October: Day 23: Teaching 1: Holy Apostle James, the Brother of the Lord

 

October: Day 23: Teaching 1:
Holy Apostle James, the Brother of the Lord

(Traits of a True Righteous Man)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. On October 23, the Holy Church celebrates the memory of the holy Apostle James, the brother of the Lord. Saint James was the son of the Betrothed of the Most Holy Virgin Mary - Saint Joseph, from his late wife. From his youth he loved the strict life: he ate only bread and water, did not drink wine or oil; he wore a sharp hair shirt on his body, spent the whole night in prayer and preserved the purity of virginity. And when the Lord taught the people about the kingdom of God and revealed Himself as the Messiah, then Saint James believed in Him and, listening to His divine words, began to live even more strictly. Everyone called Saint James righteous, for everyone saw his righteous life and he was numbered among the Seventy Apostles. From the Lord Jesus Christ he was appointed bishop and taught the sacred rite. He was the first hierarch and shepherd of the Jerusalem Church. He was the first to set forth and write the Liturgy, which Saint Basil the Great and John Chrysostom later shortened due to human weakness. Saint James set many Jews and pagans on the true path and wrote a General Epistle to the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Everyone revered him, not only the faithful, but also the unbelievers. The Jewish high priests and priests did not forbid him to enter the Holy of Holies, and he prayed there for the whole world. The people loved him for his holiness and many of the Jewish elders believed his teaching. But the scribes and Pharisees with the high priest were angry with him for this, and decided to kill him.

The feast of Passover arrived. A multitude of people gathered in Jerusalem. The scribes and Pharisees approached Saint James in the temple and said: “Righteous one, we pray you, on the day of the feast, give a lesson to the people, turn them away from Christ, by Whom many have been deceived, calling Him the Son of God. Stand on the high roof of the temple, so that all may see and hear you; tell the people that they are mistaken, believing in the crucified Christ.” The Holy Apostle ascended to the height and said in a loud voice: “Why do you ask me about the Son of man, who voluntarily suffered, was crucified and on the third day rose from the grave? He now sits in heaven and will come again on the clouds of heaven to judge the living and the dead.” The people rejoiced and cried out: “Glory to God! Hosanna to the Son of David.” But the Pharisees and scribes in anger cast down the Holy Apostle from the wing of the temple to frighten the people, and when the righteous man fell, he rose to his knees, raised his hands to heaven and, praying, said: "Lord, forgive them this sin, for they know not what they do." But the Jews threw stones at him. His holy body is buried near the temple. He ruled the Jerusalem Church for thirty years.

II. Brethren! The Apostle James was called a righteous man in his lifetime. It is good to receive such a title, but it is better when someone is found worthy to bear it. One can be called a righteous man, one can perhaps even think of oneself as a righteous man, and yet not really be one.

What are the characteristics of a truly righteous person? Let us point them out, judging by the life of the Righteous James.

a) The Apostle James from his earliest years loved prayer, the strictest fasting and physical purity. This is what is necessary for everyone who wants to achieve true righteousness. A truly righteous person does not limit himself to praying in the morning and evening, and is always in church on Sundays and feasts. In addition, he tries to find at least a little time for prayer during the day - at a certain hour he leaves his work and prostrates himself before the Lord. He also leaves his bed in the middle of the night and stands in prayer. He tries to be constantly in a prayerful frame of mind. The same is true regarding fasting. If only his strength allows, he strictly observes all the fasts established by the Church, especially Great Lent and Wednesday and Friday of each week - he fasts with love, offering himself as a sacrifice to God, expressing imitation of the fast of the Savior, obedience to the Holy Church, a feeling of thanksgiving to the Lord for His mercies, and above all sorrow for his sins. Though he, as one who lives in the world in the midst of temptations, has many occasions to break the fast, he will fast even in the midst of the most luxurious meal, eating and drinking in the smallest quantities. And what about bodily purity, which we saw in the Apostle James? Who among God-fearing Christians will not seek it too? Who does not observe it before marriage and in the state of marriage? At each temptation, the God-fearing Christian exclaims with Joseph: "How can I do this evil deed and sin before God?" - This is what a truly pious man is. Does any of us have all this? If so, then such a Christian is sincerely pious; if not, he only seems so.

b) The Apostle James was burning with zeal for the faith and for the salvation of others. He sealed this zeal with a martyr's death. And in our time, should not a truly pious person be like that? Can he calmly watch how faith is now mocked, how impudently and shamelessly the duties of faith are betrayed? Is it not a disease for his heart to see how ugly the time of feasts and fasts is now spent – how everyone grows cold to the Church and the Mysteries? Isn't he ready to sacrifice himself, his life, anything, if only everyone would know God, remember Him, love Him, serve Him? Yes, the truly pious even now suffers and is tormented in his soul, looking at the iniquity that surrounds him. Happy is the one who has such zeal for faith, for the salvation of others – he is a true Christian, his piety is sincere. But if anyone has not attained this, grieve for yourself, and desire and strive for something better.

c) The Apostle James, thrown down from the heights and stoned, prayed for his enemies. Here is another essential and, one might say, the most important feature of a truly pious person. There are people who go to church often, pray for a long time, and keep fasts, seem pious, but are extremely selfish; if you offend them unintentionally, they will certainly try to take revenge on you in a cruel way. It is clear what their piety is. Without love in the heart, with malice in the soul, piety is unthinkable. He who bears malice in his heart towards others is a servant of the enemy, and not of Christ. The Lord does not accept any exploits without love. “If I give away all my goods, if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing,” says the Apostle. And how could it be otherwise? Is it possible to please the God of love without love? What is the prayer of an evil person? It is incense without fire. What is alms? This is Cain's sacrifice that does not ascend to heaven.

Christian love extends even to enemies. This is the difference between Christian love and pagan love. This is the whole dignity of love. It is hard to love enemies: ask love from the God of love. He who taught us to pray for our enemies will give it to us. So, if the enemy takes away our good name, reviles us, reproaches us, threatens us, even harms us in deed, let us respond to this with Christian forgiveness, gentleness, patience, and, if possible, silence. Let us pity evil people and pray for them, that they may not perish for malice and in their malice. If there is love in us, there will also be sincere piety, but without love we have not yet begun to live for Christ.

III. We have seen, brethren, who and what kind of Christian is truly pious, following the example of the righteous Apostle James. Let us, as far as possible, imitate him. May the Lord help us to acquire the spirit of true, and not pharisaical piety. He was a strict ascetic, a great prayer-maker and faster. Let us also be zealous in pleasing the Lord with similar feats. He was ablaze with love for the faith and sealed his zeal for the faith with martyrdom. Let us also strive to strengthen ourselves in zeal for the faith to the point of being ready to lay down our lives for faithfulness to Christ and the gospel. He was meek and prayed for his enemies. Let us also exercise ourselves in the virtue of meekness and gentleness, forgive our offenders, live in peace with those who hate the world.

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.