St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

The decennial Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops is in session July 16 through August 3, 2008. Please pray for our bishops and for the Anglican Communion.

At St. Paul’s Parish today, Friday, July 25, 2008:

• Women’s AA meeting at 7:30 p.m. (in the Dining Room).

The Summer issue of St. Paul’s Sword of the Spirit, our monthly newsletter, is available on line, as are the calendars of parish events for July 2008 and August 2008.

Today’s news in the Episcopal Church - Episcopal Life Online.

On the calendar tomorrow, July 26, 2008:

• Free Farmers’ Market at 10:00 a.m. (in the Dining Room).

Today on the calendar of the Episcopal Church we commemorate St. James the Apostle, also called James the Great to distinguish him from others such as James the Less (also an apostle) and James the Just (Jesus’s brother and the probable author of the Epistle of James).

James and his brother John are described as “the sons of Zebedee.” Based on a comparative reading of Matthew 27:56, Mark 15:40, and Mark 16:1, some scholars believe that Salome, described as one of the pious women who afterwards followed Christ and “ministered unto him of their substance” (cf. Matthew 27:55, sq.; Mark 15:40; 16:1; Luke 8:2 sq.; 23:55-24:1), was their mother.

We know nothing of St. James’s early life. He was, as noted, the brother of John, the beloved disciple, and probably the elder of the two.

Their parents seem to have been people of means. Zebedee was a fisherman of the Lake of Galilee, who probably lived in or near Bethsaida (John 1:44), perhaps in Capharnaum and had some boatmen or hired men as his usual attendants (Mark 1:20). Salome, as stated, provided financially for Jesus’ mission. In addition, John was personally known to the high-priest (John 18:16) and must have had wherewithal to provide for the Mother of Jesus (John 19:27).

It is unlikely that either James or John received the technical training of a rabbi; in this sense they were unlearned and without any official position among the Jews. However, they must have been men of ordinary education, in the common walks of Jewish life. They had frequent opportunity of coming in contact with Greek life and language, which were widely spread along the shores of the Galilean Sea.

According to pious tradition St. James the Greater brought Christianity in Spain, returned to Judea and was put to death by order of Herod; his body was miraculously translated to Iria Flavia in the northwest of Spain, and later to Compostela, which town, especially during the Middle Ages, became one of the most famous places of pilgrimage in the world.

Church historian Eusebius records his death under Herod Agrippa I in 44 a.d.

The following is the prayer for commemoration of St. James the Apostle in The Book of Common Prayer - 1979:

O gracious God, we remember before you today your servant and apostle James, first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ; and we pray that you will pour out upon the leaders of your Church that spirit of self-denying service by which alone they may have true authority among your people; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.