Personalized icons. Road to Santiago de Compostela Under the protection of the patron saint
When starting a conversation about the Apostle James Zebedee, one of the 12 closest disciples and followers of Jesus Christ, you should pay attention to the fact that he is often confused with two other New Testament saints who bore this name. One of them was also a member of the Savior’s inner circle. In addition, Jacob was the name of the brother of Jesus Christ ─ the son of Joseph, born before his betrothal to the Virgin Mary. The error is especially noticeable when reading the troparion to the Apostle James Zebedee, as well as the prayer and akathist dedicated to him.
"Sons of Thunder"
The Gospels from Matthew (4:21) and Mark (1:19) describe the scene of the calling of the future apostles James Zebedee and his younger brother John the Theologian to serve by Jesus Christ. Both of them were the sons of the fisherman Zebedee and, like their father, they earned their living by throwing nets into the waters of the Sea of Galilee (modern name ─ For their impetuous and unbridled disposition, Jesus named the brothers Boanerges, which translated from Aramaic means “Sons of Thunder” .
The character traits that gave rise to such an unusual name are manifested in the episode described by the Evangelist Luke (9:54), when the brothers invite Jesus to bring down heavenly fire on the inhabitants of the Samoran village, who refused Him hospitality.
The same can be seen in the scene from the Gospel of Mark (10:35 ─ 37), where the holy Apostle James Zebedee and his brother ask the Teacher to give them places of honor in the Kingdom of Heaven. In both cases, the Lord treats the spiritual impulses of his disciples condescendingly, using their rashness and naivety as a reason for wise instruction.
Along with John the Theologian, Jacob Zebedee was one of the closest disciples and followers of Jesus Christ. It was them who He made witnesses of the three most important Gospel events ─ the resurrection of Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:37), the miraculous Transfiguration on the top (Matthew 17:1, Mark 9:2 and Luke 9:28) and the full dramatic scene in Gethsemane garden.
Preachers of Christ's teachings
We learn about the activities to which the Apostle James Zebedee devoted himself after the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ from the pages of another book included in the New Testament. It tells how, filled with the Holy Spirit, which descended on the apostles on the fiftieth day after the Ascension of Jesus (the Feast of Pentecost), he and the other disciples of Christ worked on the establishment of the first Christian communities.
To preach the word of God, each of them was destined for his own path. The Apostle James Zebedee, whose life was written shortly after his death, was engaged in missionary work among the inhabitants of Spain, who at that time were drowning in the darkness of paganism. Returning then to Judea, the disciple of Jesus Christ continued to boldly declare Him as the Savior of the world, confirming his words with excerpts from the Holy Scriptures.
Preaching in the synagogues and squares of Jerusalem, he invariably attracted crowds of listeners. Many of them, heeding his simple and wise words that reached to the depths of their hearts, turned to a new faith and secretly received baptism from everyone. It was from them that the first communities subsequently emerged, thanks to which Christianity turned from a catacomb church into a leading world religion.
Conversion of the philosopher-magician to Christianity
The sermons preached by the Apostle James Zebedee often provoked an angry reaction from Orthodox Jews, whom he openly accused of hard-heartedness, pharisaism and unbelief, covered by ostentatious piety. Not having sufficient theological knowledge to enter into public polemics with their enemy, the Jews hired a certain philosopher-magician named Hermogenes for a monetary reward.
He was instructed, in front of a large crowd of people, to convincingly refute the Gospel teaching about the coming of Christ the Savior into the world and about the Kingdom of Heaven awaiting all followers of the Church He created. Before the start of the theological debate, the Apostle James Zebedee had a conversation with the sorcerer’s disciple Philip, and he, having heard the full wise speeches of their future opponent, himself believed in Christ.
Hermogenes did not persist in his errors either. Having delved into the deep essence of the teaching preached by the apostle, he decisively renounced his previous beliefs, burned his ungodly books and, having received holy baptism, became one of the most ardent adherents of the Christian faith. This example is very significant, for it demonstrates the power of persuasion with which the Savior endowed His closest disciples.
Execution of a disciple of Christ
Sacred Tradition tells of the martyrdom, which in 44 A.D. became the crown of the earthly life of Jacob Zebedee. The enemies of the holy apostle, who remained deaf to his divinely inspired sermons, convinced King Herod Agrippa I, who ruled in those days, to arrest James, whom he hated, and put him on trial for trampling the foundations of the Jewish faith.
The trial was quick and unfair. The apostle, sentenced to death, even in the last minutes of his life, continued to testify to his executioners about the great mission of Jesus Christ. The angry king, drawing his sword, cut off his head with his own hands. This tragic episode is mentioned in the book “The Acts of the Apostles” (2:1-4). By the way, James Zebedee is the only apostle whose death is described in the New Testament.
The Last Journey of the Apostle James
Further, Holy Tradition says that after the execution, the remains of the holy martyr were, by order of King Herod Agrippa, placed in a boat, which was launched on the waves of the Mediterranean Sea. But the Lord did not allow the relics of His disciple to disappear without a trace.
After some time, driven by an unknown force, the boat safely reached the shores of Spain in the place where the fiery sermons of the Apostle James once sounded, and was thrown ashore by the waves. There she lay, hidden from human eyes, for several centuries.
The beginning of the veneration of the holy apostle
In 813, according to Tradition, a lonely hermit monk named Pelayo settled in that area. One day he had a certain vision in the form of a guiding star, showing the way to the ark with the incorruptible relics of the apostle. From that time on, their universal veneration began, and in 898, the Spanish king Alfonso III ordered the Temple of the Apostle James Zebedee to be erected on the site of the miraculous find.
According to historical documents of those years, it was only a small church standing on the seashore and open to all winds, but nevertheless a beginning was made, and in subsequent centuries this tradition continued in many Christian countries.
As an example, we can cite the Moscow Church of the Apostle James Zebedee in the Kazennaya Sloboda, the first chronicle mention of which dates back to 1620, that is, the period of the reign of the founder of the Romanov dynasty - Emperor Mikhail Fedorovich. Rebuilt many times, in accordance with the changing architectural features of different eras, it has come to us as a unique monument of church architecture. And today it regularly contains prayers and an akathist to the Apostle James Zebedee, whose memorial day the Orthodox Church celebrates on May 13 and July 13.
Under the protection of the heavenly patron
But let's return to Spain. Its inhabitants, in memory of the miraculous discovery of the relics and the vision that once visited the hermit Pelayo, began to call that section of the coast Compostella, which is translated from Latin as “The place indicated by the star.” Over time, it began to be populated, finally turning into a large and noisy city.
Saint James the Apostle is revered as one of the heavenly patrons of Spain. His petition to the Throne of the Heavenly Father especially helped the Spaniards during the period of the so-called Reconquista - the struggle for the liberation of the Iberian Peninsula from the Arabs, which lasted from the 8th to the 15th centuries. For almost 700 years they went into battle, strengthening their spirit with prayer to the Apostle James Zebedee.
Jacob's Way
Unlike the Orthodox world, Catholics celebrate the feast day of this saint on July 25, and if the celebration falls on a Sunday, then in Spain the “year of the Apostle James” is officially declared, during which all festivities dedicated to him are held with particular pomp. The veneration of the Apostle James Zebedee among the Spaniards has become so widespread that the place where his relics were found is called Santiago de Compostela. Since the 11th century, it has become the second most important site of pilgrimage, second only to Jerusalem.
In the 20th century, the tradition of visiting it acquired a rather unique form among Catholics. In order to be considered a real pilgrim, you must receive a special certificate upon arrival in the city. It is issued only to those who, heading to Santiago de Compostela, pass the so-called path of Jacob. To do this, you need to cover 100 kilometers on foot or 200 by bike.
The image of the Apostle James Zebedee in fine art
Since, according to Holy Tradition, during the days of his earthly ministry the apostle often undertook long journeys, one of which was his visit to Spain, among Catholics he is considered the patron saint of travelers. In this regard, artists of different eras depicted him in the image of a pilgrim holding in his hand a staff or a scallop shell, which is the generally accepted emblem of the pilgrimage to Compostela, where his relics have been buried for many centuries. His images in the form of a knight sitting on a horse are also known. This interpretation of the image is associated with its role in the expulsion of the Arabs from the Iberian Peninsula.
The Spaniards lost heart. For more than a year they have been wandering through the inhospitable lands of the northern continent, and instead of gold and lush stone cities they encounter only savages, death and danger at every step. Many began to talk openly about returning. Only the pigs maintained enviable good spirits and tirelessly continued to breed.
Just at this difficult moment, Soto received secret news that his ships were in the Gulf of Mexico, at the mouth of Alabama, just six days away. What a temptation! Maybe we should really give up and turn to the sea? And end the campaign ingloriously, empty-handed, having needlessly killed one and a half hundred comrades? No! You need to show persistence, and luck will come to you. And Soto, having given the army a two-week rest, turned his back to the ships and moved north, into the very heart of the Mysterious Continent. A true conquistador!
After a two-week march, the expedition reached the land of the Chickasawa Indians. At first, relations with the natives developed well: the leader gave the newcomers one and a half hundred rabbits, and the Spaniards responded by treating the Indians to pork. And the natives liked the juicy meat so much that soon a widespread theft of pigs from the pens began. Soto could not tolerate such a shameless attack: he personally shot two of the caught thieves with a bow, and sent the third home with his hands cut off.
In December 1540, Soto stopped for the winter in an Indian village, driving out its inhabitants. A month passed calmly, and the conquistadors, having lost their vigilance, stopped posting guards. One night, the Indians attacked the Spanish camp from four sides at once. The thatched roofs of the huts caught fire, and the wind instantly scattered the flames throughout the village. The sleepy Spaniards could not find weapons; they jumped out of the burning houses in their mother's clothes and fell under clouds of arrows. The cattle pens collapsed, the pigs ran around in flames with shrill squeals, like devils in hell, destroying everything in their path. The maddened horses broke free of their leashes and, with a loud neigh, rushed in all directions into the darkness. It was they who saved the situation, scaring the Indians to death.
The rising sun illuminated the bleak picture. Undressed people crowded helplessly around fires in the middle of the ashes. Clothes and saddles, tents and food supplies burned, swords, pikes and halberds melted in the fire. Forty soldiers and fifty horses were killed. And the saddest thing: from the mighty herd of pigs, raised with such labor literally piglet by piglet, only a hundred heads remained!
Soto ordered the soldiers to weave mats from grass and cover their naked bodies, build a forge and reforge damaged weapons, so that he awaited the next attack in full combat readiness. The Indians had to retreat.
Another would not have endured such a blow of fate, would have given up on everything and turned to the ships, since there was still plenty of pork for the return trip. But no troubles could stop the true conquistador. Spring came, and the conquistadors again rushed forward into the unknown, and again with continuous battles. The guide Pedro is no longer mentioned in the chronicles of the expedition - apparently, the Spaniards executed the liar. Now Soto himself led the expedition, leading at random, turning now to the north, now to the south, but generally adhering to the western direction. The character of the area has changed. On the way there were countless lakes, oxbow lakes, rivulets and channels, which greatly hampered the advance of the army. Everything spoke of the proximity of a huge river.
Jacob Zebedee(Greek Ιάκωβος, Latin Iacobus, Spanish Santiago), James the Elder is an apostle of Jesus Christ mentioned in the New Testament. Jacob was born in Palestine and was killed in 44 in Jerusalem. Elder brother of John the Evangelist.
In the New Testament
According to the Gospels, he was a fisherman together with his father and brother. The scene of the calling of the brothers is described in the Gospels of Matthew (4:21) and Mark (1:19).
The brothers James and John in the Gospels are called the sons of Zebedee by the name of their father Zebedee, also, according to the Evangelist Mark (Mark 3:17), Jesus called the brothers Boanerges (Greek Βοανηργες, an Aramaic word deciphered in the New Testament as “sons of thunder” ), obviously for his impetuous character. In literature, James Zebedee is also often called James the Elder to distinguish him from the apostle James Alphaeus and James the "brother of the Lord" or James the Younger.
James is mentioned in the lists of apostles in Matthew (10:2), Mark (3:17), Luke (6:4), and also in the Acts of the Apostles (1:13).
James, along with his brother and the apostle Peter, was the closest disciple of the Lord. Together with Peter and John, he witnessed the resurrection of Jairus' daughter (Mark 5:37; Luke 9:51). Only them Jesus made witnesses of his Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1; Mark 9:2 and Luke 9:28) and the Battle of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33).
The impetuous nature of the brothers was fully demonstrated when they wanted to bring fire down from heaven onto the Samaritan village (Luke 9:54); and also in a request to let them sit in the Kingdom of Heaven on the right and left sides of Jesus (Mark 10:35-37).
After the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, James appears in the pages of the Acts of the Apostles. He, along with the other apostles, was filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), and participated in the establishment of the first Christian communities. Acts also reports his death (12:2), according to this message, King Herod Agrippa I “killed James, the brother of John, with the sword (Greek: μαχαίρᾳ).” Judging by the further text, this happened in 44. The Apostle James is the only apostle whose death is described on the pages of the New Testament.
There are references to his burial in Marmarik, but they may come from his confusion among Christian authors with Jacob Alpheus.
Reverence
Commemoration in the Catholic Church - July 25, in the Orthodox Church - April 30 and June 30 (according to the Julian calendar).
According to legend, after the martyrdom of the apostle in 44 in the Holy Land, his remains were placed in a boat and floated across the waves of the Mediterranean Sea. Miraculously, this boat sailed to Spain, where the saint had preached earlier, and was thrown ashore at the mouth of the Ulya River (where the city of Santiago de Compostela would later appear). In 813, as church tradition says, the hermit monk Pelayo, who lived in this area, following a certain guiding star, discovered this ark with relics that remained incorrupt. At the same time, a legend arose about Jacob himself preaching on the Iberian Peninsula, historically completely implausible.
In 896-99, King Alfonso III issued a decree, and a small church was built over the relics at the site of the find. The place itself was named Compostella (Latin: Campus Stellae, “Place designated by a star”). Saint James, who miraculously appeared during the battles with the Moors, became the patron saint of Spain and the Reconquista. As an apostle who, according to legend, during his ministry undertook a long journey from the Holy Land to Spain, he began to be considered the patron saint of pilgrims. By the 11th century, the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela acquired the status of the second most important pilgrimage (after the pilgrimage to the Holy Land).
At the end of the 20th century, the tradition was revived: in order to receive a certificate of having completed the “path of Jacob,” a pilgrim must walk one hundred kilometers or ride a bicycle two hundred kilometers. Upon arrival in the city, the pilgrim presents at the cathedral a special document “credencial” (a pilgrim’s passport, valid since the Middle Ages) with marks made at points along the way, after which he receives a “Certificate of Compostela” written in Latin. When the day of remembrance of the Apostle James, July 25, falls on a Sunday, the “year of St. James” is declared in Spain, accordingly, church festivities this year are especially solemn.
The capital of Chile, Santiago, is also named in honor of the Apostle James.
The Apostle is considered the patron saint of the Marjalva region in Portugal.
Iconography
The oldest image of the apostle is a mosaic in Ravenna of the 6th century; Jacob is depicted on it as an old man with a scroll in his hands. Later he was also depicted as a wanderer with a staff, a knight on a horse - Mavroboytsy. Jacob was a character in paintings by great artists - Durer, Rubens and many others.
Reliquary with the relics of the Apostle James in the Compostela Cathedral
Saint James the Elder by Rembrandt
He is depicted clothed as a pilgrim; note the scallop shell on his shoulder and his staff and pilgrim"s hat beside him his symbol is also the carpenter saw.
Saint James the Elder. Rembrandt He is depicted dressed as a pilgrim, marked with a shell on his shoulder and his staff and a pilgrim's hat next to him; his symbol is also a pilgrim's staff.
Icon of Saint James, son of Zebedee, 18th century (Kizhi Monastery, Karelia, Russia).
The Codex Calixtinus promotes the pilgrimage to Santiago. The Codex Calixtinus records the pilgrimage to Santiago.
Saint James" cross.
Cross of St. James.
Saint James (Jacob)- this is the name given to several persons recognized as saints in the Christian Church. In the Spanish version it sounds like Santiago, in English - St. James (St. James). In the Spanish- and English-speaking world, many geographical features and organizations are named after these saints.
Way of Saint James, El Camino de Santiago (Spanish: El Camino de Santiago) is the famous pilgrimage road to the tomb of the Apostle James in the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela, the main part of which lies in Northern Spain. Due to its popularity and ramifications, this route had a great influence on the spread of cultural achievements in the Middle Ages. It is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Since the beginning of the 1980s, the popularity of the route has been continuously increasing, so in 1978 only 13 people walked along it, then in 2009 - more than 145 thousand.
Influence of the Way of Saint James
Image of a shell on the wall of a temple in Languedoc, France
Significant and constant migrations of large masses of the population could not but affect the inhabitants of the cities along this route. Pilgrims needed rest and food: most of them stopped at monasteries and churches located along the road, where they could also venerate the less significant, but nevertheless also revered, relics of saints.
Monasteries located near pilgrimage routes flourished. But large crowds required a reworking of both the existing architectural types of church buildings and the principles of everyday life, for example, living quarters, food warehouses and storage facilities for various kinds of religious objects. The Way of St. James was the route through which the so-called type of pilgrimage church begins to take shape. The main differences of this type from the previous cramped Romanesque architecture: the space became spacious, the dimensions increased, and a reasonable layout of the sequence of rooms made it possible to conveniently regulate human flows. A huge number of cathedrals grew along the Road, with various (minor) variations repeating the developed type.
Legends and folklore
An innocent youth on the way to Compostela was hanged on a false charge of theft. A month later, his returning parents found him still alive on the gallows - his body was supported by Saint James. The image of the plot was found on altars and stained glass windows.
The emblem of this saint is the image of a conch shell. Shells were a distinctive sign of pilgrims who entered the Way of St. James, sewn, for example, on clothes. Images of seashells adorn buildings along the entire route.
Saints Jakub (Bolshi), apostle
Yakub Big, or the Elders, were the sons of the fisherman Zavyadzey and Salameya, the brothers of the saint Yan Bagaslov. Once upon a time, with his brothers Jan and Saint Peter, he became one of the beloved students of Jesus. Jacob and his brother, for their steamy temperament, were called Esus Baanerges - the Sons of Thunder. Iakub became aware of the decorated dacha of Yair and the new name of Pan, and she was with Hryst at Gatsymania. Paslya ўваскрасеньня Збаўці Jakub is married to the Abbyan Gospel, і ў 43 ў 44 y. p. zagadze Irada Agrypy byў zabіty ў Jerusalem just a thousand galavas.
To such ranks are holy Jacob the first, after the apostles, to suffer the martyr's death for the Gospel. Lichitystsa, what is it about the Good News in Spain. The relics of the saint were to the tsudovnym chyns adshukana on the Fall of the West of Spain: over the field, where the berries were soaked, the dawn began to shine. This month (Latvian campus stellae - field of vision) the city of Sant'yaga de Campastela was covered, as the city of Santiago de Campastela brought many pilgrims to Rome and Yeruzalem. Saint Jakub is the guardian of Spain and the Vaisk people, as well as the same apples and other countries. I am asking for my intercession in the case of reformation and malignancy in the good world.
Uspam: 25 lepenya
Remembrance Day was established by the Orthodox Church on October 9/22.
The Apostle James came from the Galilean city of Capernaum. He was the son of Alpheus, brother of the Apostle Matthew, formerly a tax collector. When Jesus Christ began to preach His divine teaching, Jacob, hearing him, himself followed the Savior. The Lord ranked him as worthy among the 12 apostles.
Having accepted the gift of the Holy Spirit with the other apostles, on the day of Pentecost, the Apostle James went preaching the Word of God to the pagans. Like a scorching fire, there was divine jealousy that consumed the Apostle James. He fearlessly denounced godlessness, crushed idols, and destroyed idol temples. He preached the teachings of Christ with inspiration, healed the sick and demon-possessed, and performed various miracles. He converted many infidels to Christ. Jacob received the name of the divine seed, because by sowing the Word of God in the hearts of people, he planted faith and cultivated piety.
The main places of his preaching work were the cities of Gaza and Eleutheropolis and the surrounding area. Having traveled around many countries, the apostle came to Egypt, to the city of Ostratsyn, which lay on the seashore, on the border with Palestine. Here Saint James was nailed to the cross by embittered pagans, and thus ended his life sufferingly.
Jacob Borovichsky, Novgorod, righteous
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James, brother of the Lord according to the flesh, apostle of the 70, 1 ep. Jerusalem, martyr
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Remembrance Day was established by the Orthodox Church on October 23/November 5.
Apostle James, brother of the Lord, according to the Church, son of Joseph the Betrothed, his companion and the Blessed Virgin Mary to Egypt, he is also called James the Lesser, or the Lesser. He was one of the first to follow the Savior. Together with the apostles Paul, Peter, and John, he was revered as one of the pillars of the Church. The son of Joseph the Betrothed by his first wife, he was called the brother of the Lord. According to Tradition, Saint James was appointed Bishop of Jerusalem by Jesus himself, who appeared to him after the Resurrection. Thus, he became the only one of the apostles who did not preach while traveling, but served to preserve the faith, taught it and performed sacred activities within the center of the then Christian world - the holy city of Jerusalem.
Jacob Bryleevsky, Rev.
Remembrance days were established by the Orthodox Church on April 11/24, May 5/18.
The Monk Jacob lived at the turn of the 14th-15th centuries and was from a wealthy boyar family in the city of Galich, Kostroma province. However, from his youth he decided to leave worldly worries and devote his life to serving God, so he went to the Trinity Monastery of Sergius of Radonezh and became a monk. Having matured, Jacob left the monastery to live in the wilderness in the deep forests and spent many years as a prayerful hermit.
Rumors about Jacob's holiness and gift of clairvoyance reached Grand Duke Vasily Dmitrievich. He sent a messenger to the ascetic asking whether there would be a successful outcome of the birth of the ill princess, and received an affirmative answer, which soon came true. In gratitude, the prince gave funds for the construction of a monastery in the town of Zhelezny Borok not far from Galich, where the monk labored.
Over time, the monastery grew and became stronger, and more and more students gathered around Jacob. But in 1429 the Kazan Tatars attacked the monastery and destroyed it to the ground. The monk and his disciples managed to hide in the deep forests, and upon returning, they had to build the monastery anew. At the request of the monks, Saint James became abbot of the restored monastery. He, like Sergius of Radonezh, introduced strict rules of community life and cooperation for monks, and gave shelter and spiritual strengthening to all the poor and those in need of help.
Having gained universal love and veneration, the Monk Jacob lived to a ripe old age and peacefully presented himself in his monastery. His holy relics, discovered almost 200 years later, revealed many miraculous healings.
James Zebedee, apostle of the 12, brother of the ap. John the Evangelist
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Remembrance Day was established by the Orthodox Church on April 30/May 13.
Jacob of Carmel (Palestinian), hermit, faster
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Remembrance Day was established by the Orthodox Church on March 4/17.
James of Catania (Sicily), bishop, confessor
Remembrance Day was established by the Orthodox Church on August 9/22.
All that is known about him is that he lived in the 8th century, was of a noble family and suffered martyrdom for the veneration of Christian icons under the iconoclast emperor Leo the Isaurian.
Jacob Menyuzhsky, Novgorod, youth
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Remembrance Day was established by the Orthodox Church on June 24/July 7.
All that is known about him is that he lived in Novgorod in the 10th century and at the age of 3 was killed by villains along with his 5-year-old brother John. Several centuries later, the incorruptible relics of the righteous youths were found and placed in the Trinity Church in the village of Menuzh, Novgorod diocese.
Jacob of Mesukevia, Georgian, martyr
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Remembrance Day was established by the Orthodox Church on April 15/28.
Jacob of Nisibius (Nisibi), bishop
Remembrance Day was established by the Orthodox Church on October 21/November 3.
All that is known about him is that he lived in the 14th century and at first, together with the Monk Theophilus, asceticised in a monastery founded by the Monk Arseny Konevsky, on the island of Konevets in Lake Ladoga. Then Saints Theophilus and Jacob founded a monastery in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the Omucha River in the Pskov diocese.
James of Persia, presbyter, martyr
