ST. JAMES THE GREATER (JULY 25TH)

Contemporary Byzantine-Style Icon of St. James the Greater

Edited by Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

On this blessed day, the 25th of July, we celebrate the feast of St. James the Greater, one of the Twelve Apostles, a pillar of the early Church, and cornerstone in the House of Faith. St. James, son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of St. John the Theologian, is remembered with reverence and awe, his life a testament to the transformative power of Christ’s call. 

St. James, called from his nets on the Sea of Galilee, responded with immediate zeal, leaving behind his livelihood to follow the Master. Alongside Peter and John, he witnessed the Transfiguration, beholding the divine glory of Christ, a foretaste of the Kingdom. His fervor and loyalty earned him the epithet “Boanerges,” meaning “Son of Thunder,” highlighting his passionate and fiery nature. 

He was also present at the raising of Jairus’s daughter and at the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, placing him among the inner circle of Christ’s most intimate witnesses. His boldness was so well known that it was his mother who came to Christ asking that he and his brother might sit at His right and left in the Kingdom, and a request that Jesus answered by foretelling James’s martyrdom: “Ye shall indeed drink of my cup” (Matthew 20:23). 

According to the Acts of the Apostles, St. James the Greater became the first of the Twelve to receive the martyr’s crown, being put to death by the sword under Herod Agrippa I around AD 44 (Acts 12:2). His early martyrdom bore witness to his courage and loyalty, and he remains a symbol of apostolic fervor to this day. 

Later Christian traditions, particularly in the West, revere St. James as the patron of pilgrims and missionaries. The ancient path to his relics in Santiago de Compostela, in Spain, became one of the most famous pilgrimage routes in Christendom, inspiring centuries of spiritual renewal and devotion. 

As we reflect on St. James the Greater’s life and legacy, we are drawn to a deeper appreciation of his role in the divine plan. His martyrdom marked the first apostolic bloodshed, sealing his testimony with the ultimate sacrifice. Yet, in his death, the seeds of faith were sown, blossoming into a harvest of saints and martyrs, missionaries and bishops.

COLLECT

O GRACIOUS FATHER, who didst endow thy holy Apostle St. James with zeal and courage to follow Christ even unto death: Grant us, we beseech thee, the same steadfastness of faith and fervor of spirit, that we, being inspired by his example and aided by his prayers, may walk in the way of thy commandments and bear witness to thy truth with boldness and love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.