Holy Martyr James of Persia (422). Our Venerable Father Palladius.
Nativity Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
2 Timothy 4:9-22. Luke 20:1-8.
Read 2 Timothy 4:9-22
With great sadness St. Paul mentions Demas, who was a companion and coworker: “in love with this present world has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica” (2 Tim 4:10). This phrase shows the tension between allegiance to Christ and attachment to earthly life. St. Paul contrasts Demas’ abandonment with the steadfast support of others like Luke, demonstrating that love for the world can lead to spiritual detriment and loss, whereas love for Christ leads to eternal gain and enables perseverance in trials. St. Paul himself exemplifies this love for Christ, as he proclaims, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil and save me for his heavenly kingdom” (2 Tim 4:18). His hope transcends the allure of the present world and is focused instead on eternal glory.
The Holy Martyr James of Persia, like all other martyrs, provides a striking example of prioritizing love for Christ over worldly attachments. Faced with the threat of torture and death, St. James rejected the temptation to cling to the fleeting riches of this age. His steadfast confession of faith, even unto a brutal martyrdom, testifies to his conviction in the words of Christ: “For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matt 16:25). His life and death mirror St. Paul’s teaching that “the Lord stood by me and gave me strength” (2 Tim 4:17).
Both St. Paul and St. James challenge us to examine our loves: Do we, like Demas, cling to the temporal, or do we, like the martyr, embrace the eternal? Their lives remind us that true fulfillment lies not in this world, but in steadfast devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ.