Commemoration at Lauds only: St. Christopher, Martyr
Readings: 1 Corinthians 4:9–15 and Matthew 20:20–23
“Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink?”
– Matthew 20:22
On this solemn feast of St. James the Greater, Apostle and martyr, the liturgy presents us with two poignant texts: the Apostle Paul’s defense of apostolic humility and endurance, and the Lord’s probing question to the sons of Zebedee. These passages, heard in the spirit of Traditional Catholic devotion, unveil the path of true apostolic greatness: not one of earthly glory, but of participation in the sufferings of Christ.
I. A Spectacle to the World: The Humiliation of the Apostles (1 Cor. 4:9–15)
“We are made a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men… we are fools for Christ’s sake…” (1 Cor. 4:9–10)
St. Paul offers a moving portrait of the apostolic condition—a life laid bare, not in triumph, but in ignominy. The Church Fathers saw in this passage not a complaint but a badge of honor. St. John Chrysostom notes:
“The Apostles, though mocked and mistreated, did not respond in anger or seek vindication. This is the true greatness of the servants of God: to suffer all and to love more abundantly.”
(Homilies on First Corinthians, Homily 12)
This humility is not weakness but conformity to Christ crucified. St. James, the first of the Apostles to suffer martyrdom, embraced this path. Tradition tells us he was beheaded by the sword under Herod Agrippa. That he drank of the chalice offered by Christ is not poetry but blood-stained reality.
II. The Chalice and the Throne: Misunderstood Ambition (Matt. 20:20–23)
“You shall indeed drink of my chalice…” (Matt. 20:23)
The mother of James and John, seeking glory for her sons, utters a request so very human: “Command that these my two sons may sit, the one at Thy right hand, and the other at Thy left…” Yet Our Lord gently corrects her. True greatness in the Kingdom is not awarded by human ambition but by the Father’s eternal wisdom. And it is achieved not by rule but by suffering.
St. Augustine, reflecting on this, writes:
“They sought exaltation, but the Lord offered them a cup. They desired honor, but He promised them suffering. Thus He shows that the way to the heights is through humility, and the road to the throne is by way of the cross.”
(Sermon 82)
St. James and St. John would, in time, come to understand. James would be martyred; John would suffer exile and persecution. Both would drink of the chalice—one literally by martyrdom, the other mystically in lifelong suffering for Christ.
III. The Martyrdom of James and the Witness of St. Christopher
Though today’s feast honors St. James, we also commemorate St. Christopher, the mighty martyr, whose legendary strength bore Christ across a river, and who then bore witness to Him unto death. The juxtaposition is instructive.
St. James, called from his fishing boat, followed Christ unto martyrdom. St. Christopher, in a different time and land, bore the same cross in his own flesh. Both remind us that whether Apostle or layman, discipleship always leads to the chalice.
St. Gregory the Great writes:
“The Church is built upon the faith of the Apostles and the blood of the martyrs. These are its twin foundations: truth proclaimed and truth suffered.”
(Homiliae in Evangelia, II, 26)
Conclusion: Apostolic Zeal and Martyr’s Resolve
On this feast, the Church calls us to venerate not merely the name of St. James, but his witness—a life poured out, a chalice accepted, a throne gained not by petition but by the shedding of blood. Let us, then, heed Paul’s example and Christ’s question:
“Are you able to drink the chalice?”
May we answer with the courage of St. James: “We can.”
Collect for St. James the Apostle (Traditional Latin Mass)
Sancti Jacobi, Apostoli tui, quaesumus, Domine, beata solemnia venerantes: et ejus meritis adiuvemur, et exemplo. Per Dominum nostrum…
We beseech Thee, O Lord, that as we venerate the solemn feast of Thy blessed Apostle James, we may be helped by his merits and followed in his example. Through our Lord…