Most of the images I see of Blessed James are painted portraits--so this picture is special to me. Like in the portraits, the photograph shows a man with intense eyes. I get the feeling that when people talked with him they felt like he really saw them.
Probably one of my favorite stories about him goes like this. He was on a train traveling, as he often was, to some mission or parish. He was quietly writing letters on the train (he had tons of correspondence) when a man asked him if he was a monk. He said that he was and the man started chewing him out about how evil Christianity is, etc., etc. Father Founder calmly returned to his writing but the man kept talking and talking. After many minutes of this harangue Blessed James calmly turned to the man and said, "Would you please go to hell quietly?"
At the time of his death he was one of the most well-known figures in the Episcopal Church. His funeral was attended by thousands of people.
I know I'm just an Associate of the Order, but I do feel a strong, strong connection to this guy. I remember Bede giving a talk about him to a retreat group once with tears in his eyes saying, "You never get over your Father."
-t
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