Today is the feast of one of Jesus' best friends, St. James (Giacomo in Italian, Santiago or Tiago in Spanish, Jacques in French, Seamus in Irish, Jacobus in Latin). This James was called “the Greater” to distinguish him from another apostle, also called James, son of Alphaeus. Then, the early Christian church had another James, relative of Jesus, who became an elder of the Church in Jerusalem (see Mk 6,3 and Gal 1,19). This James was also the brother of John, known in tradition as the Beloved disciple. In this regard, I’ve always wondered how James felt that his brother seemed to be Jesus’ favorite. On the other hand, I imagined that he enjoyed it himself for that could also mean some kind of “reflected glory.” These two brothers, in fact, had a difficult time understanding the teaching of the Master. We see this in the Gospel of today (Mt 20:20-28 or preferably the more original version in Mk 10:35-41). Here they were shown to be such ambitious men asking the assurance of a special place from Jesus: "Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left." Jesus had to use much patience with them and had to be very explicit: "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"
The “cup” refers to our Lord’s passion. And it is believed that St. James had really the chance to drink it ahead of all the others since he was the first apostle to be martyred. Acts 12:1 tells us that King Herod Agrippa I had him killed with a sword in an early persecution of the Church. There is a story that the man who arrested James became a convert after hearing James speak at his trial and was executed with him.
Through the intercession of St. James, I’d like to ask the Lord for the gift of PATIENCE in times of trials and contradictions. And maybe I should also ask him to intercede for all the pilgrims, the laborers and all the Spaniards. Legends have sprung up that James evangelized Spain before he died but these stories have no basis in historical fact. At any rate, his relics remained there (Santiago de Compostela) and this led to his patronage of the country and all things Spanish. It was believed that for centuries, the Spanish army rode to battle with the cry "Santiago!"
The “cup” refers to our Lord’s passion. And it is believed that St. James had really the chance to drink it ahead of all the others since he was the first apostle to be martyred. Acts 12:1 tells us that King Herod Agrippa I had him killed with a sword in an early persecution of the Church. There is a story that the man who arrested James became a convert after hearing James speak at his trial and was executed with him.
Through the intercession of St. James, I’d like to ask the Lord for the gift of PATIENCE in times of trials and contradictions. And maybe I should also ask him to intercede for all the pilgrims, the laborers and all the Spaniards. Legends have sprung up that James evangelized Spain before he died but these stories have no basis in historical fact. At any rate, his relics remained there (Santiago de Compostela) and this led to his patronage of the country and all things Spanish. It was believed that for centuries, the Spanish army rode to battle with the cry "Santiago!"
