Life of Saint Joan the Myrrh-Bearer
Joanna was no ordinary Jew. Her husband Khuza served in the court of King Herod. The woman herself is called the confidant of the tetrarch’s wife, Herodias. The latter became famous in Galilee for her debauchery and greed. This way of life was denounced by the Baptist John the Baptist. Herodias hated the preacher and persuaded her husband to execute the objectionable prophet. Joanna considered the Baptist a holy man and sympathized with his fate.
When the Forerunner was executed, Herodias, out of the malice of her heart, did not give the head of the unfortunate man to his relatives. Then Joanna, risking her life, stole the remains from the queen’s chambers and secretly buried them on the Mount of Olives. Years later, the shrine was discovered and a temple was built at the burial site.
The woman continued to serve at court, although she was suspected of her crime. The quiet time did not last long. Her beloved son became seriously ill. She was completely desperate, but at that time Jesus Christ was nearby. The boy's father, Chuza, begged the Nazarene to heal the child. The Savior refused to enter the house of the man involved in the death of his relative, the Forerunner of the Baptist. But, seeing the suffering of the parent, he softened and cured the boy from a distance.
Rumors about this incident reached the royal court, and the attitude towards the family changed. Joanna decided to take all the blame on herself and left her husband’s house. My heart ached and suffered. But soon the woman accidentally met Jesus Christ. She became a faithful follower of the Lord.
She accompanied John Christ everywhere, joining the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus was crucified and then buried, a Jewish woman sold her jewelry to buy ointment to anoint the body in the tomb. She was not afraid of her future life, she was not afraid to spend her last money for the sake of the Lord.
On the third day after the execution, they came with the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene to the tomb of Christ. But instead of a body, they found an angel sitting on a stone at the grave. He told them the good news about the resurrection of the Lord. The women hurried to the city, to the Savior’s disciples, to tell about what had happened. Thus, Joanna's service was rewarded with the greatest miracle.
Saints' Day
Martyr Timothy the Reader and Martyr Maura (about 286)
Listen to the short lives of young Christian spouses on radio “Vera”.
Venerable Theodosius of Kiev-Pechersk (1074)
Source azbyka.ru
Read five teachings of St. Theodosius of Pechersk in our material.
Listen to a short story about the life of the founder of monasticism in Rus' on radio “Vera”.
Venerable Peter the Wonderworker, Bishop of Argos (X)
Through his prayers, food intended for the hungry never ran out. The bishop ransomed captives, healed the sick and possessed, and had the gift of clairvoyance. He predicted the day of his death long ago and went to the Lord at the age of 70.
Venerable Juliania (1393) and Eupraxia (1394) of Moscow
Saints Juliania and Eupraxia were the sisters of Saint Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow. The people revered them as saints during their lifetime - for their mercy and meekness, spiritual wisdom and humility. By the end of the 19th century, documents were prepared for the canonization of the ascetics, but the events of 1917 prevented this from happening.
The glorification of Saints Juliania and Eupraxia took place in 2000.
Read the life in more detail
In the pious family of the saint's parents there were 5 sons and 2 daughters: Julia (Eupraxia in monastic vows) and Ulyana (Iuliania). Love for their elder brother prompted the sisters to build a monastery in honor of Saint Alexis, the man of God - the patron saint of their brother in monasticism. Initially, the monastery was erected on Ostozhye (now the territory of the Moscow Conception Monastery). Most of that area was then covered with meadows with hayfields, which is why it was called Ostozhye, Stozhenets, now Ostozhenka. On one side flowed the Ostozhenka River, which had long since ceased to exist, and on the other, the Moscow River.
The faithful assistant of the Monk Juliana was her sister, the nun Eupraxia. They carried out all the work on building the monastery together. Everything in the monastery was done with the advice and blessing of their elder brother, and a cell was built near the southern part of the fence, in which he often stayed.
Blessed Tamara, Queen of Georgia (1184 - 1213)
Read a short story about one of the most famous Georgian saints in our material.
Saint Theophan, Metropolitan of Peritheoria (after 1353)
Veneration in Orthodoxy
John's life is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. Therefore, the memory of the Myrrh-Bearer is honored not only by the Orthodox, but also by representatives of other faiths - Catholics, Protestants. Difference in dates.
In the Eastern Christian Church and in Russia, June 27 is considered the solemn date. Another whole week is dedicated to the service of the myrrh-bearing women - the third week after the bright holiday of Easter. During these periods, solemn troparia are sung in honor of the righteous, they are remembered, and they are prayed to. They ask for help and thank you.
Icon of Joan the Myrrh-Bearer
On the icons the saint is depicted in a long robe, with a scarf on her head. In her hands the saint clutches a vessel with ointment intended for the body of Jesus. Sometimes the myrrh-bearer is depicted among other women who came to the Holy Sepulcher - the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene and others mentioned in the Gospel.
It is believed that the image of the saint has healing powers. People often ask the holy disciple of Christ for help and protection, and heavenly powers respond to these petitions. In addition, traditionally Ioanna patronizes women named Yana and Ioanna.
Icon of the Mother of God:
“Assumption” Kiev-Pecherskaya (1073)
Image source azbyka.ru
In 1941, the Nazis blew up the ancient Assumption Cathedral in Kiev - since then, the trace of the Assumption Icon has been lost. Her miraculous lists have been preserved: one of them is in Lvar, in the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross.
Svenskaya (Pecherskaya) (with the upcoming Anthony and Theodosius) (1288)
Image source azbyka.ru
A brief history of the icon - on radio "Vera".
Orthodox texts
Prayers, holiday troparia and kontakia are dedicated to the righteous myrrh-bearing women. They are read both during church services and during home prayer.
Prayer before the icon
Holy saint of God, Joanna the Myrrh-Bearer! Pray to the Lord God for me, the sinful servant (name). Helper, heal my sinful soul, direct my thoughts to the right and true path, and drive away from me unclean thoughts and tempting demons. Do not leave me in sin and do not allow the wicked to do their evil, directed at me and my family. Amen.
Troparion, tone 2
When you descended to death, the Immortal Belly, / then you put hell to death with the brilliance of the Divine. / When you also raised those who died from the underworld, / all the Powers of Heaven cried out to // Life-Giver Christ our God, glory to You.
Troparion of the Week of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, tone 2
The noble Joseph took down Your most pure body from the tree,/ entwined a clean shroud,/ and placed the fragrant fragrances in the new tomb;/ but Thou hast risen for three days, O Lord,// give the world to I have mercy.
An angel appeared to the myrrh-bearing women at the tomb, crying:/ Peace is fitting for the dead/ Christ has appeared as a stranger to corruption./ But cry: the Lord is risen,// Grant greatness to the world awn.
Kontakion of the Week of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, tone 2
You commanded the myrrh-bearers to rejoice,/ You quenched the tears of your foremother Eve/ with Your resurrection, O Christ God,/ You commanded Your apostle to preach // The Savior is risen from the grave.
Stichera:
Voice 1.
Myrrh-bearing women, come to the grave;
/ Why are you looking for the living among the dead? / The Lord is risen, be of good cheer, cries the Angel. With fear, the wife came to the tomb, / trying to anoint your body with fragrances, / and this will not be found, / I am perplexed about friends who do not know the Resurrection. / But an Angel appeared to them and said: / Christ is risen, / grant us great mercy.
Magdalene / and the other Mary came to the tomb, seeking the Lord, / and the Angel was seen like lightning, / sitting on a stone and saying to them: / that you are looking for the living with the dead; / is risen, as it was said: / in Galilee you will find Him. / Let us cry to Him: / risen from the dead, Lord, glory to You.
Voice 2.
Peace with tears, O disciples, you dissolve, / the stone has fallen away, the coffin has been exhausted, / you see the aphids trampled upon by the belly, / clearly testifying to the seal, / the guards of the disobedient sleeping in the fury, / killed I am truly saved by the flesh of God, hell is weeping. / Thou shalt with joy the apostle: / Christ, who put to death, the firstborn from the dead, / precedeth you into Galilee.
Your Resurrection, O Christ the Savior, / enlightened the whole universe, / and you called Your creation, / Omnipotent Lord, glory to You.
Verse: I will remember Your name in every generation and generation.
Joy to all who mourn and those who are offended, / and a nourisher to the poor, comfort to the strange, / and a rod to the blind, a visit to the weak, / to those who labor for protection and intercession, and to the orphan helper, / Mother Bo God of the Most High You are, O Most Pure One, / we strive, we pray, to be saved as a slave Yours.
Verse: Daughters, hear and see, and incline Your ear.
Every lawlessness is merciless, / I have committed every sin incontinently accursed, / I am worthy of all condemnation, / grant me guilt and repentance, O Virgin, / for lest I appear there condemned. / I will write a prayer book for you, / I call upon you as an intercessor, / so that you do not disgrace me, O Bride of God.
Verse: The riches of mankind will pray to Your face.
We are not imams of any other refuge, O Pure One, to the Creator and Master, / unless You, O Bride of God, / do not reject us with Your warm intercession, / and disgrace the love of those who flow under Your roof, / Mother of God on What, / strive and give Your help, / and save us from this present wrath.
The myrrh-bearers arrived early, / and arrived at Your tomb with diligence, / asking You, O Christ, to anoint Your most pure body. / And the audible verbs are announced, / The joyful hobzes by the apostle of the sabrefield, / aside the start of the salvation, the captivated death, / MIRIOVA give the lively vivid / and the MIRITY VELIA.
Verse: Bring my soul out of prison, / confess to Your Name.
Before the ages, the Word of God who was born from the Father, / incarnate from the Virgin Mary, / come, let us worship: / having endured the cross, / was given over to burial, as He Himself desired: / and rose from the dead, / having saved me from the lost waiting person.
Verse: The righteous women are waiting for me, / until then reward me.
Christ our Savior, / blot out the handwriting of nails on the Cross on us, / and abolish the mortal power: / we worship His three-day Resurrection.
Verse: From the depths I have cried to You, O Lord, / Lord, hear my voice.
With the archangels let us sing of Christ’s Resurrection: / For he is the Deliverer and Savior of our souls, / both in terrible glory and in mighty power, / who will again come to judge the world he created.
Verse: Let Your ears / be listening to the voice of my prayer.
You are crucified and buried, / The angel preached to the Master, and said to the women: / Come, see where the Lord lies: / He is risen, as he said, as he is omnipotent. / Moreover, we worship You, the only immortal One, / Life-Giving Christ, have mercy on us.
Verse: If you see iniquity, Lord, Lord, who will stand? / For You have purification.
By Your cross You have abolished the oath of the tree, / By Your burial You have put to death the power of death: / By Your rise You have enlightened the human race. / For this reason we cry to Thee: / to the benefactor Christ our God, glory to Thee.
Verse: For Thy name's sake I have endured Thee, O Lord, my soul has endured in Thy word, / my soul has trusted in the Lord.
The gates of death were opened to You, with fear, / and the gatekeepers of hell saw You, and were afraid: / You smashed the gates of copper, / And You destroyed the iron ropes, / And You brought us out from darkness and the shadow of death, / and you tore our bonds apart.
Verse: From the morning watch until the night, from the morning watch, / let Israel trust in the Lord.
Singing a song of salvation, let us lift up from our lips: / come, all of you, let us fall down in the house of the Lord, saying: / crucified on the Tree, and risen from the dead, / and who is in the bosom of the Fathers, / cleanse our sins.
Verse: For with the Lord is mercy, and with him is great deliverance, / and He will deliver Israel from all their iniquities.
Myrrh-bearing women, in the deep morning, / the aromas of the earth have reached, the Lord’s sepulchre has reached, / I have no longer hoped to find, / I have thought reverently of the stone heap, / and friend to friends with the verb: / where is the essence seals of the coffin; / where is Pilate’s custodia and dangerous assertion? / And the announcer came to the ignorant women, / a shining angel, and said to them: / Why are you looking for the living and revived human race with weeping? / Christ our God has risen from the dead, as he is omnipotent, / grant us all incorruption and life, / enlightenment and great mercy.
Verse: Praise the Lord, all nations, / Praise Him, all people.
Peace with tears, O disciples, you dissolve, / the stone has fallen away, the coffin has been exhausted: / you see the aphids trampled upon by the belly, / clearly testifying to the seal, / the guards of the disobedient sleeping in the fury, / killed I am truly saved by the flesh of God, hell is weeping. / Thou shalt with joy the apostle: / Christ, who put to death, the firstborn from the dead, / precedeth you into Galilee.
Verse: For His mercy is established upon us, / and the truth of the Lord endures forever.
The myrrh-bearers arrived early, / and arrived at Your tomb with diligence, / asking You, O Christ, to anoint Your most pure body. / And the audible verbs are announced, / The joyful hobzes by the apostle of the sabrefield, / aside the start of the salvation, the captivated death, / MIRIOVA give the lively vivid / and the MIRITY VELIA.
O verily lawless One, / who printed the stone, hast been kind to miracles greater than us! / The guards came to their senses, / this day I came out of the tomb, and said: / Cry as we sleep, / The disciples came and stole Him. / And whoever steals a dead man, especially a naked one; / He Himself rose sovereignly, like God, / leaving His burial in the tomb. / Come, you see, O Jews, / as you will not break the seal, trampling death / and grant to the human race endless life, / and great mercy.
The lawful canopy has passed away, / grace has come, / just as the bush was not scorched, / so the Virgin gave birth to you, / and the Virgin remained. / Instead of a pillar of fire, the righteous Sun rose: / instead of Moses, Christ, / the salvation of our souls.
Voice 6:
The myrrh-bearing woman, having reached Your tomb, / and having seen the seal of the grave, / not having found Your most pure body, / came weeping with care, saying: / who has stolen our hope; / who is taken dead, naked and anointed with myrrh, / Mother’s only consolation? / O how the dead come to life when they die; / captive hell, how are you buried? / But rise again, O Savior, autocratically, / as you advertised, / of three days, saving our souls.
Glory: Joseph asked for the body of Jesus, / and placed it in his new tomb, / for it was fitting for Him to come out of the grave, / as if he had come from the palace. / Having crushed the power of death, / and opened the gates of heaven to man, / Lord, glory to Thee.
And now, Mother of God, the same voice: My Creator and Savior, Most Pure One, / Christ the Lord has passed from Your beds, / wrapped yourself in me, / Adam’s first vows of freedom. / Moreover, Ti, All-Pure, / as the Mother of God and the Virgin, / we truly cry out silently: / Rejoice angelically, Rejoice, Lady, / intercession and protection, / and the salvation of our souls.
