The myrrh-bearing women, the pious Joseph and Nicodemus, all had great courage. Ordinarily, when we think of great courage, we think of heroic exploits of warriors or military heroes. But the myrrh-bearing women were soft-spoken, humble, modest in demeanor, loving—like Mary the Theotokos. They weren’t puffed up on themselves or their exploits, but servants at heart. They were able to ‘risk’ everything, even death, to anoint Jesus, to take Jesus down from the cross, to bury Him, and to go to Him after His life-giving death, because they loved with the love of God, the love He Himself had shown them. “Perfect love casts out fear,” St. John teaches us (I Jn. 4:18). No surprise then, that, motivated by such love, they would ‘risk’ everything to go to Him. Such was their faith and love, exercised in humility–nothing would stop them from caring for Jesus. It’s fitting, then, that the Lord first appeared to them in His resurrected body.
In our secular culture today, we need such courage to faithfully witness to the timeless truth of Christ. Ultimately, such witness to have a fruitful effect must emanate from a love for those around us. Otherwise, St. Paul assures us, we are as a “sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.” (I Cor. 13). May we stand firm in the conviction of our faith, as inheritors of a precious treasure that is not just for ourselves but for our neighbor and, indeed, the whole world. And may we come to exemplify the courage, humility and love for Christ and His truth so that we can help bring others to the healing and love of Christ with us, just as did the Holy Myrrh-bearers of Christ. Holy Myrrh-bearers, pious Joseph, and righteous Nicodemus, pray for us sinners to have the courage, humility, and love to witness Christ’s truth in our own day!
THIS WEEK AT HOLY ARCHANGELS:
- Saturday, May 10, 6:00 p.m., Great Vespers. Confession offered following the service
- Sunday, May 11, 9:30 Hours, 10 a.m., Divine Liturgy
Save the Dates:
- Saturday, June 7, 3 p.m., EVE of PENTECOST, Picnic at the Rectory: bring your favorite meat to grill, wine/beer, side, and a contribution to share for our annual picnic at the Rectory, 1353 Tydings Rd., Annapolis. Great Vespers with Litya and Pentecost bon-fire following
- Great Vespers at the Rectory, 6 p.m. followed by bon-fire for PENTECOST
- Sunday, June 8, 9:30 a.m., Divine Liturgy of PENTECOST, BAPTISM of Simeon Mihai
- Festive Trapeza for Pentecost following the Liturgy
Prayer Requests:
- That God may grow our Mission “in spirit and in numbers…”
- For God’s financial provision for our Mission and ACM;
- For our Mission that we may find a Choir Director;
- Archpriest George, Archpriest Michael, Priest John, Dcn. Basil, Rdr. John, Benedict, Colette, Mary, Carol, Katherine, James, Daniel, Sarah, Seraphim, Patricia, George, Anne, Ed, the Church in Georgia and Romania as they address the relativism of the West, speaking the truth in love, our suffering Orthodox brethren in Syria, a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.
Troparion (Resurrection) Tone 2
When You descended to death, O Life Immortal,
You destroyed hell with the splendor of Your Godhead.
And when from the depths You raised the dead,
all the powers of heaven cried out://
“O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory to You!”
Troparion (from the Pentecostarion) Tone 2
The noble Joseph, // when he had taken down Your most pure Body from the Tree,
wrapped it in fine linen and anointed it with spices, // and placed it in a new tomb.
But You rose on the third day, O Lord,// granting the world great mercy.
Troparion (from the Pentecostarion) Tone 2
The Angel came to the Myrrhbearing Women at the tomb and said:
“Myrrh is fitting for the dead;
but Christ has shown Himself a stranger to corruption!
So proclaim: ‘The Lord is risen,//
granting the world great mercy.’”
Troparion (Holy Archangels) Tone 4
Commanders of the heavenly hosts, // we who are unworthy beseech you:
by your prayers encompass us beneath the wings of your immaterial glory,
and faithfully preserve us who fall down and cry to you://
“Deliver us from all harm, for you are the Commanders of the Powers on high!”
Kontakion (from the Pentecostarion) Tone 2
You commanded the Myrrhbearers to rejoice, O Christ God.
By Your Resurrection, You stopped the lamentation of Eve, the first mother.
You commanded them to preach to Your Apostles://
“The Savior is risen from the tomb!”
Kontakion (Pascha) Tone 8
You descended into the tomb, O Immortal, // You destroyed the power of death.
In victory You arose, O Christ God, // proclaiming: “Rejoice!” to the Myrrhbearing Women,//
granting peace to Your Apostles, and bestowing Resurrection on the fallen.
Kontakion (Holy Archangels) Tone 2
Commanders of God’s armies // and ministers of the divine glory,
princes of the bodiless Angels // and guides of mankind;
ask for what is good for us, and for great mercy,// Supreme Commanders of the Bodiless Hosts.
