The Liturgy of St. James

[DennyB]

I have been studying liturgy,and how it has developed over the centuries,and I saw a mention of the Liturgy of St. James on another borad and I was wanting to know if someone here could tell me more in terms of how old it is,and which churches still use it.

[ozgeorge]

The Liturgy of St. James is believed to be the original Liturgy of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The Greek Orthodox Church still uses the Liturgy of St. James. It has been used in unbroken tradition on the Island of Zakynthos on the feast of St. James and in the Patriarchate of Jerusalem on the Sunday after Christmas. This latter use of the Liturgy (Sunday after Christmas) has seen an increase in popularity in Greece in recent years.

[Rowan]

Cool thread. I was going to ask about this. I would say that this was a coincidence if I believed in them.

Does it predate the First Council?

[alexp4uni]

Patron Saints Day for St. James in the EO calender is celebrated on October 23. The main liturgy is Saint John Chrysostom liturgy based on the so-called "shortened" 4-hour Saint Basil's Liturgy. Saint Basil had re-edited the Church of Antioch's version of Saint James Liturgy.

-Greek monastery in Harvard, ILL of the US frequently supplies it with Apostikarions, Horologion and Euchologion prior to the Liturgy which is an addition to the liturgy. 

-Russian monastery of Optina uses it. 

-Greek Orthodox of Jerusalem uses the Byzantine rite

-the Coptic Mission Churches in U.K. uses this liturgy because this was one of the very few liturgies practiced in the early church prior in England. Howver the mass was cut by 3/4ths of the worship including all of the anaphora's which has remnant's of it in the Anglican Hymnal.

Legitimately the Syriac Church of Antioch which is the Oriental Orthodox not in communion with EO have as its main liturgy. This is the only church that has an original text prior the Byzantinization. They have a Syriac influenced 61 anaphora addition. This is literally every saint that has participated in the liturgy including St. John Chrysostom, Saint Basil, St Gregory a few apostles including James himself and continues with modern (prior to 8th century including St. Severus of Antioch) Saints.

[Aristibule]

The Coptic British Orthodox Church does use an adaptation of the Greek St. James (which differs from Syriac St. James), but it should be noted that the theory of its use early on in Britain is nothing more than speculation on their part. There is no evidence nor early tradition for the use of St. James in Britain or the West early on. Rather, the tradition refers to three other liturgical streams: that of St. Mark through Alexandria into Milan, that of St. Peter into Carthage and Rome, and that of St. John from Ephesus into Gaul, Britain and Spain.

The B.O.C. St. James is interesting as it is the Greek St. James (again, different than the Syriac St. James) but with Coptic hours of prayer, vestments, and calendar, but with feasts of Western saints added along with some Western hymns.

The St. James is also blessed for use by ROCOR parishes. There is also another translation of the St. James done at New Skete monastery (OCA).

It is a long liturgy, and communion is given after the canons for this liturgy - the Body is received in the hands, which are made into a throne.

[EkhristosAnesti]

Here are a few articles authored by clergy of the British Orthodox Church which account for and discuss general historical and liturgical issues pertinent to the Liturgy of St James, as well as the particular adoption and utilisation of that Liturgical rite by the British Orthodox Church:

The Liturgy of St James by H.G. Metropolitan Seraphim
The Liturgy of St James by Fr. John Ross
The Liturgical Commission by Fr. Gregory Tillett

[Thomas]

Just an FYI---In Reviewing the ROCOR website today, I noted that the Synod of Bishops just approved a translation of both the Liturgy of St James and St Mark in English.

Thomas

[FrChris]

Is there a link to an approved translation?

[Rowan]

Is there a link to an approved translation?

Is this a good one?

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf07.xii.ii.html

[Aristibule]

The approved translation is to be published (at least, the Divine Liturgy of St. Mark) in the near future, with Fr. John R. Shaw as editor. Not sure about the St. James, for some reason I had thought it was already approved years ago - and a translation published. However, I'm not sure - I'm not an expert on the Byzantine rite by far.

[Didymus]

The Indian Orthodox Church uses the liturgy of St. James.

See: http://www.icon.org.in/church_liturgy.icon

Here's a paragraph from the site:

The liturgy we use is the Syriac version of the St James Liturgy, this liturgy Holy Tradition tells us, was first chanted by St James, Bishop of Jerusalem, on the Wednesday after Pentecost Sunday. St James said that the words of the Liturgy were recited to him by the risen Christ himself saying, "God lives I have not added anything to or omitted anything from what I have heard from the Lord"

[bergschlawiner]

The Liturgy of St. James has also been occasionally served in OCA churches, like on the Feast of St.James, but  seemed to be more of a variation of the regular Divine Liturgy to the people.  Once while working in a prison I was surprised to walk in on the "Catholic" service and find a priest wearing Byzantine vestments serving the Liturgy of St.James to the convicts.  I got to know the chaplain and found out that he was a contract priest for the Catholics but claimed to be EO.  I later heard that he tried to join up with the local OCA parish but was rebuffed.  I did have a problem seeing this "priest" offering the Eucharist to any convict who approached knowing that they were not even Catholics.

[Fr. George]

We did the Liturgy of St James every year on his feastday at Seminary, and there are a number of parishes that do it annually as well.  Holy Cross press had done a text for it, but it is sadly out of print at the moment.

[Αριστοκλής]

Perhaps this might help:

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ephrem/lit-james.htm

Note: Page is dated and one must use "Up" link instead of 'Home' if needed.

[antiderivative]

Patron Saints Day for St. James in the EO calender is celebrated on October 23. The main liturgy is Saint John Chrysostom liturgy based on the so-called "shortened" 4-hour Saint Basil's Liturgy. Saint Basil had re-edited the Church of Antioch's version of Saint James Liturgy.

-Greek monastery in Harvard, ILL of the US frequently supplies it with Apostikarions, Horologion and Euchologion prior to the Liturgy which is an addition to the liturgy. 

-Russian monastery of Optina uses it. 

-Greek Orthodox of Jerusalem uses the Byzantine rite

-the Coptic Mission Churches in U.K. uses this liturgy because this was one of the very few liturgies practiced in the early church prior in England. Howver the mass was cut by 3/4ths of the worship including all of the anaphora's which has remnant's of it in the Anglican Hymnal.

Legitimately the Syriac Church of Antioch which is the Oriental Orthodox not in communion with EO have as its main liturgy. This is the only church that has an original text prior the Byzantinization. They have a Syriac influenced 61 anaphora addition. This is literally every saint that has participated in the liturgy including St. John Chrysostom, Saint Basil, St Gregory a few apostles including James himself and continues with modern (prior to 8th century including St. Severus of Antioch) Saints.

What do you mean by Byzantinization? I know in the 6th century Justinian added the Cherubic hymn to many of the liturgies. Later on their were minor modifications like adding the trinity at the end of the Lord's Prayer, but what were the major changes?

[buzuxi]

Cool thread. I was going to ask about this. I would say that this was a coincidence if I believed in them.

Does it predate the First Council?

Historically as a whole it does not, although certain prayers within the text do. If the Liturgy of St. James preceded the council of Nicea there probably would of never been an Arian controversy to begin with, since the Nicene/Constantinopolitan understading of the Trinity is already spelled out in the Liturgy of St James. On the other hand it does precede Chalcedon and Ephesus, of course after these councils the liturgy evolved and certain teachings dogmatized in those councils were inserted into the appropriate parts of the text.

[DanM]

Historically as a whole it does not, although certain prayers within the text do [predate the First Council].

I am particularly fond of this liturgy because of its reference to "those who pass their lives . . . in holy wedlock."
A pity a line like this cannot appear in the usual liturgies.
DanM

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