In an age where the profound theological letters of St. Paul, St. Peter, and St. John are often discussed, the  Letter of James  tends to go largely unnoticed. It is read only once a year at Mass and frequently doesn’t receive the attention it deserves. Yet, it contains practical and direct teachings that touch the heart of the Christian life. Father Ángel Espinosa de los Monteros, known for his lectures on spirituality, marriage, and family values, highlights one of its most brilliant gems in this video: the passage from James 2:14-26, which confronts us with an uncomfortable but liberating truth:  faith without works is dead .

What good is faith without works?

The biblical text begins with a direct and provocative question:

“What good is it, my brother, if someone says, ‘I have faith,’ but has no works? Can that faith save him?”

James gives a common and painful example: if a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and someone tells them, “Go in peace, may you be warmed and filled,” but gives them nothing to satisfy their physical needs, what good is it? Likewise,  faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead .

The apostle anticipates the possible objection: “You have faith, and I have works.” His response is forceful: “Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” Even the demons believe that God is one… and they tremble. Intellectual faith alone is not enough. It is sterile if it is not translated into action.

Abraham, the living example of faith and works

To illustrate this, James refers to  Abraham , our father in faith. He was not justified by an abstract belief alone, but by his concrete acts of obedience. Abraham left his home and his country without a detailed map or any visible guarantees. He believed in the promise of a son in his old age and in the promise of his wife Sarah. And, above all, he was willing to sacrifice Isaac when God asked him to, trusting completely that the Lord would fulfill his promise even beyond what was humanly possible.

Father Ángel explains it with empathy: Abraham’s “works” were concrete steps of total surrender. Today, God doesn’t ask us to literally sacrifice our children, but He does call us to acts of radical faith.

• To allow a son to respond to the vocation to the priesthood or to the consecrated life.
• To lovingly welcome a baby who comes with special needs, rejecting suggestions to terminate the pregnancy.
• At those moments, God tells us: “Show me your works, and I will tell you how great your faith is.”

Works of mercy and witness of the apostolate

This teaching takes us to the heart of  daily apostolate  . Millions of us go to Mass, pray, and profess faith. But that faith must be accompanied by concrete actions:

• The  confession of faith  through prayer, attendance at mass (even in cold, heat or in non-Catholic environments).
• Works  of mercy  and charity, which are the best testimony of what we believe.

Love erases a multitude of sins and manifests itself not only in large financial donations (which are the least common), but in simple gestures: giving advice, offering companionship, serving, forgiving, caring. There are those who go to soup kitchens not to bring food, but to serve with their own hands. Others offer their time in hospitals pushing wheelchairs, cleaning, or simply providing companionship.

It’s not always easy to do charity with “ordinary people,” with coworkers or close relatives. Sometimes it’s more comfortable to help those who seem to have an obvious need. However, true witness lies in loving and serving in the ordinary.

Jesus himself will summarize it at the final judgment: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and in prison and you came to visit me.”

Show me your work

Father Ángel concludes with a clear and hopeful invitation:  “Show me your works and I will tell you how great your faith is. Let us do all the good we can . ”

This “gem” from the Letter of James is not destructive criticism, but a loving call to a living, embodied, and fruitful faith. It is not about earning salvation through our own merits, but about allowing the faith we receive as a gift to be expressed in works that glorify God and serve our neighbor.

May these words inspire us to examine our lives: Is our faith alive, or has it become merely empty words? May God grant us the grace to always unite faith and deeds, so that we may be true witnesses of his love in today’s world.

Let us do all the good we can. May God always bless you.