From the Pages of Ruth to the Pages of Woman to Woman
July 24, 2026
Sunday July 26th: What if….
July 26, 2026
Feast of St. James, Apostle
“Can you drink the cup…?”
Matthew 20:20-28
In today’s Gospel, we hear the mother of James and John make an audacious request of Jesus, desiring power, and position for her two sons in his coming Kingdom. You have to admire people who bold facedly go after what they want, even if the ask itself betrayed a lack of understanding of the man and his mission. Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world, and the price of general admission is suffering and servanthood.
When the Lord asked James and his brother “Can you drink the cup I am to drink?” He was really asking them, can you empty yourself out for others, can you bear humiliation for my sake, can you die in the service of the Kingdom. Their brash, unhesitating response ‘Yes we can,’ may have been one of clueless bravado, but it would prove prophetic. They would learn the true meaning of Kingdom leadership and follow the Master in giving their lives for the sake of the Gospel.
St. James the Apostle, pray for the pilgrim church on earth.
