Wednesday 25 July:

St James, Apostle

2 Corinthians 4:7-15, Ps.126, Matthew 20:20-28

‘Sons of Thunder’

James and his brother John appear to have been among the disciples who were closest to Jesus, despite this description of the pair. They seem to have had a streak of impetuosity and a fiery temper.

St James was beheaded in Judea in the year 44 CE. Some Christians believe that his disciples carried his body by sea to Padrón and then buried his body under what is now the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.The emblems of St. James are the pilgrim’s hat and scallop shell because of the famous pilgrimage to his shrine.