Preaching of July 25th, 2022 by br. Rodolfo Segura Garrido, OP.
Solemnity of St. James the Apostle
Dear brothers and sisters: today we celebrate the universal feast of one of the twelve apostles, the Apostle James.
James was called when he and his brother John were mending their fishing nets.
He left the nets and his fellow workers and decided to follow the Lord. He left one group of workers to be part of another group closer to Jesus Christ, formed by Peter, James and John. This is the group that saw Jesus transfigured before them at a particular moment; they also went to the house of Jairus and saw Jesus resurrect Jairus’ daughter. Another moment they shared was when Jesus invited them to pray near him, in Gethsemane, when he was about to give his life.
Tradition holds that James reached “finis terrae” – that is, the end of the earth – evangelized Spain, especially Galicia and Tarsis; and was then beheaded, thus becoming the first Apostle to bear witness to Christ by drinking from the same chalice and giving his life for him. This witness led James to becoming the patron saint of Spain.
Tradition also tells us about Santiago de Compostela (which means the field of the star), the place where a glow pointed to the tomb of the Apostle. Since the 9th century it has been the model pilgrimage. The practice of pilgrimage dates from centuries before Jesus Christ, when Jews went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. They went at least once a year, even more if they could afford it. It was said that once in a lifetime everyone should go. Today we know that pilgrimage is a sign of movement towards the true Jerusalem. There are psalms that describe the journey towards the Holy City, the Heavenly Homeland. Every pilgrimage is like a summary of one’s whole life. The pilgrimage allows an undeniable spiritual component of faith, even for those who do not believe.
Brothers, it is not by chance that we have all made a pilgrimage to meet here in the Province of Santiago de Mexico. We have come from different parts of the world, summoned by St. Dominic of Guzman and the Apostle James through the Holy Spirit, to be part of the group that draws close to Jesus Christ.
James is the one who invites us to discover how to learn to evangelize. Let us manifest that it is necessary to draw close to Christ and see. Sacred Scripture tells us, in another moment, when the disciples ask him, “Master, where do you live?”…that he answers them: “Come and see”. We must move toward the ideal of following Christ to the end, even at the cost of giving our lives. The Apostle James is a true follower of Christ, he has seen everything: he has found the pearl of great price, he has drunk water turned into wine, he has seen the Lord walk on the waters, he has witnessed the multiplication of the loaves, he has seen the Lord appearing to him. After all these experiences, he can give his life. Therefore, we are invited like St. Dominic to give our life to the preaching of grace, but first let us know Christ in order to be able to give our life to being witnesses of the Truth.
Brothers, we are gathered around the table of the Eucharist to meet Jesus who died to love us, so that we might be able to love others in the same way. This is a great commitment and at the same time it is a problem for those who are looking for comfort, because following Christ is not precisely the way of tranquility, of a life without problems; but it is the way of an ideal so clear that one continues even in the midst of difficulties. Clearly, St. Paul tells us: “Being afflicted in every way, but not crushed; afflicted, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…”
Faith gives us strength; it also provides us with serenity and, above all, security in those moments when we perform actions in the name of God. The combat of faith makes all difficulty disappear for the one who believes. This enables us to move forward in spite of adversities. Let us ask the Lord for that firm will that grants the grace of Christ so that, once we have known him, we will not exchange closeness to him for anything in the world. The Apostle St. James acquired this will, and in the pilgrimage of our lives he invites us to discover that in Jesus Christ everything is possible, and in Jesus Christ we have everything. May it be so.
After the blessing:
I take this opportunity to congratulate all my Dominican sisters and brothers on this feast of the Apostle, and on behalf of the Master Fr. Gerard Timoner and the Provincial Fr. Luis Javier Rubio, to wish a happy feast day to the Province of Santiago de Mexico.
Br. Rodolfo Segura Garrido, OP.
