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2 Corinthians 4: 7-15
Brothers and sisters:
We hold this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.
For we who live are constantly being given up to death
for the sake of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith,
according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,
we too believe and therefore speak,
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus
and place us with you in his presence.
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.
The Word of the Lord.
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The Hoover Dam is situated in the desert, between Arizona and Nevada. When constructed in the 1930’s, the goal of the dam was to provide water – and by extension, life – to vast areas of the Western United States.
To this day it remains an essential source of water and hydroelectric power.
Inevitably during the construction of the dam, over 100 people lost their lives due to dehydration and disease.
When the dam was completed, a tablet was set in the wall with the names of the men who died and the inscription: “These died that the desert might rejoice and blossom as the rose.”
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While all of these men worked to earn their daily bread, perhaps some of them also knew the value of their labor; perhaps some were willing to suffer, even to offer their lives, for the sake of generations to come.
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This is the Christian attitude that Paul writes about extensively in his pastoral letters, including in our first reading today.
Christians were commonly killed in the first three centuries after the death and resurrection of Christ – Saint Paul and Saint James, whose feast day we celebrate today, included.
But Paul urges Christians to remember that, even should their faith and ministry cost them their lives, future generations will find Christ because of them.
You might say, “No cross…no crown.”
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On this Feast of Saint James, may we all unite our suffering to the Cross of Jesus – whether that’s from fending off temptation, staying loyal to the Lord, or persevering in the desert of prayer.
Much like those men who constructed the Hoover Dam, our labor for the Gospel will give life for generations to come.
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Image credits: (1) Pinterest (2) Wikipedia (3) Inspirational Christian Blogs