Theme: Be joyful in your trails and temptation for the testing of faith produces patience.
Scripture: Jas. 1:1-11; Ps. 118:67-68,71-72, 75-76; Mk. 8:11-13
We begin to read the letter of St. James during the weekdays. He was Jesus’ cousin. The risen Lord had appeared to him (1 Cor. 15:7). James was a very devout follower of Christ. He was martyred by throwing him from the high cliff of the temple in Jerusalem. He did not die. Therefore, he was beaten to death. It is said that he prayed for his persecutors while dying. He was the first martyr among the disciples of the Lord. The man who suffered in his life for the Lord had very profound teaching in the very first lines of his epistle. He calls us to find joy in the trials and temptations. Because every trail is testing of faith. It produces patience. He says, if the trails are received with faith then it produces patience. The patience mentioned by St. James is active and productive. It waits for the opportune time with hope. Therefore, it is important to know that every trials and temptations are the occasion for us to display our faith.
In the Gospel, the Pharisees came to Jesus and began to ask for a sign from heaven. They had already seen and heard that Jesus was performing many miracles but they wanted to see some spectacular things. Something similar to Elijah’s fire coming down from heaven (1Kings 18:38), dividing of the red sea (Ex. 14:6, 21ff), the sun dial returned 10 degrees (2 Kings 20:9-11), 3 Jews in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:19-27), etc. The Pharisees’ demand for a sign was like a temptation by the devil in the wilderness. The Pharisees not only tested but tempted Jesus to make a sign. As I have already made a mention of Jesus’ sigh, He sighed either when he saw the unbelief and hard heartedness of the people or he saw the greatness of their faith. Jesus refused to make a sign as he had done away with the Satan in the wilderness. (Mt 4:1-11). Jesus performed signs only in the context of showing mercy to those who were in needs. The trails and temptations did come in the life of our Lord. But he did not run away from them. Jesus faced all of them (testing moments) with great faith in His Father. Therefore, he was seen patient in all his sufferings.
We need to learn from our Lord and his disciples especially St James to be joyful in our testing moments. If we face trials with faith in God then we will be blessed with patience. Let us pray during this Eucharist that the Lord may bless us with the gift of faith that would bring patience in us.
Fr. Alex D’Mello
