Our Lady came to encourage him in difficult times … may his heroism and fortitude now encourage us!
Newsdesk (30/07/2025, Gaudium Press) Born in Bethsaida, in the Palestinian region of Galilee, son of Zebedee and Salome, James was with his brother John mending the fisherman’s nets by the lake of Tiberias when Jesus appeared. This event, which might seem coincidental, was not, because nothing happens by chance in this life, which is governed in everything by Divine Providence. Our Lord pronounced a few simple words: ‘I will make you fishers of men’. This meeting and these words changed the lives and destinies of these two brothers, just as they had already changed those of Peter and Andrew. No insistence was necessary, for the brothers got up and followed Jesus, who from that moment on was their Master.
One of the predilect
James had an impulsive nature and a strong character, which earned him the nickname ‘Son of Thunder’ from Jesus. He was one of the select group of the Twelve Apostles, and together with John and Peter constituted the trio of ‘favourites’, witnessing particularly exceptional moments such as the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter, the Transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor, the announcement of the destruction of Jerusalem and the prayer in the Garden of Olives.
James the evangelist
After the Death and Resurrection of Our Lord, and after the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles were sent out to preach the Good News. Among all the apostles of Our Lord Jesus Christ, James occupies a significant place in the devotion of the children of Spain because he was the evangelizer of that country. James received the energy and gifts necessary to carry out that difficult apostolate, crossed the Mediterranean Sea and arrived in the Iberian Peninsula, to fulfil the divine mandate to evangelize the inhabitants of those lands. There are many signs of his passage throughout Spain, including the marvelous event of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in mortal flesh (‘Our Lady of the Pillar‘ is considered the first Marian Apparition in History!). She came to encourage the apostle, who was on the point of giving up because of the attitude of the people who were reluctant to convert to the Christian faith. We do not know exactly how long James stayed in Spain, but what we do know is that he eventually returned to Judea.
Our Lady of Pillar, Zaragoza, Spain (Photo: Wikipedia)
James, the first martyred Apostle
In the same way that James was a favourite during the Master’s lifetime, he was undoubtedly a favourite at the time of his death, being chosen to become the first martyr of the group of the Apostles, being beheaded by order of King Herod Agrippa I, whose reign was between the years 41 and 44.
The Apostle’s body arrives in Spain
After his martyrdom, two of his disciples, Athanasius and Theodore, collected the saint’s body, placed it in a boat and, by Providence’s design, the ship reached the Galician coast, the Apostle’s body being deposited in this land where he had worked so hard to bring about conversions. Tradition has it that during the reign of Alfonso II of Asturias, a hermit named Pelayo caught a glimpse of some bright lights on a mountain, which he reported to Teodomiro, Bishop of Iria Flavia. When the burial of the decapitated body was discovered, the king ordered the construction of a church on the site; this temple was the origin of the now famous Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
The Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James)
The tomb of the Apostle attracted the arrival of pilgrims from the most diverse places, giving rise to the Camino de Santiago, the Way of St. James, which was undoubtedly the most emblematic pilgrimage route in medieval Christianity. Of the various routes leading to Santiago, one of them, known as the French Way, became the route par excellence. Along it, thousands of pilgrims came to venerate the Apostle, including some very illustrious ones such as Saint Dominic of Guzman, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, and other Catholic monarchs such as Emperor Charles, as well as other significant pilgrims of more recent times such as the Roman Pontiffs Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
The Battle of Clavijo
Many miracles have been attributed to the intercession of the Apostle St. James, the most important of which is his intervention in the Battle of Clavijo. This battle had its origin in the refusal of King Ramiro I of Asturias to pay tribute to the Muslims. The monarch summoned his subjects to war, and they went to battle with determination and fury, resulting in numerous casualties that prevented them from facing the enemy and achieving victory. During the night, the Christian monarch’s mind was only capable of thinking of their probable defeat. When he was finally overcome by sleep, the Apostle James himself appeared to him, encouraging him for the battle. Rising up with great energy, the king transmitted his enthusiasm to his men and they set off to fight, invoking St. James. When the time was right and the battle was at its most difficult, the Apostle appeared on the back of a white horse, joining in the fight. Faced with such an apparition, the Christian soldiers felt protected and defeated the enemy.
By invoking St. James, may we obtain the same courage and enthusiasm in the fight against the enemies of our souls. Let us ask for his intercession together with that of Our Lady of the Pillar so that peace may reign in our hearts and in our nations.
Taken, with adaptations, from Heralds of the Gospel, Spain
The post Saint James the Great: Witness to the First Marian Apparition in History appeared first on Gaudium Press.
Compiled by Roberta MacEwan
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