Let your love shine...

Third Sunday of Pascha (Pasqua): The Myrrh-bearing women

Acts 6:1-7; Mark 15:43-16:8.

This Sunday we celebrate the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women. Today we celebrate the reality of the empty tomb. Today we celebrate the finding of the empty tomb. These women, the closest family and friends to Jesus, came to perform the final act of love—to anoint His body with oils and perfumes (cf. Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1). Yet as they walked into the tomb, what did they see? A young man dressed in white—the young man being an angel appearing in human form to deliver to them the Good News: Christ is risen (cf. Mark 16:5–6).

Now these women all went on to serve the Lord by proclaiming His name to whomever they encountered (cf. Luke 24:9–10). These women proved to be faithful, and through their ascetical struggles all became saints who are venerated in the Eastern Tradition.

Like these women, we are all called to do what we can to show others the love of Christ. Like them, we are to have faith in Him who is the King of Heaven. Like the women, we are called to trust in Him—that even in the darkest of times, good will triumph (cf. John 16:33). These women walked to the tomb reliving the horrible events of the last few days, yet when they got to the tomb, Jesus was not there.

St Maximos the Confessor notes that all things happen for a reason. He states:

“The purpose of God's Providence is to unite, by means of right faith and spiritual love, people who have been separated by evil. To this end the Savior also suffered for us, "in order to gather together the children of God who were scattered.” (cf. John 11:52)

This was Christ’s mission—to bring fallen man back to his original state and to unite all under the love of God (cf. Ephesians 1:10). We live in a world where it is too easy to default to hate and anger. We must never default to these emotions, as they hinder us in our mission to show the love of Christ to all. Why did Christ tell us to pray for those who hate you? Because a soul that is full of hate fails to see the fragile human before it—even if they are an enemy (cf. Matthew 5:44).

Christ is revolutionary here, because to the world His command to love those who seek to hate us seems contrary to the ways of the world. Yet you cannot bring others to the truth of the faith if you hate them. Moreover, hate leads to many destructive things—hurting others, rather than showing them gently the love of Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:1–3).

St John of Kronstadt puts it this way in his book My Life in Christ:

“A man becomes spiritual insofar as he lives a spiritual life. He begins to see God in all things, to see His power and might in every manifestation. Always and everywhere he sees himself abiding in God and dependent on God for all things. But insofar as a man lives a bodily life, so much he does he does bodily things; he doesn't see God in anything, even in the most wondrous manifestations of His Divine power. In all things he sees body, material, everywhere and always - "God is not before his eyes."

This is important to note because every single human being is made in God’s image and likeness (cf. Genesis 1:27). If you hate another, then in essence you are doing the same to Christ. Christ is clear that whatever you do to another, you do to Him (cf. Matthew 25:40). Think about it: if you treat another poorly, then you treat Christ poorly.

We are not called to be everyone’s best friend, but to treat others with respect, for by doing so we fulfil Christ’s command to love others as we love God (cf. Matthew 22:37–39).

Saint Silouan the Athonite puts this reality in this way:

“When the soul knows the love of God by the Holy Spirit, then he clearly feels that the Lord is our own Father, the closest, dearest Father, the best. And there is not greater happiness than to love God with all the mind and heart, and our neighbour as ourself. And when this love is in the soul, then all things bring joy to the soul.”

This is powerful, for through love of God and the other we are transformed and given a joy the world cannot give (cf. John 15:11). This is why the great saints, even in trials, were impossibly joyful—because they truly loved God and the other, and in turn, God gave them a joy beyond any joy on this earth (cf. James 1:2). This is why we often speak of the saints being in ecstasy, because through this ecstasy they experience a foretaste of what is to come—the joy experienced by those in Heaven (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:9). They experience what it is like to be in perfect communion with God, and the joy that flows from this—a foretaste of Heaven.

In a way, these men and women are free from the troubles and issues of this world (cf. Romans 8:21). St Silouan states thus:

“The Lord wants us to love one another. Here is freedom: in love for God and neighbour. In this freedom, there is equality. In earthly orders, there may not be equality, but this is not important for the soul. Not everyone can be a king, not everyone a patriarch or a boss. But in any position it is possible to love God and to please Him, and only this is important. And whoever loves God more on earth will be in greater glory in His Kingdom.”

Yes, there are those who have different beliefs. Your role here is not to try and convince them with your words, but rather to show them the love of Christ, so that they have no other recourse but to ask questions and, hopefully, “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).

Words can often hide a deep pride, for back in Christ’s day the Pharisees would parade around, making sure that people heard their exhortations and prayers in the synagogues (cf. Matthew 6:5). Yet who did Christ say was righteous—the Pharisee, or the tax collector who went into the Temple and said simply, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (cf. Luke 18:13–14)?

This is why we can theologise and philosophise as much as we want, but if our words are not geared towards the love of Christ and the other, then they are no more than the hypocrisy of someone who says, “Lord, I love You,” but does not do as He asks (cf. Luke 6:46). There have been many people who have pretended to be the best of Christians—we all know the type—the first to condemn the other, the first to say, “We do not want your kind here.” These people often end up bitter and twisted, and cannot easily open their hearts to God.

Also, do not feel that your personal prayer has to be pages and pages long. When you pray, it is enough to say to God: “Lord, I love You. Help me to be a better person to others so that I can show them Your love. Forgive me my sins.” That is all (cf. Matthew 6:7–8). So many people think that the only way to pray is to read long prayers written by the saints. Yes, they can be a guide and are helpful at times; however, prayer without the heart involved is just lip service (cf. Isaiah 29:13). The Scriptures speak often about those who simply go through the motions because it is the thing to do. Allow yourself, as often as you can, to tell the Lord that you love Him and ask for His help—He will provide it (cf. Matthew 7:7). Also, do not forget to receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ’s Church as these will help you to remain connected to He who is the lover of mankind.

This week, pray to the Myrrh-Bearing Women, that they may pray for you, so that you may grow in your faith and love for Christ and your neighbour.

" To the Myrrh bearing women at the sepulchre an angel appeared and cried: Myrrh is fit for the dead, but Christ has shown Himself a stranger to corruption. So Cry: the Lord has risen, granting to the world great mercy. (Troparion (Hymn) of the Myrrh-bearing women.