Feast of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women. Day of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women
The Day of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women in Rus' has long been dedicated to women and was celebrated 2 weeks after Easter. This holiday is a tribute to the amazing women who followed the Savior through life. It was to them that the news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ came, which has been celebrated for many centuries in a row.
Changing role of women in society under the influence of Christianity
Before the coming of Jesus Christ, during the times of the Old Testament, the weak half of humanity was in a subordinate position, almost servile to men who considered themselves strong. Women were considered lower in origin and dignity, and some ancient figures did not recognize them as full-fledged people. This opinion was widespread among both the pagan and Jewish populations.
The reason for this attitude can be found in the Bible, which describes the ancestor Eve as the first to succumb to the temptations of the devil and transgress God's commandments. By passing judgment on Adam and Eve, the Lord pointed out her dependence on her husband and his superior dominance. This determined the subordinate status of women in the Ancient World.
After the coming of Jesus Christ, the position of women began to change: they became free. According to ancient chronicles, it is known that already in the 1st century. began to choose deaconesses who served as assistants to the bishops in certain matters and even in the performance of the sacraments. However, in the temple they were given a separate courtyard for prayers, because they could not be in the church with men.
Over the past 2 millennia, it was women who became the most constant parishioners of the Church of Christ, its most faithful followers. After all, a woman’s heart is capable of loving selflessly and sincerely, remaining faithful to the Lord. This is exactly what women did, helping Jesus Christ in his mission of “bringing the Christian faith into the world,” who later received such a name among the people as myrrh-bearers.
Who are the myrrh-bearing women and their number?
According to historians, these women did not accompany the Savior everywhere, did not always listen to his conversations and sermons, that is, they did not follow him constantly. However, in the days of testing they followed him at the call of their hearts, even in those when the apostles fled, although they loved Christ.
All the time when the Lord was tortured, humiliated and insulted, they were nearby. Even when an angry crowd accompanied him, demanding crucifixion, these women did not leave Jesus, stood next to the cross, not paying attention to the brutal people and the rudeness of the soldiers.
According to some reports, there were more of them, but the names of only seven holy myrrh-bearing women have reached us, which history has preserved over many years. These are Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary of Cleopas, Salome, Susanna (all from Galilee), Martha and Mary (lived in Bethany, Judea). These names are forever etched in the sacred books.
Many of the myrrh-bearers were even from wealthy families, but they continued to love Christ and serve him. Known information about them is given below.
The most famous name among the myrrh-bearing women. She was born in the city of Magdala in Galilee and lived in sin before meeting Christ. Jesus was able to cast out demons from her, and then Mary began to follow her Savior and the apostles everywhere, trying to serve him. Her devotion and faith in him was very strong.
It was Mary Magdalene who carried the news of the resurrection of Christ, and from her came the words “Christ is Risen!” She told the good news and gave the emperor an egg, who did not believe her and said that it was as incredible as the fact that the egg would turn red. In response to his words, it instantly became colored, which subsequently laid the foundation for the tradition of using “painted colors” for Easter.
Having grown old, Mary lived permanently in Ephesus, where John the Theologian, who lived nearby, recorded her stories. For her repentance and devotion to the faith, for her active preaching of the teachings of the Lord, they began to call her Equal-to-the-Apostles. She died and was buried in Ephesus.
Joanna
After marrying the wealthy steward of King Herod, Joanna became a respected and famous woman in Judea. She believed in the Lord after healing her seriously ill son. Her husband Khuza asked Christ to save the boy, which happened miraculously and was considered a divine sign. When the king and queen began to persecute her for this, Joanna left home following Christ. She took with her jewelry, which she sold to feed the poor people who accompanied Jesus on his mission. She was very worried that she had left her son, and Christ’s mother felt sorry for her for this. However, soon the two of them were already mourning the tortured and crucified Jesus.
Salome and Susanna
St. Salome was the daughter of the Virgin Mary's betrothed, Joseph. She married Zebedius and gave birth to 2 sons, who later became the apostles John the Theologian and James. She, along with other myrrh-bearers, served Christ when he was in Galilee, and with them she came to his tomb and discovered the risen Son of God.
St. Susanna is mentioned by the Evangelist Luke when he describes the campaign of Jesus with sermons in cities and villages. She was wealthy, lived on an estate, but accompanied her teacher along with other myrrh-bearing wives.
Maria Kleopova
The daughter of Joseph the Betrothed, who was married to his younger brother Cleopas, lived for a long time in the house of the Blessed Virgin and became friends with her. She was present at the Divine adoption of the Lord, but in church traditions there is no information about her future life. Her son Jacob later became one of the companions of Christ.
Martha and Mary
They were sisters and selflessly loved their brother Lazarus, whom Jesus considered his closest friend. After the death of Lazarus, he was able to resurrect him 4 days later, for which the sisters loved him even more. According to some sources, it was Mary who poured fragrant myrrh on him during the burial of Christ. Subsequently, the sisters followed Lazarus to Cyprus, where he served as a bishop.
The Story of the Resurrection of Christ
The Holy Tradition tells the story of how Judas became a traitor by handing Christ over to the high priests. After this, all his disciples fled, and many of the apostles renounced him. The inhabitants of Judea demanded from Pilate the death and crucifixion of Christ. After this happened, many mocked His Mother and the women standing nearby, who later received the title of myrrh-bearing women.
Remaining faithful to the Lord to the end, the next day they went to the burial place of Jesus, carrying in their hands vessels with fragrant myrrh to anoint the body (hence the name “myrrh-bearers”). On the way, they wondered whether they could pull away the stone blocking the entrance to the burial cave. However, an Angel descended on them, and an earthquake occurred, causing the stone to fall on its own and frighten the guards. An angel brought them the news of the resurrection of Christ, and they saw that the tomb remained empty.
Mary Magdalene was afraid that the body had been stolen and began to cry, and then the Savior appeared to her and asked her to tell his disciples about her Resurrection.
Feast of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
The day of remembrance of all the events in which the myrrh-bearers participated falls on the 3rd Sunday after Easter. It is considered a church women's holiday, on the occasion of which everyone congratulates their closest women: spouse, mother, sister, etc.
In Rus', such a holiday was called Margoskin Week, during which women held gatherings and dances, traditionally ate scrambled eggs and washed down with kvass. There was a custom of exchanging crosses, when during public festivities one of the women hung hers on a branch in order to then exchange it with the other, kissing three times. After such a ritual, women were considered godmothers.
The exact date of the Feast of the Myrrh-Bearing Women (what date it occurs and in what month) is determined by counting 15 days after Easter and changes every year. In the traditions of the Orthodox Church, this holiday is considered Women's Day, because every woman is essentially a prototype of one of the myrrh-bearers: she is the basis for her family, brings calm and peace to the home, gives birth to children and serves as a support for her husband.
Myronositsky churches and temples
Several churches of the Myrrh-Bearing Women have been built on the territory of Russia, Ukraine and other Orthodox countries, some of which can be described in more detail.
In Kaluga, the wooden Myronositskaya Church was built in Yamskaya Sloboda back in 1698 at the expense of parishioners, but it burned down in 1767. The new one was made of stone, built according to the design of the architect Yasnygin and opened in 1804. Since then, the temple has been the main decoration of the city; previously it housed the icon of the Presentation (with the help of which residents reflected the plague on the road to Moscow), as well as the icons of Kazan, the Savior Not Made by Hands and others, but they disappeared after closing in 1930. The revival of the temple took place already in the 1990s.
The Church of the Myrrh-Bearing Women in Nizhny Novgorod is located in Verkhny Posad, it combines 2 halls (winter and summer) - it was built to replace a wooden church in 1649. After a fire (1848), it was restored only in the 1890s, the fresco paintings were updated. Under Soviet rule, the church was closed for many years, then in the 1990s it was returned to the Nizhny Novgorod diocese and restored by 2004.
The Church of the Myrrh-Bearing Women in Baranovichi (Belarus) is a modern building, erected with donations from several enterprises and organizations of the city. In 2007, in front of a large crowd of believers, it was solemnly consecrated and the Divine Liturgy was held. There is a Sunday school and children's clubs at the church.
The modern Myronositsky Church in Kharkov was built in 2015 in the very center of the city, on the site where the church once stood at the Zhen-Myronositsky cemetery (1783). It was blown up in 1930 for the purpose of building the “Cultural Performance Theatre”, which remained in the project.
The modern building of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Church was erected according to the design of the architect P. Chechelnitsky and is a striking example of the triumph of the Orthodox faith. The church has 9 domes, height 45 m, made in the Ukrainian Baroque style using elements of the Liman architectural school. Every year a solemn Liturgy is held here in honor of the feast of the Myrrh-Bearing Women; the schedule and exact dates of other religious events are indicated in advance.
Solomiya, Susanna and others. These godly women witnessed with their own eyes the martyrdom of Christ the Savior. They saw an eclipse of the sun, a great earthquake and the resurrection of the righteous at the moment when the Messiah was crucified on the fateful cross.
These wives received the Son of God into their homes and stood lovingly at the crucifix when the scribes and soldiers showed unprecedented malice. The Day of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women is a special event in the Orthodox tradition; it is extremely revered. These holy mothers symbolize the good news and heroic self-sacrifice.
history of the holiday
Most worldly people celebrate Women's Day on March 8th. The celebration began just over 100 years ago thanks to the persistent efforts of iconic feminists from Germany. This holiday symbolizes the liberation of all women from church “slavery.” However, March 8 is celebrated only in Russia and is not an international day.
Believers honor not only the solemn Sunday itself, but also the following week. Among Orthodox people, it is customary to congratulate their mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters and faithful spouses.
About women in Orthodoxy:
On this day, holy women are especially revered, having learned about the divine Resurrection of Christ the Savior before anyone else. Having seen an incredible miracle, they became his first preachers and servants. In their new apostolic calling, these wives brought the joyful news of the power of the Most High.
- The first follower of the Messiah was Mary Magdalene, who is known for her great repentance for her dissolute life and acceptance of church covenants.
- The second woman preacher of the Son of God is Mary of Cleopas. Her pedigree causes many disagreements: according to some sources, she is Magdalena’s sister, according to others, she is the wife of Joseph the Betrothed’s brother. Other people spoke of her as the mother of Jacob, Judas, or Simon.
- On Orthodox Women's Day, the name of Joanna, who was a faithful disciple of the Messiah, is remembered. She accompanied other Christian novices, and also secretly buried the head of the Holy Baptist, who fell at the hands of the merciless Herod.
- On this holiday, they give high religious honor to Salome, the mother of James and John - the faithful disciples and eternal apostles of the Savior. The resurrected Christ appeared to her immediately after Mary Magdalene saw Him.
- The Orthodox holiday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women honors the memory of the sisters of Lazarus, Martha and Mary. The Savior honored these girls with his brightest presence, he gifted them with honest sermons. The sisters sincerely believed in the Son of God after Christ raised Lazarus.
- Susanna is another sacred female name mentioned in the Gospel. Luke speaks of this mother, praising her as the eternal servant of the Messiah.
All of them are the personalities thanks to whom the Feast of the Myrrh-Bearing Women became widely known.
Important! There is a widespread legend that the Church discriminates against women's rights in every possible way. These attacks are based on their exclusion from the priesthood. The Western world is aggressively fighting against this dogmatic judgment, degrading the dignity of men. However, Orthodoxy has always exalted the Mother of God and placed her above all the seraphim surrounding the throne of the Almighty Lord. There are no gender differences in the process of ascent to God.
The event that gave rise to the celebration
Myrrh-bearers are women who lived in those places where Jesus Christ preached his own teaching. They joyfully and with great love welcomed the Savior into their homes, considered Him to be the true Messiah, served Him faithfully and freely followed in His footsteps.
- All these women witnessed the suffering of the Son of God on Calvary. The next morning they came to the body, which they had taken down after the crucifixion, and buried Him. Soon the myrrh-bearers visited the Holy Sepulcher to perform the ritual of Anointing, as ordered by traditional Jewish customs. This episode gave the name to the Orthodox celebration.
Icon of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women
- Myrrh-bearing women were enormously revered in Orthodox Rus'. Religious morality and strict traditions are deeply rooted in the minds of our people. Women of Rus' have long been distinguished by their great piety and spirituality, which was reflected in the enormous respect for this celebration. Ordinary peasant women, representatives of the nobility, merchants and philistines led a righteous life, fearing sinful acts. A desire was born in their hearts for good deeds, donations, and merciful deeds that pleased the Almighty Father.
- The Orthodox tradition treated the sacred sacrament of marriage with extreme chastity. The Russian woman was distinguished by her fidelity to her word, given on the altar, which marks the covenants of Christ. These ideals are still found today.
The myrrh-bearing women are praised for their incomparable meekness, humble disposition, endless patience and forgiveness. For these godly qualities they became holy examples for praise.
More about women glorified as saints:
Festive events
The Day of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women is officially considered international and is celebrated in many countries around the world. Representatives of the fair sex give life, bring the ideals of kindness and full love, protect the hearth and are a strong support for the spouse and children.
The Mother of God is the brightest and most significant example, personifying the ideal of the feminine. She demonstrated all-consuming love and endless self-sacrifice by giving birth to and seeing the Son of God suffer on the cross.
- During Myrrh-Bearing Week, time was set aside for liturgy in honor of the memory of the dead. For this purpose, each parish was required to hold a funeral magpie.
- On Parents' Saturday, people went to cemeteries and left colored eggs on the graves. This tradition has something to do with pagan roots, glorifying one's own ancestors. The celebration also has its basis in the symbolic deification of nature and the onset of the agricultural period.
- The Orthodox women's holiday is celebrated annually in all Christian churches of the Russian Federation, as well as beyond its borders. Zealous pilgrims and ordinary lay people flock to places of faith. Parishioners humbly seek support in dialogues with local ministers. Shepherds conducting liturgical rituals congratulate the faithful on their triumph, wishing them light and great joy.
- The Church celebrates not only the exploits of biblical wives, but also all mothers who work for the good of the Christian faith. The clergy especially emphasize the importance of women's participation in the affairs of the Church. For Orthodoxy, it is a stronghold of chastity, spiritual purity and fidelity.
- In Sunday schools, teachers and young students prepare a concert for mothers, grandmothers and sisters. Here scenes from the Sacred Texts are played out, where the gospel heroines, holy women - continuers of the human race are glorified.
The triumph of the Myrrh-Bearing Women will be celebrated on May 12, 2019. At the holiday, the names of the biblical mothers who received Christ into their home, led Him to Calvary and anointed His body will be remembered.
Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women. Orthodox Women's Day
On the third Sunday after Easter, the Church remembers the feat of the myrrh-bearing women, disciples of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
Women are called myrrh-bearers because, after the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, according to the custom of the Jewish people, they came to the cave where Jesus Christ was buried in order to anoint Him with myrrh, i.e. incense and aromas.
It is noteworthy that out of a large number of the Teacher’s followers, they were the first to arrive at the place of His burial. It was not yet dawn, but a group of faithful women were already on their way.
They did not find the body of Christ, but they met an angel who, having rolled away a heavy stone from the entrance to the cave, reported that Christ had risen from the dead.
These were the same women who had stood at the Cross during the crucifixion of Christ the day before, these same women assisted Christ and his disciples during the Savior’s sermon, "serving with one's possessions"(Luke 8:2-3).
The Gospel names some of the myrrh-bearing women: Mary Magdalene, Salome (mother of the apostles James and John), Mary of Jacob (mother of James, the apostle of the 70) and Joanna (wife of Chuza, the steward of King Herod).
Christ appeared to all these women, as well as to the apostles, after His resurrection from the dead.
Weaker sex?
After the arrest of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, the apostles fled and hid; Peter, when asked if he was a disciple of Christ, denied the Teacher.
During the crucifixion of Christ, one of the apostles stood at the Cross, John the Theologian. Only women fearlessly came to the execution and were the very first to run to the Tomb of the Savior.
Christian women will demonstrate firmness and steadfastness in the faith throughout the history of the Church. Along with the apostles, they will preach the truths of faith throughout the entire earth; we know the names of Saint Nina, Equal to the Apostles, the enlightener of Georgia, Equal to the Apostles Queen Helena and Grand Duchess Olga, who did so much to spread Christianity.
Along with men, women faced martyrdom for the faith; martyrologies (lists containing the names of martyrs) include the names of hundreds of women who gave their lives for Christ.
Just like men, women abandoned life in the world and went to deserts and monasteries. There are dozens of female names in the ranks of the saints. In ancient times and in modern times, female monasticism was no less developed than male monasticism.
Sisters of mercy are an exclusively female phenomenon. Women, out of Christian compassion for their neighbors, cared for the weak and wounded, the sick and old. History does not know a male analogue of such a phenomenon.
During the persecution, the Russian Church survived thanks to Russian women. During the years of Soviet power, men practically did not go to church - they were afraid of the consequences. Under Khrushchev, even a one-time visit to the temple meant the end of a career, and in some cases could lead to imprisonment.
But the women were not afraid of any consequences, they were threatened with deprivation of their pensions - they went, they were threatened with eviction from the apartment - they invariably continued to go to church.
Such a bold confession of faith could not go unnoticed, not even by husbands or brothers, but by children and grandchildren. Subsequently, many of them came to the Church thanks to their mothers and grandmothers.
Russian women continue to carry out the feat and service of myrrh-bearing women even now. Most of the parishioners of Orthodox churches are women; women alone “raise” children and “pull” the whole family. It is thanks to women (not politicians at all) that our society and Russia are still alive.
And this holiday is celebrated not only in Russia, but also in all countries where the Orthodox Church is present. In fact, the day of the Myrrh-Bearing Women is an international Orthodox women's day.
Happy holiday to you, dear women!
AdvertisingThe history of the myrrh-bearing women is associated with the names of Mary Magdalene, Salome (daughter of Joseph the Betrothed), Mary and Martha (sisters of Lazarus), Joanna (wife of Chuza), Mary of Cleopas (wife of the Betrothed’s brother), who were the first to come to the cave where Jesus rested. They came there to wash the body according to custom and prepare it for burial according to the traditions of that time. They had special incense with them. It was for them that they began to be called myrrh-bearers.
It is very significant that the followers of Christ renounced him, were afraid of the persecution and persecution of the existing authorities, and it was the women who were not afraid and showed courage by coming to honor the one they believed. It was the myrrh-bearing women who were met at the cave by an angel who proclaimed that Jesus was not there, but that he had risen.
Day of the Myrrh-Bearing Women in 2018, what date, what can and cannot be done, prayers: traditions of this day
On this Day, women traditionally gathered together, congratulated each other and accepted congratulations from men. They prepared “maiden scrambled eggs” from eggs collected the day before from all the yards. Why eggs? Because during this period, hens began to actively lay eggs after winter, and what if not an egg symbolizes the continuous chain of birth of a new life. In addition, the yolk is a symbol of the sun, rebirth.
The Day of the Myrrh-Bearing Women or the Week of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women is a moving holiday in the Orthodox calendar, falling on the second Sunday after Easter. On this day, the church commemorates the Myrrh-Bearing Women, as well as Joseph of Arimathea and the secret disciple of Jesus Christ Nicodemus.
In the culture of the Eastern Slavs, the day was considered a woman's holiday. In some places, a ritual of cumulus was performed on this day. The ritual food was “maiden” or “woman’s” scrambled eggs. The day concluded the spring youth ritual of Radonitskaya Week.
There is an icon depicting the myrrh-bearing women over the tomb of Christ. Before this icon, it is advisable to read these words:
“Glory to you, brave women, that they came to the tomb of Christ and were not afraid of condemnation from the evil unbelieving people. Glory to you, Holy Mary Magdalene, that she started this good deed and inspired her like-minded women to do it. Grant me at least a drop of your courage, so that "My faith was strong, I want it. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! Amen! Amen! Amen!"
Myrrh-Bearing Women's Day in 2018, what date, what can and cannot be done, prayers: watch video
Myrrh-bearing women - glorified by the Church as saints: Mary Magdalene, Mary of Cleopas, Salome, Joanna, Martha, Mary and others: (Matthew 28:1); (Mark 15:40, 16:1); (Luke 24:10); (John 20:1-2, 11-18). The memory is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday after Easter. The Orthodox Church celebrates this day as a holiday for all Christian women.
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.
Noticed a typo or error? Select the text and press Ctrl+Enter to tell us about it.
Week of St. Myrrh-Bearing Women. history of the holidayIN Week of the Myrrh-Bearing Women The Church remembers the holy women - witnesses of the suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Among the myrrh-bearing women, we know the names of only a few about whom the holy evangelists wrote. First - Mary Magdalene, it is said about her that the Lord cast out “seven demons” from her (according to the church interpretation, here “seven” means many; “demons” can also be understood as sinful habits that are contrary to the seven basic virtues - the gifts of the Holy Spirit). Second - Salome, who was the daughter of Joseph the Betrothed and the mother of the holy apostles James and John of Zebedee. Third - Joanna, the wife of Khuzan, the steward of King Herod, the same one who saved the holy head of John the Baptist from desecration. Fourth and fifth - Marya and Marfa, Lazareva sisters. Sixth - Marya Kleopina, which, according to the laws of Jewish kinship, the evangelist calls the sister of the Most Holy Theotokos, the seventh - Sosana. Among the myrrh-bearing women was also Holy Mother of God, Which the evangelists call “Mary of Jacob” and “Mary of Joseph”. There were many others with them who walked with the Lord during His earthly life and served Him.
The risen Savior was the first to appear to the myrrh-bearing women. From them came the Easter greeting " Christ is Risen!" On the night of the Resurrection of Christ, the myrrh-bearing women hurried to the Holy Sepulcher with myrrh in their hands to pour fragrant aromas on the Body of the Savior, according to Eastern custom. The wives, heading to the tomb, thought: “ Who will roll away the stone from the tomb?" 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 told the wives that Christ had risen and would precede them to Galilee. First of all, the Lord appeared to His Most Pure Mother. But, as the holy fathers write, so that for the sake of close kinship the miraculous phenomenon would not be subject to some doubt, the evangelists do not announce this directly, but point to Mary Magdalene. Among different evangelists we find some differences in the description of events, but there is no contradiction here, because they write about different times. Evangelist Matthew speaks of the “Sabbath Supper,” when the women did not yet come in peace, but to “see the tomb.” Mark writes about early morning, when the sun had already risen. Mary Magdalene, as the most zealous, came repeatedly, was not afraid to go alone, in the middle of the dark night and despising the danger from the possibility of meeting with armed Roman soldiers: by order of Pilate they were given full power to punish if any of the disciples dared to come to the Holy Sepulcher. The Gospel of John, at the latest, especially emphasizes that Mary Magdalene came to the tomb first. Returning to the apostles Peter and John, she says: “We do not know where they laid Him” (John 20:2). After the apostles Peter and John left, Mary Magdalene remained at the tomb. She thought the body had been stolen and cried. At this time, Christ appeared to her, whom she initially mistook for a gardener. He tells her not to touch Him until he ascends to the Father, 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, having heard about the resurrection of Jesus, did not believe.
Some time after the Resurrection of Christ, after His Saint, Mary Magdalene, as well as Martha and Mary, the Lazarus sisters, arrived in Rome in order to announce to the reigning emperor Tiberius Caesar the whole truth about past events. They presented him with many gifts and told him about all the miracles and benefits that Christ the Savior had shown among the Jews and how cruelly and inhumanly they condemned Him to death. By order of the emperor, other witnesses were then called, among them the centurion Login, who stood at the Cross of the Lord. He had on himself the holy robe of the Lord, which had been given to him by lot, and from it the emperor himself immediately received healing, applying it to the purulent scab on his face. Then the imperial chamber shook and shook, causing all the gold and silver idols there to crumble to dust. Very frightened, Caesar decided to carry out a detailed investigation.
Soon all the lawless murderers were given a fair trial and severe retribution - both Pilate and the Jewish elders. Marya Magdalene later worked a lot in the gospel of Christ, for which she received the title “equal to the apostles” in the church. Having reached old age, she reposed in the Greek city of Ephesus and was buried by the holy Apostle John the Theologian. In 886, under the Greek Emperor Leo the Wise, her relics were solemnly transferred to the Constantinople Monastery of St. Lazarus.
Holy Righteous Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus
Noble Joseph, as the Holy Scriptures call him, was one of the seventy apostles. He came from the city of Arimathea or Ramatha (Rama) and was a rich and noble member of the Sanhedrin and also, like Nicodemus, secret disciple of Christ. However, when extreme circumstances required it, he courageously revealed his faith and decided to go to Pontius Pilate to ask for the Holy Body of the Lord for burial. As a famous person and known personally to the ruler himself, who also had sufficient funds for ransom, he had the courage to do this. Heeding the prayer of the Most Holy Theotokos, he despised all fears and fears of possible subsequent revenge from the Jewish elders. Having received permission to remove Jesus from the cross, he buried Him in a tomb carved into the rock that belonged to himself. Together with Nicodemus, Joseph wrapped a shroud around Jesus' body. It is believed that the burial in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea fulfilled the messianic prophecy of Isaiah:
He was assigned a grave with evildoers, but He was buried with a rich man (Isa. 53:9).
After participating in the burial of Christ, Nicodemus, according to Church Tradition, was expelled from Judea. And Joseph of Arimathea was put in chains and thrown into a ditch, from where he was rescued by an Angel. Subsequently, Joseph, as the Holy Tradition says, together with Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus, whom Christ resurrected, preached the Gospel in Gaul, on the territory of modern France.
Burial of the Savior. Greece. Monastery of Vatopedi (Athos). XVI-XVII centuries
It is believed that Nicodemus is the author of one of the apocryphal Gospels, the time of which has not been established. The oldest parts of the text first appeared in ancient Greek. The “Gospel of Nicodemus” consists of a main part, called the Acts of Pilate, and an appendix to it, the Descent into Hell, which is not in the Greek version of the text, being a later addition in the Latin version.
Feast of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women. Icons
The Gospel story about the appearance of an angel to the women at the Holy Sepulcher, representing the first evidence of the Resurrection of the Lord, formed the basis for the early iconography of the Resurrection of Christ. The earliest known icon painting of the Myrrh-Bearing Women at the Holy Sepulcher is in the baptistery at Dura Europos (232/3 or between 232 and 256). The Myrrh-Bearing Women are depicted walking from left to right to the closed Tomb, holding vessels with oil and burning torches in their hands; above the Tomb are two stars symbolizing angels. On the fresco of the vestibule of the funeral complex in the Carmus quarter in Alexandria (second half of the 5th century) an image of a wingless angel sitting in front of the coffin appeared - this was later called “The Appearance of an Angel to the Myrrh-Bearing Women.”
The relief of a silver sarcophagus (IV century) from San Nazaro Maggiore in Milan shows three Myrrh-Bearing Women in front of the Tomb in the form of a building, above which is the figure of a descending angel. On the avoria (ca. 400), the tomb is depicted as a two-tiered stone building, with guards leaning on it and sleeping; an angel sits on the left at the half-open door, on the right the Myrrh-Bearing Women approach, above whom the “Ascension of the Lord” is represented.
The Gospel of Ravbula presents a sheet miniature with the compositions “The Appearance of an Angel to the Myrrh-Bearing Women” in the lower part and “The Crucifixion” in the upper part: in the center among the trees, at the same level with their tops, there is a small tomb with a half-open door, the guards in front of the entrance fell to their knees , one recoils from the light coming from behind the door. To the left of the tomb, a winged angel sits on a stone block, announcing the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to two wives, who also stand on the left. In one of them, depicted with a halo, the Mother of God is recognized. Her similar image is presented in the “Crucifixion” scene and is repeated again to the right of the tomb in “The Appearance of Jesus Christ to Mary after the Resurrection.”
In the XIII-XIV centuries. There are various modifications of the iconography developed in the previous period. They often revive early Byzantine forms of individual objects. On the fresco of the monastery church in Mileshevo (before 1228, Serbia), the Myrrh-Bearing Women are depicted to the right of the angel, whose large figure dominates the composition. The angel, seated on a large marble cubic block in shining white robes, is depicted frontally and looking straight ahead. In his right hand he holds a staff; with his left hand he points to an empty tomb in the form of a vertical rectangular building with a pitched roof and a barred arched opening, inside of which there is a rolled-up shroud. To the right of the stone are small figures of two Myrrh-Bearing Women. In the hands of one is a small censer-katsey. Below are the sleeping guards. On an icon of the 14th century. presented in one composition “The Descent into Hell” and “The Appearance of an Angel to the Myrrh-Bearing Women”; the women are depicted twice: sitting in front of the tomb and standing in front of an angel, who, sitting on a slab, points them to a cave with shrouds.
Myrrh-Bearing Women at the Holy Sepulcher. Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral of the Mirozhsky Monastery, Pskov. Fresco on the east wall of the north transept. Before 1156 In Russian, as well as in Byzantine, monuments, the scene “The Appearance of an Angel to the Myrrh-Bearing Women” is included in the passionate cycles, adjacent to either the “Descent into Hell” or the “Appearance of Christ to the Myrrh-Bearing Women,” and is also found in the festive row of the iconostasis.
In general, the composition follows the scheme developed in the Middle Byzantine period, although various options for depicting the tomb and shrouds, the number of Myrrh-Bearing Women and guards are possible. Thus, in the painting of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary of the Snetogorsk Monastery (1313), the Wives are traditionally depicted approaching on the left, but the Holy Sepulcher is presented in a very special way: in the form of a rectangular slab under the ciborium, on which two conventionally depicted shrouds lie horizontally in a row. Lamps on chains hang above the coffin. This detail of the composition could reflect the real impressions of pilgrims from visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and the decoration of the Stone of Anointing.
Myrrh-Bearing Women at the Holy Sepulcher. From the festive ceremony. Vologda. St. Petersburg, State Russian Museum. Late XV - early XVI centuries. Another version of the iconography “The Appearance of an Angel to the Myrrh-Bearing Women” is presented on the icon from the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra (1425). The scene takes place against the backdrop of a mountain landscape. An angel with wings raised vertically is depicted sitting on a round stone next to a diagonally positioned sarcophagus with shrouds, the upper part of which is located in a cave. To the left of the sarcophagus, looking into it, stand three Myrrh-Bearing Women. Their figures are shown in a complex turn towards the angel. This iconographic version, the main feature of which is the image of a rectangular sarcophagus, became especially popular in Russian art.
Myrrh-bearing women at the Holy Sepulcher. From the festive ceremony. Moscow. 1425–1427 Trinity Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra The iconography of the plot is similar to the Novgorod tablet icon (late 15th century), only the sarcophagus is located at a different angle. On the icon from the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral of the Kirillov Belozersky Monastery (1497) an angel sits at the head of the sarcophagus, there is no cave, the Myrrh-Bearing Women stand on the left, to the right of the sarcophagus are figures of sleeping young men - the guardians of the Tomb. On the icons of the 16th century, three warriors in armor are shown sleeping (an icon of the second half of the 16th century), guards are depicted in larger numbers. On the icons XV - beginning XVI centuries the number of Myrrh-Bearing Women was increased to seven, not only at the Tomb, but also in the scene of the appearance of the risen Christ, which was often combined with the plot “The Appearance of an Angel to the Myrrh-Bearing Women” (one of the early examples is an icon from the Gostinopol Monastery, 1457) .
This iconographic version became widespread in the 16th century. A feature that defined the tradition of Russian art was the image of two angels sitting on round stones at the head and foot of the sarcophagus (icons of the 15th and early 16th centuries). These iconographic types were preserved throughout the 17th-18th centuries.
Appearance of an angel to the myrrh-bearing women. Second half of the 16th century. Yaroslavl Art Museum, Yaroslavl 
Appearance of an angel to the myrrh-bearing women. Rostov. End of the 16th - beginning of the 17th centuries. Moscow Kremlin Museums, Moscow. 
Icon of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women. Annunciation Cathedral in Solvychegodsk, late 16th century.
Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women. Paintings
The theme of the Appearance of an Angel to the Myrrh-Bearing Women was addressed by world painters such as Carracci Annibale, Duccio di Buoninsegna, M.V. Nesterov and others.
Maesta. Reverse side. Myrrh-bearing women at the Holy Sepulcher. Duccio di Buoninsegna. 308-11 Siena Cathedral Museum 
Myrrh-bearing women at the Holy Sepulcher. Carracci Annibale, 1597-1598 
Myrrh-Bearing Women. M.V. Nesterov. 1889
Temples in honor of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
A church in Veliky Novgorod was consecrated in honor of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women. The temple was erected in 1510 on the site of a wooden church of the same name that burned down in 1508. It is known that an even earlier building stood here, listed in the chronicle in 1299 as one of 12 burned churches. The construction of the church was ordered and financed by the Novgorod merchant Ivan Syrkov. In 1536, a chapel was built in the name of the Evangelist Matthew, and then in honor of the Presentation of the Lord. At the end of the 16th century, part of the treasury of Ivan the Terrible was kept in the church’s warehouses. Now the temple houses the Regional Children's Cultural Center.
Church of the Myrrh-Bearing Women in Veliky Novgorod A temple in Pskov was consecrated in honor of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women. The stone Myronositskaya Church was built in 1546 in the center of the necropolis, in place of the wooden one in the skudelnitsy (i.e., in a cemetery with common graves of those killed and those who died during the pestilence). It was erected at the expense of the Moscow (at that time Novgorod) Metropolitan Macarius. In 1878, a Edinoverie chapel was built at the church, which has not survived to this day. Myronositskaya Church was closed in the 1930s. In 1989 it was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.
.JPG)
Church of the Myrrh-Bearing Women from Skudelnice In the Republic of Mari El, the village of Ezhovo, Tsarevokokshay district, there was the Mironositsky Monastery. Its construction was carried out by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and is associated with the legend about the appearance of the miraculous icon with the Myrrh-Bearing Women on the site of the future monastery. The icon was delivered to the Tsar in Moscow in 1647 and was subsequently placed in the monastery church. The monastery was founded in the same year, but after the October Revolution it was closed.
In the city of Serpukhov there was a church in honor of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women. The first news of the existence of a church here in the name of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women dates back to 1552. Around 1685 the temple was built in stone. Myronositskaya Church was destroyed in the 1930s.
There are currently no functioning Old Believer churches in honor of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women.
Week of the Myrrh-Bearing Women. Folk traditions
Margoski or Margoskina week - this is what was called in the black earth provinces (for example, in Oryol) the second week after Easter - the week of the Myrrh-Bearing Women. This festival is exclusively for women. Easter eggs acquired special significance here, occupying the main place in the festive ritual. Near Moscow, this women's holiday was expressed in the fact that churches were crowded with married women, widows and girls much more than on any other holiday, and at the same time, each of the worshipers, approaching the cross after mass, made sure to make Christ with the priest and give him an egg , just as at Matins of Easter Sunday the same rite was performed exclusively by men.
In Vyatka, the Myrrh-Bearing holiday was celebrated in its own way and was called “Shapshikha”. The custom boiled down to a women's feast, which was arranged by one of the participants by lot. Most often it was either a widow or a small family. The organizing women were brewing beer and preparing dinner for when the others returned from church. Late in the evening the feast ended with dancing.
Where there were few churches and the parishes were located at a considerable distance, on the same Sunday morning women and girls climbed into the nearby forest, or even to a place where the broom bushes were growing, with ritual offerings in their hands, pockets or in their bosoms - a couple of raw eggs and a couple of baked and colored ones. They walked with songs, but upon arrival they fell silent, due to the onset of the solemn sacred rite of Christhood and nepotism. Each one took the cross from her neck and hung it on a tree; another came up to him, was baptized, kissed him and exchanged him for her cross; she then kissed his owner, made love - they began to be considered and called “godfathers”, “godmothers” until Spiritual Day. After this, the women sang songs, fried eggs, and drank kvass.
Teenage girls were usually greeted like this: “You just need to grow up and blossom more,” and the bride-to-be girl was told: “Before the raid (next year), you should unbraid your braid in two, so that matchmakers and matchmakers don’t leave the house, so that you don’t sit on the counter.” (in girls), and women were expressed wishes of a different nature: “This summer you will give birth to a son, and that year you yourself will be the third.”
Soulful teaching for the week of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
Women who were weak and weak by nature were able to demonstrate a great feat, patience and courage, when it seemed that impenetrable sinful darkness had already irrevocably engulfed the entire Universe, because He Whom we call the “Sun of Truth” and the “Light of the World” was crucified and buried. The closest disciples of Christ retreated for a while, but it was the women who followed Christ in the most difficult hour along His path on the Cross and were honored for this with the greatest joy - to hear the angelic gospel and be the first to see the Risen Savior. For “It was necessary for the tribe that had previously fallen into sin and inherited the oath to first see the Resurrection and instill joy” (Sinoksar).
When the night guard sat at the Tomb, there was no way for women to approach him. But they wanted to give the last honor to their beloved Teacher, over whom, with the onset of the Sabbath day, they did not have time, as was customary, to perform the full burial ceremony: Joseph and Nicodemus, due to lack of time, were able to anoint the Body of the Lord only with oil and myrrh. Therefore, women, moved by great love and compassion, wanting to better serve even the buried Lord than to have temporary sinful pleasure, prepared valuable fragrant aromas and eagerly awaited the beginning of Sunday, when, according to the law, they could continue the work they had started. The Jewish priests, who constantly reproached the Savior for violating the Sabbath, in this case, on the contrary, completely revealed their evil hypocrisy, for, neglecting the prohibition for the sake of Sabbath rest, they were busy with various chores in order to assign guards and strengthen the Lord’s Sepulcher with iron seals.
The great earthquake and the appearance of angels greatly frightened the Roman soldiers. As soon as they came to their senses, they went to announce an unprecedented miraculous event, so the women were able to calmly and unhindered approach the Tomb. The appearance of two angels in the Tomb spoke of the Theanthropic nature of the Savior: the angel sitting at the heads pointed to the Divinity, the other, sitting at the feet, to the humiliated embodiment of the Word.
Joseph and Nicodemus ask Pilate for the Body of the Lord. Fragment of a four-part Novgorod tablet from St. Sophia Cathedral. XV centuryA special word must be said here about Joseph of Arimathea, about whom all the evangelists have a story. “Blessed Joseph of Arimathea, while still serving the law, recognized Christ as God, which is why he dared to perform a commendable feat. Before Joseph was hiding, but now he dares to do a great deed, laying down his soul for the Body of the Teacher and taking upon himself such a difficult struggle with all the Jews. As a great gift, Pilate gives him the Body. For the Body of Christ, as a rebel killed, had to be abandoned unburied. However, Joseph, being rich, may have given gold to Pilate. Having received the Body, Joseph honors it by placing it in a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And this was by the providence of God, so that after the Resurrection of the Lord someone would not say that another dead man, buried there before Him, had risen in His place. For this reason, the tomb is new.
He did not begin to think: “Behold, I am rich and I can lose my wealth if I ask for the body of the One who is condemned for appropriating royal power to Himself, and I will become hated by the Jews,” Joseph of Arimathea so I didn’t think about anything like that with myself, but, leaving everything as less important, I asked for one thing Joseph of Arimathea bury the body of the convicted person. Pilate was surprised that He had already died, for he thought that Christ would endure suffering for a long time, like the thieves, which is why he asked the centurion how long ago he had died? That is, did he really die prematurely? Having received the body, Joseph bought a shroud and, taking off the Honest Body, wrapped it around it, giving it burial. For he was himself a disciple of Christ and knew how to honor the Master. He was “respectable,” that is, a respectable, pious, impeccable man. As for the title of member of the council, it was a certain dignity or, better, a service and civil position, the holders of which were supposed to manage the affairs of the court, and here they were often exposed to dangers from the abuses inherent in this place. Let the rich and those engaged in public affairs hear how the dignity of a member of the council did not in the least hinder the virtue of Joseph. The name Joseph means "offering", and "Arimathea"-“take it.” (Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew and Mark).
The counting of days in the three-day Resurrection of the Lord may cause some confusion, but Scripture has a hidden meaning. Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria explains to us in detail the mysterious course of those sacred events:
“How are three days counted? At the eighth hour the heel was crucified; from this until the ninth-darkness: consider it night for me; then from the ninth hour-light: it's day-Here is a day: night and day. Next, Friday night and Saturday day-second day. Again, the night of Saturday and the morning of the Lord's Day, signified by Matthew: one from the Sabbaths, at dawn, for the morning is counted for the whole day,-This is the third day. Otherwise you can count three days: on Friday the Lord gave up the spirit, this-one day; on Saturday I was in a tomb, that's-another day; On the night of the Lord's day he rose again, but from his part the Lord's day is counted as another day, so that's three days. For also about those who have fallen asleep, if one died about the tenth hour of the day, and another-around the first hour of the same day, they say that both of them died on the same day. I have another way to tell you how to count three days and three nights. Listen! On Thursday evening the Lord celebrated supper and said to the disciples: “Take, eat My Body.” Since He had the power to lay down His soul according to His will, it is clear that then He also slaughtered Himself, as He taught His disciples the Body, for no one eats anything unless it has been slaughtered first. Consider: in the evening He gave His Body, that night and day of Friday until the sixth hour-here's one day; then, from the sixth hour to the ninth-darkness, and from the ninth-until the evening there is light again,-This is the second day; again night on the heel and Saturday day-This is the third day; on Saturday night the Lord rose again: this-three full days."
Discussing the Resurrection of Christ, the holy fathers point us to amazing contrasts. Indeed, while weak and unlearned women receive the highest wisdom and the gift of evangelists, the oldest church teachers of the law and interpreters of Scripture among the Jews display truly petrified insensibility. Thus, having heard from the most unbiased witnesses, Roman soldiers, about the great earthquake and the appearance of angels, they do not abandon their atheistic crime, but give a considerable amount of money for the absurd testimony of the theft, which was completely impossible under those circumstances.
“Then the disciples come to the tomb and see only the linens lying; and this was a sign of the true Resurrection. For if someone had shifted the body, he would not have exposed it; and if someone stole it, he would not bother to roll up the boards and put them separately in a special place. Therefore, the evangelist previously said that the body of Christ was buried with a lot of myrrh, which glues the shrouds to the body no worse than resin, so that when we hear that the cloth was lying in a special place, we would not at all believe those who say that the body of Christ was stolen. For a thief would not be so stupid as to use so much effort unnecessarily on a matter and not suspect that the longer he does it, the sooner he can be caught” (Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, interpretation of the Gospel of John).
“Every soul that dominates the passions is called “Mary.” Having purified herself through dispassion, she sees in Jesus God and man.”
Women received the joy of the angelic appearance only by suffering and crucifying themselves to the outside world at Christ’s crucifixion. For nothing brings us closer to God than the voluntary suffering that we endure for His sake. Easter joy is felt most of all after strict abstinence for many days. Likewise, Eternal Easter is impossible for us if we do not push ourselves to hardships and sorrows, for the sake of fulfilling the commandments and acquiring the virtues of the Gospel, in order to be honored in spiritual and bodily purity to worthily stand before God and see the Risen Christ in His ineffable and enduring glory.
“Let us, following the example of Joseph, always apply zeal to virtue and take it, that is, true good. May we be worthy to receive the Body of Jesus through communion and place it in a tomb carved out of stone, that is, in a soul that firmly remembers and does not forget God. Let our soul be hewn out of stone, that is, having its confirmation in Christ, Who is the Stone. Let us wrap this Body with a shroud, that is, let us accept Him into a pure body (for the body is, as it were, a shroud of the soul). The Divine Body must receive not only a pure soul, but also a pure body.” (Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria).
