We now read from the Letter of St James at the Sunday Masses for five weeks. This week and next, we will preach about the Letter, its place in Scripture, and the life of St James the Apostle.
St James is one of the seven "Catholic Epistles" - while these are all now recognized as part of the Bible, they were not always accepted by all. We consider the formation of both the Old Testament and the New, why the Protestant Bible is missing seven books from the Old Testament, and why the Catholic Church has always been correct to included those seven books.
Without the teaching authority of the Pope and Ecumenical Councils, we would never know which books truly belong in the Bible -- without the Pope, we wouldn't have the Bible.
Finally, looking more particularly at St James' Letter, we see that man is not justified by faith alone, but through works in faith. This Letter is the death of Protestantism.
Listen online [here]!
