The Art of Myrrhbearing
The Orthodox Church celebrates the Myrrhbearing Women, who came to the tomb on the third day, arms full of myrrh and spices, to honor Christ’s broken body, only to find the tomb empty. Our Lord Himself will tell them to run and tell the apostles that He is indeed alive — making them the first people to speak the gospel, the apostles to the Apostles.
The women were participating in age-old tradition of preparing the bodies of our loved ones with myrrh and spices, expressing their love for Christ in the most tangible way, by taking care of His body. Ultimately, doesn’t our Lord call every one of us to express love in physical ways? Our incarnate Lord offers and demands not love as abstraction, but truly incarnate love that takes form in mercy, compassion, and tangible service to one another.
In The Art of Myrrhbearing, we get to know the myrrhbearers who tended to Christ and many others who bore myrrh, considering how the offering of such generous service transforms us and opens us up to truly encountering Christ Himself.
Each chapter concludes with a few questions to spur reflection — on your own, in a journal, or with a group.
