Irmos: I will sacrifice to Thee with a voice of praise, O Lord, the Church crieth unto Thee, cleansed of the blood of demons by the blood which, for mercy’s sake, flowed from Thy side.
Kontakion, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Having been lifted up upon the Cross…” —
Theotokion: Through disobedience Eve gave birth to sin, but the Theotokos, conceiving, gave birth to Life which groweth not old and hath abolished the ancient debt for us all.
He Who, in His mercy, accepted thy brotherhood, revealeth thee as a hierarch higher in honor than Aaron of old and hath clad thee in vestments better than those of the law.
Thou wast a lyre sounded by the movements of the Spirit, delighting all our thoughts and leading to God those saved from bondage most cruel, O most excellent one.
Thirsting, thou didst drink of the water of life, and pourest forth from thy divinely eloquent belly rivers which flow out to all the world through the divine Spirit.
The Word of God, the Only-begotten of the Father, Who came unto us in latter times, showed thee to be the first pastor and teacher of the people of Jerusalem, and a faithful server of the mysteries of the Spirit, O godly James. Wherefore, we all honor thee, O apostle.
Ikos: With hymns of praise we faithfully hymn thee, the child of Joseph, first hierarch of the people of Jerusalem and brother of the Lord, O God-seer James, and we cry out to thee: Bestow upon us the perfect gift from the Father of lights, and dispel the sorrow which is the result of the multitude of our transgressions. For our enemies have crushed us under their heel, the Moslems have surrounded us, whose bows do thou swiftly break, O thou who art manifest in sanctity, that we may all honor thee, O apostle.
Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.