Saint of the Day

01 · Read · A life to discover

St. James the Greater

Saint James the Greater, the son of Zebedee and brother of John, was one of Jesus' Twelve Apostles. His title distinguishes him from the other apostle named James; it is not a judgment that one was holier than the other.

Together with Peter and John, James witnessed events including the Transfiguration and Jesus' anguish in Gethsemane. The Gospels thus place him close to both the revelation of Christ's glory and the suffering that challenged the disciples' expectations of the Messiah.

Acts records that Herod Agrippa had James killed by the sword. The notice is brief and supplies no detailed account of his final words or trial. It makes him the first of the Twelve whose martyrdom is explicitly recorded in the New Testament.

Later traditions connect James with preaching in Spain and with the transfer of his remains to Santiago de Compostela. These accounts should be distinguished from the biblical evidence. Their influence on Christian history is nevertheless substantial: Compostela became a major destination of pilgrimage, and James's staff and pilgrim imagery continue to associate his apostolic mission with the journey of faith.

This saint is included on this recurring date in the U.S. Roman Rite calendar published by the USCCB. This reading guide gives U.S. calendar saints priority; the Mass celebrated on a particular year’s date can differ because of Sundays, seasons or higher-ranking celebrations.