O God, without whose beauty and goodness our souls are unfed, without whose truth our reason withers: Consecrate our lives to your will, giving us such purity of heart, such depth of faith, and such steadfastness of purpose, that in time we may come to think your own thoughts after you; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
James of Jerusalem, Bishop and Martyr — James, called the Just and known in Scripture as the Lord's brother, became the first leader of the church at Jerusalem and one of the most respected men in the city, honoured by believers and by many who did not believe alike. Paul names him among the pillars of the church, and Acts shows him presiding at the Jerusalem Council. He was killed in Jerusalem around AD 62, stoned at the order of the high priest Ananus. His feast is October 23.