Commontide
For Desiring God
O God, grant that we may desire you, and desiring you seek you, and seeking you find you, and finding you be satisfied in you for ever. Amen.
Liturgical Color: Red
The 21st Sunday after Trinity
Set us free, loving Father, from the bondage of our sins, and in your goodness and mercy give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Most liturgical texts are from the Book of Common Prayer (2019) of the Anglican Church in North America.
The New Coverdale Psalter, © 2019 by the Anglican Church in North America. Used by permission.
Bishop and Martyr, Brother of Our Lord
Red Letter Day
James, called the Just and known in Scripture as the Lord's brother, became the first leader of the church at Jerusalem and one of the most respected men in the city, honoured by believers and by many who did not believe alike. Paul names him among the pillars of the church, and Acts shows him presiding at the Jerusalem Council. He was killed in Jerusalem around AD 62, stoned at the order of the high priest Ananus. His feast is October 23.
James first appears in the Gospels as 'the brother of Jesus,' mentioned alongside James, Simon, and Jude as sons of Mary (Mark 6:3; Matthew 13:55-56). The Fourth Gospel notes that during Jesus' public ministry, 'even his brothers did not believe in him' (John 7:5). Yet after the Resurrection, James became a central leader of the Jerusalem church. Paul lists him among the 'pillars' of the Church, alongside Peter and John, and records that James was among those to whom the risen Jesus appeared (1 Corinthians 15:7).
The book of James, attributed to him and addressed to 'the twelve tribes in the Diaspora,' emphasizes the integration of faith and works, practical mercy toward the poor, and adherence to the Law. The epistle's tone—authoritative and pastoral—reflects his role as a leading figure in the Jerusalem community.
Acts presents James presiding over the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:13) and rendering the decisive judgment that Gentiles need not be circumcised to receive the gospel. Later, he attempted to reconcile Paul with Jewish believers by suggesting that Paul participate in a purification ritual in the Temple—an episode that resulted in Paul's arrest (Acts 21:17-25).
Josephus, writing independently of the Christian sources, records in his Antiquities (XX.9.1) that 'James, the brother of Jesus who was called Christ, [was] accused of transgressing the Law, and was condemned...to be stoned.' The death occurred during a vacancy in the Roman procuratorship, suggesting official connivance. Hegesippus, cited by Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History II.23), provides a fuller account: James was challenged by scribes and Pharisees from a Temple pinnacle to deny that Jesus was the Messiah. When he refused and proclaimed his faith, he was cast down from the pinnacle and stoned.
Traditionally, James was regarded as exemplary in his observance of Jewish practice. Hegesippus records that he wore linen (not wool), never cut his hair, never anointed himself with oil, and did not bathe—ascetic practices consistent with Nazirite vows. He was said to spend so much time in prayer that his knees became hardened like a camel's. His reputation for righteousness extended even to non-Christian Jews, who called him 'James the Just.' After his death, his memory remained vivid in the Jerusalem church, and his role in the Council was remembered as establishing a model of authoritative yet pastoral leadership.
Psalms 110, 111, 112, 113
Psalms 129, 130, 131