Saint James the Apostle

Saint James the Apostle, also known as James the Great, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus¹². Here are some key details about him:

- **Birth and Death**: He was born in Galilee, Palestine, and died in 44 CE in Jerusalem.

- **Family**: James was the son of Zebedee and Salome. Salome was a sister of Mary (mother of Jesus) which made James the Great a cousin of Jesus¹. James the Great was the brother of John the Apostle.

- **Role in Jesus' Ministry**: James, along with his brother John, and Peter, formed an informal triumvirate among the Twelve Apostles. He was part of Jesus' innermost circle and witnessed major events such as the raising of Jairus's daughter, the Transfiguration, and Jesus' agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.

- **Martyrdom**: James the Apostle was the only apostle whose martyrdom is recorded in the New Testament (Acts 12:2). He was beheaded by order of King Herod Agrippa I of Judaea.

- **Patronage**: Saint James is the patron saint of Spain and, according to tradition, his remains are held in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. He is also the patron saint of pilgrims, soldiers, veterinarians, pharmacists, and people with arthritis.

James, the Son of Zebedee and brother of the Apostle John, was a Galilean, and with his brother one of the first of His Apostles whom the Lord called, whileas they were in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets and they immediately left the ship, and their father, and followed Him. Matth. iv. 21, 22.

And He surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder. Mark iii. 17.

Peter, and James, and John, were the three Apostles whom the Saviour loved best; them He took and brought up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them, Matth. xvii. 1,2;

when He went to the house of the ruler of the synagogue to raise his daughter from the dead, He suffered no man to follow Him save Peter, and James, and John, Mark v. 37;

and, at the last, just before the Jews took Him, when He cometh unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples: Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee. Matth. xxvi. 36, 37.

After that Jesus Christ was ascended into heaven, James preached how that He was God, and led many in Judaea and Samaria to the Christian Faith. A while afterward, he went to Spain, and there he brought some to Christ, of whom seven were afterwards ordained Bishops by Blessed Peter, and were the first such sent into that country.

From Spain James went back to Jerusalem, where he taught the Faith to diverse persons, and, among others, to the Magian Hermogenes.

Thereupon Herod Agrippa, who had been raised to the kingdom under the Emperor Claudius, to curry favour with the Jews, condemned James to death for his firm confession that Jesus Christ is God.

The officer who led James to the judgment-seat, at sight of the courage wherewith he was ready to offer up his testimony, declared himself also to be a Christian.

As they were being hurried to execution, this man asked pardon of James, and the Apostle kissed him, saying, Peace be unto thee. James healed a paralytic, and immediately afterwards both the prisoners were beheaded.

The body of the Apostle was afterwards taken to Compostella, (in the province of Galicia, in Spain,) where his grave is very famous. Multitudes of pilgrims from all parts of the earth betake themselves thither to pray, out of sheer piety or in fulfilment of vows.

The Birthday of James is kept by the Church upon this day, which is that of the bringing of his body to Compostella. It was about Easter-time Acts xii. 2-4 that he bore witness to Jesus Christ with his blood, at Jerusalem, being the first of the Apostles to do so.

He is also known as James, son of Zebedee, Saint James the Greater, Saint James the Elder, or Saint Jacob or Santiago.

His feast day is celebrated on July 25 in Roman Catholicism and April 30 in Eastern Orthodoxy.

(1) James the Great - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_the_Great.

(2) St. James | Biography, Apostle, the Greater, Death, Feast Day, & Facts .... https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-James-son-of-Zebedee.

(3) Who Was Saint James? The Beginner's Guide - OverviewBible. https://overviewbible.com/saint-james/.

(4) James, Saint Apostle – Church Encyclopedia & Biblical Lexicon. https://churchpedia.org/james-saint-apostle/.