Lifelong Catechesis
Forming Catholic identity across generationsJames the Greater, Apostle
This James is called “the Greater” because his vocation to serve Jesus preceded that of the other apostle with the same name. James the Greater was the brother of John and the son of Zebedee. One tradition, derived from the information in several of the Gospels, tells us that James and John were first cousins of Jesus. With his brother, James was a fisherman working in his father’s business until called by Jesus. Neither James nor John fully understood at first what they were being called to do. And yet, they responded to Christ with faith. Toward his death, James forgave his accusers by offering them a gesture of peace and goodwill.
“Peace be with you, brother.” What a wonderful offering by James to one who has falsely testified against him. The man who testified against James knew that he was giving false testimony, yet, when he realized his error, James forgave him.