Venerable James, Bishop of Nisibis (+350)

The Venerable James of Nisibis was the son of the prince of Gephal (Armenia). He received a good education, but found no resting place for his soul in the turbulent life of this world, and withdrew into the desolate mountains near Nisibis. Here he took on a fervent labour: he fed only on the roots and fruits of plants, wore goatskin, spent spring, summer and autumn under the open sky, and in winter sheltered in a cave; the saint spent day and night in prayer. For such labours he was granted the gifts of wonderworking and prophecy. James wished to spend his whole life here, in the mountains, but by God’s will he went to Persia to convert the pagans and strengthen the Orthodox. A Persian judge unjustly condemned an innocent man. The saint was grieved and, to expose the injustice, commanded a large rock nearby to break into pieces. Everyone who saw this miracle trembled. And the judge changed his sentence. During the persecution of the Christians by the Emperor Maximian (305–311) the Venerable James became famous for his courageous confession of the faith. The inhabitants of Nisibis chose the father, shining with a pious life and with miracles, as their bishop (c. 314). Returning to his native city and raised to so high a rank, the saint did not change his way of life; on the contrary, he made his labours still stricter.

The hierarch James took part in the work of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea and faithfully defended Orthodoxy. He opened a school in Nisibis, where he himself taught. Shining with high morality, the saint’s words easily reached the hearts of his hearers. Gregory, Bishop of Armenia, asked the Venerable James to explain in writing what faith is. In answer the holy father wrote a work consisting of eighteen chapters. His writings were distinguished by persuasiveness, clarity of thought and sincerity. The Venerable James reposed in peace in 350.