Feast of St. James
Growing up in a large household, 6 sisters and 3 brothers, there was plenty of opportunity to have, as they say, fist-a-cups. Usually, arguments would ensue over the fact that one of the younger ones was imitating the older ones. And for whatever reason, this imitation was always annoying.
Usually, the older one would seek solace in name calling: copy cat, was the choice of words. To be called a copy cat was considered to be the greatest of insult. Originality was the aim, copy catting was to be refrained.
The world also in some sense is this way. Imitation is always seen as lesser in value, a cheap imitation. Originality always gets the label of champions. Every body wants to be known as th original.
Yet as we celebrate the Feast of St. James, originality wasn't the aim at all. In fact, James was anything but original. He was a copy cat.
In the book of Acts 12:1-2, we read that King Herod "laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword."
James made the supreme sacrifice, he imitated the generosity of Jesus, by giving his life away. He is the first Apostle to be killed. Thus, it could be said, James is the original copy cat. This is what makes him so great. He did not seek to be original, he simply sought to imitate Jesus.
He took the treasure in this earthen vessel and he emptied it. He drank the chalice of Christ and was not a glutton, but chose to be poured out like Christ. St. James reveals to us the truth. Because we are capable of dying we are capable of glory, all we have to do is seek to imitate the generosity of Jesus, and we too shall join a heaven filled with copy cats.
Jesus not only saves us from death, but He saves us from the dreaded prison of needing to be original to find meaning and purpose.
Originality is seen in the face of Christ our goal is to simply copy what we see and then this earthen vessel shall reveal the surpassing power of God.
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