Church celebrates the Feast of Myrrh-Bearing Women
The faithful remember the disciples of the Savior who overcame their fear of the crucifiers and were the first to see the angel at the empty Tomb.
On April 26, 2026, on the second Sunday after Pascha, the Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of the holy Myrrh-bearing Women. On this day the Church remembers Mary Magdalene, Mary of Cleopas, Salome, Joanna, Martha, Mary, Susanna and other pious women mentioned in the Gospel.
The myrrh-bearers steadfastly followed Christ during His preaching and served the first Christian community with their possessions. When the Lord was betrayed and crucified on Golgotha, these women, unlike most of the apostles who had fled, remained at the foot of the Cross and wept, sharing in the Savior's sufferings.
On the third day after the crucifixion, early Sunday morning, the women came to Christ's tomb to anoint His Body with myrrh - fragrant oil, as tradition required. Finding that the stone was rolled away and the cave empty, they were the first to receive from an angel the news that the Savior had risen, and hastened to tell the apostles about it.
To one of the Myrrh-bearers, Mary Magdalene, the risen Lord Himself first appeared. According to tradition, she began to witness about the Resurrection even before the Roman Emperor Tiberius. Their feat is perceived as the triumph of the faith of the heart, which conquered human reason and fear.
In church tradition this feast is considered the Orthodox women's day. It reminds believers of selflessness and love, calling them to value women who bring care to the world.
On this day, in churches it is customary to congratulate and give flowers to all beloved women - mothers, sisters, wives and daughters, emphasizing the height of their calling in Christianity.
The spiritual example of the Myrrh-bearers serves as a guide for believers in maintaining steadfastness and faithfulness to the canonical Church in times of trial.
