The Liturgy of Saint James: the oldest Liturgy of the Church

The Divine Liturgy of Saint James, the Brother of the Lord, is the most ancient complete Eucharistic liturgy in use in the Orthodox Church. Tradition connects it with the first bishop of Jerusalem, and its shape preserves the worship of the earliest Christian centuries.

Unlike the Liturgies of Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Basil the Great, which are served throughout the year, the Liturgy of Saint James is celebrated only on a few occasions — most often on October 23, the feast of the Apostle James, and in some places during the days after the Nativity of Christ.

Those who attend notice its distinctive features at once: many litanies and prayers are read aloud rather than silently, the clergy face the people for certain blessings, and in some traditions the faithful receive the Holy Gifts separately, as in the ancient Church.

For parishes, serving this Liturgy is a living lesson in the history of worship — a reminder that the Church's prayer has deep roots, and that what we celebrate every Sunday grew from the same soil as the Church of the Apostles.