21ST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

CHRIST IS LORD OF ALL!

Divine Liturgy of St. James of Jerusalem According to the Use of the Ancient Church 

INTROIT. In voluntate tua.

O LORD, the whole world is in thy power, and there is no man that can gainsay thee: for thou hast made heaven and earth, and all the wondrous things under the heaven: thou art Lord of all things. Ps. 119 Blessed are those that are undefiled in the way: and walk in the law of the Lord. V. Glory be.

COLLECTS

GRANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace: that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN

THEODORE OF CECELIA

Almighty God, who didst raise up thy servant Theodore to be a faithful teacher of thy Holy Word, granting him wisdom to expound the Scriptures through the literal, historical, practical, and pastoral truths therein revealed: We give thee thanks for his friendship with thy blessed servant John Chrysostom, who confessed, "My faith is the faith of Theodore", and for the fact that he died within the Communion of the Orthodox Church; and we beseech thee to grant that, following his example, we may discern in the typological forms and figures of the Old Testament their perfect fulfillment, sealing, and transformation in the New Testament by thine Incarnate Word, fully God and fully man, Christ both God and Messiah united in one Holy Person, with no division or confusion at all; through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

ST. JAMES THE JUST 

Almighty God, who didst inspire thy holy servant James, the Brother of our Lord, with singular piety, and didst raise him to be the first shepherd of thy Church in Jerusalem: Grant that we, being rooted and grounded in love, may follow his example of holiness and devotion, and bear a faithful witness to thy truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: 2 Kings 12:1–16

1 In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba.

2 And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.

3 But the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

4 And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, even the money of every one that passeth the account, the money that every man is set at, and all the money that cometh into any man’s heart to bring into the house of the LORD,

5 Let the priests take it to them, every man of his acquaintance: and let them repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found.

6 But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.

7 Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and the other priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house.

8 And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house.

9 But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of the LORD: and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD.

10 And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king’s scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags, and told the money that was found in the house of the LORD.

11 And they gave the money, being told, into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of the LORD: and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders, that wrought upon the house of the LORD,

12 And to masons, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it.

13 Howbeit there were not made for the house of the LORD bowls of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the LORD:

14 But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the LORD.

15 Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully.

16 The trespass money and sin money was not brought into the house of the LORD: it was the priests’.

NEW TESTAMENT LESSON: Revelation 14:1–13 

1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.

2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:

3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

EPISTLE: Ephesians 6:10-20

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 

19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 

20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

GRADUAL: Psalm 9

0 LORD, thou hast been our refuge, from one generation to another. 

Alleluia, alleluia. V. Ps. 114 When Israel came out of Egypt, and the house of Jacob from among the strange people Alleluia.

GOSPEL: St. John 4:46-54

46 There was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. 

47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. 

48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. 

49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. 

50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. 

51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. 

52 Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 

53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. 

54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.