Blessed Martyrs of Pratulyn: Vincent, Nykyta, Ivan, Constantine, Michael, Onuphriy, Philip, Maxim, Daniel, Constantine, Bartholomew, Luke, and Ignatius; The Holy Hieromartyr Clement, Bishop of Ancyra; The Holy Martyr Agathangel.
A day when the faithful are highly encouraged to participate in the Divine Liturgy.
James 1:19-27; Mark 10:17-27.
Read James 1:19-27
The final words of today’s epistle reading the letter of St. James mention the importance of “keep[ing] oneself unstained from the world” (Jam. 1:27). In the Gospel of John, we hear in Christ’s prayer to His Father: “I have given them your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (Jn. 17:14-16). Even though Christians live “in” the world, we are not to be “of” the world. We do not belong to this world but rather to God’s kingdom which is both here and is to come. In today’s reading, James mentions how we must keep ourselves unstained from the world.
James tells us to “receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only deceiving yourselves” (Jam. 1:21-22). Jesus’ prayer to His Father quoted above begins with Jesus saying, “I have given them your word” (Jn. 17:14). Jesus, being the Word of God, has given us His Father’s Word. With meekness, we need to receive Jesus. In receiving Him, we must not only listen to Him but act upon what we hear. We must be doers of the word.
To live as a Christian requires us to be hated as Jesus was hated by the world. Is any servant greater than his or her master? No. Jesus tried to teach this message to His disciples in the Upper Room when He washed their feet: “Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him” (Jn. 13:16). Just as Christians are expected to love and serve others, we also should not expect to receive better treatment than Jesus did during His life and ministry. Just as Jesus is not of the world, we also must not be of the world. We belong to God.