Saint of the Day: St. James the Great

Apostle (First Century)

His life

+ James, known as “Greater” to distinguish him from the other Apostle of the same name, this James worked as a fisherman with his brother John in the boats of their father Zebedee. 

+ Because of their zeal and dedication to Jesus, James and John were given the nickname “Sons of Thunder.”

+ James, along with Peter and John, was privileged to be with Jesus during the Transfiguration and the Agony in the Garden. 

+ James was the first of the Apostles to be martyred. He was beheaded in Jerusalem in the year 44 (see Acts 12:1-2). 

+ According to tradition, the relics of Saint James are enshrined at Compostela, Spain, where his shrine remains one of the greatest pilgrim destinations in Europe. He is honored as the patron of Chile, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Spain. 

For prayer and reflection

“For as I see it, God has exhibited us apostles as the last of all, like people sentenced to death, since we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and human beings alike. We are fools on Christ’s account, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are held in honor, but we in disrepute.”—1 Corinthians 4:9-10  

Spiritual Bonus

On July 25, the Church also celebrates the memory of the third century martyr Saint Christopher. Popularly honored as the patron saint of travelers and as one of the “Fourteen Holy Helpers,” many mistakenly believe that Christopher was “de-sainted” in the years following the Second Vatican Council. This is, however, not the case. Although his liturgical commemoration was removed from the Universal Calendar that governs the celebrations of the saints (in large part because of a lack of historical information about Saint Christopher), his name is still included in The Roman Martyrology (the Church’s official list of saints). 

Prayer

Almighty ever-living God,
who consecrated the first fruits of your Apostles
by the blood of Saint James,
grant, we pray,
that your Church may be strengthened by his confession of faith
and constantly sustained by his protection.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(from The Roman Missal)
Saint profiles prepared by Fr. Silas Henderson, S.D.S.