What do the holy myrrh-bearing wives pray for? Prayer to the Myrrh-Bearing Wives

On the fourteenth day after the bright holiday of Easter, we celebrate the Day of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, which is considered an Orthodox women's day. In 2019 it falls on May 12th.

In churches, prayers are read to the holy myrrh-bearing women. Believers remember those who followed Christ to the place of crucifixion on Golgotha, were the first to learn about the resurrection of the Savior and told other people about it.

Prayer to the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women:

“O holy myrrh-bearing wives, all-praised disciples of Christ! We, sinners and unworthy ones, now diligently run to you and pray with the tenderness of our hearts. You have loved the Sweetest Lord Jesus more than all earthly blessings, and through all your life you have followed Him well, nourishing your souls with His Divine teaching and grace and leading many people to the wonderful light of Christ. Ask us from Christ God for the grace that enlightens and sanctifies us, so that we may be overshadowed by it, in faith and piety, in the labors of love and self-sacrifice, and we will strive to serve Christ in His neighbors without laziness. O holy women! You lived vigilantly through the grace of God on earth and joyfully departed to the heavenly abode, flowing. Pray then to Christ the Savior, that we too may be vouchsafed to complete our earthly journey in this temporal world without stumbling, and to end our life in peace and repentance, so that in shrines on earth we will be vouchsafed eternal and blissful life in Heaven, and there with you and together with all the saints let us praise the Trinity, Consubstantial and Indivisible, and sing the one Divinity, the Father and the Son and the All-Holy Spirit, and we will be partakers of the true grace of God in the eternal days of His Kingdom forever and ever. Amen".

They also read another prayer to the myrrh-bearing wives:

“Oh Saints Martha and Mary and other holy myrrh-bearing women! Pray to the Sweetest Jesus, your Beloved and your beloved, Whom you have confessed to be Christ, the Son of God, to grant us, sinful servants of God (names), forgiveness of sins, unfeigned and firm standing in the right faith. Instill in our hearts the spirit of fear of God, humble trust in God, patience and mercy towards our neighbors. Deliver us with your prayers from the temptations of everyday life, troubles and misfortunes, so that after living a quiet and peaceful life here, with immaculate thoughts and a pure heart, we will appear at that Last Judgment, and having given a good answer to it, we will be honored with indescribable joy in the Kingdom of Heaven forever and ever.” .

Prayer to the holy myrrh-bearing wife Mary Magdalene.

“Oh, holy myrrh-bearer and all-praiseworthy equal-to-the-apostles disciple of Christ Mary Magdalene! To you, as the most faithful and powerful intercessor for us to God, we now diligently resort to sinners and unworthiness and in contrition of our hearts we pray. In your life you experienced the terrible wiles of demons, but by the grace of Christ you clearly freed them; and with your prayers deliver us from the snare of demons, so that in all our lives we may faithfully serve the one Holy Master God, as we were promised, in our deeds, words, thoughts and secret thoughts of our hearts. You have loved the sweetest Lord Jesus more than all the blessings of the earth, and you have followed this through all your good life; with His Divine teachings and grace you not only nourish your soul, but also bring many people from pagan darkness to Christ’s wonderful light: then we ask you knowingly: ask us Christ God has enlightening and sanctifying grace, so that we may be blessed by it in faith and piety, in the labors of love and self-sacrifice, so that those who earnestly strive to serve our neighbors in their spiritual and physical needs, remembering the example of your love for mankind. You, holy Mary, lived your life on earth cheerfully by the grace of God and peacefully departed to the heavenly abode: pray to Christ the Savior, that through your prayers He will grant us the ability to unfalteringly complete our journey in this vale of tears and in peace and repentance to end our life, so that Having lived in holiness on earth, we will be honored with eternal blissful life in heaven, and there with you and all the saints together we will praise the inseparable Trinity, we will glorify the One Divinity, the Father and the Son and the All-Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen".

Second prayer to Mary Magdalene:

“Oh, holy myrrh-bearer, equal to the apostles Mary Magdalene! You, with your warm love for Christ God, trampled the evil machinations of the enemy and found the priceless beads of Christ and reached the Kingdom of Heaven. For this reason, I fall to you and with a tender soul and a contrite heart I cry out to you, unworthy: look down from the heights of heaven upon me, who fight sinful temptations; see, since the enemy besets me with many sins and troubles every day, seeking my destruction. Glorious and all-praised disciple of Christ, Mary! Pray to your beloved and your loved one, Christ God, that He may grant me forgiveness of many of my sins, strengthen me with His grace to soberly and cheerfully walk the path of His holy commandments, and may He make me a fragrant temple of the Holy Spirit: so that in the world I will unashamedly end my arduous life on earth and will dwell in the bright and blissful abodes of heavenly paradise, where you, with all the saints, unceasingly joyfully glorify the one-substantial Trinity, the Father, the Son and the All-Holy Spirit. Amen".

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Pray with us, Myrrh-Bearing Women, Ask for forgiveness for us!

3rd week of Easter

Holy myrrh-bearing women: Mary Magdalene, Mary of Cleopas, Salome, Joanna, Martha and Mary, Susanna and others.

During the Savior’s earthly life, the holy myrrh-bearing women served Him a lot with their property and labors, and were honored to be the first to receive the good news of the Resurrection of the Lord. They are revered as prayer intercessors for Christian women.

O Saints Martha and Mary and other holy myrrh-bearing women! Pray to the Sweetest Jesus, your Beloved and your lover, Whom you have confessed to be Christ, the Son of God, to grant us, sinful servants of God (names), remission of sins, unfeigned and firm standing in the right faith. Instill in our hearts the spirit of fear of God, humble trust in God, patience and mercy towards our neighbors. Deliver us with your prayers from the temptations of everyday life, troubles and misfortunes, so that after living a quiet and peaceful life here, with immaculate thoughts and a pure heart, we will appear at that Last Judgment, and having given a good answer to it, we will be honored with indescribable joy in the Kingdom of Heaven forever and ever.

The image of these women has become a collective one, so on this holiday they congratulate all the women of the world, glorify women’s sacrifice, fidelity and devotion, as well as pure faith and bright, selfless love.

Myrrh-bearing women - who are they and how to pray to them?

Although the first sinner on earth was a woman, many representatives of the fairer sex became revered in the Orthodox faith. One can talk about their exploits for the love of the Lord God for a long time. A special place in the Orthodox Church is occupied by myrrh-bearing women, who, fearing nothing, followed Christ.

Myrrh-Bearing Women - who are they?

The women who were the first after Saturday to come to the Tomb of Jesus Christ, who was resurrected, bringing him aromas and incense (myrrh) for the ritual anointing of the body are the myrrh-bearing women. The seven women spoken of in various scriptures were faithful to Jesus Christ to the end, and they did not run away like the disciples and apostles, leaving the Son of God to die on the Cross. Finding out who they are, the myrrh-bearing women, it is worth saying that they were not afraid to turn to Pontius Pilate so that he would allow him to take the body of Jesus for burial.

According to existing legends, early in the morning of the third day, the women came to the burial place with a prepared world. They were not afraid of guards and arrest, and therefore were rewarded by being the first to learn and see the Resurrection of Christ. At first, the myrrh-bearing women did not believe what had happened, since Jesus was resurrected in another body, but when they heard his voice, they were convinced of the miracle. The story explaining what the myrrh-bearing women means is instructive in many ways. The main conclusion is that a loving heart is ready for much and even to overcome fear and death.

Myrrh-Bearing Women - names

In fact, the evangelists name different women’s names, but as a result of the analysis carried out by experts and, taking into account the Holy Tradition, seven real persons can be identified. If you are interested in the names of the myrrh-bearing women, then remember the following names: Mary Magdalene, Mary of Cleopas, Salome, Joanna, Mary, Martha and Susanna. Each woman had her own unique life story, but they were brought together by a great love for the Lord God. There is no reliable information about other myrrh-bearing wives.

Lives of the Myrrh-Bearing Women

The Church presents the generally accepted lives of seven important women in Orthodoxy:

1. Mary Magdalene. Before she met Christ, the woman led a sinful life, because of which seven demons settled in her. When the Savior expelled them, Mary repented and followed him, serving Him and the holy apostles. Based on the large number of references to this myrrh-bearing wife, we can conclude that she stood out among others for her faith and devotion.
2. Joanna. Many holy myrrh-bearing women came to the Son of God after he performed some miracle, so Joanna followed Christ when he healed her dying son. Before this, she was a rich woman who did not follow the commandments of the Lord.
3. Salome. According to church traditions, she was the daughter of the holy righteous Joseph the Betrothed. She gave birth to the apostles James and John.
4. Maria Kleopova. It is believed that this woman is the mother of the Apostle James Alpheus and the Evangelist Matthew.
5. Susanna. When figuring out who the myrrh-bearing women are, it is worth noting that not a lot of information is known about all women, for example, Susanna is mentioned once in a passage by the Apostle Luke, in which he talks about how Jesus traveled through cities to preach. Susanna was one of the wives who accompanied him. There is no other information about her.
6. Martha and Mary. These are sisters who also had a brother - Saint Lazarus the Four-Days. They believed in Christ even before his resurrection. The Church believes that Mary was the woman who poured a pound of pure precious ointment on the head of Jesus, thereby preparing his body for burial.

How does the icon of the Myrrh-Bearing Woman help?

There are several icons that depict great women. They can be found in churches and bought for home iconostasis. Many are interested in what the myrrh-bearing wives pray for, and so the icons are an inspiration for praying women to perform feats of fidelity, peace and love. Before the image, you can ask for forgiveness for your sins, strengthening your faith and getting rid of existing temptations. Icons help to find a quiet and righteous life.

Myrrh-Bearing Women - prayer

Since great women for the Orthodox Church performed feats in the name of love for the Lord, prayer appeals are offered to them, just like to saints. The prayer to the myrrh-bearing women is a request that holy women ask before the Lord for deliverance from sins and forgiveness. They turn to them to find love for Christ, as they themselves did. Regular prayer requests help soften and tender the heart.

Myrrh-Bearing Women – Orthodoxy

According to church canons, the day dedicated to holy women is analogous to March 8. The Week of the Myrrh-Bearing Women begins after Easter on the third week; it is worth pointing out that the word “week” means Sunday. On this holiday, women in ancient times always took communion, and then cheerful celebrations were held. The Holy Fathers say about myrrh-bearing wives that every woman on Earth is awarded such a title, since she brings peace to her family, gives birth to children and is the keeper of the hearth.

Myrrh-Bearing Women in the Modern World

Orthodoxy glorifies completely different qualities of women, for example, devotion, sacrifice, love, faith, and so on. Many have chosen a different path for themselves, focusing on other values, for example, fame, money, indifference, but there are exceptions. You can find many stories about how modern myrrh-bearing women glorify the Lord and live a righteous life. This includes nurses, volunteers, mothers of many children, whose love is enough not only for their children, but also for everyone in need, and other women who live for the benefit of others.

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What do the holy myrrh-bearing women pray for?

On the fourteenth day after the bright holiday of Easter, we celebrate the Day of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, which is considered an Orthodox women's day. In 2018 it falls on April 22.

In churches, prayers are read to the holy myrrh-bearing women. Believers remember those who followed Christ to the place of crucifixion on Golgotha, were the first to learn about the resurrection of the Savior and told other people about it.

Prayer to the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women:

“O holy myrrh-bearing wives, all-praised disciples of Christ! We, sinners and unworthy ones, now diligently run to you and pray with the tenderness of our hearts. You have loved the Sweetest Lord Jesus more than all earthly blessings, and through all your life you have followed Him well, nourishing your souls with His Divine teaching and grace and leading many people to the wonderful light of Christ. Ask us from Christ God for the grace that enlightens and sanctifies us, so that we may be overshadowed by it, in faith and piety, in the labors of love and self-sacrifice, and we will strive to serve Christ in His neighbors without laziness. O holy women! You lived vigilantly through the grace of God on earth and joyfully departed to the heavenly abode, flowing. Pray then to Christ the Savior, that we too may be vouchsafed to complete our earthly journey in this temporal world without stumbling, and to end our life in peace and repentance, so that in shrines on earth we will be vouchsafed eternal and blissful life in Heaven, and there with you and together with all the saints let us praise the Trinity, Consubstantial and Indivisible, and sing the one Divinity, the Father and the Son and the All-Holy Spirit, and we will be partakers of the true grace of God in the eternal days of His Kingdom forever and ever. Amen".

They also read another prayer to the myrrh-bearing wives:

“Oh Saints Martha and Mary and other holy myrrh-bearing women! Pray to the Sweetest Jesus, your Beloved and your beloved, Whom you have confessed to be Christ, the Son of God, to grant us, sinful servants of God (names), forgiveness of sins, unfeigned and firm standing in the right faith. Instill in our hearts the spirit of fear of God, humble trust in God, patience and mercy towards our neighbors. Deliver us with your prayers from the temptations of everyday life, troubles and misfortunes, so that after living a quiet and peaceful life here, with immaculate thoughts and a pure heart, we will appear at that Last Judgment, and having given a good answer to it, we will be honored with indescribable joy in the Kingdom of Heaven forever and ever.” .

Prayer to the holy myrrh-bearing wife Mary Magdalene.

“Oh, holy myrrh-bearer and all-praiseworthy equal-to-the-apostles disciple of Christ Mary Magdalene! To you, as the most faithful and powerful intercessor for us to God, we now diligently resort to sinners and unworthiness and in contrition of our hearts we pray. In your life you experienced the terrible wiles of demons, but by the grace of Christ you clearly freed them; and with your prayers deliver us from the snare of demons, so that in all our lives we may faithfully serve the one Holy Master God, as we were promised, in our deeds, words, thoughts and secret thoughts of our hearts. You have loved the sweetest Lord Jesus more than all the blessings of the earth, and you have followed this through all your good life; with His Divine teachings and grace you not only nourish your soul, but also bring many people from pagan darkness to Christ’s wonderful light: then we ask you knowingly: ask us Christ God has enlightening and sanctifying grace, so that we may be blessed by it in faith and piety, in the labors of love and self-sacrifice, so that those who earnestly strive to serve our neighbors in their spiritual and physical needs, remembering the example of your love for mankind. You, holy Mary, lived your life on earth cheerfully by the grace of God and peacefully departed to the heavenly abode: pray to Christ the Savior, that through your prayers He will grant us the ability to unfalteringly complete our journey in this vale of tears and in peace and repentance to end our life, so that Having lived in holiness on earth, we will be honored with eternal blissful life in heaven, and there with you and all the saints together we will praise the inseparable Trinity, we will glorify the One Divinity, the Father and the Son and the All-Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen".

Second prayer to Mary Magdalene:

“Oh, holy myrrh-bearer, equal to the apostles Mary Magdalene! You, with your warm love for Christ God, trampled the evil machinations of the enemy and found the priceless beads of Christ and reached the Kingdom of Heaven. For this reason, I fall to you and with a tender soul and a contrite heart I cry out to you, unworthy: look down from the heights of heaven upon me, who fight sinful temptations; see, since the enemy besets me with many sins and troubles every day, seeking my destruction. Glorious and all-praised disciple of Christ, Mary! Pray to your beloved and your loved one, Christ God, that He may grant me forgiveness of many of my sins, strengthen me with His grace to soberly and cheerfully walk the path of His holy commandments, and may He make me a fragrant temple of the Holy Spirit: so that in the world I will unashamedly end my arduous life on earth and will dwell in the bright and blissful abodes of heavenly paradise, where you, with all the saints, unceasingly joyfully glorify the one-substantial Trinity, the Father, the Son and the All-Holy Spirit. Amen".

Myrrh-Bearing Women

Troparion, tone 2

An angel appeared to the myrrh-bearing women at the tomb crying / peace befits the dead / Christ appeared alien to corruption. / But cry: the Lord is risen, grant great mercy to the world.

Kontakion, tone 2

Thou didst command the myrrh-bearing women to rejoice, Thou didst assuage the tears of the foremother Eve with Thy resurrection, O Christ God, and Thou didst command Thy apostles to preach: The Savior is risen from the grave.

Prayer to the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women.

O Saints Martha and Mary and other holy myrrh-bearing women! Pray to the Sweetest Jesus, your Beloved and your lover, Whom you have confessed to be Christ, the Son of God, to grant us, sinful servants of God (names), remission of sins, unfeigned and firm standing in the right faith. Instill in our hearts the spirit of fear of God, humble trust in God, patience and mercy towards our neighbors. Deliver us with your prayers from the temptations of everyday life, troubles and misfortunes, so that after living a quiet and peaceful life here, with immaculate thoughts and a pure heart, we will appear at that Last Judgment, and having given a good answer to it, we will be honored with indescribable joy in the Kingdom of Heaven forever and ever. Amen.

Myrrh-Bearing Women- these are the same women who, out of love for the Savior Jesus Christ, received Him in their homes, and later followed Him to the place of crucifixion at Golgotha. They were witnesses of Christ's suffering on the cross. It was they who, early on Sunday morning, hurried to the Holy Sepulcher to anoint the body of Christ with myrrh, as was the custom of the Jews. It was they, the myrrh-bearing women, who were the first to know that Christ had risen. For the first time after his death on the cross, the Savior appeared to a woman - Mary Magdalene. The authors of the Gospels - the apostles - tell us their names: Mary Magdalene, Mary - the mother of the Apostle James of the 70s, Salome - the mother of the Apostles James and John Zebedee, Joanna - the wife of Chuza.

The Holy Tradition of the Church also speaks of Mary and Martha, Mary of Cleopas and Susanna. These women entered hymnography and liturgical texts under the general name of myrrh-bearing women.

Women, going to the coffin, argue, “who will roll away the stone from the coffin.” Before their arrival, as a result of the descent of the Angel, an earthquake occurs, which rolls away the stone and plunges the guards into fear. The angel tells the wives that Christ has risen and will meet them in Galilee. The Gospel of John, at the latest, especially emphasizes that Mary Magdalene came to the tomb first - “on the Sabbath alone, Mary Magdalene came in the morning, while darkness was still present...”. Returning to the apostles Peter and John, she says: “We do not know where they laid Him” (John 20:2) (in the Synodal translation in the plural, that is, she did not walk alone).

After the apostles Peter and John left, Mary Magdalene remained at the tomb. She thought that the body had been stolen and cried. At this time, Christ appeared to her, whom she at first mistook for a gardener and asks her to inform the disciples about His resurrection. Then, according to Matthew, Mary, returning with the gospel to the disciples, meets the second Mary, and Christ appears a second time, commanding him to again inform all the disciples about the resurrection. The apostles, when they heard about the resurrection of Jesus, did not believe. According to Church Tradition, Jesus appeared first not to Magdalene, but to his mother, Mary. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus appeared to all the myrrh-bearing women at once (Matthew 28:9-10).

In the Orthodox Church, the third week after Easter is called the Week of the Myrrh-Bearing Women - the day of remembrance of these holy women. This day, as well as the week after it, is a church women's holiday, when relatives, friends and children congratulate their close women - spouses, mothers, sisters.

This holiday has been especially revered in Rus' since ancient times. Noble ladies, rich merchant women, poor peasant women led strictly pious lives and lived in faith. The main feature of Russian righteousness is the special, purely Russian type, chastity of Christian marriage as a great Sacrament. The only wife of the only husband is the life ideal of Orthodox Rus'. The Russian wife has always been faithful, quiet, merciful, meekly patient, and all-forgiving.

The Holy Church honors many Christian women as saints. We see their images on the icons - the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia, the holy venerable Mary of Egypt and many, many other holy martyrs and saints, the righteous and blessed, equal to the apostles and confessors.

Every woman must become a myrrh-bearer in life - maintain peace in her family, be a helper and support to her husband, show sacrificial love through the birth and upbringing of children, and through all this save her soul for eternal life with God.

Myrrh-Bearers

The memory is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday after Easter. The Orthodox Church celebrates this day as a holiday for all Christian women.

Myrrh-bearers - bearers of myrrh. These are the women who, on the night of the Resurrection of Christ, hurried to the Holy Sepulcher with peace in their hands, in order, according to Eastern custom, to pour fragrant aromas on the lifeless Body of their Divine Teacher.

But it was not on this night of the Resurrection of Christ and not on the previous day that this community of myrrh-bearing women was created and united. We know from the pages of the Holy Gospel that when the Lord the Savior went around towns and villages with His preaching, a crowd of people always gathered around Him. There were people who came up, listened and left. But among this people, in addition to the chosen apostles of Christ, the Lord Savior was always accompanied by a group of women. At first there were few of them, but later their number grew. They accompanied their Divine Teacher not only in order to learn from the words coming from the mouth of Christ, but also so that, due to their ever-increasing love for Him, they could serve the Lord with everything they could. They took care of the Lord Jesus Christ's lodgings, His food and drink. They, says the holy evangelist, served the Lord “with their substance” (Luke 8:3), with their property. For the work of caring for the Savior, they brought what they had in their homes.

Not all the names of these myrrh-bearing women are known to us. Evangelists and Holy Tradition have preserved a number of names for us: Mary Magdalene, Mary - the mother of James the less and Josiah, Salome, Joanna, Martha and Mary - sisters of Lazarus, Susanna and others. Among them were rich and noble women: Joanna was the wife of Khuza, the housekeeper of King Herod; simple and humble: Salome, the mother of Zebedee's sons James and John, was a fisherman's wife. Among the myrrh-bearers there were single women - virgins and widows; there were also mothers of families who, being carried away by the word of the preaching of the Lord the Savior, left their families, their homes, accompanying the Lord along with other women in caring for Him.

“And it is not so surprising,” says St. John Chrysostom, reflecting on the feat of the myrrh-bearing women, “that they became attached with their hearts to the Lord Savior in those days when, through the shroud of His humility and humiliation, the Divine glory appeared in His miracles, when the still unheard of sermon on earth. But for our thoughts it is amazing to see them not wavering in their love for the Lord, when He, tormented, spat upon, was betrayed to death.”

The myrrh-bearing women stood at the foot of the cross of Christ, shedding tears of compassion and comforting the weeping Mother of God as best they could. And even in the last minutes of Christ’s earthly life, when both the Mother of God and Saint John the Theologian departed from the cross, the holy women did not depart from the Crucified Savior. Together with Nicodemus and Joseph, secret disciples of Christ, they took part in the burial of their teacher. And they saw how this burial, which was carried out hastily in view of the approach of the Passover holiday, was not completed with the pouring of aromas on the lifeless Body of the dear deceased.

They spent the blessed Saturday worrying about whether they would have time on Saturday evening, at the end of the holiday, to purchase myrrh and other aromas and complete what was unfinished: to pour the aromas on the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ.

You all know, my dears - and we remember this on the days of Holy Easter - that the Lord Savior, as a reward for this devoted, selfless love of the myrrh-bearing women, was the first to appear to them after His Resurrection and, appearing, said to them: “Rejoice!” (Matthew 28:9). With these words, He announced to them what awaited them not only in the remaining days of their earthly life - about the joy of living with their Lord in their hearts, but also about the eternal joy that awaits them at the end of their earthly journey.

Our Church reveres these myrrh-bearing women as saints for their feat of love, and, as saints, we offer our prayers on this day, asking that by praying for us before the Throne of God they will help us, sinners, to make our way to eternal salvation and inspired us to the same feat.

The holy myrrh-bearing women, by their example, tell us about what love for the Lord should be. True love is not a short-term impulse of our heart. It is constant, strong and never diminishes. It is unchangeable in joy, well-being, happiness, and burns with the same fire in the heart of every true Christian in moments of sorrow, in days of trials, in times of illness. We should not be like those about whom the Savior said in His parable: “For a time they believe, but in time of temptation they fall away” (cf. Luke 8:13).

The love of the myrrh-bearing women we glorified was equally flaming both when the Lord performed miracles and the people glorified Him as the Great Miracle Worker, and when, humiliated and beaten, the Lord died on the cross under the angry cries of soldiers and crowds, and when the lifeless Body lay in coffin

The holy myrrh-bearing women, in the name of love for the Lord, sacrificed all those fears and dangers that accompanied them under the cover of night, when they hurried to the dear tomb of the departed Savior. Love does not exist without sacrifices. True love is always sacrificial love. Don't we see this even in our ordinary life? A mother, spending long sleepless nights at the bedside of a sick child, doesn’t she sacrifice her rest and her health in the name of love for her child?

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Tireless wives! Sleep was not given to the eyes and eyelids until they found the Beloved! And the men seem to rest their feet: they go to the coffin, see it empty, and remain at a loss as to what this means, because they have not seen Himself. But does this mean that they had less love than their wives? No, here was reasoning love, afraid of error because of the high price of love and its subject. When they saw and touched, then each of them confessed not with his tongue, like Thomas, but with his heart: “My Lord and my God,” and nothing could separate them from the Lord.

The myrrh-bearers and the apostles are an image of two sides of our life: feelings and reasoning. Without feeling, life is not life; without reasoning, life is blind, it wastes a lot, but produces little healthy fruit. We need to combine both. Let the feeling move forward and excite; let reasoning determine the time, place, method, and in general the everyday structure of what the heart hints to do. Inwardly the heart moves forward, but in practice it is reasoning. When the feelings become trained in the reasoning of good and evil, then, perhaps, it will be possible to rely on the heart alone; just as shoots, flowers and fruits come of themselves from a living tree, so from the heart only goodness begins to arise, intelligently invested throughout our life.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

We celebrate today the day of the holy myrrh-bearing women, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. They are barely mentioned in the Gospel until the Passion Days, when Christ was betrayed, taken, abandoned, crucified, killed. But at this time they suddenly appear.

There were no apostles at the cross. Judas hanged himself. And only John stood with the Mother of God, because he was an apostle of love, just as the Mother of God was love incarnate, an expression of all love for God and all Divine love for us, people.

And when the victory of evil over Christ was apparently won, when He was betrayed and crucified, when He died as if irrevocably defeated, then Joseph and Nicodemus appeared, who turned out to be faithful to Him not only in the days of His teaching, but in the days of His defeat. A seeming but obvious defeat, which no one could doubt, and which only love and loyalty to the end could defeat.

And so the question arises before each of us. We know that Christ has won the victory. We cannot become like either the myrrh-bearing women, or Joseph of Arimathea, or Nicodemus in the sense that we cannot return, even with our imagination, to the terrible days of the seeming defeat of the Savior.

He told us: what you did to the smallest, most insignificant person, you did for Me. And we all, without exception, are constantly amazed. We strive for good, and fall away from good; we believe in good and betray good; we strive with all our might to be worthy of the human title, and we fail.

And in these moments, and they happen constantly in our midst, in the midst of all humanity, we must think about the myrrh-bearing women, think about Joseph of Arimathea, about Nicodemus, and stand like a solid rock, supporting each other. “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ,” says the Apostle Paul.

If we don’t bear each other’s burdens, if we don’t do our best to support each other, if we don’t constantly, thoughtfully, generously treat each other, precisely in moments when it seems to us that our loved one, our friend, is not worthy neither ourselves nor our friendship, we will not fulfill the law of Christ.

Let's think about ourselves and about every person who is around us, about those closest to us and about chance encounters. Let's think about human fragility, how easy it is to slip and fall. And in the moment of defeat we will remain faithful to the end. We will not change with a loving heart and we will not turn away out of fear. And then, indeed, by bearing each other’s burdens, we will fulfill the law of Christ. Then we will enter the host of myrrh-bearing women, unite with Joseph and Nicodemus, and remain with those who throughout the life of mankind were not ashamed of the defeated, did not turn away from the fallen, were God’s love and God’s providence.

On the week of the Myrrh-Bearing Women. Sermon

Archpriest Vasily Ermakov

Christ is Risen! Moved by love for Their Teacher, the myrrh-bearing women were the first to go to the tomb, ahead of the disciples. And what: an empty cave appeared to their women’s eyes, they saw two angels sitting at the tomb, who announced to them about the resurrection of the Lord Savior... For almost 2000 years, this truth of faith has been proclaimed to the human race. And this day... can be called a great day, the day of the myrrh-bearing women. Not on that woman’s humiliated, spit-stained, insulting March 8th Day, on which the crazy world shouts to the humiliated woman: “This is your freedom, this is the goal of your life.” They also shout to us men: “Let them rest and have fun.” What a cynical, humiliating holiday. You, like me, are people of the old generation, and think: “What does this far-fetched holiday give for the purpose of life, and especially for the female soul?” What does it give? That was back then. At work there is widespread drunkenness, some modest gifts and some flattering, sugary slogans and words. And she, a Soviet woman, a poor poor thing, goes to her house, where no one is waiting for her, only children, carrying something in her purse, beaten down by the grief of earthly life.

But our holiday, the holiday of the myrrh-bearing women, it inspires, it supports, it strengthens, it says: “The purpose of a woman’s earthly life is to preach about Christ the Savior” - the Good News. So that she would be completely devoted to God, our long-suffering Russian passion-bearer, daughter of Russia. This is her eternal purpose, this is her holy, God-ordained path of earthly existence, this is why not a single woman in the world has been given that great omnipotent, incomprehensible to the Western world, power of grace. Why do we, deceived, humiliated, insulted by life, so joyfully, patiently, without shouting, like those mad demonstrators, bear the cross for our Fatherland - for our crazy husbands, fathers, grandfathers, those who sought to destroy Orthodoxy, destroy Mother Russia , Holy Rus'...

Everything was aimed precisely at killing in a Russian woman faith, modesty, bashfulness, patience, hope not in human, but in God’s help. Everything was directed and everything was done to seduce with this dirty holiday of the past, so that she would forget the thousand-year history of her not earthly, but Divine purpose - preaching about Christ, the annunciation of eternity, and giving the world new disciples of faith and Orthodoxy.

The Western world did not like this greatest feat and still does not like it. That is why they poured, are pouring on us all the evil spirits of that terrible music, that pornography, that shamelessness in which they themselves were defiled, smeared, toiled in this mud of lies and they bring it to us from the West. We see them: both literature and broadcasts. Especially this dirt will not touch you and me morally, but our children, and our grandchildren, a girl’s pure, fragile soul? She yearns for this dirt and, not obeying the tearful appeal, the cry of mothers and grandmothers: “don’t go, don’t look, don’t leave,” she casually waves at our words with her young gaze running to nowhere, and off she goes...

Before the war, everything was aimed at destroying the Soviet woman, who was still fragile at that time. This is a red scarf, leather jackets, boots, life without a family, and so on. And then the thunder of war forced them to come to their senses, look back, and when they saw, even in our city, how children were dying in their arms, how they died from bombing, from hunger, how refugees into the occupation, into the cold, into hunger were dragged by the hand 2 -3-year-old children... Here is payment, terrible, bloody payment to the Moloch of demonism for the fact that they, perhaps, went to dances in churches at that time. Because that leadership was entirely aimed at ensuring that pre-war youth danced in church buildings and clubs. We know this from experience, and now the reckoning has come.

Also in the post-war period: someone looked around, someone looked back, someone returned, found the way to the temple of God, to Christ. And someone said: “Well, thank God, the war is over, now life will become easier” - but how can it be easier to live without understanding? “Let’s forget God, we won’t go to church. We will earn a pension." I am a living witness to this, I heard this while serving in St. Nicholas Cathedral. And again the payment is the payment from the time of Brezhnev, and even now: a miserable pension and so on, the humiliated, slavish position of grandmothers. What you sow is what you reap.

And the one who followed God then, who, despite all the seductive propaganda, walked to Christ, now lives, rejoices, triumphs, and is already at the age of 80 walking towards the eternal threshold of life. This is life, this is the path of every Christian, and especially a believing woman, a myrrh-bearing woman, a evangelist woman, a crusader woman, a woman who staunchly stands for Russian Orthodoxy, who does not give in, who does not run to spit-stained stadiums, who does not listen to the false preaching of the West, those foreigners who shout at us in an incomprehensible language that we do not know Christ. Don't we know how to pray? That we have forgotten Christ? Why have we not had God in our lives during this 1000-year history? They climb, they sneak, they brazenly break into the house of our Orthodox soul. It is your child’s feat to say: “Don’t listen, don’t walk, don’t meddle, don’t talk. You will live in the conditions in which we lived. Why don’t you want to listen to us: a simple, spiritually literate Russian woman, Orthodox, as I tell you about Christ?” They don’t listen, they shamelessly, silently contemplate. They penetrate into our consciousness, into our Rus', into our situation. And no one will courageously exclaim, scream with the voice of the truth of Orthodoxy. Because you yourself don’t know your native faith. You yourself do not visit the temple of God, you yourself do not fulfill that church prescription of the discipline of fasting and prayer. So, what can a mute say? But only with a nod, agreeing that he is both deaf and dumb, and does not hear, and does not understand.

And so, if every daughter of Orthodoxy, a daughter of Russia, follows Christ, firmly confessing her Orthodoxy, says to her bright ones - and you know how to speak, our Russian women - with a word of truth, all the evil spirits of the West will depart. This bastion of your prayer, your word of God’s truth must come from your lips, from your heart, from your mind - fortunately, today there are all the conditions, there are all the possibilities and the field of activity. It is beyond the threshold of the temple to protect our native Holy Rus' with the word of truth. So that they feel this in the heart of a Russian woman, a Christian woman. We still have time... And this, my dear ones, must be preserved, must be carried, and so that the world of the West with its lies does not approach us, and all lies are broken against the solid armor of Orthodoxy, faith, strength and patience. This is what the holiday is about, what we so joyfully proclaim to the world on the glorious days of Holy Easter, when our lips say: “Christ is risen!” - “Truly Christ is risen”! So let each of our Russian women proclaim the great power of God’s truth.

Love and loyalty

The second week of Easter has already passed, and today is the third Easter “week” (Sunday), which in the Orthodox liturgical Calendar is entitled “Week of Myrrh-Bearing Women” (i.e. “Week of Women Bearing Myrrh”). The names of seven women known to us from the gospel narrative, who are traditionally ranked among the “myrrh-bearers,” are also listed here.

This is Mary Magdalene, healed by Jesus Christ from a terrible illness; Maria Kle O poba, mother of Jacob and Josiah; Salome, wife of the fisherman Zebedee and mother of the apostles James and John the Theologian; Joanna, wife of Chuza, steward of King Herod Antipas; Martha and Mary, sisters of Lazarus, a close friend of Jesus Christ, whom He raised from the dead shortly before His ceremonial Entry into Jerusalem; and also Susanna, about whom we know nothing. The evangelists also mention “many other” women from Galilee who served Jesus and came with Him to Jerusalem for His last Passover. But history has not even preserved their names for us.

The myrrh-bearers, these simple women, not distinguished by either nobility or education, often accompanied Jesus Christ and His disciples on missionary journeys, hosted them, trying to help with everything that a caring housewife and mother could help. Without a doubt, they understood even less than the apostles (before the Day of Pentecost) the ultimate meaning of the coming and saving acts of the Messiah-Christ: for them He was, first of all, the son of their early widowed friend Mary, who chose the difficult and thankless path of a wandering teacher ( rabbi). But they surpassed the apostles in their love and loyalty. Let us remember that the future pillars of the Church, considering the cause of their Teacher “lost,” fled in fear from the night Garden of Gethsemane and did not even honor the last minutes of His earthly life at Golgotha. Of these, only the young Apostle John remained at the foot of the Cross, not caring for fears of his own safety. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. He who fears is not perfect in love,” he would later write (1 John 4:18).

Standing at the Place of Execution and looking at the terrible torment of the Crucified One, the myrrh-bearing women consoled the unfortunate Mother, who was in a semi-fainting state, and then led a modest funeral procession to the cave (Matt. 27:61). Like everyone else, they were forced to observe the festive Sabbath rest and could not wait to pay the last debt of love to the son of their grief-stricken friend - to anoint His tormented body with fragrant and embalming substances (myrrh), thereby completing the task of a hasty burial on the eve of the Jewish Easter. With these incense they went in the pre-dawn darkness to the Tomb, not yet knowing that a great reward awaited them there - to be the first to hear from the angels about the Resurrection of the Savior and to announce this incredible joy to the apostles (Luke 24:22-23). This is a reward for love and loyalty, higher than which there is nothing in the world. It is not surprising that the day of the Myrrh-Bearing Women is often called the holiday of the Christian Woman.

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Oh, holy apostles of Christ: Peter and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, James and Jude, Simon and Matthew! Hear our prayers and sighs, now offered by our contrite hearts, and help us, the servants of God (names), by your omnipotent intercession before the Lord, get rid of all evil and enemy flattery, but firmly preserve the Orthodox faith that you have devoted, in it, through your intercession, we will neither be wounded, nor reprimanded, nor pestilence, nor belittled by any wrath from our Creator, but we will live peacefully here life and be worthy to see good things on the land of the living, glorifying the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the One in the Trinity, glorified and worshiped God, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Celebration on the 3rd Sunday of Easter

Oh, Saints Martha and Mary and other holy myrrh-bearing women! Pray to the Sweetest Jesus, Who is beloved by you and who loves you, Whom you have confessed to be Christ, the Son of God, that He may also give to us, sinful servants of God. (names), forgiveness of sins, unfeigned and firm standing in the right faith. Instill in our hearts the spirit of fear of God, humble trust in God, patience and mercy towards our neighbors. Deliver us with your prayers from the temptations of everyday life, troubles and misfortunes, so that after living a quiet and peaceful life here, with immaculate thoughts and a pure heart, we will appear at that Last Judgment, and having given a good answer to it, we will be honored with indescribable joy in the Kingdom of Heaven forever and ever.

Oh, sacred duo, holy martyrs of Christ Adrian and Natalia, blessed spouses and good sufferers! Hear us praying to you with tears (names), and send down upon us all that is good for our souls and bodies, and pray to Christ God to have mercy on us and to deal with us according to His mercy, so that we do not perish in our sins. Hey, holy martyrs! Receive the voice of our prayer, and deliver us with your prayers from famine, destruction, cowardice, flood, fire, hail, sword, invasion of foreigners and internecine warfare, from sudden death and from all troubles, sorrows and illnesses, so that we may be forever strengthened by your prayers and intercession Let us glorify the Lord Jesus Christ; to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, together with His beginningless Father and the Most Holy Spirit, forever and ever.

Quick helper to all those who diligently come running to you and our warm representative before the Lord, holy and faithful Grand Duke Alexandra! Look mercifully upon me, unworthy, for the many iniquities that your servant has committed are indecent (Name), now flowing to the race of your relics (to your holy icon) and calling out to you from the depths of your heart. In your life you were a zealot and defender of the Orthodox faith: and strengthen us in it with your warm, unshakable prayers to God. You carefully carried out the great service entrusted to you: and with your help, instruct us to abide in what we are called to eat. You, having defeated the regiments of the adversary, drove him away from the borders of Russia: and overthrew all visible and invisible enemies who took up arms against us. You, having abandoned the corruptible crown of the earthly kingdom, have chosen a silent life, and now you are righteously crowned with an incorruptible crown in heaven: intercede for us, we humbly pray to you, for a quiet and serene life, and arrange for us a steady procession to the eternal Kingdom through your intercession. Standing with all the saints at the throne of God, praying for all Orthodox Christians, may the Lord God preserve them with His grace in peace, health, long life and all prosperity in the coming years, may we ever glorify and bless God in the Trinity of the Most Glorified, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Oh, sacred head, earthly angel and heavenly man, reverend and God-bearing Father Alexandra, great servant of the Most Holy and Consubstantial Trinity, show many mercies to those living in your holy monastery and to all who flow to you with faith and love! Ask us for all the good we need for this temporary life, and even more so for our eternal salvation: help us through your intercession, servant of God, so that the holy Orthodox Church of Christ may abide deeply in peace, and the Fatherland is founded in prosperity, indestructible in all piety: be unto us all, miracle-working saint, a quick helper in every sorrow and situation: especially at the hour of our death, a merciful intercessor appeared to us, so that we may not be betrayed in the ordeals of the air to the power of the evil ruler of the world, but may we be honored with a stumbling-free ascension into the Kingdom of Heaven. Hey, Father, our dear prayer book! Do not disgrace our hope, but always about us, the servants of God (names), intercede before the throne of the Life-Giving Trinity, so that we may be worthy, together with you and with all the saints, even if we are unworthy, in the villages of paradise to glorify the greatness, grace and mercy of the one God in the Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

Oh, most honorable and sacred head and filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, the abode of the Savior with the Father, great bishop, our warm intercessor, Saint Alexis! Standing at the throne of all the King, and enjoying the light of the Consubstantial Trinity, and with the cherubic angels proclaiming the trisagion hymn, having great and unexplored boldness towards the All-Merciful Master, Praying to save the people of your flock, your only begotten tongue: help in battles: establish the well-being of the holy churches: bishops Decorate with the splendor of holiness: strengthen the monastics to the feat of the good trend: preserve this city (this holy monastery) and all cities and countries well, and beg to preserve the holy, immaculate faith: pacify the whole world through your intercession, deliver us from famine and destruction, and from the attacks of foreigners preserve: comfort the old, guide the young, make the fools wise, have mercy on the widows, stand for the orphans, grow up the babies, bring back the captives, heal the infirm, and everywhere warmly calling you and flowing with faith to the race of the honest and many of your healing relics, diligently falling down and praying to you, Free us from all misfortunes and troubles through your intercession, and let us call to you: Rejoice, God-chosen shepherd, star of the all-bright mental firmament, invincible pillar of the heavenly Zion, peace-inspired color, adornment of all Russia! Pray for us (names) the all-generous and philanthropic Christ our God, and on the day of His terrible coming He will deliver us from this place, and He will create the joys of the saints as partakers with all the saints forever and ever. Amen.

Personal petition

Oh, great bishop, our warm intercessor, Saint Alexis! Hear us praying to you (names), and beg Christ God to have mercy on us and do with us according to His mercy, give (contents of the petition) and perception of eternal blessings.

Oh, great servant of Christ, holy man of God Alexis, with your soul in heaven stand before the throne of the Lord, and on earth, given to you from above by grace, perform various miracles! Look mercifully at the upcoming holy icon of your people (names), tenderly praying and asking for your help and intercession. Stretch out your honest hand in prayer to the Lord God and ask Him for forgiveness of our sins, voluntary and involuntary, healing for the afflicted, intercession for the afflicted, consolation for the grieving, ambulance for the needy, and for all who honor your peaceful and Christian death and a good answer at the Last Judgment Christ. To her, servant of God, do not disgrace our hope, which we place in you according to God and the Mother of God, but be our helper and protector for salvation, so that through your prayers we have received grace and mercy from the Lord, let us glorify the love of mankind of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, glorified in the Trinity and the worshiped God, and your holy intercession, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Troparion to the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women, Tone 2

The angel who appeared to the myrrh-bearing women at the tomb crying peace to the dead is fitting for Christ, but he appeared alien to corruption. But cry: the Lord is risen, grant great mercy to the world.

Thou didst command the myrrh-bearing women to rejoice, Thou didst assuage the tears of the foremother Eve with Thy resurrection, O Christ God, and Thou didst command Thy apostles to preach: The Savior is risen from the grave.

O holy myrrh-bearing wives, all-praised disciples of Christ! We, sinners and unworthy ones, now diligently run to you and pray with the tenderness of our hearts. You have loved the Sweetest Lord Jesus more than all earthly blessings, and through all your life you have followed Him well, nourishing your souls with His Divine teaching and grace and leading many people to the wonderful light of Christ. Ask us from Christ God for the grace that enlightens and sanctifies us, so that we may be overshadowed by it, in faith and piety, in the labors of love and self-sacrifice, and we will strive to serve Christ in His neighbors without laziness. O holy women! You lived vigilantly through the grace of God on earth and joyfully departed to the heavenly abode, flowing. Pray then to Christ the Savior, that we too may be vouchsafed to complete our earthly journey in this temporal world without stumbling, and to end our life in peace and repentance, so that in shrines on earth we will be vouchsafed eternal and blissful life in Heaven, and there with you and together with all the saints let us praise the Trinity, Consubstantial and Indivisible, and sing the one Divinity, the Father and the Son and the All-Holy Spirit, and we will be partakers of the true grace of God in the eternal days of His Kingdom forever and ever. Amen.

O Saints Martha and Mary and other holy myrrh-bearing women! Pray to the Sweetest Jesus, Who is beloved by you and who loves you, Whom you have confessed to be Christ, the Son of God, that He may also give to us, sinful servants of God. (names), forgiveness of sins, unfeigned and firm standing in the right faith. Instill in our hearts the spirit of fear of God, humble trust in God, patience and mercy towards our neighbors. Deliver us with your prayers from the temptations of everyday life, troubles and misfortunes, so that after living a quiet and peaceful life here, with immaculate thoughts and a pure heart, we will appear at that Last Judgment, and having given a good answer to it, we will be honored with unspeakable joy in the Kingdom of Heaven forever and ever.

Of the greatest Orthodox icons, only a small number of them stand out. The icon of the Myrrh-Bearing Woman is just one of these.

This image describes the events of Holy Week and belongs to the icons associated with Easter and its post-holiday period. That is why he is so famous in the Orthodox Church world.

History of the icon

On Holy Saturday, when the body of Christ was supposed to lie in the tomb, the myrrh-bearing women came to him. Naturally, the Body of Christ was not there, because he ascended to Heaven, but not like an ordinary mortal - not only with his soul, but also with his body.

There are several versions of who these same myrrh-bearers were. These versions are described in the Gospel: one of the apostles claimed that it was Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James. Someone mentioned Solomiya, Joanna. In any case, there were several women. They did not turn away from Christ, who was executed. In those days, the acquaintances of someone who was executed could also be persecuted, so almost everyone turned away from the Savior. The Mother of God, the myrrh-bearing women, Joseph, a couple of righteous people and one apostle remained nearby. This is why the myrrh-bearers are so revered in Christianity.

They came to the Holy Sepulcher in order to perform the ancient Jewish posthumous rite. They were not afraid of the consequences of their action, and therefore they were exalted by the Lord for their courageous act and faith.

What does the icon look like and in which churches is it found?

The icon always depicts the Virgin Mary, as well as the myrrh-bearers themselves. There are three, seven or five of them. On the icon there is the Holy Sepulcher, in which there is no body. The coffin contains only the shroud and tunic. Sometimes those two disciples are depicted who did not renounce the Savior, as well as the risen Lord himself.

It is worth noting that most Orthodox churches have such paintings or icons. Many churches are named after the myrrh-bearing women. You can pray in front of this icon in almost any city in Russia and even beyond its borders. You can even visit the very place where the empty tomb with Christ's clothes inside was discovered. That temple is called the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. It is there that the Holy Fire appears from year to year.

What does an icon help with?

This icon shows how important the power of faith is. You should not renounce the Lord and your faith, even if this only promises you danger and trouble. Those who were strong in their faith during life are always accepted by the Lord. The steadfastness of faith is an indicator of how much you love the Lord, how close to His principles and His teachings you are.

This icon is a reflection of human essence, its strengths and weaknesses. What matters is not whether you were with God all your life, but whether you stayed with him at his most terrible hour. The apostles learned from Christ everything he said, and then betrayed him. Of course, this is not the full-fledged betrayal that Judas committed, but it is the wrong step. The icon of the “Myrrh-Bearing Woman” helps not to doubt one’s faith, but only to strengthen it day after day.

Prayers before the icon

It is allowed to read any prayers addressed directly to Christ or the Intercessor. There are also prayers that are addressed to the myrrh-bearers themselves. Here's the simplest one:

“You remained close to Christ because you received the Lord’s forgiveness and light. Endow us, sinful servants of God, with your faith and great inflexibility. May our life be full of goodness and equality, for no one is unique in their position relative to our God. We are all servants of God, and we all ask forgiveness from the merciful Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Hear us, Lord, and help us find eternal grace. Amen".

Date of celebration of the icon

The third Sunday after Easter is the day of the Myrrh-Bearing Women. On this day, the history of women who glorified the Lord after death is remembered. This is the day of the icon, too. In Orthodoxy, this day is set aside to pay tribute to these women who were not afraid of the consequences of their faith. They are a special symbol of faith for Orthodox people.

Also, this day is a kind of Orthodox analogue of March 8, because on this day it is customary to congratulate mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and wives. Every woman is, to some extent, a myrrh-bearer, because with her love she illuminates the lives of her loved ones. Many skeptics say that the role of women in Orthodoxy is low, as in any religion, but this is not true. Almost everyone knows about this holiday, but not everyone knows that the myrrh-bearing women turned out to be the most faithful followers of faith in Christ. Women must demonstrate their devotion, for which men praise them on this day.

On this day, it is advisable to visit church to pray for the strengthening of faith and for the health of all loved ones. Reading prayers at home also has enormous weight, so don’t be lazy to pray, even if you don’t have the opportunity to visit the temple. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and