1. 29 Sunday in Ordinary time.
James and John asked Christ two things. One was according to Christ’s Will. The other was according to the will of James and John;…..in fact their mother’s will.
2. The Catholic way of life is making ‘Thy Will be done’ our contemplative prayer that is unceasingly put into practice.
3.The Apostles should not be committing any more mistakes four lessons before graduation, on the Feast of Christ the King, the end of the Liturgical Year. Four Sundays before graduation wherein their knowledge must be perfect, James and John were still committing mistakes, though small mistakes. The knowledge of the apostles must be perfect; the bishop’s knowledge must be perfect even if their lives are not perfect. That is an obligation for all bishops and up to the Pope, according to St. Thomas of Aquinas.
The mistake of James and John was very small. But it was a mistake that is not allowed. ‘Not an iota lacking, not an iota in excess, not an iota of mistake. “Do not think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same shall be called least in the kingdom of God.”
4. What was right in the prayer of James and John? Their desire to be in the Kingdom of God. And Christ reminded them what they had to do to obtain their request, which was in accordance to the Will of God. The first Beatitude is the requirement to be in God’s kingdom; and the requirement is that James and John must be ‘poor in spirit.’ To be poor in spirit is the goal of the life of repentance that consist in drinking the cup or be baptized in the same bath of pain; in short, the goal of monastic life, according to St. John Chrysostom, is to drink the cup or be baptized in the same bath of pain; in short, to be poor in spirit. This is the first obligation for all to enter the kingdom of heaven.
5. What was wrong with the request of James and John. They wanted Christ to do their own family will. Though their own will look very good, to be in the left and right side of Christ, it was still wrong because it was imposing their own will on Christ rather than doing Christ’s Will. All are invited to salvation but rewards are only for those who deserve them, like those who have attained the eight Beatitude; ‘your reward shall be great in heaven.’ They attain salvation plus they receive a deservedly great reward.
6. The big mistakes of the men in the Church today is the heresy of liberalism. This heresy is when they do not do God’s Will, they even disobey God’s Will, and they command God to do their own puny human wills. A third in the current on going Bishop’s Synod are not even asking God permission to disobey His commands. They are, in fact, imposing, not even their own wills but the wills of adulterers and sodomists upon the whole Church. They do not want to change just an iota but to change the whole Catholic religion with a local personal Argentinian church.
What do you think Christ will say? ‘You do not know what you are asking for. You cannot even live the life of repentance which I imposed on James and John. In which case you cannot even go to heaven. And what are asking for? To commit adultery and homosexuality? Get behind me, Satan. Your ways are not God’s way.
Now, wait a minute. The above statement to Peter is not because Peter did something wrong. He was trying to do an act of kindness by preventing Christ from entering into His Passion. Maybe the more appropriate response of Christ should be; ‘it is better for you to tie a millstone around your neck and jump into the sea.’ For a portion of Bishops and Cardinals attending the Synod are committing the grievous sin of scandal. And leading them is Pope Francis.
7. At least imitate James and John who had only small mistakes since there are only four lesson to go before General Judgment day. . Like James and John, we should know what we should pray for and not ask for rewards. James and John were asking for a reward they did not deserve. That was wrong but not so bad. Pope Francis is changing Christ’s commands and allowing us to sin. Shall we expect salvation and a great reward in heaven? That will never be.