St. James the Lesser was one of the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus. He is also referred to as “the Minor”, “the Little”, “the Less”, or “the Younger”.
He authored the first Catholic Epistle and was the son of Alphaeus of Cleophas. His mother Mary was closely related to the Blessed Virgin, and as per Jewish tradition, he was sometimes called the brother of the Lord.
St. James held an esteemed position in the early Christian community in Jerusalem and was a witness to the Resurrection of Christ, as confirmed by St Paul.
He was considered a “pillar” of the Church and consulted by St. Paul on matters relating to the Gospel.
St James the Lesser’s feast day is celebrated on May 3 every year jointly with that of St Philip the Apostle.
| St James the Lesser Biography | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Date of Birth | Sometime before birth of Jesus Christ |
| Place of Birth | Israel |
| Profession | Apostle of Jesus Christ and 1st Bishop of Jerusalem |
| Place of Work | Jerusalem |
| Date of Death | 62 AD |
| Place of Death | Jerusalem |
| Feast Day | May 3 |
| Canonization | Pre-Congregation |
| Patron Saint of | |
St James the Lesser Biography
The name of James the Lesser is mentioned in relation to his mother, “Mary”, who is also the mother of Joseph, referred to as Joses by Mark, with both names being variations of the same name. There are four instances where this connection is made:
- In Matthew 27:56, there is a reference to “Mary, who is the mother of James and Joseph”.
- Mark 15:40 mentions “Mary, who is the mother of James the younger and Joses”, with the note that “James the younger” has also been translated as “James the less”.
- In both Mark 16:1 and Luke 24:10, there is a reference to “Mary, who is the mother of James”.
- It’s possible that this “Mary” referred to in the earlier mentions was Mary of Clopas, who is only mentioned in John 19:25. However, it’s unlikely that it was Mary, the mother of Jesus, as she is not specifically identified as Jesus’ mother but rather as the mother of James the Less and Joseph/Joses. In Matthew 27:56, Mary is clearly distinguished from the mother of James, son of Zebedee.
To distinguish James from the other James, who was also one of the twelve apostles and referred to as James, son of Zebedee or “James the Great”, the title “the Less” is used.
This title implies that James is either younger or shorter than the other James. According to long-standing tradition, James, the son of Alphaeus, is identified as James the Less, while James, son of Zebedee, is referred to as “James the Great” (although the New Testament doesn’t use this designation).
There is a proposal that Alphaeus could be the same person as Cleophas, or at least the husband of Mary Clopas.
St. James the Lesser, who was also known as “James the Just,” served as the first Bishop of Jerusalem and participated in the Council of Jerusalem around the year 50.
His person was highly regarded by others, which is evident from the fact that he was given the surname “James the Just.”
According to Eusebius and St. Jerome, St. James the Lesser was highly revered for his holiness and devotion to God.
They noted that he was always dedicated to God and, as a result, he never shaved or cut his hair, refrained from consuming wine or any other strong alcoholic beverage, did not use oils to anoint his body, and only ate living creatures when it was required by religious precepts, such as the paschal lamb.
He also wore only a single linen garment and never wore sandals. Additionally, he was known for prostrating in prayer so much that his knees and forehead developed hardened skin, similar to camels’ hooves.
St. James the Lesser authored “The Letter of James” a canonical epistle in Greek that is referred to as “catholic” or universal because it is not addressed to a specific church but to all the converted Jews who were scattered throughout the known world.
This letter was written after St. Paul’s letters to the Galatians in 55 AD and to the Romans in 58 AD, so it could not have been written before the year 59 AD, which was fourteen years after the death of St. James the Greater.
In his epistle, Saint James the Lesser aims to counter the teachings of false teachers who misuse some of St. Paul’s writings to promote the idea that faith alone is enough for salvation and that good works are unnecessary.
St. James asserts that faith without good works is lifeless. He also includes valuable instructions on leading a righteous life and urges believers not to disregard the sacrament of extreme unction when ill.
After St. Paul appealed to Caesar and was sent to Rome by Festus in the year 60, the Jews became infuriated at their failure to harm him and decided to take revenge on St. James instead.
After the death of the governor, but before the arrival of his successor, Albinus, the Jewish authorities acted more oppressively than they would have otherwise dared to.
During this time, Ananus, the high priest, son of the Annas mentioned in the gospels, called together the Sanhedrin, which was the supreme council of the Jews. He then summoned St. James and others to appear before the council.
St. James the Lesser was charged with breaking the laws and was handed over to the crowd to be stoned to death.
They took him up to the temple’s battlements and forced him to publicly renounce his belief in Christ. The purpose of this was to “undeceive” those among the people who had converted to Christianity.
At that moment, St. James the Lesser used the occasion to openly and fervently proclaim his faith in Jesus Christ.
He spoke loudly from the battlements, in front of a large crowd that had gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover, proclaiming that Jesus, the Son of man, was seated at the right hand of the Almighty and would return in the clouds of heaven to judge the world.
The Scribes and Pharisees were infuriated by St. James the Lesser’s testimony for Jesus and exclaimed, “The just man also has erred.” They then ascended to the battlements and threw him down to the ground, saying, “He must be stoned.”
Despite being severely injured from the fall, St. James managed to kneel down and look up to heaven. In that position, he prayed to God to forgive his murderers, for they knew not what they were doing.
The crowd below pelted him with stones, and eventually, a cloth fuller struck him on the head with a club used for cloth dressing. This blow caused St. James to die immediately.
The incident occurred on the festival of the Passover, specifically on April 10th, in the year 62 AD, during the reign of Nero.
After his martyrdom, St. James the Lesser was laid to rest near the temple where he was killed, and a small pillar was erected at the site.
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