The Way of Saint James

“You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.”  James 2:24

“….Let your yes be your yes and your no be your no. ” James 5:12

The Lord has been speaking to me a lot over the past several months about “The Way of Saint James.”  I thought maybe God was speaking to me about taking a pilgrimage to Spain.  He often shows me the starry sky.  But this morning, pondering the readings for this Palm Sunday and the Passion of Christ, it hit me.  He said, “Live the Way of Saint James.”  After reading the readings for the day, I read the book of James.  Here is what I found to be The Way of Saint James;

1. Count as joy trials and testing of faith.
2. Ask God for Wisdom, but ask in FAITH.
3. Let the poor be exalted and the rich be humbled.
4. Endure trial and you will receive the crown of life.
5. Don’t let desire conceive sin.
6. Know everything is a gift from above.
7. Listen before speaking.
8. Do not give into anger.
9. Be meek, it will save your soul.
10. Do the Word of God, don’t just hear it.
11. Hold your tongue and live the word of God in your heart through your actions.
12. Do not show partiality, treat all people with love.
13. You fulfill the law by loving your neighbor as yourself.
14. Judgment is without mercy to one who shows no mercy.
15. Faith without works is dead because even demons believe and shudder, but you must have works.
16. Teachers of the Gospel will be judged with greater strictness.
17. The tongue can stain the whole body and send it to hell – tame the tongue.
18. Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition is earthly and brings disorder and vile practice.
19. Wisdom from God is pure, full of mercy, and produces good fruit.
20. Your passions and desires cause war.
21. You ask for things wrongly when you spend them asking for your own desires.
22. Friendship with the world puts you in enmity with God.
23. God gives grace to the humble.
24. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.
25. Purify your hearts.
26. Do not speak evil against another person.
27. Do not judge your neighbor, that is not for you to do.
28. Do not boast, life is a mist, so do as God wills.
29. If you know what is right and fail to do it, it is a sin.
30. Living in worldly treasures will rot you, do not lay up treasure.
31. Be patient for the Lord.
32. Establish your hearts for the Lord.
33. Do not grumble against one another.
34. Be steadfast like Job, the Lord’s purpose is greater.
35. Do not swear or take oaths.
36. Let your yes be your yes, and your no be your no, so you won’t be condemned.
37. If you suffer, pray.  If you’re cheerful, praise.
38. Anoint the sick, the prayers of the faithful will save the sick and sins will be forgiven.
39. Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, and you will be healed.
40. Whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his ways will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

This is the Way of Saint James.  Live these 40 things and you will be purified.  As with everything, when God speaks to me, I find multiple meanings.  So for me the Way of Saint James means many things, but the main thing is to live the way James taught us in his letter.  May you all be Blessed.