Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Christ is Risen!
This is weekly newsletter #10 of the St Ignatius Parish in Belfast.
Contents of this Newsletter:
- Message from Fr Dmitry: Honouring our Myrrh-Bearers
- Announcements: Service Schedule and more
- Homily on upcoming Sunday’s Gospel: On Courage, Duty and Faith
Message from Fr Dmitry:
This coming Sunday, the 4th of May, the second Sunday after Pascha, the Church celebrates the memory of the Myrrh-Bearing Women. These are the women who followed Christ during His earthly ministry and who, in love and faith, came early on the first day of the week to His tomb, bringing fragrant spices. They came to anoint His body, but instead became the first witnesses of His Resurrection. You can read more about these holy women here: https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/1589
The faith, courage, and loving service of the Myrrh-Bearers have become a model for generations of women who have served the Church throughout the centuries. Walk into any Orthodox parish, whether in the East or the West, and you will see how vital women are to the life of the community. Women chant, cook, clean, manage finances, assist with catechesis, teach in Sunday school, care for vestments, run social activities, organise communal support and contribute in countless other ways. In the parishes of the Antiochian Patriarchate in the Middle East, groups of women who take on such responsibilities are often called the “Myrrh-Bearers Society” – جمعية حاملات الطيب (jamʿiyyat ḥāmilāt al-ṭīb), in honour of those first witnesses of the Resurrection.
There are also many who serve in less visible ways, supporting their families whether through employment or house work, raising children, and working quietly and faithfully in their homes and communities. Every Orthodox family is a small church, and the quiet strength of women is often what holds it together.
On the Feast of Myrrh-Bearers we take the opportunity to thank and honour all the women of our parish, Whether your service is visible or unseen to people, know that it is known to and accepted by God. Like the Myrrh-Bearing Women, your love, faith, and dedication to service are a fragrant offering before God.
May Christ our God bless you, strengthen you in your service, and richly reward your faithfulness.
News and Announcements:
- May Services – Change of Date: Last week we announced that our next services in church would be on the 10th and 11th of May. However, the schedule has changed. The May services will now take place on the 17th and 18th of May. There will be no pilgrimage on Saturday. Instead, we will follow our regular pattern of worship with Great Vespers on Saturday and Orthros with Liturgy on Sunday: https://saintignatiusbelfast.org/services
- Liturgical Schedule: May – August 2025: The service schedule for the period May to August has now been confirmed. The full list of dates and times are available here: https://saintignatiusbelfast.org/schedule-of-services-may-august-2025
- Online Faith & Fellowship Meetings – Every Wednesday: Join us for our weekly Faith and Fellowship gathering on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm on Zoom. Our next meeting is on Wednesday, 7th May. We will pray the Little Compline and reflect on the Gospel reading for the coming Sunday. No preparation needed — just come as you are! Zoom link: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/97707660214
Next Sunday’s Gospel Reading and Homily:
The reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark (15:43-47; 16:1-8):
At that time, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Homily: On Courage, Duty and Faith
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
The Gospel reading for the coming Sunday speaks of the Myrrh-Bearing Women and Joseph of Arimathea, the people who showed great courage, devotion, and faith at a time when many others, even the closest disciples, were hidden in fear.
Joseph of Arimathea, a person of prominent public position in Jerusalem, boldly went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. This was no small act. Our Lord Jesus Christ had just been executed as a criminal. To associate with Him publicly meant a great risk not only to one’s reputation, but even to one’s own life. And yet Joseph took courage. He acted out of a deep sense of duty and reverence. He arranged for a proper burial for the Lord when no one else dared to step forward.
Likewise, the Myrrh-Bearing Women went first thing on the early morning of the day following Saturday to complete the rites of anointing Jesus Christ’s body. They did not know how they would roll the heavy stone away. They did not know what they would find. But they went anyway. Their love moved them to action. And because of their faith and their courage, they were the first to hear the joyous message: “He has risen, He is not here!”
What a contrast this is with the disciples, who, at this moment, are absent—scattered, hiding, afraid. But the women took the risk. They carried out their duties with courage and faith in God’s providing for them. And they are rewarded with the first announcement of the Resurrection.
Let us learn from them. Let us not wait for perfect conditions to do what is right. Let us have the courage to stand by Christ, to honour Him with our lives, and to be faithful in our duties, no matter how small or hidden they may seem.
There are many ways we can imitate the Myrrh-Bearing Women. We can show up to pray, even when we feel tired or discouraged. We can visit someone who is sick, or care for someone who is suffering, even when we are unsure what to say. We can make time to help with something in church or in the community, even when it is unnoticed or inconvenient. We can choose not to turn away from grief or from difficulty, but instead approach with reverence and love, trusting that God will provide.
The example of the Myrrh-Bearing Women challenges us to live out our faith not only in church, but in every part of our lives. At home, this might mean persevering in caring for our families, even when we are tired or taken for granted. At work, it might mean being honest, reliable, and responsible, even when others are not. In our communities, it might mean offering help when no one else steps forward. Often we are asked to do things that are difficult, repetitive, or thankless. But if they are good, needed, and right, then doing them is part of our Christian witness.
The Myrrh-Bearers and Joseph of Arimathea were not concerned with being seen or praised. They were focused on Christ, and they acted out of love and the sense of duty which comes with it: “If you love me, keep my commandments”(John 14:15). May we do the same. And in doing so, we too may come to the empty tomb and hear the angel’s words of joy: “He is risen!” Amen.