From the Prologue of Ochrid
He lived in the sixth century. He had advanced so far in a life pleasing to God that he healed the most gravely ill by prayer. But the enemy of the human race subjected him to powerful temptations. Thus once, at the instigation of certain mockers, a dissolute woman was sent to him. She pretended to weep before him while drawing him toward sin. Seeing that he was about to fall into sin, James thrust his left hand into the fire and held it there until it was entirely scorched. Seeing this, the woman was filled with fear and dread, repented, and amended her life. But on another occasion he did not withstand the temptation and fell with a girl whose parents had brought her to him as one possessed, to heal her of madness. He did indeed heal her, but then sinned with her, and afterward, in order to conceal the sin, killed her and threw her into a river. As is usually the case: from fornication to murder is no great distance. James then spent ten years as a penitent, living in a certain tomb. He knew that God had forgiven him by the fact that once, at his prayer, rain fell during a great drought from which both people and cattle were suffering. Behold an example, similar to that of David, of how wicked the evil demon is; how, by God's permission, he can bring down the greatest spiritual giants; and how God in His mercy again forgives even the gravest sins to sincere penitents, and does not punish them when they have punished themselves.
“He had advanced so far in a life pleasing to God that he healed the most gravely ill by prayer.”
