St. James the Apostle

Feast Day - July 25       

Collect:

O gracious God, we remember befores you today your servant the apostle James, the first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ; and we pray that you will pour out upon the leaders of your Church that spirit of self-denying service by which alone they may have true authority among your people; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

History

St. James was the son of Zebedee, elder brother of St. John, and with St. Peter and St. John, he belonged to the privileged group of disciples who were present at the Transfiguration and the Agony in Gethsemane. Because of their ardent zeal, James and John were named Boanerges, or "sons of thunder," by the Lord (Mark 3:17). St. James was the first of the Twelve disciples to suffer martyrdom in A.D. 44 (Acts 12:2).

From the Patron Saints Index

JAMES the Greater

Also known as

one of the Sons of Thunder; Jacobus Major; Iago; Santiago

Memorial

25 July

Profile

Son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of Saint John the Apostle, and may have been Jesus' cousin. He is called "the Greater" simply because he became an Apostle before Saint James the Lesser. Apparent disciple of Saint John the Baptist. Fisherman. Left everything when Christ called him to be a fisher of men. Was present during most of the recorded miracles of Christ. Preached in Samaria, Judea, and Spain. First Apostle to be martyred.

The pilgrimage to his relics in Compostela became such a popular devotion that the symbols of pilgrims have become his emblems, and he became patron of pilgrims.  His work in Spain, and the housing of his relics there, led to his patronage of the country and all things Spanish; for centuries, the Spanish army rode to battle with the cry "Santiago!" ("Saint James!")

Like all men of renown, many stories grew up around James.  In one, he brought back to life a boy who had been unjustly hanged, and had been dead for five weeks.  The boy's father was notified of the miracle while he sat at supper.  The father pronounced the story nonsense, and said his son was no more alive than the roasted fowl on the table; the cooked bird promptly sat up, sprouted feathers, and flew away.
 

Died

44 AD at Jerusalem; stabbed with a sword by King Herod Agrippa; legend says his body was taken by angels, and sailed in a rudderless, unattended boat to Spain where a massive rock closed around it; relics at Compostela, Spain
 

Representation

cockle shell; dark-bearded man holding a book; dark-bearded man holding a scroll; dark-bearded man holding a sword; dark-bearded man with a floppy pilgrim's hat, long staff, water bottle, and scallop shell; elderly, bearded man wearing a hat with a scallop shell; key; man with shells around him; mounted on horseback, trampling a Moor; pilgrim with wallet and staff; pilgrim's hat; pilgrim's staff; scallop shell; sword
 

Images

Gallery of images of Saint James [84kb]