April 23, 2013
Jordanville, NY: The Presanctified Liturgy of St. James was served for the first time in Holy Trinity Monastery

On Friday, April 12, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, authored by the Holy Apostle James, was served for the first time in the lower St. Job of Pochaev Church at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY. The Liturgy was led by the monastery’s rector, Archimandrite Luke (Murianka), co-served by monastery clergy.

A Short History of the Presanctified Liturgy of the Apostle James
by Bishop Jerome of Manhattan

The Presanctified Liturgy of St. James was the traditional form of the Presanctified, as celebrated by the Church of Jerusalem in the Holy Sepulcher. The oldest Greek text was published in 1896, and in subsequent editions of Brightman’s "Liturgies Eastern and Western," Vol. I: Eastern Liturgies, on pp. 494-501. This edition contains only the litanies, exclamations, and some rubrics, but not the inaudible prayers of the celebrant. It is found complete in the "Liturgicon of Jerusalem" (also entirely in Greek), published some years ago by the Jerusalem Patriarchate (of whom St. James was the first bishop – ed.).

Judging by the text in Brightman, this Liturgy was at first celebrated, not in conjunction with Vespers, but together with the Typica. Therefore, the Litanies said, "Let us complete our prayer unto the Lord," and not "...our evening prayer unto the Lord." This also explains several other peculiarities of the text. The earlier form of the Liturgy began with a procession from one chapel to another in the church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is why it substitutes the "troparion of the day" for "O Gladsome Light" at the Entrance.

The Presanctified Liturgy of St. James includes the Creed, the prayer "Vouchsafe, O Lord," and other material not normally found in the Presanctified. A translation into modern Serbian was published by Bishop Chrysostom of the Banat Diocese, where it is celebrated on specific days in Lent. However, the Jerusalem edition says this Liturgy can be celebrated on any Lenten weekday.

Photos: www.jordanvile.org

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese