faith
and constantly sustained by his protection.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

©Totus Tuus 2026
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica