St. James the Just (62 AD)
Memory celebrated October 23
Name:
James or Jacob derives from the Hebrew (יעקב). The name means: “Holder of the heel” In Greek James was called the “Brother of the Lord” Adelphotheos, (Adelphotheos).
Life:
Paul suggested that James had been married (1 Cor. 9: 5) and He was probably converted by a post-resurrection appearance of Christ (1 Cor. 15:7). The apostles made him the first bishop of Jerusalem (Acts 12:7, 18; Gal. 1:18, 19, 2:9). He lived a strict and holy life, praying in the temple. He drank neither wine nor strong drink, ate no flesh, never shaved or anointed himself with ointment or bathed. He alone had the privilege of entering the Holy of Holies, since indeed he did not use woolen vestments but linen and went alone into the temple and prayed in behalf of the people, insomuch that his knees were reputed to have acquired the hardness of camels knees.
The Jews considered him incorruptible, for he obeyed the Law of Moses better than they. Furthermore, they found no fault with him, except that he confessed Jesus to be the Messiah. It was the Jews who called this bishop of the Church “Just”. Paul lists James with Peter (Cephas) and John, as the three “pillars” of the Church, and who will minister to “the circumcised” (that is the Jews) in Jerusalem, while Paul and his fellows will minister to the Gentiles ( Galatians 2:9, 2:12).
Influence:
St James presided over the Council of Jerusalem and his word was decisive (Acts 15). He composed a Divine Liturgy, which formed the basis of the Liturgies of St Basil the Great and John Chrysostom. The Church has preserved an Epistle of St James, one of the books of the New Testament.
Death:
In his thirty years as bishop, St James converted many of the Jews to Christianity. Annoyed by this, the Pharisees and the Scribes plotted together to kill St James. They led the saint up on the pinnacle of the Jerusalem Temple and asked what he thought of Jesus. The holy Apostle began to bear witness that Christ is the Messiah, which was not the response the Pharisees were expecting. Greatly angered, the Jewish teachers threw him off the roof. The saint did not die immediately, but gathering his final strength, he prayed to the Lord for his enemies while they were stoning him. St James' martyrdom occurred about 62 A.D.