Irmos: O Lord, Fashioner of the vault of heaven and Creator of the Church: establish me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, confirmation of the faithful, Who alone lovest mankind.
Kontakion & ikos from the Pentecostarion.
Sessional hymn of the saint, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Having been lifted up…”—
Given to the wanton woman because of her voluptuous dancing, thy sacred head was carried in her hands; but now it is borne chastely and with reverence into the holy church in the hands of a priest.
Theotokion: From the womb of a barren woman didst thou shine forth radiantly, the star of the Sun of glory, O Baptist, going forth before Him Who shone forth from the cloud of the Virgin and hath dispelled the night of polytheism.
The concourse of the faithful, the emperor and the priest, greet thee piously, O glorious forerunner, chanting with joy, and they go before thee with love, sanctified by thy coming.
Glory…, Now & ever…: sessional hymn from the Pentecostarion; or this theotokion, in the same tone—
Thy most sacred head, shining forth like the radiant sun out of the sacred precincts, hath illumined the whole world with divine splendors, O prophet and forerunner of Christ.
Most strangely yielded forth like gold from veins of ore out of the impenetrable bosom of the earth, O baptizer of Christ, thy sacred head hath enriched all who have recourse thereon on the feast of its discovery, magnifying with hymns the Savior and Creator Who granteth us great mercy for thy sake. Twice
In that I love sin, I entreat thee, who gavest birth to the sinless God Who taketh away the sins of the world, O pure one, to have pity on my greatly sinful soul and cleanse me of my manifold sins; for thou art the purification of sinners and the salvation and help of the faithful.
Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.