Liturgy of St. James

Below is the text that we will be studying in JP2 on Thursday. It is an abridged form of the ancient Liturgy of St. James. This version of it comes from around the 4th Century.

This is the oldest Eucharistic liturgy still in use today. It was also the blueprint used for the Liturgy of St. Basil and the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, both of which are regularly used among Byzantine Catholics and Eastern Orthodox today. 

Petitions

Priest: Peace be with you.

People: And with your spirit.

Priest: The Lord bless us all, and sanctify us for the…celebration of the divine and pure mysteries…  Amen.

Deacon: In peace let us pray to the Lord. For the peace that is from on high, and for God’s love to man, and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord. For peace in the whole world, for the unity of all the holy churches of God, let us pray to the Lord. For the remission of our sins, and forgiveness of our transgressions, and for our deliverance from all tribulation, wrath, … and distress…, let us pray to the Lord.

Singers: Holy God, holy mighty, holy immortal, have mercy upon us.

Priest: O compassionate and merciful, patient, gracious, and true God…hear us. Deliver us from every temptation of the devil and man… For we are unable to overcome what is opposed to us. But you are able, Lord, to save us… Because you are holy, Lord our God, … we send up the praise and the thrice-holy hymn to you, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever, and for all eternity.

People: Amen.

Priest: Peace be with you.

People: And with your spirit.

Singers: Alleluia.

[The liturgy proceeds with readings from the Old and New Testaments]

Deacon: Let us all say: Lord, have mercy.

Lord Almighty, the God of our fathers: We beseech you, hear us. For peace from on high, and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord… For the people standing and waiting for the rich and bountiful mercy that comes from you, we beseech you, be merciful and gracious.

Save your people, O Lord, and bless your inheritance. Visit your world with mercy and compassion. Exalt the horn of Christians by the power of the precious and life-giving cross. We beseech you, most merciful Lord, hear our prayer, and have mercy upon us.

People: Lord, have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.

 

Dismissal of the Unbaptized

Priest: O God, you have taught us your divine and saving oracles. Enlighten the souls of us sinners for the comprehension of the things that have been spoken here. May we be not only hearers of spiritual things, but also doers of good deeds… In Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom you are blessed, together with your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and forever.

People: Amen.

Priest: Peace be with you.

People: And with your spirit.

…

Deacon: Let none of the catechumens remain, none of the unbaptized, none of those who are unable to join with us in prayer. Look at one another. The doors! The doors! Be attentive, and let us again pray to the Lord.

Priest: Sovereign Almighty, King of Glory, … Show yourself to us who call upon you at this holy hour, and redeem us from the shame of our transgressions. Cleanse our minds and thoughts from impure desires… and accept from the bands of us sinners this incense, as you once accepted the offering of Abel, and Noah, and Aaron, and Samuel, and of all your saints…

Singers: Let all mortal flesh be silent, and stand with fear and trembling, and meditate nothing earthly within itself. For the King of kings and Lord of lords, Christ our God, comes forward to be sacrificed, and to be given for food to the faithful. And the bands of angels go before him with every power and dominion, the many-eyed cherubim, and the six-winged seraphim, covering their faces, and crying aloud the hymn: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

 

 The Eucharistic Prayer

Priest: The love of the…Father, the grace of the…Son, and the fellowship…of the Holy Spirit be with us all.

People: And with your spirit

Priest: Let us lift up our minds and our hearts.

People: It is proper and right.

Priest: It is indeed becoming and right…to praise you, to sing of you, to bless you, to worship you, to glorify you…  The highest heavens praise you, …the sun, moon, …stars,  earth, sea, …spirits of just men and of prophets;  souls of martyrs and of apostles;  angels, archangels, … and the many-eyed cherubim, and the six-winged seraphim …crying with unceasing praises: …the victorious hymn of your majestic glory…

People: Holy, holy, holy, O Lord of hosts, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Priest: Lord, you are holy, King of eternity and giver of all holiness…

…[You] made man from earth after your own image and likeness; gave him the joy of paradise; and when he broke your commandment… did not desert him, but disciplined him as a merciful father would, called him by the law, instructed him by the prophets; and afterwards sent …your only-begotten Son…that by his coming he might renew and restore your image. Having…become flesh by the Holy Spirit and Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, he sojourned among men and fulfilled the plan for the salvation of our race.

On the night he was betrayed, when he was about to endure his willing and life-giving death on the cross, the sinless one for sinners, he delivered himself up for the life and salvation of the world. Then, taking bread in his holy [and] pure… hands, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and showing it to you, his God and Father, he gave thanks and prayed. He broke the bread, gave it to us, his disciples and apostles, saying… “Take, eat. This is my body, broken for you, and given for remission of sins”

People: Amen.

Priest: In the same way, after supper, he took the cup with mixed wine and water, and, lifting his eyes to heaven and presenting it to you, his God and Father, he gave thanks and prayed and blessed it. He filled it with the Holy Spirit, and gave it to us his disciples, saying, “Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, shed for you and many, and given for the remission of sins”.

People: Amen

Priest: …as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death and confess his resurrection until he comes again.

Deacon: We believe and confess.

People: We proclaim your death, O Lord, and confess your resurrection.

 

Rite of Communion

Priest: Count us worthy, O loving Lord, …with sanctified lips, to dare to call upon you, the holy God… and to say:

People: Our Father, who art in heaven: hallowed by thy name…

Priest: And lead us not into temptation Lord… For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever.

People: Amen.

Priest: Peace be with you.

People: And with your spirit.

Deacon: Let us bow our heads to the Lord.

People: To you, O Lord…

Priest: …Holy things for holy people!

People: One is holy, one Lord Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father, to whom be glory [for] all eternity.

Deacon: For the remission of our sins …the return of the erring, the healing of the sick, the deliverance of the captives, …[those] who have fallen asleep beforehand, let us all say fervently: Lord, have mercy.

People: Lord have mercy.

[The priest breaks the bread in half, and dips the half in his right hand in the chalice, saying…]

Priest: The union of the all-holy body and precious blood of our Lord and God and Saviour, Jesus Christ… Behold the Lamb of God…who takes away the sin of the world…

[And when he gives a single piece to each chalice…]

Deacon: Give the blessing.

Priest: …O taste and see that the Lord is good; who is parted and not divided,; distributed to the faithful and not expended; for the remission of sins, and life everlasting; now and always, and forever.

Deacon: In the peace of Christ let us sing.

Singers: O taste and see that the Lord is good.

Priest: O Lord our God, the heavenly bread, the life of the universe, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am not worthy to partake of your pure mysteries; but as a merciful God, make me worthy by your grace…to partake of your holy body and precious blood, for the remission of sins, and life everlasting.

[Then he distributes to the clergy. The deacons take the patens and the chalices for distribution to the people]