There are two St. Jameses mentioned as apostles of Jesus and one of them was known as "Greater," while the other as "Lesser."
When Jesus invited 12 men to follow him and walk in his footsteps, he did not worry about choosing 12 men with 12 different names. Instead, he chose men who were willing to give everything up to follow him.
This resulted in a few repeated names in the group and later on Christians had trouble identifying who was who.
When St. Matthew lists the names in his Gospel, he provides family relations in order to distinguish the men, but does not use titles:
And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus. (Matthew 10:1-3)
What ended up happening in the later centuries is that James the son of Zebedee was nicknamed "the Greater," while James the son of Alphaeus was given the title "the Lesser."
While it may seem like a dig at James the son of Alphaeus, historians believe it was not meant in a demeaning way.
Older, taller, and closest to Jesus
The Catholic Encyclopedia says that, "James is styled 'the Greater' to distinguish him from the Apostle James "the Less," who was probably shorter of stature." Other historians also believe James the son of Zebedee was older than James the Lesser, adding to his "great" status.
Another possibility that historians and theologians propose is the fact that James the Greater was one of Jesus' closest disciples.
He is included in the top three apostles who were privileged to see Jesus at the Transfiguration:
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. (Matthew 17:1-2)
Not only was James in Jesus' "inner circle," he was the brother of St. John the Apostle, who reclined at table on Jesus' chest.
It is also held that St. James was chosen to preach the gospel in Spain, which makes him the apostle who may have traveled the farthest away from Jerusalem. It is to his tomb in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, that the famous "Camino" pilgrimage leads. St. Thomas is traditionally believed to have preached in India, and so his travels are similar in distance.
St. James the Greater is certainly a great example of faithfulness to Christ, eventually being martyred and sharing in Jesus' suffering.
