Saint James the Greater
Pilgrim and Patron Saint 
Online Bible Study for Women on Pilgrimage

Saint James the Greater Pilgrim and Patron Saint of Spain for Santiago de Compostela Pilgrimage St James Way, Who, Why the Greater & What did he do in the bible. 
He is venerated as patron of pilgrims and many pilgrims choose his shrine at Santiago de Compostela as a destination, both Santiago and Finisterre have been drawing christian spiritual seekers for a long time

What did Saint James the Greater do in the Bible ?

Who was St James the Greater in the Bible ? 

• James the Greater was a son of Zebedee 
• he was born in Galilee 
• Brother to Saint John the Apostle, also known as " The Holy Apostle" St John the Evangelist

• He was one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus 
• One of the first disciples to be called by Jesus into His ministry
• a Jewish fisherman like his brother St Peter and his father Zebedee 
•  His mothers name was Mary Salome, wife to Zebedee 
• He was among Jesus’ inner circle, witnessing key moments like the Transfiguration and the agony of Jesus in the garden of 
• James was  one of the apostles charged with spreading the Gospel after Pentecost. Early church tradition says he was the first apostle to be martyred. Acts 12:1–2 records that James was the first apostle martyred, executed by Herod Agrippa I around AD 44
• James the Greater and His Brother John the Evangelist both got nicknamed by Jesus. He called them “Boanerges”  which is thought to be translatable as " Sons of Thunder" as they were known for their zeal.
  
  ===> More about he story of what did St James do in the bible and how did he become and apostle to jesus and how did he end up in Spain


What is St James the Greater Patron Saint of ? 
Online Bible Study for Women on Pilgrimage

What is St James the Greater a patron saint of in catholic saints tradition and in folk tradition ?

• Patron Saint of Spain
• Patron Saint of Pilgrims
• Patron Saint of His officially celebrated feast day is Juy 25th
• in Catholic Christianity St James the greater is the Patron Saint of pilgrims, 
• Saint James the Great , or Saint James the Greater can be found , with a variety of spellings  
• Why is he the Patron saint of Pilgrims ? What is his connection to the pilgrimage to  to Santiago the Compostela also known as " The St James way " 
  
  ===> more about Saint James the Greater Patron saints of Pilgrim's

Why is Saint James the Greater called Great ?

• St James is surnamed , or has the addition of the title " Greater" because " he was called to the Apostulate earlier than any other apostle of the same name 
• The Greater has also sometimes been called Major versus Minor
• it likely distinguishes him from the other Apostle James who is a son of Alphaeus, often called “the Lesser.”  
• These are not to be confused with theirr meaning of less value/more value but rather “Greater” and “Lesser” or St James the Greater and St James the Less may refer to age, height, or appearance and prominence in the bible scripture itself doesn’t specify which
• The labels may have been added as the christian tradition grew to help avoid confusion.
• so in summary the apostle James the Greater is a son of Zebedee, brother of John the Evangelist, is considered to have been in the inner circle of Jesus disciples, was one of the 12 apostles,  is thougth to have been the first to be martyred in Acts 12.
• in contrast the apostle James the Lesser is the son of Alphaeus but here also there is no absolute clarity on biblical scripture. In some Christian traditions he is identified with James the Just, leader of the Jerusalem church
• In " The Chosen " series they added a height distinction as well as a note the Saint James the Greater was chosen as one of the first disciples by Jesus when he met them fishing in their boats.

What is St James the Greater Pilgrimage
St James Way

• The famous pilgrimage road to Santiage de Compostela in Spain, can be extended to the seaside town of Finisterre 
• The Saint James Way st James is one of the three thought of by Christians as most important, pilgrimage destinations in the world 
• The other 2 being Rome and Jerusalem 
• Saint James the greater has an interesting story of why this destination became a focal point for many Christians 
• THere are many variations of the story, with catholic christianity celebrating the Patron saint in one specific way, folk traditions developing over many years in other ways. 
• I am going to be interested in learning more about the variety of historical facts, folk tradtions and modern interpretations that have developed since the time of Jesus and his apostles 
• To research it helps to know that Saint James the Greater is often alternatively spelled St James the Great or Saint James the Great , all are pointing at the same person 
• He is of course also known as Pilgrim and Patron Saint of Spain for Santiago de Compostela Pilgrimage St James Way
• how long does it take to walk from santiago to finisterre ?
  
  
• So lets look at more about Who, Why Saint James the Greater ended up in Santiago de Compostala all the way in spain , Online Bible Study for Women on Pilgrimage
  
  ====> What is St James the Greater Pilgrimage also simply known as St James Way

What is St James the Greater famous for ? 

• Saint Epiphanius  stated that St. James " always lived in celibacy and is known from the gospel as one of the most intimate or closest disciples of Jesus Christ the Saviour, for on several occasions in the bible , when no other Apostle was admitted, Saint James the Greater was present with Saint Peter and St John the Evangelist " 

What is Saint James the Greater called in different languages?

What is Saint James the Greater called in different languages?

• Discovering global traditions, I found his name varies:
• German: Jakobus der Ältere or Sankt Jakob
• Spanish: Santiago el Mayor
• French: Saint Jacques le Majeur
• Portuguese: São Tiago Maior
• Italian: San Giacomo Maggiore
• Dutch: Sint Jacobus de Meerdere
• The city of “Santiago” the destination of the " St James way pilgrimafe Santiago de Compostela means “Saint James”.
• of course in biblical times they were simply known as Peter, James and John , often referred to as the apostle Peter, the Apostle John the Evangelist and the Apostle James the Greater or Great as there was also another James , known later on as James the Less

Saint James the Greater Prayer

• People often ask " What do you pray to Saint James for ? " of perhaps different phrased How do you pray with Saint James ? What guidance can Saint James offer ? 
• To me that means first of all forming a relationship with the historical figure of James , son of Zebedee, getting familiar perhaps with a St James bible study of his character, what he did in the bible, where he went, whom he related to and what his role was as an apostle to Jesus .
• Then research the pilgrimage history of saint james the greater , where he sojourned to , what was his ministry there as far as we know from scripture and tradition and how did he arrived in spain?  What did make St James the greater famous so that a pilgrimage shrine became as important as Jerusalem and Rome ? 
• Out of all these personal bible study and research discoveries a picture of the person forms that is now approachable within an informed context.

Short St James Prayer for Women on Pilgrimage 

St James the Greater Prayer

Dear God, 
As I embark on this pilgrimage,
may I be inspired by the courage and devotion of Your apostle James,  
May my heart remain steadfast in seeking You above all,
and may every step on my pilgrimage lead me a little closer
to deeper faith and greater love.
Amen.

Longer  St James Prayer for Women on Pilgrimage 

St James the Great Prayer

Dear God, 

As I embark on this pilgrimage,
may I be inspired by the courage and devotion of Your apostle James,  
May my heart remain steadfast in seeking You above all,
and may every step on my pilgrimage lead me a little closer
to deeper faith and greater love.
According to your will, shield me from harm,
and guide my thoughts and actions
as I encounter other pilgrims on the St James way,
Surround me with Your guardian angels.
Let me walk in humility, kindness, and trust,
knowing that You are always with me.
Amen.

I will be adding a collection of pilgrim's prayers , blessings and prayers for pilgrimage destinations. Do you have a favourite St James Prayer ? THere have been many historic blessings and prayers for pilgrim's and I will be adding those I find here as I discover them . 
===> More St James Prayer and Pilgrims Blessings

Saint James the Greater
Pictures of St James

• Picture of Saint James the Greater with santiago de compostela pilgrims shell with the St James Cross and pilgrims walking staff 

• Pictures of Saint James the Greater with a pilgrims bag as the patron saint of pilgrims. He also holds a pilgrimage walking staff in the shape of a shepherds crock. 

return from Saint James the Greater to All Patron Saints Pilgrim and Patron Saint of Spain for Santiago de Compostela Pilgrimage St James Way, Who, Why the Greater & What did he do in the bible

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