# Feast of St. James and a Prayer to Our Lord Jesus Christ
*2015-07-25*

> Bill Young reflects on the feast of St. James the Greater, his role in the Gospels, and offers a heartfelt prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ.

## The Feast of St. James the Greater

Good morning, I’m Bill Young. Today is Saturday, July 25th, the feast day of St. James the Apostle, also called James the Greater. He was the brother of John the Evangelist. Like Peter and Andrew, James and John were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. When Jesus called them, they left their father, Zebedee, and the hired men in the boat and followed Him.

## James in the Gospel Narrative

James was one of the three apostles privileged to witness the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. These events reveal his temperament. When James and John asked to sit at Jesus’ right and left in His kingdom, He replied, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am about to drink?” They affirmed, but Jesus warned that the places of honor are prepared by the Father, not by human ambition.

Later, when the Samaritan crowd rejected Jesus, James and John suggested calling down fire from heaven. Jesus rebuked them, teaching that true authority serves, not dominates.

## A Lesson in Humble Service

The disciples’ indignation over status taught us that the purpose of authority is service. Jesus, the ultimate servant, gave His life as the supreme sacrifice. James and John’s nickname “Sons of Thunder” shows Jesus’ sense of humor, but also their fiery zeal, which needed tempering.

James the Greater was the first apostle martyred, slain by the sword under King Herod Agrippa I, shortly after Peter’s arrest.

## Prayer to Our Lord Jesus Christ

Lord Jesus Christ, who redeemed us by Your precious blood, we adore You. Your infinite price and peace have ransomed the universe and the depths of our souls. May Your divine blood, the source of our salvation, cleanse us from sin and protect us from the devil’s temptations.

O Blood of the New Covenant, poured out in the Eucharist, unite us in love, peace, and respect, especially for the poor. May this blood atone for our ingratitude and outrages, and may we offer our lives in union with Your sacrifice, that we might share in Your redemption for the Church and the world.

Lord Jesus Christ, may all peoples on earth bless and thank You, and may heaven rejoice in the hymn, “You have redeemed us, O Lord, by Your precious blood.” Amen.

*True greatness lies in humble service, following the example of Christ’s sacrificial love.*