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Sunday of the Holy Myrrhbearers

This Third Sunday of Pascha is dedicated to the myrrhbearing women who cared for the body of the Savior at his death and who were the first witnesses to his Resurrection. The Gospel reading today relates this episode. The three troparia of Great and Holy Friday are sung once again and form the theme of the day:

“The noble Joseph, when he had taken down Thy most pure body from the Tree, wrapped it in fine linen and anointed it with spices, and placed it in a new tomb.”

“When Thou didst descend to death, O Life Immortal, Thou didst slay hell with the splendor of Thy Godhead.”

“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’.”

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The following readings below are for Sunday, April 18, 2021:

Today's Epistle reading [Acts 6.1-7]:

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.

Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty.

But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.

These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them.

And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

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The Gospel reading for today [Mark 15.43-16.8]:

Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead.

And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph.

And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.

Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.

And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen.

And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?"

And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; --it was very large.

And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed.

And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him.

But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you."

And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid.