The Diocese of Allentown marked the feast day of St. James the Apostle on July 25 by posting one of the apostle’s noteworthy quotes.

“‘He who saves a soul saves his own and satisfies for a multitude of sins,’” the diocese quoted in a Facebook post. “St. James, pray for us and help us to follow Jesus courageously and constantly.” 

To differentiate him from St. James the Less (or Lesser), St. James the Apostle is also referred to as James the Greater or James, son of Zebedee. He and his brother John were among the first four Apostles whom Jesus chose to follow him, along with Peter and Andrew, Britannica reports. 

James and John were fishing in the Sea of Galilee when Jesus approached them, according to Catholic.org. The brothers had not caught any fish that day, but when Jesus appeared, he told them to cast their nets one last time. They did, and when they gathered them, the nets were full.

During his time following Jesus, James was a witness to some of the key events in Jesus' life, including the Transfiguration and the Agony in the Garden. 

After Jesus' Ascension into Heaven, James continued his work, traveling throughout the Roman kingdom and Israel to spread the Gospel. He returned to Jerusalem only to be beheaded by King Herod, making James the first Apostle to be martyred for his faith. 

The feast day of St. James is July 25. Franciscan Media reports that James is the patron saint of Chile, laborers, Nicaragua, people who suffer from Rheumatism, and Spain.