St James was a fisherman, yet he was called by Christ to become an Apostle. James was privileged enough to be with Jesus at the Transfiguration, the raising of the daughter of Jairus, and in the Garden of Gethsemane after the Last Supper. However, in the Gospels, both James and his brother John show signs of being impulsive and hot-tempered. This may be why Jesus called them "Sons of Thunder." In today's text, after Jesus tells the disciples how he will suffer and be executed, James and John wonder about their own places of honour.

If we focus on ourselves, we too can be blind to Christ and to what Christ is offering us. When we focus on Christ, we open ourselves more fully to Christ's call and the graces of the Paschal mystery. We ourselves are fragile vessels, but we hold an extraordinary treasure - a power that comes from God.

After Jesus' death and resurrection, a brave and inspired James boldly proclaimed the Good News, even against resistance. In approximately 44 AD, James was beheaded by the order of King Agrippa I, and became the first of the Apostles to receive martyrdom.