Homily on the Sunday of the Myrrhbearing Women: On Spiritual Deadness (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov)

By St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

The Gospels have told us today[1] about the exploits of the holy women who followed the God-Man during His earthly wanderings. They witnessed His sufferings and were present at his burial. The burial took place on Friday evening. While the Jews’ wrath was pouring out like the fiery lava of Aetna not only upon the Lord, but upon all of those close to Him; while the Holy Apostles were forced to hide or observe the extraordinary events only from a distance; while only John, the beloved disciple who leaned upon the breast of the Lord, feared nothing and remained always near the Lord, the secret disciple, Joseph of Arimathea, who had always concealed his heart’s allegiance due to persecution from the Sanhedrin, suddenly disregards all the obstacles, hesitations, and anxiety that had bound and worried him until then, and he appears before cold, cruel Pilate to beg the body of the One who was shamefully executed. He receives the Lord’s body and buries it with reverence and honor.

Explanation of the Gospel Reading for the Third Sunday of Pascha (St. Theophylact of Ochrid)

Third Sunday of Pascha

The Myrrhbearing Women

Mark 15:43-16:6

By Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Ochrid and Bulgaria

42-47. Now when the evening was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a noble counsellor, who also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and asked for the Body of Jesus. And Pilate wondered if He were already dead, and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether He had been any while dead. And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the Body to Joseph. And he bought fine linen, and took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen, and laid Him in a tomb which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the tomb. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where He was laid.

Saints and Feasts of April 22

On the twenty-second the Sykeote was hidden in the grave.

Venerable Theodore the Sykeote, Bishop of Anastasiopolis

Saint Theodore the Sykeote, Bishop of Anastasiopolis

The Role of St. George in the Life of St. Theodore Sykeote

Venerable Ananias of Malles in Crete

Hatzi Ananias of Malles, Crete (+ 1907)

The Amazing Miracles of Hatzi Ananias of Malles, Crete

Hatzi Ananias of Crete Has Been Proposed for Canonization

Holy New Hieromartyr Sabbas, Bishop of Gornji Karlovac

Holy New Hieromartyr Sabbas, Who Was Skinned Alive By the Ustashi (+ 1941)

Commemoration of the Prisoner Breakout from 

Jasenovac Concentration Camp

Holy New Martyrs of Jasenovac Concentration Camp

Life of the Holy Hieromartyr Januarius, Bishop of Benevento, and his Companions

On the twenty-first of April, we commemorate the Holy Hieromartyr Januarius the Bishop of Benevento and his companions: Proculus, Sosius and Festus the Deacons, Desiderius the Reader, Acutius and Eutychius the Laymen.

Verses

To Januarius.

Januarius was a noble man,
In the month of April he was beheaded.

To Proculus, Sosius and Festus.

Proculus together with Sosius and Festus,
Bent forward for beheading while the sword was in its sheath.

To Desiderius.

The neck of Desiderius was bound to the sword,
He submitted to beheading and stands before the Lord.

To Acutius and Eutychius.

The voice of Acutius was heard,
Saying "Eutychius my fellow in beheading."

On the twenty-first Januarius was beheaded.

On the Salvation of Those Who Died Before Christ (St. Anastasios of Sinai)

I am offering the translation below in response to the translation here:  http://ldysinger.stjohnsem.edu/@texts/0-03_plato/99_anast-sinai.htm. There, "hades" is translated as "hell", which is not accurate, but even worse, in section 3, the translation of the first sentence reads: "Having heard this you cannot believe that there is no repentance in hell." This is a serious mistranslation, making it as if St. Anastasios believed there was "repentance in hell", which is something no Church Father believed. Therefore the translation below is a more accurate translation to remedy the false attribution of such a teaching to St. Anastasios.

By St. Anastasios of Sinai

(Questions and Answers, 61)

QUESTION 61:

In regard to the Greeks who died before the coming of Christ, is it fitting to pray for them, rather than condemn them?

ANSWER: