July 25th - St. James the Apostle

The feast of St. James the Apostle is of double rite. The liturgical colour of the day is red. Today is also the seventh Sunday after Pentecost and the Sunday is commemorated at Vespers, Mattins, Lauds and Mass. St. James, often referred to as St. James the Great to distinguish him from St. James the Less (May 1st), suffered martyrdom by the sword under Agrippa I. His remains were tranferred to Santiago di Compostella in northern Spain, resulting in the city becoming a major pilgrimage destination in Medieval times. The Vigil of St. James was observed yesterday.

At first Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc, from the Common of Apostles, were sung with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 and 116. The texts, apart from the collect, are taken from the same Common. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday was sung. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted because of the double feast.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Aeterna Christi munera. In the first nocturn the antiphons from the Common, In omnem terram etc., are sung with psalms 18, 33 & 44. The lessons come from St. Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians. The first and second lessons are the same as those found in modern editions of the Breviary but the third lesson is substantially longer continuing Rogo ergo vos... until ...et spiritu mansuetudinis, i.e. the inclusion of vv. 16-21. In the second nocturn the antiphons Principes populorum etc are sung with psalms 46, 60 & 63. In the second nocturn the hagiographical lessons are proper to the feast of St. James. The fourth and sixth lessons are the same as those found in modern editions but the fifth lesson begins with the additional two words Verum Jacobus. In the third nocturn the antiphons Exaltabuntur etc are sung with psalms 74, 96 & 98. The lessons are from a homily of St. Chrysostom on St. Matthew's Gospel. These are virtually the same as in the modern Breviary. The eighth and ninth lessons are read together to form the eighth lesson and the ninth lesson is formed of the three lessons of the homily for the Sunday. These are from St. Hiliary on St. Matthew's Gospel and are the same as in modern editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum are again sung, this time with the Sunday psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite 148-49-150). After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of St. Christopher. The Suffrages are omitted due to the double feast.

At Prime the antiphon Hoc est praeceptum meum is sung with the festal Psalms (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii). Quicumque and the Dominical preces are both omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, (in private Masses the third collect is of St. Christopher). The Credo is sung. The preface is of the Apostles and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

Second Vespers are of the feast. The antiphons Juravit Dominus etc are sung with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Sunday. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

Icon: Eighteenth century Russian icon of St. James from Wikipedia.