This week contains the feast day of James, the brother of John, often called "James the Great", in whose honor our cathedral is dedicated. The gospels show us that he was a close friend of Jesus -- part of the "inner circle" -- and, while there are many pious legends about the fate of most of The Twelve, James was the first of them to die and the only one whose martyrdom is recorded in the Bible. That makes him a vital and impressive figure, and a worthy patron saint for us today.

It is fitting, therefore, that we will be observing his feast  on Sunday and, in so doing, will also be celebrating the conclusion of our program Summer in the City. The work of SITC is certainly work that one would expect and hope would be undertaken by those who strive to be close friends of Jesus. But if we are to honor our patron fully, we cannot avoid thinking about the extent to which we (individually and corporately) are brave and unflinching in our witness to Christ. James' witnessing led him to be put to the sword -- martyr being the Greek word for witness. 

Our peril is more likely to be apathy and ignorance to and about our faith, rather than violent hostility, which brings other challenges, which can be profound, even if less dramatic. As we celebrate  on Sunday, let's renew our commitment to be effective witnesses to Christ, as was our Patron, James.

Your priest and friend, 

The Very Rev. Dominic Barrington

Dean of the Cathedral