James was one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus. He lived with Him, knew Him, and took it upon himself to spread His Kingdom and the Word of God.
Two of Jesus’ Apostles were named James. To distinguish them, according to their age, they have been called James, the Elder and James, the Younger. James, the Elder, was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and older brother of St. John, also an apostle and evangelist. Both were born in Galilee and were engaged in fishing. Their social position was well-to-do: their father had a fishing industry with many employees. He and John were also well known in the capital.
When Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Gennesaret, also called the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Peter and Andrew, who were fishing, and he called them to follow him and make them fishers of men. He also called the brothers James and John, who were mending nets in a boat with their father Zebedee. The two abandoned what they were doing, leaving their father, who did not oppose their vocation, and followed the Master. They were disciples of John the Baptist.
Jesus gave them both the nickname “Boanerges”, which means “sons of thunder”, because they were very impulsive, outspoken and fiery. On one occasion, Jesus was not well received by the Samaritans, and the brothers asked Jesus if he wanted them to bring down fire from heaven to consume them in it.
During the public life of Jesus Christ, James was one of the favored ones: He was present, along with his brother John and with Peter, at the miraculous healing of Peter’s mother-in-law and at the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter. With them, he was an eyewitness to the Transfiguration of Jesus. He accompanied him closely during his agony in the garden of Gethsemane. Moreover, he was one of the four privileged Apostles who heard from Christ’s lips the prophetic history of the Kingdom of God.
He was the first martyr among the Apostles.
He died in Jerusalem in the year 44, by order of Herod Agrippa I, who persecuted the Christians to get along with the Jews. It is said that a scribe, friend of his, betrayed him, but then he repented and asked for forgiveness before the execution. James said to him: “Peace be with you”, embraced him and baptized him. Both were beheaded together.
Some researchers claim that the remains of St. James, the Elder, were taken to Spain and are located in Campus Stellae (Field of Stars), currently Santiago de Compostela. He is the patron saint of Spain, due to the dual belief that Spain was evangelized by St. James and possesses his relics. However, it is not known for sure if he preached there because the first writers of the Church do not say so.
There is a Spanish legend from the IX century that tells that Santiago appeared near the place where his relics were venerated, mounted on a white horse, with several stars, carrying a book in his hand, as a symbol of his evangelizing mission. According to the narrations of the time, Santiago Apostle appeared in the battles against the Moorish infidels, on a white horse, in imposing appearance and carrying a large white banner and also sword, leading the Spanish Christians to victory, who said as a battle cry: “Santiago and close Spain”.
Santiago and the Virgin Mary
St. James the Apostle prepared the way for the Virgin Mary in Spain and also prepared her arrival in the “New World”. He is the Apostle of the Virgin Mary, also known as the Apostle of Peace.
In 1519, Cortes arrived in Veracruz, and in Lantigua he built the first church dedicated to St. James the Apostle on the American continent. Also in 1521, when Mexico was conquered, Cortes built a church in the ruins of the Aztecs that was also dedicated to St. James the Apostle. It was to this church that Juan Diego went on December 9, 1531, to receive catechism classes and hear Holy Mass, as it was the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
This is a brief history of the greatness of St. James, who drank from the same Chalice as Our Lord.
Translated without previous revision of author. Original text: https://heraldos.org.uy/santiago-apostol/
