Saint James (and St. Christopher) with Fray Luis Jayme, OFM,
CA protomartyr
July 25
St. James
the Greater in Spain
1.
Yes, we have St. James traveling all the way to
Spain on an evangelical mission.
2.
While there, he receives a mystical visit from
Mary, the mother of Jesus.
3.
The Bible records his death in Jerusalem in the
book of Acts. King Herod Agrippa had
James executed "by the sword," most likely indicating beheading.
4.
Somehow his remains or relics made their way
back to Spain.
“Santiago” is derived from the Latin Sancti Iacobi,
with Jacob being the equivalent of James. Santiago de Compostela Archcathedral Basilica is
the reputed Spanish burial place of Saint James the Great, one of the apostles and
among the most intimate circle of Jesus Christ (Peter, James & John). This
James is the brother of John, with “greater” or “older” to distinguish from the
other apostle James (the Less). The basilica has historically been a place of
Christian pilgrimage on the Way of St. James since the Early Middle Ages. The
scallop or "cockle” shell is the primary symbol of St. James and the
famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. It is also a symbol of baptism,
used in decoration. Although there is no California Mission named after St.
James, his importance to Spanish national spirituality should be noted, and the
scallop shell can be found in mission artwork.
Santiago Matamoros or St. James the Moor-slayer is
another Spanish title of Saint James the Great/Santiago de Compostela. As
a patron saint of Spain, he plays a role in the Reconquista or
reclaiming of territory within España after Islamic occupation. (See for
example, St. Ferdinand, May 30!) The
iconography of James Matamoros was used in the Spanish colonization of the
Americas as a rival force to the indigenous gods, and protector of Spaniards
from the indigenous peoples of the Americas. He was depicted as a conquistador.
¡Santiago! or ¡Santiago y cierra España! has been the historical
battle cry of Spanish armies.
Note that Our Lady of the Pillar (Spanish: Nuestra Señora
del Pilar) is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the context of
the traditional belief that Mary, while living in Jerusalem, supernaturally
appeared to the Apostle James the Greater in AD 40 while he was preaching in
what is now Spain. Those who adhere to this belief consider this appearance to
be the only recorded instance of Mary exhibiting the mystical phenomenon of
bilocation. Among Catholics, it is also considered the first Marian apparition
and is unique because it occurred while Mary was still living on Earth.
The apparition is enshrined in Zaragoza, Spain, with a
statue of the Madonna and Child that sits atop a pillar. The feast of Our Lady
is celebrated on October 12th, the day that Christopher Columbus's expedition
arrived in the Americas. He went ashore at Guanahaní, an island in the Bahamas,
on October 12, 1492.
I also take this occasion to highlight Fray Luis Jaime, OFM,
protomartyr of California, who died at Mission San Diego on November 5, 1775.
Jaime is a form of the name James.
