FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT (MARCH 1ST)

Italian-Byzantine Icon of Christ's Temptation in the Desert, 7th Century, Monreal Basilica 

✠ THE DIVINE LITURGY OF ST. JAMES ACCORDING TO THE USE OF THE ANCIENT CHURCH OF THE WEST ✠

First Sunday in Lent

✠ THE PREPARATION ✠

INTROIT: 

Invocabit me. Ps. 91 HE shall call on me and I will hearken unto him: I will deliver him and baring him to honor: with length of days will I satisfy him. Ps. ibid. Whoso dwelleth under the defense of the Most High: shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. ℣. Glory be.

✠ COLLECTS ✠

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT

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 honor and glory. (Who.)

FEAST OF ST. MATTHIAS

O ALMIGHTY GOD, who into the place of the traitor Judas didst choose thy faithful servant Matthias to be of the number of the twelve Apostles: grant that thy Church, being always preserved from false Apostles, may be ordered and guided by faithful and true pastors. Through.

ST. PORPHYRY OF GAZA

O God, who didst call thy servant Porphyry from the riches of this world unto the treasures of thy heavenly kingdom, and didst make him a faithful bishop, that he might turn the hearts of the heathen unto thee: Grant that, by his holy intercession, we may ever despise the vain idols of this life, and cleave steadfastly unto thy truth; that, being fortified by thy grace, we may boldly confess thy Name before all men, and labor for the increase of thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

MAR AWA CATHOLICOS

O Almighty God, who hast called thy servant Mar Awa to bear witness to the truth of thy Word, even in the face of suffering and persecution: Grant, we beseech thee, that, like him, we may remain steadfast in our faith, ever true to the Chalcedonian Confession of the Orthodox Faith, and uphold the light of Orthodoxy in the face of all trials. May we, by thy grace, be faithful unto death, and, like thy holy martyr, rise to eternal life with thee. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever One God, world without end. Amen.

FEAST OF ST. DAVID OF WALES

ALMIGHTY GOD, Thou called Thy servant David to be a faithful and wise steward of Thy mysteries for the people of Wales: Mercifully grant that, following his purity of life and zeal for the Gospel of Christ, we may with him receive our heavenly reward; 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.

ST. ONESIMUS

O Lord God, who in thy divine providence didst lead thy servant Onesimus from bondage to the glorious liberty of the children of God, and didst make him a faithful bishop and martyr of thy Church: Grant that we, being delivered from the bondage of sin, may evermore serve thee in holiness and truth, and see in every man the image of thy divine majesty; 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 LESSON: Deuteronomy 20:1-9

When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it. And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her. And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart. And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people. 

THE NEW TESTAMENT LESSON: 1 Timothy 5-6

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. 

THE EPISTLE: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10

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. 

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 4:1-11

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 hungred. 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 sheweth 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. 

✠ THE LITURGY OF THE FAITHFUL ✠

OFFERTORY:

Ps. 91 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.

COMMUNION:

Ps 78 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.