Today's the Feast of St. James, Apostle and martyr. A close friend of of Lord, James was present at the raising of Jairus' daughter, the Transfiguration and the Garden of Gethsemane. He waas the first of the Apostles to be martyred, at the orders of Herod Agrippa.
Tradition has it that James evangelized in Spain before his return to Judea and martyrdom, and that his body was buried in Galicia. His tomb was discovered in the 9th century AD and a great church, Santiago de Compostela, built on the site, where it remains today.
In 844, the Apostle appeared to Pedro Marcio appeared to Pedro Marcio, whose Christian war band were fighting numerically superior Moslem invaders, and said:
Did not you know that my Lord Jesus Christ, while distributing the other provinces in the world to my brothers, the other apostles, luckily entrusted me the guardianship of all Spain and placed it under my protection? (…) Keep your courage, because I will come to assist you tomorrow, God willing, to vanquish all that big crowd of enemies surrounding you. However, many of your soldiers will be destined for eternal rest and will receive the crown of martyrdom during your struggle for the name of Christ. And so that there is no doubt you will see me dressed in white on a white horse, holding in my hand a white banner. Therefore, at dawn, after receiving the sacrament of penance with the confession of sins, after receiving the Communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord in the Mass, do not be afraid to challenge the Saracens’ squadrons, invoking God’s name and mine, and taking for certain they will fall to the edge of the sword.
The Apostle wasn't lying. The Reconquista was victorious and St. James is invoked as Matamoros, Moor Slayer. Here's the BCP Collect:
GRANT, O merciful God, that, as thine holy Apostle Saint James, leaving his father and all that he had, without delay was obedient unto the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ, and followed him; so we, forsaking all worldly and carnal affections, may be evermore ready to follow thy holy commandments; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Never, ever surrender the Faith,
LSP
