On November 27 in the Maronite calendar we venerate St James Intercisus of Persia. He was a soldier to King Yezdigerd I of Persia in the fifth century.  Yezdigerd’s began persecuting Christians and St James renounced his faith to avoid death.

When St James’s family learnt about what St James had done they chastised him for putting the wordly king of Persia before his Heavenly King. St James was thrown into a deep crisis of conscience. After the King died he went through a true, deep conversion, uniting and conforming himself to the living God. He professed his faith to the new king, Bahram and was condemned to death.

The name ‘Intercisus’  means ‘hacked to pieces,’ and the name was given to him because he was hung from a beam and slowly cut into 28 pieces, beginning with his fingers and then his toes, hands, until he was ultimately beheaded. Many in the crowd, some of them Christian, urged him to renounce his faith to avoid the torture. He never renounced his faith. Instead, he made every piece cut from his body an offering to the Living God, and won the crown of martyrdom.

St James is a wonderful example in many ways. Let us pray for all those close to us who have strayed from the Church and from Christ and who are suffering crisis of conscience. Let us pray for all our lost vocations. May the love of Christ touch their hearts that they return to him where he is calling them. This week in the Maronite liturgical calendar is the week Annunciation to Mary. Following Our Lady’s example, let us always say “yes” to God. Let us and others always know that God is the ever merciful Shepherd and Father, always waiting to welcome his lost sheep and prodigal children, even if we have rejected him!