Learning from St. James

On the Feast of St. James the Greater, Fr. Miguel reflects on the first apostle to die a martyr’s death. James was passionate and imperfect — once wanting to call down fire on a Samaritan village and later fleeing from Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.Yet the Lord chose him, allowed him to witness both the Transfiguration and the Agony in the Garden, and eventually led him to embrace the very chalice of suffering he once did not fully understand. In the end, James did not run away. He stayed faithful and gave his life for Christ.A powerful reminder that the apostles were not perfect when they were called, and neither are we. The Lord can transform our failures, our temper, and our fears into courage and fidelity.St. James the Apostle, pray for us.