The first reading comes from a Book of the Christian Scriptures called the Letter of James. Though we group it with the various letters written by St. Paul, St. John, and other disciples, it really does not bear any likeness to a letter. Scripture scholars assign it to the genre of parenesis, a word that simply means an exhortation. Throughout the letter, the sacred writer urges us to be examples of good Christian conduct. Much of it takes its impetus from the Beatitudes of St. Matthew’s Gospel. Today, we hear how Christians should regard poor people, remembering that Jesus has told us that the poor will inherit the Kingdom of God.
In the Acts of the Apostles, we hear of how the earliest Christian community pooled their resources together and shared everything equally. James is obviously writing to a much later community that is struggling with the sin of partiality. In their treatment of one another, they had become judges with evil designs.
Thus the reading for today calls us to see the world as God sees it, to trust in God’s plan when we cannot possibly see the whole picture. We are to follow the command to love your neighbor as yourself without reservation or partiality. This means that we must come to see the place of privilege held by the poor in the heart of God. Finally, as all of the sacraments are intended to help us, we are to conform outselves – our hearts and minds – to Christ.
This means that we will have to let go of our human instincts and open our minds and hearts to the lessons of Christ.
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator