May 23 The Apparition of Santiago: the Feast of Santiago Matamoros (Saint James, the Moor Slayer)

May 23 The Apparition of Santiago: the Feast of Santiago Matamoros (Saint James, the Moor Slayer)

846

.

"From Jerusalem, St. James went to Sicily and then to Spain, stopping in Cadiz for a while. He was not well received, and was saved from being murdered by an Angel. He left Spain to seven disciples.

.

Later he returned to Saragoza, where a large number of conversions took place. Even with this good result, the dangers abounded. Often the enemies would throw vipers on him, and he would calmly hold them in his hand without suffering any harm. In Granada he and all his disciples and the neophytes were put into prison. St. James implored the help of Our Lady, who lived in Jerusalem. By the hands of the Angels he was saved, and Our Lady commanded him to preach in Galicia.

.

Later, I saw St. James in danger because of the persecution against the faithful in Saragoza. I saw the Apostle praying at night with some disciples near the walls of the city. He was asking for enlightenment to know if he should stay in that region or go elsewhere. He directed his thoughts to Most Holy Mary and asked her to intercede with her Divine Son, Who could not deny her anything.

.

Suddenly, I saw a heavenly splendor come over the Apostle. Angels, singing harmoniously, carried down a column of light whose base they set on the place in which a church should be built. The column was tall and elegantly narrow, ending in the shape of an open lily which sent sparks of light in many directions. One of them went to Compostela. In the splendor of the lily I saw the Most Holy Mary, transparent and white like snow, with a delicacy and beauty greater than silk. She was standing as she used to pray. Her hands were joined, and a long veil on her head fell to her feet, which lightly touched the lily that shone with five rays of light. This vision of Our Lady was the origin of the devotion to Our Lady of the Pillar. (Virgen del Pilar)

While the vision was taking place St. James received a message interiorly that he should build a church on that site, and that the devotion to Our Lady would be established there, take root, and expand. The Holy Virgin told him that once the church was built, he should return to Jerusalem. Indeed, later, when the work was completed, the Apostle left it in charge of twelve disciples he had formed and left.

.

In Ephesus, he visited the Holy Virgin. Mary predicted his coming death, consoling and comforting him greatly. Then he said farewell to Our Lady and St. John, and left for Jerusalem. In that city he was taken by the Jews and brought to Mount Calvary. Along the way he continued to preach, converting and curing many. He was beheaded. Some time later, his body was brought to Spain.”

(Anne Catherine Emmerich)

.

Santiago became the patron of the Reconquista, during which Catholic Spain fought valiantly to reclaim Spain for the Church from the hands of the invading Moors. (Muslims from North Africa) From A.D. 711, most of the territory that had been the province of Hispania was under the control of Muslim forces.

In 842, the Catholic King Alfonso II of Asturias died and was succeeded by his nephew Ramiro I. On Alfonso's death, the Moors demanded the re-instatment of the Tribute of 100 Virgins (fifty noble and fifty common), which Alfonso had defied. Ramiro denied them the tribute and prepared for battle. In 846, on the night before the Battle of Clavijo he dreamt of St. James, who appeared as a warrior on his white horse with a white banner and told him that God had chosen James as the patron for the Spanish kingdoms.

.

The next day, the Catholic troops of Ramiro entered the battle with the cry, "¡Dios ayuda a Santiago!" (God save St. James!).

St. James appeared to lead the outnumbered Christians to victory at the Battle of Cliavijo. They slew more than 5,000 Moors, and James became known as "Matamoros". Santiago Matamoros continued to strengthen his loyal Spanish followers through the 700 years of the Spanish struggle to regain Spain for the Church, Our Lady, and their patron Saint James.