St. James the Apostle

Today the Church remembers and honors St. James the Apostle who was the brother of St. John the Apostle.  Jesus had knick named them the “Sons of Thunder” because of their tempers.  You may recall that when the Samaritan town did not give Jesus a welcome, they both asked whether they should pray that fire rain down on the town.  James was the first of the Apostles who was martyred. 

 

James Kiefer writes:

 

James the son of Zebedee and his brother John were among the twelve disciples of Our Lord. They, together with Peter, were privileged to behold the Transfiguration (M 17:1 = P 9:2 = L 9:28), to witness the healing of Peter's mother-in-law (P 1:29) and the raising of the daughter of Jairus (P 5:37 = L 8:51), and to be called aside to watch and pray with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane on the night before His death (M 26:37 = P 14:33).

 

James and John were apparently from a higher social level than the average fisherman. Their father could afford hired servants (P 1:20), and John (assuming him to be identical with the "beloved disciple") had connections with the high priest (J 18:15). Jesus nicknamed the two brothers "sons of thunder" (P 3:17), perhaps meaning that they were headstrong, hot-tempered, and impulsive; and so they seem to be in two incidents reported in the Gospels. On one occasion (L 9:54ff), Jesus and the disciples were refused the hospitality of a Samaritan village, and James and John proposed to call down fire from heaven on the offenders. On another occasion (M 20:20-23 = P 10:35-41), they asked Jesus for a special place of honor in the Kingdom, and were told that the place of honor is the place of suffering.

 

Finally, about AD 42, shortly before Passover (Acts 12), James was beheaded by order of King Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great (who tried to kill the infant Jesus--Matthew 2), nephew of Herod Antipas (who killed John the Baptist--Mark 6--and examined Jesus on Good Friday--Luke 23), and father of Herod Agrippa II (who heard the defence of Paul before Festus--Acts 25). James was the first of the Twelve to suffer martyrdom, and the only one of the Twelve whose death is recorded in the New Testament.

 

Let us pray:  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 the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen. 

 

CALENDAR REMINDERS

 

Paint to the Music: today is the last day.  They start at 10 am to 1 pm at Bright-Davies Hall, the Art Room.

 

Contemporary Moral Issues: 11:00 a.m. on Sundays.  Last week we discussed Plato’s and Aristotle’s approach to the purpose of life and morality.  Next week we will ask the question: “What is the purpose of life from a Christian perspective?” Then we will look at natural law, divine law and human law.

  

St. Augustine’s Feast Day will be celebrated on Sunday, 25 August 2013 at the 9:00 a.m. service followed by a pot luck lunch.  This is the 129^th anniversary of the church.

 

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Theresa who is in the hospital, and Henry and Marguerite who are recuperating from their hospital stays.

 

Your servant in Christ,

 

The Rev. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550