FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER (APRIL 27TH)

The Traditional Icon for the First Sunday After Pascha,
Called “Low Sunday” in the English Tradition 

LITURGICAL PROPERS FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER HOLY PASCHA IN THE LITURGY OF SAINT JAMES IN THE USE OF THE ANCIENT CHURCH OF THE WEST

INTROIT: Quasi modo. 1 Saint Peter 2 - 

As newborn babes, alleluia: desire the sincere milk of the word, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. 

Psalm 81. Sing we merrily unto God our strength: make a cheerful noise unto the God of Jacob. 

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. 

As newborn babes, alleluia: desire the sincere milk of the word, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

COLLECTS

Almighty Father, who hast given thine only Son to die as a sacrifice for us, joining our lives to Thee through the power of His Blood, and to rise again to make a pathway from death into life: grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, and spread the new leaven of Thy holy Church throughout the world, that we may always serve thee in pureness of living and truthfulness of Faith; 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.

COLLECT FOR ST. GEORGE 

O God of hosts, who didst strengthen thy servant George to fight valiantly for the faith, and didst grant him the victory of martyrdom: grant us, we beseech thee, to be found ready to endure hardship for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to bear courageously the banners of faith and piety; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, Who livest and reignest with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.

COLLECT FOR ST. MARK 

O Almighty God, who hast instructed thy holy Church with the heavenly doctrine of thy Evangelist Saint Mark: give us grace, that, being not like children carried away with every blast of vain doctrine, we may be established in the truth of thy holy Gospel; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, Who livest and reignest with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT: Exodus 8:20-24 - 

(ACCORDING TO THE FIVE YEAR CYCLE) 

And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me. Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are. And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth. And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be. And the Lord did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.

NEW TESTAMENT: Romans 1:16-25

(ACCORDING TO THE TWO YEAR CYCLE)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

EPISTLE: 1 Saint John 5:4-12 - 

(ACCORDING TO THE ONE YEAR CYCLE)

Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

ALLELUIA 

Alleluia, alleluia. 

Saint Matthew 28. In the day of my Resurrection, saith the Lord, I will go before you into Galilee. Alleluia. 

Saint John 20. After eight days, the door being shut, Jesus stood in the midst of his disciples and said: Peace be unto you. Alleluia.

GOSPEL: Saint John 20:19-23 - 

(ACCORDING TO THE ONE YEAR CYCLE) 

Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

OFFERTORY: Saint Matthew 28 

The Angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and said unto the women: He whom ye seek is risen, as he said. Alleluia.

SECRET 

Accept, O Lord, we pray thee, the gifts which in her gladness the Church doth offer unto thee: that they on whom thou hast bestowed the cause of so great a gladness may thereby be profited unto everlasting felicity. 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: Saint John 20 

Reach hither thy hand, and behold the print of the nails, alleluia: and be not faithless but believing, alleluia, alleluia.

POSTCOMMUNION 

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord our God: that these holy mysteries which thou hast given unto us for the assurance of our salvation, may both in this life and that which is to come be profitable unto us for the healing of our souls. 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.