Divine Prudence in Following Jesus – Jul 25 – Homily – Fr Terrance

 

Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Jul 25, 2024, on how St. James' immediate response to Jesus' call exemplifies divine prudence and detachment from worldly concerns, teaching us the importance of following God's will.

The Church celebrates the feast of St. James the Apostle, also known as St. James the Great. He was the brother of St. John the Evangelist and a fisherman by trade. James was part of Jesus' innermost circle of apostles, along with Peter and John. According to Matthew 4:22 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/4?22, James and John responded immediately to Jesus' call. Similarly, Luke 5:11 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/5?11 emphasizes their complete and radical response to Jesus.

Prudence, defined as right reason in action, is perfected by the gift of counsel from the Holy Spirit, which allows immediate and correct judgment in difficult situations. James and John exhibited this divine prudence by following Jesus immediately. Their decision might have seemed rash to others, but it was a perfect act of divine prudence.

Detachment, or the separation from worldly concerns, is essential to following God's will. James and John demonstrated this by leaving their livelihoods to follow Jesus. This detachment doesn't mean they were perfect from the start, as shown in Luke 9:51-56 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9?51.

Over time, through discipleship and the Holy Spirit, James and John were perfected. James' zeal was ultimately perfected through martyrdom, and John's through his care for Our Lady. Their lives teach us the value of detachment, divine prudence, and zeal for God's will.

For further reading on the topics covered, see:

CCC 1806 - Prudence is right reason in action. - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/1806.htm,

CCC 1835 - Gift of counsel perfected by prudence. - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/1835.htm.

00:00 - Feast of St. James
00:12 - James' Immediate Response to Jesus' Call
00:49 - Virtue of Prudence
01:22 - Gift of Counsel
01:58 - Following Jesus
03:10 - Zeal and Imperfection
03:56 - Detachment for God
05:02 - Journey to Perfection

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. James - Feast - http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=59
Readings:  - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/072524.cfm
1st: 2co 4:7-15
Resp: psa 126:1-6
Gsp: mat 20:20-28

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=1115

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