Dcn Susan Erickson

Beloved Friends in Christ,

Today we celebrate the feast of St. James the Apostle, the brother of John—James and John were the “sons of Zebedee” whom Jesus calls to follow him. (Mark 1:14-20) Like Peter and Andrew, James and his brother are fishermen. But at Jesus’ invitation they drop their nets, leave their father Zebedee, and become disciples, “fishers of people.” (Mark 1: 17)

Although James and his brother left their father, their mother didn’t leave them. In fact, it seems that she, too, became a follower of Jesus. We learn in Matthew 20: 20-23 that James’ mother asked a favor of Jesus as he traveled to Jerusalem where he would be tried and crucified; she requests that her sons might sit at his right hand and at his left in his kingdom.

But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

It almost seems like James and John have put their mother up to making this request of Jesus. His question “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink [namely, death]?” is directed to the brothers, not to her. And the other disciples are angry at them—not their mother!—for making such a presumptuous request. (Matt 20: 24)

James would, as Jesus foretells, die a martyr as we learn in Acts 12: 1-2. He is killed by King Herod. Legend has it that his body was taken to Spain. For centuries, pilgrims have journeyed along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela to kiss St. James’ shrine in the cathedral at Compostela.

We also know that James was a witness to Jesus’ transfiguration (Matt 17: 1-13) and was one of those disciples who couldn’t stay awake as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.  (Matt 26: 36-46)

So James was a fisherman; a disciple who, along with his brother John and Peter, seems to have been particularly close to Jesus; something of a momma’s boy; a martyr; and finally a saint.

Would he have stuck with Jesus if his mother and brother hadn’t also been disciples? Did they help him persevere as one of the founders of the early Church? Perhaps we can thank them a little for the fact that James became a “fisher of people”—of pilgrims—from his legendary resting place on the Atlantic. May we all help one another be “fishers for people,” casting Jesus’ net out into the world.

—Deacon Susan