Morning Prayer: Feast Day of St. James the Apostle: Who He Was, and Why the Church Honors Him
St. James the Apostle—often called James the Greater —is one of those figures who quietly anchors the early Christian story. He doesn’t have the dramatic arc of Paul or the contemplative voice of John, yet his life marks a turning point in how the young Church understood witness, courage, and the cost of discipleship. Who St. James Was James was the son of Zebedee and the brother of John. The two of them were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee until Jesus walked by and called them. The Gospels describe James as part of Jesus’ inner circle—present at the Transfiguration, at the raising of Jairus’s daughter, and in the Garden of Gethsemane. He wasn’t just one of the Twelve; he was one of the three Jesus brought closest. His personality comes through in flashes. Jesus nicknamed James and John Boanerges , “sons of thunder,” which tells you something about their temperament—bold, intense, maybe a little fiery. They were not quiet disciples. They were passionate ones. His Martyrdom James ...