One of the Seventy, son of Joseph, the betrothed of the Most Holy Virgin, called the Brother of the Lord. As soon as he heard the teaching of Christ, he began to live according to it. They say that he lived only on bread and water. A virgin until the end of his life. He spent his nights in prayer to God. He was bishop in Jerusalem for 30 years. At the direction of the Lord, he composed the first Liturgy. Even the unbelieving Jews called him James the Just. When he came to be the high priest, Annas, with the Jewish elders, told him on the feast of Passover to go up on the roof and speak against Christ. He went up and began to speak about Christ, and they pushed him off the roof. Then a man came up and hit him on the head so that his brains spilled out. Saint James was 63 years old when he suffered for the Lord.

Saint Ignatius, Patriarch of Constantinople. Holy Martyr James of Borovitsky.