Saint James The Apostle (The Greater)
Patron Saint of Laborers, Spain,
Arthritis and Rheumatism Sufferers

"St. James was chosen by Jesus to be one of the twelve apostles, son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of Saint John the Apostle, and may have been Jesus' cousin. He is called "the Greater" simply because he became an Apostle before Saint James the Lesser.

Saint James was a fisherman who left everything when Christ called him to be a fisher of men, and was present during most of the recorded miracles of Christ. He preached in Samaria, Judea, and Spain. Acts 12:1 tells us that Saint James was one of the first martyrs of the Church, and the first Apostle to be martyred. King Herod Agrippa I killed him with a sword in an early persecution of the Church. There is a story that the man who arrested Saint James became a convert after hearing Saint James speak at his trial and was executed with him.

The pilgrimage to his relics in Compostella became such a popular devotion that the symbols of pilgrims have become his emblems, and he became patron of pilgrims. His work in Spain, and the housing of his relics there, led to his patronage of the country and all things Spanish; for centuries, the Spanish army rode to battle with the cry Santiago!"

Prayer to St. James
"Saint James, pray for us that we may be willing to leave everything to follow Jesus as you did. Help us to become special friends of Jesus as you were. Amen"

Prayer to St. James
"Dear brother of John, who saw our Lord transfigured, after preaching in Palestine and then bringing the Good News to Spain, you became the first Apostle to die as a witness to Christ. Witness of Christ's agony in the garden, teach us to represent Christ in our life, bearing willingly our cross after him and working and praying for God's glory. Amen."

Prayer to St. James
"O Glorious Saint James, because of your fervor and generosity Jesus chose you to witness his glory on the Mount and his agony in the Garden. Obtain for us strength and consolation in the unending struggles of this life. Help us to follow Christ constantly and generously, to be victors over all our difficulties, and to receive the crown of glory in heaven. Amen."