James was a Persian military officer and courtier to King Yezdigerd I. He was a great favorite of the king, so when this king began to harass Christians, James did not have the courage to confess his faith. He was afraid of losing the king’s friendship.

Instead he gave up his faith or at least pretended to. James’ wife and mother were broken-hearted. When the king died, they wrote a strong letter to him to change his ways.

This letter had its effect on James. He had been a coward, but at heart, he was still good. Now he began to stay away from court. He blamed himself openly for having given up his faith.

The new king Bahram sent for him, but this time, James did not hide anything. “I am a Christian,” he said. The king accused him of being ungrateful for all the honors his father, King Yezdigerd, had given him.

“And where is your father now?” St. James calmly answered. The angry king threatened to put the saint to a terrible death. James replied, “May I die the death of the just.”

The king and his council ordered for James to be tortured to death and be cut up into many pieces. But James was not afraid. He said, “This death which appears so dreadful is very little for the purchase of eternal life.”

Then he told the executioners, “Begin your work.” All the while, he kept declaring what he believed, that his body would one day rise in glory. St. James Intercisus died in 421. The word Intercisus means “cut into pieces”.