Amos Brother of Jesus

On Sunday night, January 9, 7 CE, Jesus’ baby brother, Amos, was born. Jesus got along with Amos most excellently all of his young life.

On Saturday afternoon, December 3, 12 CE, little Amos died after a week’s illness with a high fever. He was just one month shy of being six years old.

Mary relied solely on Jesus for support during this time of sorrow. It was during this period that Mary fully recognized Jesus as the true leader of the family, and he proved to be a worthy one.

Over the preceding four years, the family's standard of living had been gradually declining, feeling the burden of increasing poverty. By the end of this year, they faced one of their most challenging experiences yet. James, the eldest son, had not yet started earning much, and the expenses of a funeral on top of everything else overwhelmed them. However, Jesus, with his unwavering optimism, reassured his worried and grieving mother. He said to her: “Mother-Mary, sorrow will not help us; we are all doing our best, and mother’s smile, perchance, might even inspire us to do better. Day by day we are strengthened for these tasks by our hope of better days ahead.”

Despite their difficult circumstances, the children lived in an atmosphere of hope thanks to Jesus' contagious courage and optimism. This positive mindset greatly contributed to the development of their strong and noble characters.