Our first reading at Holy Mass today comes from the letter of the Apostle James.
How many of the twelve Apostles had the name James? We talked about this in the fall.
One of the St. Jameses had a brother among the Apostles, namely…John.
The other James wrote the letter in the New Testament. He served as the first bishop of a very important city, the capital of the Holy Land…Jerusalem!
In his letter to us, St. James teaches us to have faith and put it into practice.
We believe in a good God, a God Who will help us when we ask Him to, Who will help us see the difference between right and wrong, and Who will give us the strength to do good.
When temptation comes—when we grow impatient, or angry, or cowardly, or deceitful, of self-indulgent—the Lord will help us overcome our weakness and act in the way that reflects who we really are, namely His beloved children.
What we have to do is pray. Spend time every day praying. When we pray regularly, the Lord trains us to love the right things.
Lord, help us to serve You faithfully! We want to get to heaven and love you forever. Give us the wisdom and strength to make the right choices, and build the right habits, that will lead us to the ultimate goal.