James was born into a family of Jewish fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. His parents were Zebedee and Salome. Salome was a sister of Mary (mother of Jesus) which made James the Great a cousin of Jesus. James is styled “the Greater” to distinguish him from the other apostle James “the Lesser,” with “greater” meaning older or taller, rather than more important. James the Great was the brother of John the Apostle.[2]
James is described as one of the first disciples to join Jesus. The Synoptic Gospels state that James and John were preparing to fish with their father by the seashore when Jesus called them to follow him.[3]
James, along with his brother John, and Peter, formed an informal triumvirate among the Twelve Apostles. Jesus allowed them to be the only apostles present at three particular occasions during his public ministry: the raising of Jairus’ daughter,[4] the transfiguration of Jesus,[5] and Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.[6] James and John[7] (or, in another tradition, their mother[8]) asked Jesus to grant them seats on his right and left in his glory. Jesus rebuked them, asking if they were ready to drink from the cup he was going to drink from and saying the honor was not even for him to grant. The other apostles were annoyed with them. James and his brother wanted to call down fire on a Samaritan town, but were rebuked by Jesus.The site of martyrdom is located within the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral of St. James in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem. The Chapel of Saint James the Great, located to the left of the sanctuary, is the traditional place where he was martyred when King Agrippa ordered him to be beheaded (Acts 12:1–2). His head is believed to be buried under the altar, marked by a piece of red marble and surrounded by six votive lamps.
Saint James the Greater, Pray for Us!
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