FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER (APRIL 19TH)

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.

ST. JUSTIN MARTYR

O GOD, who by the foolishness of the Cross didst wondrously teach thy bless Martyr Saint Justin an excellent knowledge of Christ Jesus: grant that by his intercession, be being delivered from the deceitfulness of all false doctrine, may be firmly grounded in thy true religion. Through the same.

OLD TESTAMENT READING: Hosea 6:1-11

Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth. For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me. Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood. And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness. I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled. Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people.

NEW TESTAMENT READING: Colossians 3:1-4

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

EPISTLE: 1 Saint John 5:4-12 - 

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 - 

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.