Voice: Jennifer
Today is Friday, 25th of July. It is also the Feast of St James. Let us observe a moment of silence.
We read Psalm 117
1 Praise the Lord , all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!
2 For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord !
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
Luke 9:46-48, 51-56
46 An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
…
51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 And they went on to another village.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Reflection
The Way of St James
James the Great, son of Zebedee and brother of John, was one of the three apostles closest to Jesus—along with Peter and John. He witnessed the Transfiguration and accompanied Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Tradition holds that James was martyred on July 25th, 44 AD, which is why the Church commemorates him on this day.
Over time, James became associated with pilgrimage. The Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of St James, remains one of the most enduring Christian pilgrimages. Fittingly, St James is the patron saint of pilgrims.
But James’s own journey of discipleship was not straightforward.
In Luke 9, we find James and John offended that a Samaritan village refused to welcome Jesus. They asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy them?” (Luke 9:54). This earned them the nickname Boanerges, or “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17).
James and John were strong personalities—natural leaders. As they followed Jesus, they sensed that they were destined for something great. And when opposition arose, they were quick to suggest force.
On another occasion, they made a bold request:
“Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” (Mark 10:37)
Jesus responded with gentle correction:
“You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them… Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42–45)
James would come to understand this—the hard way.
The path to greatness in the kingdom of God is not paved with power, but with humility.
To lead is to serve.
To be great is to become least.
To love is to lay down one’s life—as John would later write:
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for one another.” (1 John 3:16)
So the next time you embark on a walking pilgrimage—or simply walk through the journey of daily life—remember the Way of St James is ultimately the Way of Christ: the path of service, humility, and sacrificial love.
We end with the Collect for today’s Feast:
Merciful God,
whose holy apostle Saint James,
leaving his father and all that he had,
was obedient to the calling of your Son Jesus Christ
and followed him even to death:
help us, forsaking the false attractions of the world,
to be ready at all times to answer your call without delay;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
In closing, be blessed by this song, Hymn of Heaven
How I long to breathe the air of Heaven
Where pain is gone and mercy fills the streets
To look upon the One who bled to save me
And walk with Him for all eternity
There will be a day when all will bow before Him
There will be a day when death will be no more
Standing face to face with He who died and rose again
Holy, holy is the Lord
And every prayer we prayed in desperation
The songs of faith we sang through doubt and fear
In the end, we’ll see that it was worth it
When He returns to wipe away our tears
Oh, there will be a day when all will bow before Him
There will be a day when death will be no more
Standing face to face with He who died and rose again
Holy, holy is the Lord
And on that day, we join the resurrection
And stand beside the heroes of the faith
With one voice, a thousand generations
Sing, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain”
And on that day, we join the resurrection
And stand beside the heroes of the faith
With one voice, a thousand generations
Sing, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain”
“Forever He shall reign”
So let it be today we shout the hymn of Heaven
With angels and the saints, we raise a mighty roar
Glory to our God who gave us life beyond the grave
Holy, holy is the Lord
So let it be today we shout the hymn of Heaven
With angels and the saints, we raise a mighty roar
Glory to our God who gave us life beyond the grave
Holy, holy is the Lord
Holy, holy is the Lord
Holy, holy is the Lord
Link to today’s Morning Office
About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen.
Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.
For feedback, please write to us at info@mpcc.org.sg
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