Icon of the Myrrh-Bearing Women – S97

Description

The Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women came to the tomb of the Lord very early at dawn, bringing spices to anoint His Body after Saint Joseph of Arimathea and Saint Nicodemus had hurriedly buried Christ in a hewed out grave near Golgotha, where He had died for our sins.  When they arrived, they were astonished to find that the Lord had risen from the dead, as the angels at the tomb told them. They went to tell this most blessed and good news to the Disciples.

Many of these same women had stood near or afar off watching the cruel and much-suffering death of their dear Lord Jesus Christ on Great Friday, the day before the great sabbath day.   There are eight women often identified with these Myrrh-Bearers, although each account of the Gospels lists them differently, so they may not all have come to the tomb at the same time: Saint Mary Magdalene, the Virgin Mary Theotokos, Saint Joanna, Saint Salome the wife of Zebedee, Saint Mary the wife of Cleophas, Saint Sussana, and the two sisters SS Mary and Martha of Bethany, the sisters of Saint Lazarus.  Thus we see this great example of love of Christ and faithfulness in these women unafraid to come and serve the Lord.