St. James the Greater

Feast Day: July 25

“Can you drink the cup that I drink?” – Mark 10:38

James was working beside the sea when Jesus called him.

He was with his brother John and their father Zebedee, mending fishing nets.

Then Jesus called.

James left the boat.

He left the family business.

And he followed Christ.

James would become one of the Apostles closest to Jesus.

He saw the Transfiguration.

He was present when Jesus raised Jairus’s daughter.

He went with Christ into Gethsemane.

He also had to learn humility.

At one point, James and John wanted places of honor in Christ’s kingdom.

Jesus answered by asking whether they could drink the cup He would drink.

James said yes.

Years later, he did.

Acts tells us that King Herod had James killed with the sword.

He became the first of the Twelve Apostles recorded in Scripture to die as a martyr.

The fisherman who once asked for glory learned that Christian greatness means following Christ all the way to the Cross.

St. James the Greater, pray for us.

Who Was St. James the Greater?

St. James the Greater was one of the Twelve Apostles.

He was the son of Zebedee and the brother of St. John the Apostle.

He is called James the Greater mainly to distinguish him from another Apostle, St. James the Less.

The title does not mean he was holier or more important.

It simply became a traditional way of telling the two men apart.

Called from the Fishing Boat

James worked as a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee.

Jesus called James and John while they were with their father repairing their nets.

The brothers responded immediately.

They left the boat and followed Him.

That decision changed the rest of their lives.

The Sons of Thunder

Jesus gave James and John the nickname Boanerges, meaning “sons of thunder.”

The name may reflect their strong personalities.

In one Gospel episode, when a Samaritan village refused to receive Jesus, James and John asked whether they should call down fire from heaven.

Jesus rebuked them.

The future saints still had much to learn.

One of the Inner Three

James belonged to the small group of Apostles who were especially close to Jesus.

Peter, James, and John were present at several moments when the other Apostles were not.

They witnessed the raising of Jairus’s daughter.

They went with Jesus to the mountain of the Transfiguration.

And they were taken farther into the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before the Crucifixion.

James saw both Christ’s glory and His suffering.

The Transfiguration

At the Transfiguration, James saw Jesus’ appearance change before him.

Moses and Elijah appeared.

A cloud overshadowed them.

And the Father’s voice declared:

“This is my beloved Son.”

James had been given a glimpse of divine glory.

But he would later learn that glory comes through the Cross.

Asking for the Best Seats

James and John once approached Jesus with a bold request.

They wanted to sit at His right and left when He came into glory.

In Matthew’s Gospel, their mother makes the request on their behalf.

The other Apostles became angry.

Jesus used the moment to teach them what greatness actually means.

“Can You Drink the Cup?”

Jesus asked James and John:

“Can you drink the cup that I drink?”

They answered:

“We can.”

The cup referred to suffering.

They were asking for glory.

Jesus pointed them toward sacrifice.

He then taught all the Apostles:

“Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant.”

Christian leadership is not about grabbing the highest seat.

It is about service.

Gethsemane

James was also present in Gethsemane.

Jesus asked Peter, James, and John to remain near Him while He prayed.

They saw His sorrow.

They were told to watch and pray.

Yet they fell asleep.

James had seen Christ glorified on the mountain.

Now he saw Christ preparing to suffer.

The Apostle who wanted greatness had to learn what the Messiah’s road really looked like.

His Martyrdom

The Acts of the Apostles records James’s death very briefly.

King Herod Agrippa I began persecuting members of the Church.

Acts says:

“He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword.”

This happened around A.D. 44.

James became the first of the Twelve Apostles whose martyrdom is explicitly recorded in the New Testament.

He Drank the Cup

James had once confidently told Jesus that he could drink the cup.

Eventually, he did.

Not by his own strength.

By grace.

His martyrdom transformed Jesus’ earlier words into something real.

James followed Christ not only away from his fishing nets, but all the way to death.

Tradition of Spain

A long-standing Christian tradition connects St. James with missionary work in Spain before his martyrdom.

The New Testament does not record such a journey, and the historical evidence for it appears later.

Nevertheless, devotion to James became deeply rooted in Spain.

He became known there as Santiago.

Santiago de Compostela

One of the most famous pilgrimage destinations in Christianity is Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain.

Medieval tradition holds that the relics of St. James were brought there and later rediscovered.

A great cathedral was built over the site associated with his tomb.

For centuries, pilgrims have traveled the Camino de Santiago, or Way of St. James, to reach Compostela.

The Camino

The Camino became one of the great Christian pilgrimages of medieval Europe.

Pilgrims traveled on foot for weeks or months.

They prayed.

Repented.

Visited churches.

And endured hardship.

The pilgrimage itself became an image of Christian life.

Keep walking.

Carry what you need.

Leave unnecessary burdens behind.

And move toward God.

The Scallop Shell

The scallop shell became the great symbol of St. James and the Camino.

Pilgrims traditionally carried or wore it.

Today, shells and shell-shaped markers still guide pilgrims along the routes toward Santiago.

The symbol immediately identifies James in Christian art.

Patron of Pilgrims

Because of the Camino, James became especially associated with pilgrims and travelers.

His own life was also a journey.

He began beside a fishing boat.

Then followed Christ through Galilee and Jerusalem.

Finally, Christian tradition carried his memory all the way across Europe.

What St. James the Greater Teaches Us

St. James teaches us that following Jesus changes our idea of greatness.

At first, James wanted a place of honor.

Jesus taught him to serve.

James also reminds us that discipleship is a journey.

We do not become saints instantly.

James could be impulsive.

Ambitious.

Sleepy when he should have been praying.

Yet Christ kept forming him.

And eventually, James gave his life for the Gospel.

His story gives hope to anyone who is still learning how to follow Jesus faithfully.

When Is the Feast of St. James the Greater?

The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of St. James the Greater, Apostle, on July 25.

He is remembered as one of the Twelve, brother of St. John, witness of the Transfiguration, martyr, and patron of pilgrims.

Prayer Inspired by St. James the Greater

Lord Jesus Christ,

give us the courage of St. James the Greater.

Help us leave behind whatever keeps us from following You.

Free us from the desire for status and teach us to become servants.

Strengthen pilgrims and all who travel in faith.

When the road becomes difficult, help us keep going.

And give us the grace to drink whatever cup You place before us with trust and fidelity.

St. James the Greater, pray for us. Amen.