"Go to my servant Jacob, of whom I have previously told you, and if he will pray to me for you, you will be delivered immediately from the calamities that have befallen your country."

After this revelation, the bishop again with all the clergy and people went to the cave and fervently besought the servant of God, even pestering him, that he pray for them; then he forcibly opened the door and led the saint out of there. Blessed James, although he did not wish to, raised his eyes to heaven and raised his hands upward, and prayed for these people for a long time. And the prayer was still on his lips, when suddenly abundant rain poured down on the earth, and the storm ceased. For the Lord fulfilled the prayer of him who feared Him and heard his request, manifesting by His very deeds what is written in the prophecy: "Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall hear; you will cry out, and He will say, Here I am!" (Isaiah 58:9).

The bishop and all the people, amazed and at the same time delighted at this most glorious miracle, sang a song of thanksgiving to God with joy and triumph, and greatly honored His holy saint James. And the day on which, through the prayers of Saint James, they were delivered from calamities and received the mercy of the Lord, they established to be celebrated in all years.

The Monk James then received a revelation that God accepted his repentance and forgave his sins. For this reason he again began, by the grace of Christ, to perform many miracles, for all the sick brought and brought from all that country, possessed by some infirmity, immediately received healing, and the demons were driven away by the word of the saint. After a short time, Jacob performed even greater miracles than he had done before his sin.

In the same year that he asked God for rain, Jacob was also informed of his death. Summoning the bishop, the saint bequeathed to him, that after his death his body should be buried in the cave where he lived. After this, after a few days, Blessed Jacob reposed in the Lord, and his holy soul dwelt in the good of his Lord, together with the saints, who had pleased God through repentance. Jacob lived seventy-five years from his birth. The death of the saint immediately became known throughout the whole country, and a great multitude of people flocked to his burial from everywhere, with candles, censers, incense and perfumes; the bishop also arrived with all the clergy, and with the singing of appropriate hymns, anointing the holy body of James with precious aromas, they reverently buried it in that cave, as Saint James himself had bequeathed to the bishop before his death. After a short time, the bishop built a church in the name of this Saint James not far from the cave where he lived, and taking his venerable relics from the cave, he transferred them to the church and established them to celebrate in all years the holy memory of the honorable saint of God, our venerable father James, to the glory of Christ God, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit unto the ages. Amen.

On the same day is the commemoration of Saint Gregory, bishop of the city of Constantia, on the island of Cyprus, who died in peace.

On the same day the repose of the holy Prince of Moscow Daniel Alexandrovich, in the year 1303.

On the same day the Tatars killed the blessed prince Vasily (Vasilko) Konstantinovich of Rostov, in 1238.

Feast day: 5 March

The Life and Suffering of the Holy Martyr Konon of Isauria

The holy Apostle of the Gentiles [1] Paul, during one of his evangelistic journeys [2], enlightened the inhabitants of the city of Isauria [3] with the light of true faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. At the same time, in the village of Bethany, located 18 stadia [4] from the city of Isauria, there lived a certain man, named Nestor, with his wife Nado. They had a son, Konon. When the lad grew up, his parents decided to marry him and betrothed him to a beautiful maiden Anna. But even before that, the holy Archangel Michael appeared to Konon in the form of a bright man. Having taught Konon the true faith, the Archangel led Konon to the river, baptized him in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, communed the Divine Mysteries, and then, making the sign of the cross over him, became invisible. From that time the lad was filled with the Holy Spirit, and the Archangel Michael invisibly always dwelt with him. On the day of the marriage, the bride and groom, with general rejoicing, were taken to the bridal chamber. Here Konon covered a lighted candle with a vessel and asked the girl:

- Which is better: darkness or light?

The girl answered:

"Light, of course, is better than darkness.