THE FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT (MARCH 9TH)

An Ancient Icon of Christ Tempted by Satan in the Wilderness

Lenten Propers as Approved for the Use of the St. James Liturgy in the Ancient Church of the West 

INTROIT

He shall call on me and I will hearken unto him: I will deliver him and bring him to honour: with length of days will I satisfy him. Whoso dwelleth under the defence of the Most High: shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Glory be. 

COLLECTS

O Lord, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights: give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, to thy honour and glory. 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 and everlasting God, who didst call Thy servant Chad to walk in the humility of Christ, to labor in the vineyards of Thy Church, and to shine as a light in the land of the English: Grant that we, following his lowliness and zeal, may be found faithful in our generation, and at the last be made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; 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 lead Thy servant Gerasimos through the desert places of this world, and didst make him a wellspring of holiness in the midst of barrenness: Grant that we, following his example, may with single heart forsake the vanities of this life and cleave unto Thee alone, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. 

O Almighty God, who didst give to thy servants Perpetua and Felicity boldness to confess the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to suffer joyfully for His sake: Grant that we, after their example, may be found steadfast in faith and constant in love, even unto the end; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT READING – GENESIS 18:20-23, 19:15-17, 24-26 

(According to the 5 Year St. James Lectionary Cycle) 

And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 

And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. 

Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. 

NEW TESTAMENT READING – ACTS 8:5-8, 14-17 

(According to the 2 Year St. James Lectionary Cycle) 

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city. 

Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: for as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. 

EPISTLE – 2 CORINTHIANS 6:1-10 

(According to the 1 Year Lectionary Cycle) 

We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. 

GRADUAL

He shall give his angels charge over thee: to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee in their hands: that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone. 

TRACT PSALM

Whoso dwelleth under the defence of the Most High: shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say unto the Lord: Thou art my hope, and my stronghold: my God, in him will I trust. For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter: and from the noisome pestilence. He shall defend thee under his wings, and thou shalt be safe under his feathers. His faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler: thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night. Nor for the arrow that flieth by day: for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noon-day. A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not come nigh thee. For he shall give his angels charge over thee: to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee in their hands; that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt go upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him up, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will hear him: yea, I am with him in trouble. I will deliver him, and bring him to honour: with long life will I satisfy him: and show him my salvation. 

GOSPEL – SAINT MATTHEW 4:1-11

At that time: then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 

Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 

Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. 

OFFERTORY

The Lord shall defend thee under his wings, and thou shalt be safe under his feathers: his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 

SECRET

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that we which offer unto thee this sacrifice in the beginning of our fast, may use such abstinence from carnal feastings, that we may likewise refrain ourselves from all pleasures that may 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. 

COMMUNION

They did eat and were well filled, for the Lord gave them their own desire: they were not disappointed of their lust. 

POSTCOMMUNION

Grant, O Lord, that this holy Sacrament, which we have received, may in such wise deliver us from our former nature, that we may be worthy to enter into the fellowship of thy saving mysteries. 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.