Today's readings both focus on the ordinary life of the Church: the fact that there will always be misunderstandings, and even quarrels, among the members of the Church. We are like a big family, and no family is without its times of disagreement.

In fact, if we listen closely to Jesus and James today, we can discover that these tensions can really be healthy for us. They are a time to become like little children in their simplicity: to repent, to be able to say "sorry", and most of all to realize that Christ and not the family (or the community) is the true centre of our lives. The community exists for and because of Jesus Christ. And Jesus makes clear in the Gospel that His way to glory is through Calvary. We too must die to self in order to live according to the will of our Father in Heaven. And when we are convinced that we are right and the other person wrong, we must tell them lovingly - but then leave the final judgement to the Lord. Is the way of the "jihad" for us? In Mohammed's sense - a struggle with self and for God - yes. But in the sense of the self-righteous fundamentalist who is sure that God must agree with him and those who disagree must be destroyed, clearly no! Humility demands that we not put ourselves, and our own ideas, in the place of God.