August 3: [Joanna, Mary, and Salome, Myrrh-Bearing Women]

The Collect of the Day

Joanna

Almighty God, who revealed the resurrection of your Son to Joanna, Mary and Salome as they faithfully came bearing myrrh to his tomb: Grant that we too may perceive the presence of the risen Lord in the midst of pain and fear, and go forth proclaiming his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Joanna

Almighty God, who didst reveal the resurrection of thy Son to Joanna, Mary and Salome as they faithfully came bearing myrrh to his tomb: Grant that we too may perceive the presence of the risen Lord in the midst of pain and fear, and go forth proclaiming his resurrection; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Acts 2:29–36
Psalm 50
Mark 16:1–8

Joanna, Mary, and Salome are traditionally counted as the three women who came to Jesus’ tomb early in the morning on the day of the resurrection in order to anoint his body with myrrh and other spices. They were followers of Jesus during his earthly ministry and remained with him throughout his arrest, crucifixion, and burial, and they discovered his empty tomb after his resurrection.

Little is known about the lives of Joanna, Mary, and Salome beyond their faithful and unwavering devotion and service to Christ. Joanna is identified in the Gospel of Luke as the wife of Chuza, a steward of Herod, and in Luke 8:2–3 is counted among the women who followed and provided for Jesus after having been healed by him.

The Gospel of Mark includes Salome in a list of women present at the crucifixion without any further information; according to early Christian tradition Salome was a relative of Mary the Mother of Jesus.

In addition to Joanna, Salome, and Mary Magdalene, Matthew 28:1 lists a woman it refers to as “the other Mary.” Mark 16:1 refers to her as Mary the mother of James. John 19:25 recounts that Mary the wife of Cleopas was present at the crucifixion, and historically the Christian tradition has tended to assume that all three of these Marys are actually the same person.

The little information that we do have about these women shows them to be faithful disciples and worthy of our commemoration and, more importantly, emulation. There is a particular devotion to these “Holy Myrrhbearers” in the Orthodox Church, and the second Sunday after Easter is celebrated as “Myrrhbearers Sunday”.

Lessons and Psalm

First Lesson

Psalm

¹The Lord, the God of gods, has spoken; *he has called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

²Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty, *God reveals himself in glory.

³Our God will come and will not keep silence; *before him there is a consuming flame, and round about him a raging storm.

⁴He calls the heavens and the earth from above *to witness the judgment of his people.

⁵“Gather before me my loyal followers, *those who have made a covenant with me and sealed it with sacrifice.”

⁶Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause; *for God himself is judge.

⁷Hear, O my people, and I will speak: “O Israel, I will bear witness against you; *for I am God, your God.

⁸I do not accuse you because of your sacrifices; *your offerings are always before me.

⁹I will take no bull-calf from your stalls, *nor he-goats out of your pens;

¹⁰For all the beasts of the forest are mine, *the herds in their thousands upon the hills.

¹¹I know every bird in the sky, *and the creatures of the fields are in my sight.

¹²If I were hungry, I would not tell you, *for the whole world is mine and all that is in it.

¹³Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls, *or drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving *and make good your vows to the Most High.

¹⁵Call upon me in the day of trouble; *I will deliver you, and you shall honor me.”

¹⁶But to the wicked God says: *“Why do you recite my statutes, and take my covenant upon your lips;

¹⁷Since you refuse discipline, *and toss my words behind your back?

¹⁸When you see a thief, you make him your friend, *and you cast in your lot with adulterers.

¹⁹You have loosed your lips for evil, *and harnessed your tongue to a lie.

²⁰You are always speaking evil of your brother *and slandering your own mother’s son.

²¹These things you have done, and I kept still, *and you thought that I am like you.”

²²“I have made my accusation; *I have put my case in order before your eyes.

²³Consider this well, you who forget God, *lest I rend you and there be none to deliver you.

²⁴Whoever offers me the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me; *but to those who keep in my way will I show the salvation of God.”

Gospel

¹When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. ²And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” ⁴When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. ⁵As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. ⁶But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. ⁷But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” ⁸So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.