SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT (MARCH 16TH)

The Healing of the Syro-Phoenician Woman’s Daughter 

Liturgical Propers for the Liturgy of St. James of Jerusalem, According to the Use of the Ancient Church of the West

INTROIT

REMEMBER, O Lord, thy tender mercies, and thy loving-kindnesses, which have been ever of old: O let not our enemies triumph over us: deliver us, O God of Israel, out of all our troubles. 

Unto thee, O Lord, will I lift up my soul: O my God, I have put my trust in thee, O let me not be confounded. 

Glory be to the father, and to the son, and to the holy ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. amen.

COLLECTS

ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who livest and reignest with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.

O Almighty God, who didst strengthen Thy holy and heroic martyrs of Sabaste with courage to endure the bitter cold and cruel torment, grant us likewise to be faithful even unto death, that we may receive with them the crown of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. 

O GOD, who didst raise up thy servant Gregory to be a guide and shepherd of thy flock, and to instruct thy Church with the doctrine of thy truth: Grant, we beseech thee, that we, being strengthened by his example and aided by his prayers, may both faithfully serve thee in this life and rejoice with him in thy heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT: THE BOOK OF GENESIS (22:1-19) 

IN those days, God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 

And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 

Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 

And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 

And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 

And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 

And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 

And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 

And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 

And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 

And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. 

And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 

And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 

That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 

And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. 

So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

Reader: The Word of the Lord! 

All: Thanks be to God! 

PSALM 25:16-21 

TURN thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted. 

The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. 

Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.  

Consider mine enemies, for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. 

O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. 

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

NEW TESTAMENT: THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES (9:1-22) 

IN those days: Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 

And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 

And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 

And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 

And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 

And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 

And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 

And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. 

And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 

And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 

And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 

Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 

And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 

But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 

For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. 

And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 

And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 

And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. 

And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. 

But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? 

But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

Reader: The Word of the Lord! 

All: Thanks be to God! 

THE EPISTLE: I THESSALONIANS (4:1-8) 

BRETHREN: we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. 

For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. 

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 

That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; 

Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: 

That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. 

For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 

He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

Reader: The Word of the Lord! 

All: Thanks be to God! 

THE GOSPEL: ST. MATTHEW (15:21-28) 

Deacon/Priest: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, beginning in the fifteenth chapter, the twenty-first verse. +++

Reader: AT that time: Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 

But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 

But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 

Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 

But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 

And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 

Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Reader: The Gospel of the Lord! 

All: Praise be to Thee, Lord Christ! 

OFFERTORY

MY delight shall be in thy commandments which I have loved exceedingly: my hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved.

SECRET

WE BESEECH thee, O Lord, mercifully to have respect unto these our oblations: that the same may be profitable unto us for our increase in all godliness, and for the advancement of everlasting salvation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who livest and reignest with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.

COMMUNION

CONSIDER my meditation: hearken thou unto the voice of my calling, my King and my God: for unto thee will I make my prayer, O Lord.

POSTCOMMUNION

WE humbly beseech thee, Almighty God: that we whom thou dost vouchsafe to regenerate with thy holy sacraments may continually serve thee in all virtuous and godly living. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who livest and reignest with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.