FEAST: JULY 25
St. James the Greater was the brother of St. John who were both fishermen and sons of Zebedee. James, along with Peter, Andrew, and John was one of the first apostles called by Jesus. James found himself in elevated status amongst the Apostles. Peter, James, and John were able to see signs that others were not (resurrection of a little girl, the Transfiguration, etc.) James and John also had the nickname ‘Sons of Thunder’ because of their zeal for the Lord. They lived up to this nickname when a Gentile town rejected Jesus, and they offered to call down fire upon the city. Jesus rebuked them.
James was the first Apostle to be martyred. He was killed by Herod by way of the sword to the pleasure of the Jews. There is tradition within the church that the companions of St. James took his body and traveled all the way to Spain and buried him at Santiago de Compostela. This has now become a popular pilgrimage called the Camino de Santiago. Because of this, St. James is considered the patron saint of pilgrims.
