James the Son of Alphaeus
As excerpted from the St. Athanasius Parish website Life of the Saint
The feast of Saint James is celebrated on October 9.
James was the son of Alphaeus, who was also called Cleopas. One of James’ brothers, Matthew, was a member of the Twelve Apostles (Mark 2:14) along with James. Since Alphaeus (Cleopas) was the brother of Joseph, the Betrothed of the Virgin Mary, James was Jesus’ step cousin. In trying to understand Jesus’ extended family, there were three men named James, which makes things confusing. Figure 1 should be consulted for details concerning all the Lord’s relatives. The Scriptures record James’ father, Alphaeus (Cleopas), along with the Evangelist Luke, meeting the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-18). James’ mother, Mary, the wife of Clopas, was one of the myrrh-bearing women at the foot of the Cross, and at the Tomb (John 19:25).
Shortly after the Ascension, while James the son of Alphaeus was about to begin his missionary journeys abroad, Peter, James Zebedee and John appointed James the Lord’s brother as Bishop of Jerusalem. Clement of Rome1 and Eusebius2 stated that Peter, James and John did not strive after honor for themselves, and therefore chose James the Lord’s brother as Bishop rather than themselves. James the Lord’s brother served as Bishop until c. 62 AD, when he was murdered by the Jewish leaders. Simeon, the other brother of James the son of Alphaeus and one of the Seventy, and was appointed as the second Bishop of Jerusalem3 after the martyrdom of James the Lord’s brother. The Apostles at that time felt that one of the Lord’s kinsmen should be Bishop of Jerusalem after James. There is some confusion today, especially in the West, regarding James the son of Alphaeus. In the West, some say that James the Lord’s brother and James the son of Alphaeus were the same person4 . In the East, it is the teaching of the Church that they were distinct persons. James the Lord’s brother never left Judea, but spent his time as a shepherd for the Jews, and pleading for mercy for his people, until he was martyred in front of the Temple in Jerusalem. James the son of Alphaeus was eventually crucified in Egypt.
