Daily Gospel Reflections for Jul 25, 2026

**SPEAKER_1** (0:10)
Music July 25th, 2026, Feast of St. James, Apostle. A reading from the Holy Gospel, according to Matthew.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:21)
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him. He said to her, What do you want? She said to him, Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your kingdom.
But Jesus answered, You don't know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They said to him, We are able. He said to them, You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with. But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give, but it is for whom it has been prepared by my father. When the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said, You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant, even as the son of man came, not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

**SPEAKER_1** (1:57)
The Gospel of the Lord The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, What do you wish? She answered him, Command that these two sons of mine sit one at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom. Jesus said in reply, You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I'm going to drink?
They said to him, We can. James and John, through their mother, asked Jesus for places of honor in his kingdom. It was a very human request. They believed in Jesus and wanted to be close to him. But they still saw his kingdom through the lens of success and recognition.
Jesus did not scold them. Instead, he led them to a deeper question. Can you drink the chalice that I'm going to drink?
Before there is glory, there is sacrifice. Before there is a crown, there is a cross. Following Jesus is not about earning recognition or being seen as more important than others. It is about loving him enough to walk the road he walked even when that road is difficult.
Many of us naturally hope for blessings, answered prayers, or opportunities that lift us up. There is nothing wrong with bringing these desires to God. At the same time, Jesus invites us to ask an even greater question. Am I willing to stay faithful even when following you asks something of me?
God is not looking for people who chase status in His kingdom. He is looking for hearts that trust Him, serve with love, and remain faithful whether anyone notices or not. When our desire shifts from being honored to honoring Christ, we begin to understand what it truly means to be His disciple. Do we follow Jesus because of what we hope to receive, or because we love Him enough to walk wherever He leads? Lord Jesus, teach us to seek Your will above our own ambitions. Give us willing hearts to follow You even when the path is not easy. Help us to serve with humility, love without seeking recognition, and remain faithful each day. May our greatest desire always be to belong to You. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.