Synaxarion for the Sunday of the Myrrhbearing Women

On this day, the third Sunday of Pascha, we celebrate the feast of the holy myrrh-bearing women. And we likewise keep the memory of Joseph of Arimathæa, who was a secret disciple, being one of the seventy. And to them we add Nicodemus, the nocturnal disciple, one of the princes [of the Jews], who came unto Christ.

Verses
The women disciples bear myrrh unto Christ.
And I bring them hymnody like myrrh.

Of these persons, the women were the true first witnesses to the resurrection, and Joseph and Nicodemus to His burial; and this is what is most important and substantive in our dogma. When Nicodemus resolved not to share the mind of the Jews, they cut him off from the Sanhedrin; and after the burial of the body of the Lord Joseph was cast into a dungeon by the Jews, but was delivered therefrom by divine power and went to his native town, Arimathæa. The risen Christ appeared to him when he was still in chains, and in a special way assured him of the mystery of the resurrection. Although he endured much at the hands of the Jews, yet did he not wish to remain silent concerning the mystery, and dared to proclaim it in the sight of many. They also say that Nicodemus was the first of all, as a member of the Sanhedrin and one who knew in great detail what was said, and that, simply put, he explained in detail in his writings what concerned the suffering and resurrection of Christ. And for this reason, as we have said, they also became, with the women who had beheld the resurrection, true witnesses to the burial, after, however, the original persuasion of Thomas; for this came before, since, he says, He came eight days later. These women were the first to behold the resurrection, and announced it to the disciples; for it was fitting that this sex—which was the first to fall into sin and became subject to the inherited curse—be the first also to behold the resurrection; that being the first to hear: “In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children”, it should be the first to hear the tidings of joy. They are called myrrh-bearers because at the approach of Passover, on Friday (for that Saturday was a great feast-day, which is why Joseph and Nicodemus made haste to bury the body of the Lord; they, following the custom of the Jews, and although they embalmed it with myrrh, did not do so as they ought; for, having brought together a large quantity of aloes and myrrh, and burial cloths, they committed it to the tomb); they for this reason, since they nurtured infinite love for Christ, the women disciples bought costly spices and went at night, in part out of fear of the Jews, in part following custom, very early in the morning, to weep and anoint Him, and thus, because of the brevity of time, to bring to completion what had already been done. At that time, when they arrived, they saw several things—two radiant angels inside the tomb, and one seated on the stone; and after this, they beheld Christ and worshipped Him; and the Magdalene questioned Him about Himself, taking Him to be a gardener. There were many myrrh-bearing women, but the Evangelists, mentioning only the most noteworthy, are silent concerning the rest. The following were the most noteworthy: first of all was Mary of Magdala, from whom Christ had driven seven devils. According to tradition, she, arriving in Rome after the ascension of Christ, related to Tiberius Cæsar all that had happened with Christ; and he therefore gave Pilate and the high priests over to the death they deserved. Later, she died in Ephesus and was buried by John the Theologian, and her relics were transferred to Constantinople by Leo the Wise. The second was Salome, the daughter of Joseph the Betrothed; she was married to Zebedee, and of her were born James and the Evangelist John. For Joseph begat four sons—James, known as the Less, Joses, Simon and Jude;—and three daughters—Esther, Tamar and Salome, the wife of Zebedee. Thus, if thou hearest in the Gospel of Mary, mother of James the Less and Joses, as- sume that this is the Theotokos, for she is treated as though she were the mother of the children of Joseph. In like manner is the Evangelist John also considered the kinsman of Christ, as the son of His [step]-sister. The third of the myrrh-bearers was Joanna, the wife of Chuza, who was the steward and overseer of the household of Herod the King. The fourth and fifth were Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus. The sixth was Mary of Cleopas. The seventh was Susanna; and there were very many others, as the divine Luke relateth, who, he saith, ministered unto Christ and His disciples as much as they could. And since they proclaimed the resurrection, they have passed on to us many dogmas to assure us of the resurrection of Christ and to establish it beyond doubt; for this, the Church of God instituted, after the commemoration of Thomas, a celebration of them, since they were the first who, having beheld Christ risen from the dead, announced to all the salvific tidings, led a beautiful Christian life, and were taught by Christ to such a measure as befitteth women. At the sup- plications of the holy myrrh-bearers, O God, have mercy upon us. Amen.

Translated from the Church Slavonic by Monk Joseph (Isaac) Lambertsen.
Copyright Lambertsen Foundation. All rights reserved.

Icon of the Myrrhbearing women from Saint Elisabeth Convent.