St James the Greater
On this episode, we delve into the life and legacy of Saint James the Greater, celebrated by the Catholic Church on July 25. Born in Galilee to Zebedee and Salome, James was a fisherman who became one of the first disciples called by Jesus to become a "fisher of men." Known for his fiery temper, which earned him and his brother John the nickname "sons of thunder," James was part of Jesus' inner circle, witnessing pivotal moments such as the Transfiguration and the Agony in the Garden. His commitment to spreading the gospel led to his martyrdom in Jerusalem around 44 AD, making him the first apostle to die for his faith.
Episode Transcript
Welcome to the Saint John the Baptist Catholic Parish podcast from Fort Lauderdale. Be sure to spread the word about our podcast and follow us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. That way, you'll be notified every time we release a new episode. On July 25, the Catholic church celebrates Saint James the Greater, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus. He holds such a special place in the lives of Christians.
Of course, he's a fisherman, a disciple, and a martyr. James was born in Galilee, and he was the son of Zebedee and Salome. He's the older brother of Saint John the evangelist. He's known for his very fiery temper. You know, Jesus nicknamed James and John the sons of thunder.
James was a fisherman by trade. He worked alongside his dad and his brother right there on the Sea Of Galilee before being called by Jesus to become fishers of men. You can read about that in Matthew four verse 19. Well, James is among the very first disciples that Jesus called. He left his nets to follow him.
He became part of Jesus' inner circle alongside Peter and his younger brother, and he witnessed key events in the life of Jesus, like the transfiguration, where he sees the divine glory of Jesus Christ. He's also there when Jesus prays in the Garden Of Gethsemane, something we call the agony in the garden when we pray the rosary. James got to see things most people didn't get to see, even among the followers of Jesus. He had a zeal. He had a commitment to spread the gospel.
He was a bold witness. It would lead to his death. In the Acts of the Apostles, the story is recorded that around the year forty four AD, King Herod Agrippa the first ordered that James be executed by beheading. Now there's something very interesting about this. He becomes the very first apostle to suffer martyrdom, And his younger brother would be the last apostle, the last of the 12 apostles to die.
Whereas he, if we don't count Judas and his betrayal, James is the first apostle of Christ that dies through martyrdom. Decades later, the apostle John would be the last of the apostles to die. James' martyrdom occurs right there in Jerusalem. Now, Saint James is venerated as the patron saint of Spain. And this is because, according to tradition, he traveled to the Iberian Peninsula and spread Christianity in the region.
His feast day, July 25. It's a big deal, especially in Spain, of course. There's a lot of festivals there and pilgrimages that occur. We can learn a lot from Saint James the Great. Imagine being the very first apostle to lay down your life, the courage that that took.
Perhaps it was easier as more martyrs gave their witness and example, But to be the first among the apostles to give up his life for Christ, you should always remember the special place that Saint James the Greater has in Christianity, that he was there in the agony in the garden and at the transfiguration. As with all the saints, they have much to teach us. So as we approach his feast day, we say, Saint James, pray for us. Now just a reminder that the parish has a wonderful resource for you as a parishioner, and it's called Formed. If you go to our website, there is a link there for you to go to Formed and set up a free account.
And I wanted to remind you about that because there are so many resources and videos and series you can watch. And since we're just talking about Saint James, they have a new series on Formed called The Way, and it's a series about three friends who set out on the Camino De Santiago. This is the this is also called The Way of Saint James. Okay? This Camino De Santiago is in Spain, where tradition holds Saint James visited and spread the faith.
This is unformed, one of the many, many resources you'll find there. It's absolutely free to you as a parishioner of Saint John the Baptist. So please visit our website, log in to formed. They've got that series called The Way, which is a story about three friends who who make that journey. But there's also so many more wonderful programs about faith formation, things for kids, bible studies, daily refresh daily reflections, things about the how you can learn more about the Eucharist.
It is absolutely fabulous, and we're so blessed that the parish is providing this to us. And just really quick, a couple of other reminders. Religious education registration now open for our 2025 to 2026 religious education program, which welcomes students from pre k and kindergarten all the way through the eighth grade, and then includes sacramental preparation for first reconciliation, first holy communion, and confirmation. And as we mentioned on our last episode, we have a mission appeal the weekend of August 2. That's Saturday, August 2, and Sunday, August 3.
We're going to be hearing from a Capuchin friar to share with us what is going on with our brothers and sisters in Namibia, which is in Africa. There are people born into the bondage of poverty. There are ways you can help. We'll hear about that at the parish the weekend of August 2. Thanks for listening to the Saint John the Baptist Catholic Parish podcast from Fort Lauderdale.
Be sure to follow our show on Apple Podcast and Spotify, And that way, you'll be notified every time we release a new episode. This has been a production of The Parish Podcast Project.