Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Christ is Risen!

Congratulations with the third Sunday of Easter, as well as the feast of the Myrrh-bearing Women!

If we would read the Gospels attentively, we would notice that each of the Evangelists offers a different list of women who came early Sunday morning to the sepulchre so as to anoint the dead body of the Saviour with ointment. Along with the women mentioned by the Evangelists, Church tradition adds the Most-Holy Mother of God and the sisters of Lazarus to the company of Myrrh-bearers. We could spend much time in studying the question of who really came to the tomb, but today we won’t do this. It is enough to notice that the Holy Apostle Luke adds to his list of Myrrh-bearers a note that there were others as well (Luke 24: 10). In such a way, we can come to the conclusion that there were quite a few women who served our Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly life, and that many of them came very early in the morning on Sunday, the first day of the week, to His grave.

Last week we heard the Gospel reading about the apostles hiding behind locked doors for an entire week, and about Christ Himself coming to them to encourage them and strengthen their faith. The apostles were as if paralyzed by fear and were unable to act. Today, with the Myrrh-bearing women, we see something quite different. Although they may have been frightened, the women put aside their fear and went very early in the morning to the tomb so as to serve their Lord. They didn’t hide, but acted in a decisive manner. As soon as Saturday, the Jewish day of rest, passed they came to serve.

Today, brothers and sisters, we have a choice – to be like the apostles or to try to emulate the myrrh-bearing women. Of course, few of us hide in a locked house, fearing death from the Jews, but after Great Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha, we are all exhausted from spiritual struggles. All of us wish to relax and rest. This is understandable, but we must not allow this natural need for rest to spiritually paralyze us. It is better to be like the myrrh-bearing women and to act for the sake of our crucified and risen Saviour. Therefore, on these bright and festive days, let us not forget to pray, read Holy Scriptures, attend church services, help our neighbours, fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, be attentive to our thoughts, and not waste time frivolously. Through the prayers of the holy myrrh-bearing women, may the Lord help us in this.

priest Alexis