St. James
by Phillip Aljouny (Oct. ’01)
Although little is known about the life of St. James, we know enough to establish him as a saint. It is not a lie to say that he played one of the most important roles in the spreading of our Lord’s word. Because of his dedication to Christ and his importance to the early church, we celebrate the feast day of Saint James on October 23. Saint James was often referred to as the “Brother of our Lord” because his kinship with Jesus Christ was so close. This is revealed in the Bible: “When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. ‘Where did this man get these things?’ they asked. ‘What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at him.’” (Mark: 6:2-3)
Although the term “Brother of our Lord” (the term used in Aramaic can refer to a close relative) points to James, he is believed to be the cousin of Jesus.
You probably know that our Lord was raised as a child in Nazareth, but what you might not have known is that James was also a Nazarene. After Pentecost, James was entrusted with the honor of preaching the good news to the people of Jerusalem. Over time, he was successful, and earned a reputation that eventually made him the first bishop of Jerusalem, which was a great honor. James was blessed with righteousness and was equipped with the strength of character. The success of James was dependent on these qualities. Saint James was preaching to common ignorant men who were without the knowledge of the Lord. James and his way of public speaking were capable of stirring people’s passions. No one failed to admire and respect him, but some wanted to destroy him.
I believe every Christian should celebrate the feast day of Saint James. He was no doubt a great Christian, trying his best to spread the good news at a time when Christians were being persecuted. James died by being stoned to death after being thrown off the roof of the temple in Jerusalem in 61 A.D. By celebrating the feast day of Saint James we are expressing our appreciation for the work he did for the Church. His life of dedication to Christ and the spread of the Christian faith should be celebrated by all Christians.
