Homily on the Sunday of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women - Met. Korniliy (Titov)
Today, the Holy Church dedicates to the righteous Myrrh-Bearing Women, who were the first to be deemed worthy to learn of Christ's Resurrection and to see Him risen. We reverently commemorate them today, as well as Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, who witnessed Christ's crucifixion.
The pious Joseph, originally from the city of Arimathea, was a wealthy man and a respected Jewish counselor. The Pharisee and Israelite teacher Nicodemus was also well-known in Judea. When Christ preached His teachings to the people, and His opponents were filled with hatred and malice, Joseph and Nicodemus secretly came to Him at night as disciples. But when Christ was sentenced to death and then crucified, these two men showed a high example of love for the Teacher, firmness of spirit, courage, and determination to stand against the malice and persecution from their fellow countrymen. Out of their devotion and gratitude to Christ, they forgot fear and openly declared themselves as His disciples when others were hiding. Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate to ask for Jesus' body, and together with Nicodemus, they took His body down from the Cross and buried the Teacher in a new tomb in Joseph's garden. Later, for their faith and devotion to the Lord, the righteous Joseph and Nicodemus suffered persecution from the Jews but remained faithful to Him until the end.
The Myrrh-Bearing Women, about whom we know very little, showed loyalty and constant love for the Savior. These women followed Christ during His earthly journey. Foremost among them was the pure Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Lord, a witness to the crucifixion, death, and Resurrection of her Son. One of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, Mary Magdalene, was saved by the Lord from eternal perdition, from demonic possession, and sinful passions. Other women, following Him, listened to His teachings, becoming new people, learning His commandments of love and forgiveness. Their names are mentioned in the Holy Scriptures: Mary the wife of Clopas, Salome, Joanna, Martha, Mary, Susanna, and others with them—they were sincerely devoted to Christ and considered it their highest duty and greatest happiness to serve the Lord in His earthly needs. The reverent love of one of them, Mary, the sister of Lazarus whom the Lord resurrected, was shown in that she bought precious ointment and anointed Jesus' head with it, thus giving Him burial honors even before His death and burial.
Thus, showing their great love for the Lord, they followed Him even after death, serving Him as much as possible. Early in the morning, after the Sabbath, they hurried to Jesus' tomb, overcoming fear and ignoring any obstacles. The Myrrh-Bearing Women seemingly forgot that a large stone was rolled to the tomb's door, that a military guard was posted, which could insult and not allow them to approach the tomb. But love and deep faith overcame hopelessness and fear of shame and even death. They safely reached Jesus' burial place, found the stone rolled away from the tomb's door, the guard petrified with fear, and saw the Angel who announced to them the Lord's Resurrection, and later saw Him Himself, who told them: "Rejoice!" What a great reward for the labor of love, for their boundless loyalty. They, in deep sorrow, having forgotten the Savior's promise that on the third day He would rise again, came with spices to anoint the dead but found the Risen One and were the first to experience the great joy of the Resurrection. We know that from them came the Paschal greeting "Christ is Risen!" And we, sometimes in hopelessness and despair, will believe that love is stronger than fear and death, stronger than threats and terror of any danger, that love overcomes everything and can fight death and win!
Let us also learn from the Myrrh-Bearing Women the all-conquering love for the Lord and people. Truly he loves God, who fulfills His commandments and for the glory of His name is ready to sacrifice everything, even their life, to endure all persecutions, any tortures. Such loyalty has always been shown by many women in times of persecution for the faith, as it was in the first centuries of the history of the Church of Christ. So it was in the times after the church schism in Russia when women showed examples of courage and steadfastness in faith. Let us remember the devotion of Protopope Avvakum's wife, Anastasia Markovna, who shared all the hardships of exile with her husband persecuted for ancient piety. Let us remember the names of the noblewoman Feodosia Morozova, her sister Evdokia Urusova, and their associates, who courageously gave their lives for faith and piety, enduring tortures and torment to the end but not broken in spirit.
Let us also remember those women who, during the years of godless persecutions of the Church, courageously day after day faithfully served the Church, defending the temples when they were being closed everywhere, sacrificing everything they had to support the life of the parish, to help the persecuted priesthood and all those who suffered hardships and oppression. Even today, these reverent and courageous women do much to strengthen true piety, to keep the churches in cleanliness and order, to maintain peace and love in communities, always praising and thanking God: in happiness and in misfortune, in sorrow and in joy, in wealth and in poverty, in health and in sickness, in the quiet and in the storm of the soul, with a tender heart raising prayer to Him: "Glory to Thee, Lord, for everything that happens by Thy will, for everything is done for the best, everything for our salvation." And to those who love the Lord, everything works together for good, sooner or later, evil is overcome by Him, as the Apostle Paul says: "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).
A Christian's faith and love for the Lord and people are true fragrant ointments for the Lord. Let us also bring to the Lord, as the Myrrh-Bearing Women did, the ointment of good deeds for our brethren in Christ, that is, deeds of mercy and love for our neighbors. Let us do good deeds, each according to their strength, and at the same time, bring to the Lord the ointment of repentant prayer and tears for our sins. Heartfelt contrition for sins and our tears are ointments for the Lord, and the fragrance of the tears of repentance, like a scent, will spread in our soul, and the Lord Himself will descend into it and grant us forgiveness and consolation.
On the day dedicated to the memory of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women, it is appropriate to say a few words about the significance of women in the light of Christian teaching.
In comparison with men, the word of God calls women "the weaker vessel" (1 Peter 3:7). But despite this, the Lord grants the wife qualities that the husband does not have—compassion, modesty, submission, and most importantly—the ability to give birth to children and raise them. Saint John Chrysostom describes the purpose and duties of a wife: "A wife is betrothed to her husband for companionship in life, for the birth and upbringing of children, to keep the home." A believing wife, knowing that everything is done by God's will, bears the cross of family life without complaint, without grumbling to others, and, comforted in all the sorrows of her heart by the Creator, weaves for herself a crown of immortality in heaven in humility and piety.
A pious wife has a good influence on her husband, strengthening him in faith, with her good advice and care, instilling in children respect for God, respect for His holy law, love for prayer. How beautiful and touching is a mother or grandmother who, when everyone else is in deep sleep, despite fatigue and ailments, in the silence of the night with tears, prays to the Lord, the Mistress, and the saints, asking for their help for her children, above all asking to keep them in good Christian morals, to protect them from the abyss of vice and worldly vanity! A mother's prayer can do much to appease the Lord. And the Lord, undoubtedly, pours out His mercy according to the mother's fervent prayer, graciously telling her: "Woman, let it be as you wish." Women, love piety, through which God's grace, happiness, and joy, peace and tranquility, purity and chastity, faith, hope, and love are poured out upon the world. Such are the pious Christian women, worthy of emulation—comforting to those around them and pleasing to God.
Women bring to the world the light of Divine love, which can overcome even the fear of death. Therefore, let us constantly test our conscience in relation to Christ, remembering the faithful and unwavering love for the Lord, which transformed the timid Joseph, the secret disciple Nicodemus, and the quiet Myrrh-Bearing Women who remained loyal to the Lord. Let us honor the Christian women who stood firm against tortures, against fear, against threats, remaining faithful to Christ and His Church until the end.
And if in our hearts, brothers and sisters, love for God has not yet ignited, which overcomes fear, let us ask God to grant us the same fervent and invincible love that the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women had!