The Feast of St. James “the Lord’s Brother” falls annually on October 23rd, and it is customary in many parishes for the ancient “Liturgy of St. James” to be celebrated on that day. This year, however, we have been blessed by our bishop to serve the James liturgy on October 22nd, as the Sunday which falls closest to the feast of St. James.
The St. James Liturgy was the typical parish liturgy of Jerusalem, Palestine, Mount Sinai, Georgia, and parts of the Levant from the 4th century until the time of the Crusades and was prayed almost daily by great saints of the Church such as Cyril of Jerusalem, Sabbas the Sanctified, and John Climacus. It is very distinct from the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, with no antiphons at the beginning, the singing of the hymn “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent” at the entrance of the gifts, a unique anaphora, litanies with the refrain “remember, O Lord our God,” the singing of “O Taste and See” at communion, and many, many other diverse and distinct features.
Come, let us pray together on this blessed occasion with these words and songs from Holy Zion, the Mother of Churches