Little known about this apostle

By Tony Staley
Compass Editor

	St. James the Less When: First century Where: Palestine What: Apostle Feast: May 3 Patron: Fullers, hatters, the dying

"What's in a name?" Shakespeare asked in Romeo and Juliet. The question is appropriate for one of Jesus' Twelve Apostles - St. James the Less. The Apostle is called that in Mk 15:40 in both the Douay and King James translations of the Bible, though several newer translations refer to him as James the Younger.

He is called that so he won't be confused with another Apostle, St. James the Greater, who with his brother John are the sons of Zebedee or "Sons of Thunder."

But who is St. James the Less? He is the son of Alphaeus and is listed as one of the Twelve in Mt 10:3, Mk 3:18 and Lk 6:15.

Luke indicates that Jesus had several disciples. So before choosing the Twelve, Jesus spent the night in prayer on a hill, then called them all together and told them who would be his Twelve Apostles (Lk 6:12-13).

Matthew and Mark say Jesus gave the Twelve authority to preach the good news, to cast out unclean spirits and to heal. In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus sends the Twelve on a mission to do these things immediately after they're chosen (that mission comes later in Mark and Luke).

James also is listed in Acts 1:13 as one of the eleven Apostles who waited in the Upper Room for the coming of the Holy Spirit after the ascension of Jesus into heaven.

Based on Mark's Gospel, James was the son of Mary, a follower of Jesus who waited on him while he was in Galilee and then came to Jerusalem with Jesus for the festival where he was crucified. She and Mary of Magdala witnessed Jesus' death and watched as Jesus was laid in the tomb.

These are the two women who returned on Easter morning to anoint Jesus' body, only to find an empty tomb and a young man inside with this message: Tell the Apostles to go to Galilee where they will meet the risen Lord (Mk 15:40-41,46--16:7).

Despite all that, we don't know much about St. James the Less (including if that Mary is his mother). Some sources call James the Less one of the "brothers of the Lord" - usually believed to be a first cousin. Other sources note that the "brothers of the Lord" are listed separately in Acts 1:14 from James and the other Apostles as among those waiting in the Upper Room.

At one time, James the Less had been confused with James, head of the church in Jerusalem, who at the first church council decided that Gentiles would not have to follow all Jewish practices to become Christians. But now, most Scripture scholars think this James was not the son of Alphaeus.

Rather, the thinking goes, there were three distinct persons: James the Greater (son of Zebedee, brother of John); James the Less (son of Alphaeus and possibly of Mary); and James the "brother of Jesus" (leader of the church in Jerusalem and the author of the Epistle of James).