JULY 25, 2026 FATHER GUSTAVE INEZA
Dear brothers and sisters, today, the church celebrates the feast of St. James the Greater, one of the first disciples called by Jesus, one of the members of the inner circle who witnessed the transfiguration, and one of the first witnesses of the agony of the Lord in Gethsemane.
Yet the Gospel that the church proposes for this feast does not immediately show us James at his best. Instead, it presents a family ambition. The mother of James and John approaches Jesus and asks that her sons be granted the highest places in his kingdom, one at his right and one at his left.
At first glance, this request may be shocking. Yet it is also deeply human. Who among us has never dreamed of recognition, influence, success, and status? Who has never hoped that following Christ would bring some form of reward?
The request of the sons of Zebedee and their mother reveals motivations that are not entirely purified. They have heard Jesus speak about the kingdom, but they still imagine it according to worldly categories. They are thinking about rank, privilege, and honour.
What is remarkable is that Jesus does not reject them. He does not dismiss them because their motivations are imperfect. Instead, he begins the patient work of transformation, transforming them.
He asks a question, “Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” And the brothers confidently answer, perhaps without fully understanding what they are saying. They imagine glory when they hear “the cup,” but Jesus speaks about sacrifice. They dream of thrones, but Jesus points towards the cross.
This exchange reveals something important about Christian discipleship. Very few of us begin our journey with perfect, pure motives. We may come to faith seeking comfort, security, and answers, or even recognition. Yet the Lord does not wait until our motives are flawless before calling us.
Rather, he calls us as we are and gradually purifies our hearts. If you allow him, he cancels our desires and reshapes our ambitions so that they become aligned with his mission.
The life of St. James demonstrates this transformation. In today’s gospel, we encounter a disciple who is still concerned about status. But after the resurrection and Pentecost, we encounter a very different person.
James became a courageous witness to Christ. He preached the gospel with conviction, and he accepted suffering for the sake of the kingdom. According the Acts of the Apostles, he became the first of the 12 who shed his blood for Christ when he was put to death by King Herod.
The disciple who once sought a place of honour eventually drinks the cup of his Lord. The ambition of privilege has been transformed into the courage of self-giving love.
This transformation should challenge us. Too often, we can become preoccupied with the rewards of faith. We speak about heaven, eternal life, and the promises that God has prepared for those who love him. These promises are real and precious. They sustain our hope.
Yet Jesus reminds us today that focusing exclusively on the reward can distract us from the daily demands of discipleship. Notice that Jesus does not spend much time describing who will sit where in the kingdom. In fact, he says that such matters belong to the Father.
The reward is God’s concern. Our concern is the mission. The reward is certain because God is faithful, but its form and fullness remain known only to him. What Jesus places before the disciples is not the map of heavenly honours but the reality of the cup they must drink.
The Christian life is therefore not primarily about earning a place of distinction. It is about allowing ourselves to be transformed into the likeness of Christ. It is about learning to suffer with those who suffer, to weep with those who are weeping, to stand beside the forgotten, to forgive those who are hurt, and to laugh when life is costly. It is about living as our Lord lived.
Before discipleship is about being rewarded, it is about being changed.
History offers many examples of what happens when believers forget this lesson. Whenever Christians have fought for the highest seats, whenever they have sought power, prestige, or domination in the name of God, they have often ended up trampling on others.
At various moments in history, individuals and groups have been tempted to confuse the kingdom of God with wordily powers. Instead of imitating the servant God who washed feet, they sought positions of privilege. So the result was frequently division, injustice, and scandal.
The gospel reminds us that the pursuit of status, even in religious settings, can lead us away from Christ if it is not purified by humility and service.
And this is precisely why Jesus gathers the disciples and gives them one of the most important teachings in the gospel: “It shall not be so among you.”
In the world, greatness is often measured by power, influence, and authority. In God’s kingdom, greatness is measured by service. The one who wishes to be great must become a servant. The one who wishes to be first must place others before self.
And this teaching remains essential to the church today. The church does have ministries, offices, and responsibilities. There are bishops, priests, deacons, religious and lay leaders. These roles are important and necessary.
Yet their purpose is not privilege but service. Hierarchical positions and service do not contradict one another. In the vision of Christ, authority itself becomes a form of service. The greater the responsibility, the greater the call to humility, sacrifice, and care for others.
In the church, service is the highest honour, because it reflects the very heart of Jesus.
The feast of St. James invites us to examine our own discipleship. Why do we follow Christ? What do we seek from him? Are there ambitions, desires, or expectations that still need purification?
The good news is that God is patient. Just as he transformed James, he can transform us. He can take our mixed motives and gradually shape them according to his will.
So, may the Lord who transformed an ambitious disciple into a courageous martyr continue to transform us until our lives reflect the self-giving love of the one who came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. Amen.
