On July 22 the Church commemorates Saint Mary Magdalene. Today (July 25) the Church commemorates Saint James, son of Zebedee. What do these two have to teach us about the Faith? A lot, I think.
This Sunday we will hear the Kingdom of Heaven compared to a number of things: a mustard seed that grows, leaven that works its way through 50 pounds of dough, a treasure hidden in a field, a merchant in search of fine pearls, a net that gathers in a large catch of fish. If there were two in the history of the Church that “got it” about the Kingdom of Heaven, they were St. Mary Magdalene and St. James the Apostle. St. Mary was the first to run from the tomb and was enTRUSTed with proclaiming the Easter Gospel; St. James was the first of the Twelve to be martyred and so was enCRUSTed with the same glorious Gospel, caked in his own blood.
May we run from the tomb with Mary and witness unto death with James and in so doing behold our risen Lord and Saviour Jesus in all his glory!