Holy Apostle James, Brother of the Lord: His Life and Martyrdom

The post gives the life of St James, called the Brother of the Lord because he was the son of righteous Joseph, the betrothed of the Most Holy Theotokos. When Joseph was dying he divided his property among his sons and wanted to leave a share to Jesus; his other sons objected, not considering Jesus their brother, but James loved Jesus and declared he would take Him on his share.

James was devoted to Jesus from the beginning, and tradition says he went to Egypt with the Most Holy Virgin and Joseph when Herod sought to kill the newborn King. After hearing Christ's teaching he lived by it: he ate neither fat nor oil all his life, only bread and water, remained a virgin, and kept vigil and prayed at night. The Lord numbered him among the seventy apostles, and after His Resurrection appeared to him especially, as St Paul testifies (1 Cor. 15).

James was bishop in Jerusalem for thirty years and zealously governed the Church of God. At the Lord's appearing he composed the first liturgy, later shortened by St Basil and St John Chrysostom because it was too long. He converted many Jews and Greeks, and even unbelieving Jews admired his righteousness, calling him James the Just.

When Ananias became high priest, he and other Jewish leaders resolved to kill James as a preacher of Christ. At Pascha, with many people gathered in Jerusalem, the elders told him to climb to the temple roof and speak against Christ. He climbed and instead preached Christ as the Son of God and true Messiah, His Resurrection and eternal glory in heaven.

Furious priests and elders threw him from the roof; he fell and was badly injured but still alive. A man then struck his head with such force that his brains came out, and he died a martyr's death at the age of sixty-three.