Holy Apostle James, Son of Alphaeus (I)

The holy Apostle James, son of Alphaeus, was the son of Alphaeus, a tax-collector of Capernaum, and the brother of the holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew (commemorated 16 November). James, like Matthew, was called by the Saviour Himself among the twelve most chosen disciples and sent out to preach the Gospel (Matthew 10:3).

After the descent of the Holy Spirit the blessed apostle stayed for a while in Jerusalem (Acts 1:13; 6:2), and then, together with Saint Andrew the First-called, spread the teaching of Christ in Edessa, Gaza, Eleutheropolis and the surrounding places. From there he set out for Egypt, and in Ostracine, a seaside city on the border of Palestine, he ended his apostolic labours by crucifixion (according to another account, after many kinds of torture the Lord’s chosen one was beaten to death with rods).