A saint whose faith grew by pieces

By Tony Staley

	St. James the Persian When: died c. 421 Where: Persia What: Martyr Feast: Nov. 27 Patron: Lost vocations and victims of torture

The story of St. James of Persia is one of a man who gave up his faith and then not only reclaimed it, but died a violent death for the sake of his beliefs. It's also the story of a devoted wife and mother who never gave up on him.

James was born in the 4th century into a wealthy and prominent Christian family that was part of the nobility. Some accounts said he was from Bythlaba, others say Elapa (or Vilat). James and his wife raised their own children in the faith and taught them the importance of the Bible and prayer.

James was an army officer and a close friend and adviser of King Isdiger (or Yazdegerd) I (399-420). All was going well until the king, provoked by the local bishop, began persecuting Christians.

Confronted with the choice of maintaining the king's friendship and his position at court, or losing that and, possibly, his life, James gave up his faith and offered sacrifices to the pagan idols the king worshiped.

When James' mother and wife heard, they wrote him a letter which said that, if he didn't repent, he would lose his soul and they would have nothing to do with him because he had put his trust in earthly glory, rather than the love of Christ.

The letter made James realize the seriousness of his sin and that he did not want to be cut off from his family or his God. He began to cry loudly and begged God for forgiveness. Some accounts say that he was overheard by other soldiers who reported it all to the new king, Bahram (or Varahran) V (421-438), the son of King Isdiger. Others say James himself confessed his Christian faith to the king.

After Bahram failed to convince James to change his mind, the irate king condemned him to torture and a slow, brutal death.

The king's executioners stretched James out, and cut off his fingers and toes one at a time, then his hands and feet, then his arms and legs. James prayed throughout the long ordeal, thanking God for this chance to repent of his sins by undergoing torture. It's said that a sweet-smelling cypress fragrance came from his wounds. He was finally beheaded.

Christians gathered and buried his 28 body parts. James is sometimes called "Intercisus," Latin for "cut into pieces."

St. James Intercisus Church in the Armenian quarter of Jerusalem is dedicated to him. His head is in Rome and some of his relics are in Portugal.

Legend says that, after his limbs were cut off, James said: "Now the boughs are gone. Cut down the trunk." He then prayed: "O Lord of lords, Lord of the living and the dead, give ear to me who am half dead. I have no fingers to hold out to you, O Lord, nor hands to stretch forth to you. My feet are cut off and my knees demolished, so I cannot bend the knee to you, and I am like a house that is about to fall because its columns are taken away. Hear me, O Lord Jesus Christ, and deliver my soul from its prison."

(Staley is a former editor of The Compass and a member of Resurrection Parish in Allouez.)