The 25th of
July is the annual commemoration of St. James the Greater (an online biography
of him may be found here).
Below are the Psalms,
Antiphons, Lessons, Collect and other resources for keeping the feast of this
important Apostle. I am putting this together in one place in order to show how
rich the Prayer Book’s observance of the Calendar may be when used fully, along
with a few additions from the Anglican tradition (especially the
currently-out-print “Prayer Book Office” by Howard Galley).
Learning to pray the
Daily Office is one of the greatest gifts in Anglicanism. It allows for a deep
integration of prayer, Scripture, study, practice, and ministry. When we learn
to become recollected in God, there is no false opposition of prayer v. action:
all is one symphony of consecrated service to God and neighbor. Truly, God is
“all in all” for the heart schooled in prayer.
The Church Year provides
many ways for us to enter into the mystery of the Christian Faith. For most of
the year, the Daily Office follows a simple rhythm of “in-course” readings from
the Psalms and the other books of Sacred Scripture. For Major Feasts (such as
an Apostle, like St. James), the Office allows for special lessons, Psalms,
prayers, and the use of readings from the Early Church to amplify and reflect
on the witness of a particular saint or Mystery of the Faith.
Using the Book of
Common Prayer’s own guidelines for Feast Day prayers (admittedly, a bit of a
learned art) leads one to an ever-widening experience of the Gospel in prayer
and practice.
May this be so for all
who read this blog!
At First Evening
Prayer (Eve of the 25th – the commemoration of a Major Feast
begins in the ancient and Hebrew fashion, on the eve of the day); BCP p. 61 or
115
Psalms:
Antiphon (antiphons
are said before and after a Psalm or Canticle)
Happy are the people, O Lord, whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on the pilgrim’s way
Psalm 84
Antiphon
Praise God in the firmament of his power; praise him for his
mighty acts, hallelujah.
Psalm 150
First Reading
Isaiah 43:10-15, or Isaiah 52:7-10
First Canticle
Antiphon
On the foundation stones of the heavenly Jerusalem are
written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; and the Lamb himself is
the lamp of the city.
Canticle: Song of Mary
(Magnificat), BCP p. 65 or 119
Second Reading
Revelation 21:1-4, 9-14 or Matthew 9:35-10:4
Second Canticle
Antiphon
My eyes, O Lord, have seen your salvation
Canticle: Song of
Simeon (Nunc dimittis), BCP p. 66 or 120
Collect
(Traditional language)
O gracious God, we remember before thee this day thy servant
and apostle James, first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of
Jesus Christ; and we pray that thou wilt pour out upon the leaders of thy
Church that spirit of self-denying service by which alone they may have true
authority among thy people; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth
and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
or
(Contemporary
language)
O gracious God, we remember before you today your servant
and apostle James, first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of
Jesus Christ; and we pray that you will pour out upon the leaders of your
Church that spirit of self-denying service by which alone they may have true
authority among your people; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
At Morning Prayer
Opening Scripture
Major Saints’ Days
(BCP p. 40 or 77)
At the Invitatory
Antiphon for Major
Saints’ Days (BCP p. 44 or 82)
Invitatory Psalm:
Either Venite or Jubilate, BCP pages 44/45 or 82/83
Psalm
Antiphon
The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him, and he
will deliver them.
Psalm 34
First Reading
Jeremiah 16:14-21
First Canticle
Antiphon
On the foundation stones of the heavenly Jerusalem are
written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; and the Lamb himself is
the lamp of the city.
Canticle: Song of
Zechariah (Benedictus), BCP 50 or 92
Second Reading
Mark 1:14-20
Third Reading
(from the Early Church)
A reading from a
homily of St. John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople [407]
The sons of
Zebedee press Christ: Promise that one may sit at your right side and the
other at your left. What does he do? He wants to show them that it is not a
spiritual gift for which they are asking, and that if they knew what their
request involved, they would never dare make it. So he says: You do not know
what you are asking, that is, what a great and splendid thing it is and how
much beyond the reach even of the heavenly powers. Then he continues: Can
you drink the cup which I must drink and be baptized with the baptism which I
must undergo? He is saying: “You talk of sharing honors and rewards with me,
but I must talk of struggle and toil. Now is not the time for rewards or the
time for my glory to be revealed. Earthly life is the time for bloodshed, war
and danger”.
Consider how by
his manner of questioning he exhorts and draws them. He does not say: “Can you
face being slaughtered? Can you shed your blood?” How does he put his question?
Can you drink the cup? Then he makes it attractive by adding: which I
must drink, so that the prospect of sharing it with him may make them more
eager. He also calls his suffering a baptism, to show that it will effect a
great cleansing of the entire world. The disciples answer him: We can!
Fervor makes them answer promptly, though they really do not know what they are
saying but still think they will receive what they ask for.
How does Christ
reply? You will indeed drink my cup and be baptized with my baptism. He
is really prophesying a great blessing for them, since he is telling them: “You
will be found worthy of martyrdom; you will suffer what I suffer and end your
life with a violent death, thus sharing all with me. But seats at my right
and left are not mine to give; they belong to those for whom the Father has
prepared them.” Thus, after lifting their minds to higher goals and
preparing them to meet and overcome all that will make them desolate, he sets
them straight on their request.
Then the other
ten became angry at the two brothers. See how imperfect they all are: the
two who tried to get ahead of the other ten, and the ten who were jealous of
the two! But, as I said before, show them to me at a later date in their lives,
and you will see that all these impulses and feelings have disappeared. Read
how John, the very man who here asks for the first place, will always yield to
Peter when it comes to preaching and performing miracles in the Acts of the
Apostles. James, for his part, was not to live very much longer; for from the
beginning he was inspired by great fervor and, setting aside all purely human
goals, rose to such splendid heights that he straightway suffered martyrdom.
[from Homily 65, On Matthew]
Second Canticle
Te Deum laudamus, BCP
p. 52 or 95
Collect
As at First Evening Prayer
At Noonday (BCP p. 103)
Psalm
Antiphon
Precious in the sight o the Lord is the death of his
servants.
Psalm 116
Short Reading
Ephesians 2:19-20
Collect
As at First Evening Prayer
At Second Evening
Prayer, BCP p. 61 or 115
Psalm
Antiphon
The eye of the Lord is upon those who fear him, on those who
wait upon his love.
Psalm 33
First Reading
Jeremiah 26:1-15
First Canticle
Antiphon
In the heavenly kingdom, the blessed have their dwelling
place, and their rest for ever and ever.
Canticle: Song of Mary
(Magnificat), BCP p. 65 or 119
Second Reading
Matthew 10:16-32
Second Canticle
Antiphon
My eyes, O Lord, have seen your salvation
Canticle: Song of
Simeon (Nunc dimittis), BCP p. 66 or 120
Collect
As at first Evening Prayer
 |
| The shrine of St. James the Greater, Santiago, Spain. |
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