A Reflection From the Feast of St. James the Greater, Apostle (July 25)
Handout or Bulletin Insert
Description: We are all earthen vessels – imperfect, shaped too much by the world around us, easily cracked, not very beautiful – but nonetheless holding a heavenly treasure within, as it says in 2 Corinthians 4:7-15. That treasure is God’s love. It’s a treasure that’s meant to be shared. Although we are chipped and cracked, we are like the chalice that holds the Precious Blood of Jesus during communion at Mass, pouring Christ out to others. That treasure is God himself, and as such it makes us holy even when we sin. Unless we deliberately reject God (a mortal sin), we remain essentially holy because we were made in his image and we have been baptized into his likeness. We don’t always act holy, but we do always have God’s Holy Spirit within us.
This handout for the Feast of St. James the Greater also uses Matthew 20:20-28 to explain this important message.
Ideas for use: Bulletin insert for the week of July 25, an invitation to join a ministry, or a handout for adult or youth faith formation, or RCIA class.