THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT (MARCH 23RD)

The Feeding of the Five Thousand in a Modern Byzantine Icon

THE LITURGICAL PROPERS FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT 

ACCORDING TO THE LITURGY OF ST JAMES OF JERUSALEM IN THE 

ANCIENT CHURCH OF THE WEST

INTROIT 

REJOICE ye with Jerusalem: and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: that ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breast of her consolations. 

(Psalm 122) I was glad when they said unto me: we will go into the house of the Lord. 

V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shalt be, world without end. Amen. 

COLLECTS

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved. 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. 

THE EPISTLE: GALATIANS 4:21-31 - 

BRETHREN: Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

Reader: The Word of the Lord

All: Thanks be to God! 

 

GRADUAL 

I was glad when they said unto me: we will go into the house of the Lord. 

V. Peace be within thy walls, and plenteousness within thy palaces. 

TRACT 

They that put their trust in the Lord shall be even as the mount Sion: which may not be removed but standeth fast for ever. 

V. The hills stand about Jerusalem: even so standeth the Lord round about his people, from this time forth for evermore. 

THE HOLY GOSPEL: SAINT JOHN 6:1-14 - 

Deacon/Priest: The Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, according to the sixth chapter of St. John, beginning in the first verse…

AT that time: Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. 

Deacon/Priest: The Gospel of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! 

All: Glory be to Thee, Lord Christ! 

OFFERTORY 

O praise the Lord, for the Lord is gracious: O sing praises unto his Name, for it is lovely: whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven and in earth. 

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 attainment of everlasting salvation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

COMMUNION 

Jerusalem is built as a city that is at unity with itself: for thither the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord, to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord. 

POSTCOMMUNION 

O LORD, who sufferest us to be partakers of thy wondrous mysteries, grant, we beseech thee, that by thy mercy we may be absolved from all our iniquities, and defended against all adversities. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.