Saint James, the Bishop of Catania

Saint James, striving for a life of asceticism, took monastic vows and constantly fasted and prayed. He loved reading the Holy Scriptures, cleansing his mind with prayer before reading. Later, he was elevated to the rank of bishop.

During the reign of the iconoclast Emperor Constantine Copronymus, Saint James was compelled to renounce the veneration of icons, but he did not yield. For this, he endured numerous sufferings: he was exiled, imprisoned, tormented by hunger and thirst, and endured many other hardships. In his sufferings, he entrusted his soul to God, for Whom he labored, and received the heavenly Kingdom, rejoicing forever.