Saint Apostle James the Brother
of the Lord.

James was the son of Joseph the Betrothed, born of the wife that Joseph had before he was betrothed to the Ever-virgin Mary. Hence he was the brother of the Lord, who was also thought to be the son of Joseph. This understanding follows the Protoevangelion of James, which teaches the perpetual virginity of Mary.

Saint James had been a Nazirite, a man or woman consecrated to God for a limited time. During the period of consecration the Nazirites vowed to abstain from wine and other intoxicating beverages, they could not cut their hair, and all contact with a corpse was forbidden. When the Savior began to proclaim the Kingdom of God, Saint James believed in Christ and became His Apostle.

Later, he was chosen as the first Bishop of Jerusalem. He was the first Bishop of Jerusalem, elevated to this Episcopal rank by the Apostles, according to Eusebius (Eccl. Hist., Book II:23) and was called Obliah, that is, the Just, because of his great holiness and righteousness.

Saint James presided over the Council of Jerusalem and his word was decisive (Acts 15). In his thirty years as bishop, Saint James converted many Jews to Christianity. St James was known as a man of prayer. In fact he spent so much time on his knees that they became calloused. He was among the leaders whom Paul lists James with Cephas (better known as Peter) and John, as the three "pillars" of the Church.

The holy Apostle James composed a Divine Liturgy, which formed the basis of the Liturgies of Saints Basil the Great and John Chrysostom, and the Church has preserved an Epistle of Saint James, one of the books of the New Testament.

Having ascended the crest of the Temple on the day of the Passover at the prompting of all, he bore testimony from there concerning his belief in Jesus, and he proclaimed with a great voice that Jesus sits at the right hand of the great power of God and shall come again upon the clouds of heaven. But the Scribes and Pharisees cried, "So, even the just one hath been led astray," and at the command of Ananias the high priest, St. James was cast down headlong from thence, then was stoned.

He did not die at once, but gathering his final strength, he prayed to the Lord for his enemies while they were stoning him. Saint James' martyrdom occurred about 63 A.D. Josephus places his death between two Roman procurators, Festus and Albinus, which has thus been dated to AD 62. The high priest Ananus took advantage of this lack of imperial oversight to assemble a council of judges who condemned James "on the charge of breaking the law," then had him executed by stoning.

The holy Apostle James composed a Divine Liturgy, which formed the basis of the Liturgies of Saints Basil the Great and John Chrysostom. The Divine Liturgy of St. James is among the oldest Eucharistic services in continuous use. It is the ancient liturgy of the Church of Jerusalem and is attributed to the Apostle James the Just, the Brother of the Lord. It is often celebrated in Eastern Orthodox Churches on the feast of St. James (October 23).

The Church has preserved an Epistle of Saint James, one of the books of the New Testament, which has profoundly influenced Christian moral theology with its emphasis on faith manifested in works. St. James is commemorated on October 23; on December 26 and also on the first Sunday after the Nativity, along with David the King and St. Joseph; and on January 4 among the Seventy Apostles.

Apostle James the Brother of the Lord (also called James the Just) was the first Bishop or Patriarch of Jerusalem. James was the son of Joseph the Betrothed, born of the wife that Joseph had before he was betrothed to the Ever-virgin Mary. Hence he was the brother of the Lord, though some say that he was a nephew of Joseph, and the son of his brother Cleopas and his wife Mary, who was the first cousin of the Theotokos.

Early Life and Formation: Saint James had been a Nazirite, a man or woman consecrated to God for a limited time. During the period of consecration the Nazirites vowed to abstain from wine and other intoxicating beverages, they could not cut their hair, and all contact with a corpse was forbidden. When the Savior began to proclaim the Kingdom of God, Saint James believed in Christ and became His Apostle. Later, he was chosen as the first Bishop of Jerusalem.

Ecclesiastical Leadership: Saint James presided over the Council of Jerusalem and his word was decisive (Acts 15). In his thirty years as bishop, Saint James converted many Jews to Christianity. St James was known as a man of prayer. In fact he spent so much time on his knees that they became calloused. The holy Apostle James composed a Divine Liturgy, which formed the basis of the Liturgies of Saints Basil the Great and John Chrysostom. The Church has preserved an Epistle of Saint James, one of the books of the New Testament. In it Saint James advises: "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath" James 1:19) and "Be doers of the word, and not just hearers, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22).

Martyrdom: Having ascended the crest of the Temple on the day of the Passover at the prompting of all, he bore testimony from there concerning his belief in Jesus, and he proclaimed with a great voice that Jesus sits at the right hand of the great power of God and shall come again upon the clouds of heaven. On hearing this testimony many of those present cried, "Hosanna to the Son of David." But the Scribes and Pharisees cried, "So, even the just one hath been led astray," and at the command of Ananias the high priest, St. James was cast down headlong from thence. He did not die at once, but gathering his final strength, he prayed to the Lord for his enemies while they were stoning him. Saint James' martyrdom occurred about 63 A.D.