For all Akathists published on our site, click here. This Akathist was recently provided in English by Maxim, who kindly asks all Orthodox Christians to keep him in their prayers for his repentance.
Feast Day 23 October
Introductory Note: Saint James the Brother of the Lord is a good saint to be appealed to when facing problems with Confession. If you are ashamed to go to Confession you should ask Saint James, the Brother of the Lord, to help you with this. This idea is drawn from his Epistle from the New Testament where he says: “Brothers, confess your sins to one another.”
Because of this verse from the New Testament, he is also a good saint to be appealed to when one wants to find a close friend to whom he or she can confess even his/her darkest secrets. An intimate friendship based on total trust, without secrets, each knowing each other fully, with the closest connection possible next to the one with God.
Kontakion 1
To you, most glorious Hierarch, Apostle of Christ, unshakeable pillar of the Church and Martyr, Holy James, most wise, called the brother of God Incarnate, we offer our praise as our swift intercessor and helper; for you, standing before the throne of the Most Holy Trinity, never cease to pray for us and, through your intercession, protect us from all troubles and needs, we who with faith honor your memory and cry out: Rejoice, Saint James, first Hierarch of Jerusalem and glorious Holy Martyr!
Ikos 1
The Maker of angels and all creation has shown you, Holy James, to be a bright star in the sky of the Church, dispelling the darkness of unbelief and illuminating the world with the radiance of your teachings. For this reason, we run to your protection and joyfully offer you these hymns:
Rejoice, you who were chosen by the Lord to proclaim the Gospel of salvation;
Rejoice, kinsman of the Lord according to the flesh, disciple and witness of His unspeakable mysteries;
Rejoice, glory of the Church throughout the world;
Rejoice, you who fearlessly spoke the words of Christ to the Jews;
Rejoice, true ruler of the faithful in the Holy Land;
Rejoice, teacher enlightened by God and fulfiller of His commandments;
Rejoice, hierarch of Jerusalem below, who now rejoices in Jerusalem above;
Rejoice, you who offered yourself as a pure sacrifice to the Creator of all, whom you confessed before your tormentors;
Rejoice, Saint James, first Hierarch of Jerusalem and glorified Holy Martyr!
Kontakion 2
Seeing your life beforehand, O Fatherly James, Christ, the lover of mankind, recognized you as a brother according to the law, for you were the eldest son of the righteous Joseph. From your youth you worshipped God as a Nazarite, living a life of self-restraint. Through the goodness of your habits and with a pure mind, you proved yourself to be a disciple of Christ and became worthy to sing eternally before the throne of the Lord: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
When King Herod sought the infant Jesus to destroy him, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Take the Child and His Mother and flee to Egypt. And you, Saint James, as a relative of Jesus according to the flesh, went with Joseph and the Most Holy Virgin Mary to Egypt. Therefore, as a close friend of Christ from childhood, receive from us these fervent songs of praise:
Rejoice, son of parents who walked in the way of the Lord;
Rejoice, you who saw God Incarnate face to face;
Rejoice, you who received rich grace by protecting the Child Jesus;
Rejoice, you who were enlightened by the outpouring of His light;
Rejoice, you who are called the brother of Christ, Apostle and first among hierarchs;
Rejoice, you who were deemed worthy of double honor from the Lord;
Rejoice, you who through Christ gained the heavenly Father;
Rejoice, you who even now behold Jesus the Lord in unspeakable light;
Rejoice, Saint James, first Hierarch of Jerusalem and glorified Holy Martyr!
Kontakion 3
After His Resurrection, the Savior Jesus Christ appeared to you in a special way and taught you many mysteries and appointed you, James the Just, to perform holy works in holy Zion. For this reason, the Apostles honored you as a pillar of the Church of Jerusalem. And we, marveling at God’s kindness toward you, sing to the Almighty: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
You received the difficult apostolic ministry in the midst of the most bitter enemies of the Christian faith. For 30 years you tirelessly preached and strengthened the saving faith in the Holy City and in the land of Palestine. Therefore, giving thanks to our Creator and Savior, we praise you as one of God’s great chosen ones:
Rejoice, you who, through divine providence, preached the word of God in Jerusalem;
Rejoice, you who, for this, received great power from the Most High;
Rejoice, herald of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world;
Rejoice, you who baptized many Jews in the name of the Holy Trinity;
Rejoice, good shepherd and enlightened teacher, through whom God adorned His Church;
Rejoice, fountain of living water for the faithful;
Rejoice, you who received the cross of apostleship and tirelessly followed in the footsteps of Jesus the Savior;
Rejoice, you who, enlightened by the divine Spirit, dispelled the darkness of unbelief;
Rejoice, Saint James, first Hierarch of Jerusalem and glorified Holy Martyr!
Kontakion 4
You brought many Jews to the Church of Christ, righteous Father, through their great trust in your word. Through your righteous life, you gained the love and honor of the Jews, even those who did not believe in Jesus. Therefore, we praise your unceasing labors and sing with zeal to God: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
Ignoring the hatred of the Sanhedrin and of the Jewish priests toward Christians, whom they considered enemies of the law of Moses, you, Father Jacob, wisely testified that faith in Christ is not defamation, but the fulfillment of the true faith of your ancestors. For this reason, seeing your many virtues as a tireless shepherd of the Church, we sing to you with gratitude:
Rejoice, you who, through your righteous life, have tamed and put to shame your slanderous enemies;
Rejoice, you who have destroyed all the ways of the enemy by increasing the knowledge of God;
Rejoice, you who, through the grace poured out from your mouth, made the speaking sheep believe in the Trinity of one essence;
Rejoice, unshakeable pillar of the true faith and unconquerable wall of the Church;
Rejoice, you who enlightened those in the darkness of ignorance, calling them to the heights of piety;
Rejoice, you who, by preaching the high life, delivered your flock from the terrible wolves;
Rejoice, you who bravely preached the Son of the Most High God on earth;
Rejoice, you who are surrounded by wisdom, enlightened by grace, and adorned with peaceful beauty;
Rejoice, Saint James, first Hierarch of Jerusalem and glorious Holy Martyr!
Kontakion 5
You performed your ministry as hierarch of the Church of Jerusalem with great piety, giving due honor to the true faith of the fathers in the light of Christ. Therefore, those who were zealous for the law of the Old Testament saw in you, Father James, the image of the true high priest, and we sing unceasingly to God, Who gave you great wisdom: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
Walking your earthly path with holiness, even from your mother’s womb you were worthy to enter the altar of the temple in Jerusalem. Here you prayed fervently for the forgiveness of the people, until your knees weakened, Father Jacob, because of your constant prostrations in prayer. Therefore, we praise you as our intercessor before God:
Rejoice, you who, through your virtuous life, enlightened your flock like a shining sun;
Rejoice, you who taught us to care more for eternal things;
Rejoice, diligent worker in the vineyard of Christ;
Rejoice, you who received the grace of the divine Spirit and burned the thorns of sin;
Rejoice, you who completely subjugated the body to the spirit;
Rejoice, tireless intercessor before God;
Rejoice, you who united the faithful through the bond of love;
Rejoice, you who proved yourself to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth;
Rejoice, Saint James, first Hierarch of Jerusalem and glorified Holy Martyr!
Kontakion 6
You were enlightened by the Holy Spirit, Father James, when you wisely composed the order of the divine Liturgy. You were worthy to bring forth fruit as a sower of good seeds. And now from heaven you look upon us with mercy and give us all abundant grace from Christ God the Merciful, to whom you sing with the Angels in heaven: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
You learned how to serve the divine Liturgy from Christ Himself. You established the law of the Church’s life, Father Jacob, proclaiming through the life-giving Spirit the inexpressible mysteries of God. You sanctified your flock with the sacraments of the Church and taught them to follow the true faith. And we, as faithful servants of the Holy Trinity, sing these words to you:
Rejoice, beautifier of church order;
Rejoice, worshipper at the Holy Tomb of Christ, the source of the Resurrection;
Rejoice, you who, through the Holy Spirit, poured out the knowledge of God upon the world;
Rejoice, you who wrote down for us the mysteries of salvation;
Rejoice, you who were lifted up in spirit during the time of fervent prayer;
Rejoice, you who sanctified the faithful through the divine Mysteries;
Rejoice, you who, through your pure mind and holy lips, mediated the salvation of the faithful;
Rejoice, you whom God the Word has enlightened abundantly with His grace;
Rejoice, Saint James, first Hierarch of Jerusalem and glorified Holy Martyr!
Kontakion 7
Among those who preached the word of Christ to the pagans, there were then disagreements concerning the law of Moses. For this reason, the Apostolic Synod gathered in the city of Jerusalem, with your care, Holy James. Your powerful words about the salvation of souls in the Church of Christ demanded that only what is useful from the law of Moses be preserved, and the council accepted this decision in spirit and proclaimed it to the Church through the Apostles. And we bless you for teaching us to understand rightly the teaching of Christ and to sing to Him: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
You taught wisely, Father Jacob, at the Apostolic Synod, about the end of the Old Testament, about God’s providence, and about the salvation of the pagans. By presiding over this council as a hierarch of the Church of Jerusalem—the Mother of Churches—you overturned the error concerning the primacy of the See of Rome. And we cry out to you as to a great one among the hierarchs of the Church:
Rejoice, interpreter of God’s will, to whom the whole Church has bowed without complaint;
Rejoice, you who taught about salvation, through the grace of Christ, not only of the Jews, but also of the pagans;
Rejoice, you who testified to the harmony between the words of Christ, the teaching of the Prophets, and the Tradition of the Church;
Rejoice, you who showed those who sat in darkness the ways of salvation;
Rejoice, dawn of the light of understanding, illuminator of the Church and beauty of the hierarchs;
Rejoice, deep spring of true vision of God;
Rejoice, from whose heart flow rivers of living water;
Rejoice, chalice of wisdom, full of virtues;
Rejoice, Saint James, first Hierarch of Jerusalem and glorified Holy Martyr!
Kontakion 8
You, Father James, showed yourself to be a wise Christian, a peacemaker and interpreter of the law and truth in your words, in your Epistle to the twelve tribes scattered abroad, who were in great turmoil and confusion regarding the teaching of Christ. You enlightened them and taught them that the proclamation of the Gospel is the will of the God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Therefore, teach us also to sing with all our hearts to the Most Holy Trinity: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
The preaching of the Apostles also reached the nations of Israel who were far from the Holy City. The righteous Jews were troubled: was the appearance of Christ the expectation of God’s people or the abolition of the law of Moses? Indeed, with much divine wisdom, you, Father Jacob, ruled the Church of Jerusalem, strengthening those who were baptized with the grace of Christ. You said to the Apostle Paul: How many thousands of believers there are, and all are zealous for the Law. And we praise you, who have acquired wisdom from above:
Rejoice, you who have acquired divine wisdom;
Rejoice, you who, through your labors, have brought the faithful to the path of salvation;
Rejoice, you to whom the pastoral care of souls has been entrusted;
Rejoice, you who desired that those you shepherded should have hearts filled with love for Christ;
Rejoice, you who have enlightened the world like the sun with the teachings of God;
Rejoice, skilled fisher of human souls;
Rejoice, you who cast out evil spirits;
Rejoice, Saint James, first Hierarch of Jerusalem and glorified Holy Martyr!
Kontakion 9
Even the most eloquent speakers dare not speak of your wisdom, Father James. When there was murmuring among the newly baptized Jews concerning Christ’s teaching, hearing that man is saved only through faith, they mistakenly assumed that the entire law of Moses was abolished. Then you, Father Jacob, in your letter, advised them that the way to salvation is found not only in the teaching of the books and in outward confession, but also in faith accompanied by deeds in the name of Christ, to whom we sing unceasingly: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
You saw, Saint James, how the rulers of the Jews changed Abraham’s sacrificial faith into a hypocritical and dead faith. And you rebuked the false teachers and guided the people toward the Christian faith, patient in trials, which hopes in God and bears hardships with humility, and we, to you as a wise guide from God, sing with thanksgiving:
Rejoice, you who tell us that the body without the spirit is dead, as is faith without works;
Rejoice, you who teach us: Rejoice when you fall into various temptations;
Rejoice, you who have shown us that the man who endures temptations is blessed, for he will receive the crown of life;
Rejoice, you who have told us: the testing of your faith works patience;
Rejoice, you who make us wise, saying: He who knows how to do good and does it has no sin;
Rejoice, you who advise us: Pray for one another, for the prayer of the righteous is powerful in its effect;
Rejoice, saying to us: He who turns a sinner from the path of death saves his soul from death;
Rejoice, Saint James, first Hierarch of Jerusalem and glorious Holy Martyr!
Kontakion 10
You strengthened those who returned to the faith and prepared them for the sufferings that lay ahead. You called them to true union in spirit with the Prophets, to patience in prayer and hope in God, Who holds all things in His right hand. Therefore, through your prayers, make us worthy to sing to God: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
Thus you taught your disciples, Holy James, about the saving way of Christ: Pure faith and righteousness before God consist in visiting orphans and widows in their afflictions and keeping yourself unstained by the world, for mercy is the life of the soul. And we, who pray for the renewal of our hardened souls, sing to you:
Rejoice, you who told us that judgment will be without mercy for those who had no mercy;
Rejoice, you who taught us that the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God;
Rejoice, you who said: the fruit of righteousness is sown in the world by those who work for peace;
Rejoice, you who tell us: the Lord stands against the proud, but gives grace to the humble;
Rejoice, you who urge us: humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you;
Rejoice, our guide to heaven;
Rejoice, righteous interpreter of God’s words;
Rejoice, counselor to the labor of working love;
Rejoice, Saint James, first Hierarch of Jerusalem and glorified Holy Martyr!
Kontakion 11
The Jewish leaders, who had fallen from grace, saw that a great multitude of men and women had joined the Church of Christ because of you, Apostle. Therefore, the false teachers maliciously thought to put an end to your spiritual work, for you were unbearable to the Sanhedrin, as a true righteous man who served the Lord without reproach. And bless us, Father James, strengthen us, and guide us to grow in the saving faith, singing to God: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
During the days of the Passover celebration, all the tribes of the Jews and a multitude of pagans gathered in the city of Jerusalem. And you, Father Jacob, preached unceasingly the words of eternal life. Having been informed of the death of the procurator Festus, the leaders of the Jews decided to kill you, the shepherd of the Holy City. And we sing to you with zeal, as to a brave soldier of Christ:
Rejoice, you who fearlessly proclaimed Christ before all;
Rejoice, light of Orthodoxy;
Rejoice, unfeigned shepherd of the churches;
Rejoice, adornment of the Church of Christ;
Rejoice, you who, through your God-inspired teachings, lift up the hearts of the faithful to heaven;
Rejoice, you who, through the power of your preaching, destroyed the winter of deception;
Rejoice, all-wise fisherman, holy hierarch and preacher;
Rejoice, you whom Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, sent as his ray to illuminate the whole earth;
Rejoice, Saint James, first Hierarch of Jerusalem and glorified Holy Martyr!
Kontakion 12
Ananias the Sadducee, chief among the priests of the Jews, commanded that a great assembly be held before the temple in Jerusalem. And you, Father James, were enticed to climb onto the wing of the holy temple to speak to the crowd, and they asked you: Tell us about the One who was crucified! Then you, strengthened by the power given to you from above, confessed Jesus as the Messiah, being ready to endure any torment for Him. For this, we sing with a loud voice to God, who strengthened you in your martyrdom: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
Filled with the Holy Spirit, you, God-bearing Father, spoke to the people: Jesus now sits in heaven, at the right hand of power, and will come again on the clouds of heaven! Hearing this, the unbelievers gnashed their teeth and turned to you in anger. They pushed you down from the wing of the temple and then threw stones at you, Holy Apostle, while you, with your last strength, knelt and prayed to the heavenly Father to forgive those who were killing you. The faithful took your honorable body and buried it with reverence, and we sing to you, who now stands with your soul before the throne of the Most Holy Trinity:
Rejoice, you who were thrown down by the Jews, but were deemed worthy of the heavenly chambers;
Rejoice, you who were killed as a follower of the Lord’s Passion;
Rejoice, worthy inhabitant of the heavenly Jerusalem;
Rejoice, you who offered yourself as a pure sacrifice to the King and Creator of all;
Rejoice, you who entered the heavenly Church adorned with the blood of martyrdom, blessed one;
Rejoice, our strong defender before God;
Rejoice, you who stand before the Almighty as a righteous crown bearer, rejoicing in immortal honor;
Rejoice, unconquered sufferer, most praised hierarch and illuminator of the whole world;
Rejoice, Saint James, first Hierarch of Jerusalem and glorified Holy Martyr!
Kontakion 13
O glorious and ever-praised Apostle James, brother of the Lord, most brilliant illuminator of the Church of Christ, receive the praise offered to you with love from devout hearts. Ask for us from the Savior Jesus strength in faith, forgiveness of sins, and deliverance from eternal damnation, so that we may be worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven and sing together with you to God: Alleluia!
This Kontakion is said 3 times.
Ikos 1
The Maker of angels and all creation has shown you, Holy James, to be a bright star in the sky of the Church, dispelling the darkness of unbelief and illuminating the world with the radiance of your teachings. For this reason, we run to your protection and joyfully offer you these hymns:
Rejoice, you who were chosen by the Lord to proclaim the Gospel of salvation;
Rejoice, kinsman of the Lord according to the flesh, disciple and witness of His unspeakable mysteries;
Rejoice, glory of the Church throughout the world;
Rejoice, you who fearlessly spoke the words of Christ to the Jews;
Rejoice, true ruler of the faithful in the Holy Land;
Rejoice, teacher enlightened by God and fulfiller of His commandments;
Rejoice, hierarch of Jerusalem below, who now rejoices in Jerusalem above;
Rejoice, you who offered yourself as a pure sacrifice to the Creator of all, whom you confessed before your tormentors;
Rejoice, Saint James, first Hierarch of Jerusalem and glorified Holy Martyr!
Kontakion 1
To you, most glorious Hierarch, Apostle of Christ, unshakeable pillar of the Church and Martyr, Holy James, most wise, called the brother of God Incarnate, we offer our praise as our swift intercessor and helper; for you, standing before the throne of the Most Holy Trinity, never cease to pray for us and, through your intercession, protect us from all troubles and needs, we who with faith honor your memory and cry out: Rejoice, Saint James, first Hierarch of Jerusalem and glorious Holy Martyr!
Prayer:
O Holy One of God, chosen and glorified Apostle, righteous James, brother of the Lord, you are the great high priest of the Holy City, our warm intercessor and defender, who stands before the throne of the Most Holy Trinity. Do not turn us away from your protection, but lift us up, we who are weighed down by many sins. You, as a Holy Hierarch, having the power to bind and loose, loose us also from the bonds of our wickedness and make us partakers, blessed one, through your prayers, of the love of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. Pray to Christ the Savior to make us worthy to complete our earthly journey without hindrance, and to inherit eternal and blessed life in heaven, where we will praise the indivisible Trinity together with you: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
