gather: St. James

Maritime pilgrimage, relic shells, & Spanish seafood

Sit down and take thy fill of joy
At God's right hand, a bidden guest,
Drink of the cup that cannot cloy,
Eat of the bread that cannot waste.
O great Apostle! rightly now
Thou readest all thy Saviour meant,
What time His grave yet gentle brow
In sweet reproof on thee was bent.

John Keble, excerpt from “St. James’ Day” (19th c.)

For the past few years, I’ve hosted a Liturgical Life group. We’re a diverse gathering - of all ages, from a variety of denominations, learning alongside each other and working to graft the traditions of the liturgical calendar into our own varied circumstances.

July was a full and lovely month, between travel (turned pilgrimage!) and, of course, the Rushbearing Festival. Before the month was out, though, we closed our July with an inspiring feast of high-summer: St. James’ Day.

July to whom, the Dog Star in her train, St. James gives Oysters and St. Swithun Rain

We first celebrated St. James as a community a few years ago. This is one of the really special things about the calendar: the way our life contexts, our joys and hardships, all transform and cycle over the years, intersecting with the Church calendar in different ways with each circuit.

Every time we encounter St. James as a community, each one of us is in a different place individually, and the group as a whole is different, too. We get to encounter the same saint from a different angle, and the thread of that continuity - amidst our own change - is truly a comfort.

This time around, as a nod to the seafaring legends surrounding St. James - and the Camino de Santiago, the famous pilgrimage those stories inspired - we celebrated with a maritime pilgrimage…a float down the river, followed by a Spanish seafood potluck!

Here's a glimpse into that sunny day...