The Holy Apostle James (Iakovos),

Brother of the Lord

(click to enlarge)James is called the Lord’s brother because he was the son of the righteous Joseph, the betrothed of the Most-holy Theotokos. When the righteous Joseph was near death, he divided his estate among his sons, and wanted to leave a portion to the Lord Jesus, the son of the Most-holy Virgin, but all the other brothers opposed this, not regarding Jesus as their brother. James greatly loved Jesus and declared that he would include Jesus in his share. That is why he is called the Lord’s brother.

From the beginning, James was devoted to the Lord Jesus. According to tradition, he traveled to Egypt with the Most-holy Virgin and Joseph, when Herod sought to slay the newborn King. Later, as soon as he heard Christ’s teaching, James lived by it. It is said of him that he never ate fat or oil, but lived on just bread and water, and was a virgin to the end of his life on earth. He often kept vigil at night and prayed to God. The Lord numbered him among His Seventy Apostles.

(click to enlarge)Following His glorious Resurrection, the Lord appeared to him especially, as the Apostle Paul testifies (I Corinthians 15:7). He was Bishop of Jerusalem for thirty years and zealously governed the Church of God. At the instruction of the Lord, James compiled the first Liturgy [5 hours!], which seemed very long for later Christians, and St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom shortened it. He converted many Jews and Greeks to the Christian Faith, and even the unbelieving Jews were amazed at his righteousness, referring to him as ‘James the Just.”

When Ananias became High Priest, he and other Jewish elders determined to kill James for being a preacher of Christ. Once, during the feast of Passover, when many people had gathered in Jerusalem, the elders forced James to climb onto the roof of the Temple, and tried to make him speak against Christ. He climbed up and spoke to the people of Christ as the Son of God and the true Messiah, of His Resurrection and His eternal glory in the heavens. The infuriated priests and elders pushed him off the roof; he fell and was severely injured, but was still alive. Then, one man ran up and struck him on the head with a fuller’s club with such force that his brains spilled out.

Thus, this most glorious apostle of Christ died a martyr’s death, and went to live eternally in the Kingdom of his Lord. James was sixty-six years old when he suffered for Christ.

HYMN OF PRAISE

James, the Brother of the Lord, a most beautiful righteous one,
Explained the teaching of Christ with his life,
And when they tortured him, he meekly knelt,
And prayed to God for his enemies.
In a most difficult place, at a most difficult time,
He patiently bore the episcopal yoke.
He governed the Church as a good shepherd,
And glorified the Lord in word and deed.
He taught men to love Jesus,
And taught the faithful to pray to God.
‘Vainglorious man, what is faith alone?
Faith without works is as empty straw.
Whoever has hearing, let him hear the teaching:
Faith without works is a body without spirit.
Whence come wars, abhorrent to all?
From the impure passions of your body.
Men always war and have no peace,
For their hearts desire evil, then shed blood.
Whoever turns a sinner away from error
Will receive the Lord’s gift of eternal life in reward.”
The Jews slew the righteous James-
But they have murdered themselves, and glorified him!
O wonderful James, holy apostle,
Help the faithful who pray to you.

REFLECTION

From God comes grace, but from us comes labor. Therefore, let no one even think that the holy apostles relied solely on the God-given grace, or that it was easy for them, or that they performed their great work in the world without effort. Does not the Apostle Paul say: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (I Corinthians 9:27)? And still, in another place, does he not say that he spent his life in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness (II Corinthians 11:26-27)? St. James fed only on bread and that not to satisfaction. He slept very little, and spent his nights in prayer. He knelt so much in prayer that the skin on his knees became as hard as the skin on the knees of a camel. This brother of the Lord prayed with tears and sighs not only for the Church, which he governed, but also for the whole world. Even when he was pushed from the temple roof by the malicious Jews, and thus was completely broken, the holy apostle never forgot his debt to God and to men. Gathering his last strength, he raised himself to his knees, stretched forth his hands toward heaven and fervently prayed to God saying: “Lord, forgive them this sin, for they know not what they are doing.” While he was praying thus, wicked men struck him with stones from all sides. Seeing this, one of the sons of Rechab cried out: “Stop! What are you doing? The righteous one is praying to God for you, and you are killing him!” However, that shout of a compassionate soul could not deter the murderers, accustomed to evildoing, from killing the saint of God. So it was that the apostles did not rely on grace alone, but also put forth nearly superhuman effort to show themselves worthy of God’s grace.

From a Priest Monk while I was an inquirer:

Dear in Christ James,

What a wonderful patron saint you have chosen. St. James the Brother of the Lord was the first Bishop of Jerusalem, and presided over the first council of the newly-established Christian Church. The James we read about in Acts who decides the issue between the Apostles Peter and Paul is that person. Pray to your holy saint, and let him be an example in your Christian life. My monastery is one of the few places that annually celebrates the ancient and beautiful Liturgy of St. James.

I hope you will… pray to him, for he is the one who will be granting the favors here. Approach all things to do with God with humility—it is the folly of Americans to think that they have something to give; well, all you can give is a broken and contrite heart. Forget the "Evangelical" and emphasize the Orthodox, and you will do well. As a new Christian, you will be like a new born child, not in a position to "teach" but to learn. May God help you, you will be in my poor prayers.

…Coming to Orthodoxy is serious business, and there is no room for "picking and choosing" when it comes to Orthodox praxis. I hope that this will answer your question.

James, I will continue to pray for you and your wife; approach Orthdodoxy with humility and simplicity, as if you are small children. Christ’s Church is a deep Mystery, and no matter how much we "study" Her, we will have to be spoon fed for many years and will but barely scrape the surface of the great knowledge and Grace of which She is possessed.

Do not be in a rush to "know" everything, but be patient, and God Himself will instruct your willing souls. Very important is to develop a good prayer life, for without prayer, there is no life. God bless and help you!

Father A. (memory eternal)

Pray unto God for me, Holy Saint James, for I turn to you, the speedie helper and intercessor of my soul!

Life, Hymn and Reflection taken from the Prologue of Ohrid.