THE TENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY (AUG. 24TH)

The Fire of God Descending Upon the Altar

THE MISSAL MASS PROPERS FOR THE DIVINE LITURGY OF ST. JAMES ACCORDING TO THE USE OF THE ANCIENT CHURCH OF THE WEST

INTROIT

Psalm 55:16–18, 22; 55:1–2

When I called upon the Lord, he heard my voice, even from the battle that was against me. Yea, even God that endureth for ever shall hear me, and bring them down. O cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall nourish thee. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and hide not thyself from my petition. Take heed unto me, and hear me. 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. When I called upon the Lord, he heard my voice, even from the battle that was against me. Yea, even God that endureth for ever shall hear me, and bring them down.

COLLECTS 

Let thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble servants. And that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O Almighty God, who didst give to Thy servant Mar Shimun Bar Sabbae boldness to confess the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may ever be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

O Almighty God, who didst raise up Thy servant Samuel to be a prophet and judge in Israel, and didst endow him with the spirit of obedience and faithfulness: Grant that we, following his example, may listen for Thy voice in our lives and walk steadfastly in Thy ways; that, like him, we may be ever dedicated to Thy service, and proclaim Thy truth with boldness and humility; 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 call Thy servant Qardagh from the service of earthly kings to be a soldier of Christ’s heavenly kingdom: Grant that we, being inspired by his steadfastness in the face of persecution, may likewise follow Thee with boldness, and, through his intercession, be delivered from all the assaults of the enemy; 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 call Thy servant Abraham of Smolensk to the solitary life of prayer and to the boldness of a prophet in Thy Church: Grant us the same zeal for purity and the love of Thy Holy Word, that, through the prayers of Thy servant, we may be delivered from all spiritual blindness, and behold the light of Thy countenance in this present life, and in the life to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

THE OLD TESTAMENT READING

Leviticus 9:1–24

(According to the Five Year Old Testament St. James Lectionary) 

And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel. And he said unto Aaron, Take thee a young calf for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the Lord. And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, Take ye a kid of the goats for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt offering. Also a bullock and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord, and a meat offering mingled with oil, for today the Lord will appear unto you.

And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation. And all the congregation drew near and stood before the Lord. And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commanded that ye should do, and the glory of the Lord shall appear unto you. And Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering, and thy burnt offering, and make an atonement for thyself, and for the people. And offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them, as the Lord commanded.

Aaron therefore went unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself. And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him, and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar. But the fat, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver of the sin offering, he burnt upon the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses. And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp. And he slew the burnt offering, and Aaron’s sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled round about upon the altar. And they presented the burnt offering unto him, with the pieces thereof, and the head, and he burnt them upon the altar. And he did wash the inwards and the legs, and burnt them upon the burnt offering on the altar.

And he brought the people’s offering, and took the goat, which was the sin offering for the people, and slew it, and offered it for sin, as the first. And he brought the burnt offering, and offered it according to the manner. And he brought the meat offering, and took a handful thereof, and burnt it upon the altar, beside the burnt sacrifice of the morning. He slew also the bullock and the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people. And Aaron’s sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled upon the altar round about, and the fat of the bullock and of the ram, the rump, and that which covereth the inwards, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver. And they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat upon the altar. And the breasts and the right shoulder Aaron waved for a wave offering before the Lord, as Moses commanded.

And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat, which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.

NEW TESTAMENT READING

1 Corinthians 13:8 – 14:12

(According to the Two Year New Testament St. James Lectionary)

Charity never faileth. But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. Whether there be tongues, they shall cease. Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity.

Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God, for no man understandeth him. Howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself, but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied. For greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

And now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? For ye shall speak into the air.

There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

THE EPISTLE 

1 Corinthians 12:1–11

(According to the One Year Roman Lectionary) 

Brethren, concerning spiritual gifts, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed, and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another divers kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

GRADUAL

Psalm 17:8, 2; Psalm 65:1

Keep me, O Lord, as the apple of an eye. Hide me under the shadow of thy wings. Let my sentence come forth from thy presence, and let thine eyes look upon the thing that is equal. Alleluia, alleluia. Thou, O God, art praised in Sion, and unto thee shall the vow be performed in Jerusalem. Alleluia.

THE HOLY GOSPEL

St. Luke 19:41–47

(According to the One Year Roman Lectionary) 

At that time, when Jesus was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee, and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another, because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought, saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves. And he taught daily in the temple.

THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

OFFERTORY

Psalm 25:1–3

Unto thee, O Lord, will I lift up my soul. My God, I have put my trust in thee. O let me not be confounded, neither let mine enemies triumph over me, for all they that hope in thee shall not be ashamed.

SECRET

O Lord, who hast instituted this sacrifice to be a remembrance of the effectual continuance of the work of our redemption, grant, we pray thee, that we may ever be enabled by thee to draw near in worthiness unto these thy mysteries, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

COMMUNION

Psalm 51:19

Thou shalt be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burnt offerings and oblations upon thine altar, O Lord.

POSTCOMMUNION

Grant, O Lord, we pray thee, that this holy Communion which we have received may cleanse us from all our sins, and bestow upon us unity and concord, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.