So what I thougth I would do now that I am reading a lot of stuff about the church fathers is that I would start to blog about them. My basic lay out will be to give a little bit of a history about them and why I think that they are important. Then I will write a prayer that is inspired by their life and example. So I hope you enjoy.
St. James is I believe the most important person in Christian history, after Jesus of course. St James is the brother of our Lord, but this is not the reason that he is so important. St James is important because he foregoes his own love of Judaism and it’s connection with Christianity in order that Gentile might be brought into the faith more easily. He is the one that decided that Gentiles do not need to be circumcised to become Christians.
Some other information about St James called the Just. He was the head of the Church of Jerusalem, the most important church in Christianity until 70 AD. St Jeromewrites this about St James “After the apostles, James the brother of the Lord surnamed the Just was made head of the Church at Jerusalem… This one was holy from his mother’s womb. He drank neither wine nor strong drink, ate no flesh, never shaved or anointed himself with ointment or bathed. He alone had the privilege of entering the Holy of Holies…and went alone into the temple and prayed in behalf of the people, insomuch that his knees were reputed to have acquired the hardness of camels’ knees.” From Jerome’s writing it would seem that James was a Nazerite from birth.
St Paul calls St James with Sts Peter and John a “pillar of the Church.” St James is also thought to be the author of the Letter of James in the New Testament.
He was killed at the hand of Pharisees in Jerusalemin 62 AD. Eusebius, in his book Historia Ecclesiae, states that St James was thrown off the summit of the Temple, stoned, and then had his skull bashed in with a fuller’s club.
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we pray that we may follow after our perfect example Jesus, just as your servant James followed after the example of his brother. Allow us to give up our own opinions so that we may follow after your holy way and lead others to you more easily. Give us a heart that we may pray unceasingly we ask this through your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ who, with the Holy Spirit lives and reigns with you, one God now and forever. Amen.
