FEAST OF SAINT JAMES, APOSTLE, AND SAINT CHRISTOPHER, MARTYR ~ FEAST DAY – JULY 25TH: Today, we celebrate the Feast of Saint James, Apostle, and Saint Christopher, Martyr. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the safety and well-being of all children, for the sick and dying, especially those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases, arthritis, epilepsy and dental diseases. We pray for those going through difficulties, especially during these challenging times, for the poor and the needy, for peace, love, and unity in our families and our world. And we continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world.🙏
SAINT JAMES, APOSTLE: St. James, known as St. James the Greater, in order to distinguish him from the other Apostle St. James, our Lord’s cousin, was St. John’s brother. In Spain, St. James is called El Senor Santiago. He is one of those that Jesus called Boanerges, “son of thunder,” the brother of John the Evangelist and the son of Zebedee, the fisherman from Bethsaida in Galilee, and his Mother, Salome. The two youths James and John were fishing with their father when Jesus came by and invited them to follow Him. They became such dedicated and zealous followers that our Lord styled them Boanerges, or sons of thunder. They were present at the cure of St. Peter’s mother-in-law, the raising of Jairus’s daughter, and the Transfiguration, and were near Christ in His Agony in the garden. Among the twelve Apostles, three were chosen to be the close companions of our Blessed Lord, and of this, James was one. They were present at the cure of St. Peter’s mother-in-law, He, with Peter and John, were admitted to the house of Jairus when his dead child was raised to life (Luke 8:40 ff.); only these three were taken up to the high mountain of Thabor and beheld the face of Jesus shining as the sun, and His garments white as snow (Mark 9:2-7), Transfiguration. These three alone witnessed the fearful agony in Gethsemane. (Luke 22:39-45), were near Christ in His Agony in the garden.
One day, their mother asked Jesus to assure a place of honor for her sons in His future Kingdom. When He asked if they were able to bear the cup of His sufferings, their answer was typical of them: indeed they could! And indeed they did! After the dispersion of the Apostles, St. James preached the Gospel in Spain and then returned to Jerusalem, where he was the first of the Apostles to drink the cup of Christ’s sufferings. By order of Herod Agrippa, he was beheaded at Jerusalem around the feast of Easter in the year 44 AD. St. James’s death is the only biblical record we have of the death of one of the Apostles, and he was the first of that chosen band to give his life for his Master. St. Christopher is the Patron Saint of rheumatoid sufferers; against arthritis; riders; soldiers; Spain; Spanish conquistadors; tanners; pharmacists; veterinarians: pilgrims; Antigua, Guatemala; apothecaries; blacksmiths; Chile; Compostela, Spain; druggists; equestrians; furriers; Galicia, Spain; Guatemala; horsemen; knights; laborers; Medjugorje, Bos⁵4; pilgrims; Pistoia, Italy. St. James is venerated at Santiago de Compostela, a medieval pilgrimage site that is still very popular today.
PRAYER: Almighty, ever-living God, through the blood of St. James, you consecrated the first fruits of the ministry of Your Apostles. Grant that Your Church may be strengthened by his confession and always enjoy his patronage. Amen 🙏
SAINT CHRISTOPHER, MARTYR: St. Christopher suffered martyrdom in Asia Minor about the year 250. He is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. The name “Christopher” means Christ-bearer. As the legend goes, he carries travelers across a turbulent, unpassable river. After he performed this service for some time, a child appeared and asked to be carried across the raging waters, in which Christopher obliged. As he began to cross the river with the child, the child quickly became a heavy burden and revealed himself as Christ. “When Christopher safely reached the other side, he asked the child “Child, thou hast put me in dire peril, and hast weighed so heavily on me that if I had borne the whole weight of the world upon my shoulders it could not have burdened me more heavily.” In which the child replied, “Wonder not, Christopher, for not only hast thou borne the whole world on thy shoulders, but Him who created the world.”—for the Christ Child, bearing in His own arms, the great world had been Christopher’s burden.”
St. Christopher died a Martyr during the reign of Decius in the 3rd century and is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers invoked for emergencies or afflictions. He is considered the patron saint of travelers, motorists, children, bachelors, transportation, traveling, storms, epilepsy, gardeners, athletics, invoked against storms, plagues, holy death, and toothache (although he is not in the official canon of the saints).
PRAYER: Almighty and ever-living God, graciously our out Your Spirit upon us. Let our hearts be filled with that true love, which enabled Your holy Martyr Christopher to overcome all bodily torments. Amen 🙏
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