Eastern Rite ~ Feasts of 4 May AM 7533

Today is the Sunday of the Holy Myrrhbearing Women with the Noble Joseph, and the Feast of the Holy Virgin-Martyr Pelagia.

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The Myrrh-bearing women are those women who followed the Lord, along with His Mother. They remained with her during the time of the saving Passion and anointed the Lord's body was with myrrh. Joseph and Νikόdēmos asked for and received the Lord's body from Pilate. They took it down from the Cross, wrapped it in linen cloths and spices, then laid it in a tomb, and then they placed a great stone over the entrance of the tomb.

According to the Evangelist Matthew (27:57-61), Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joses (Mark 15:40) were there sitting opposite the sepulchre, and they saw where He had been laid. This other Mary was the Mother of God. Not only were these present, but also many other women, as Saint Luke says (24:10).

Today the Church honours Saints Mary Magdalene (July 22), Mary the wife of Cleopas (May 23), Joanna (June 27), Salome, mother of the sons of Zebedee (August 3), Martha and Mary, sisters of Lazarus (June 4), and the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, who was the stepmother of her husband Joseph’s sons James (October 23) and Joses (October 30). Today we also remember Saint Joseph of Arimathea (July 31), who was a secret disciple (John 19:38), and Saint Νikόdēmos, who was a disciple by night (John 3:3; 19:38).

The holy right-believing Queen Tamara of Georgia is honoured twice during the year: on May 1, the day of her repose, and also on the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women.

Troparion — Tone 2

The Noble Joseph, / when he had taken down Your most pure Body from the tree, / wrapped it in fine linen and anointed it with spices, / and placed it in a new tomb. / But You rose on the third day, O Lord, / granting the world great mercy.

Troparion — Tone 2

The angel came to the myrrh-bearing women at the tomb and said: / Myrrh is meet for the dead; / but Christ has shown Himself a stranger to corruption! / So proclaim: The Lord is risen, / granting the world great mercy!

Troparion — Tone 4

(Podoben: “You appeared to your flock as a rule of faith...”)
You visited Christ the Lord in the night, / and were born from above (1) being received, as it were, as a secret Apostle. / With good courage you disputed with the Pharisees and Scribes (2) / and followed the Savior. / Taking Him dead from the Cross, / you wrapped Him in cloths with myrrh and laid Him in the tomb, / O fervent (3) Νikόdēmos.

1 John 3:3
2 John 7:50
3 or zealous

Kontakion — Tone 2

When You proclaimed “Rejoice” to the Myrrhbearers, / You caused the lamentation of the first mother Eve to cease by Your Resurrection; O Christ God; / You bade Your Apostles preach: / “The Saviour is risen from the tomb.”

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Saint Pelagia of Tarsus in Cilicia (southeastern Asia Minor) lived in the third century, during the reign of Diocletian (284-305), and was the daughter of illustrious pagans. When she heard about Jesus Christ from her Christian friends, she believed in Him and desired to preserve her virginity, dedicating her whole life to the Lord.

Emperor Diocletian’s heir (a boy he adopted), saw the maiden Pelagia, was captivated by her beauty and wanted her to be his wife. The holy virgin told the youth that she was betrothed to Christ the Immortal Bridegroom, and had renounced earthly marriage.

Pelagia’s reply greatly angered the young man, but he decided to leave her in peace for a while, hoping that she would change her mind. At the same time, Pelagia convinced her mother to let her visit the nurse who had raised her in childhood. She secretly hoped to find Bishop Linus of Tarsus, who had fled to a mountain during a persecution against Christians and to be baptised by him. She had seen the face of Bishop Linus in a dream, which made a profound impression upon her. The holy bishop told her to be baptised. Saint Pelagia travelled in a chariot to visit her nurse, dressed in rich clothes and accompanied by a whole retinue of servants, as her mother wished.

Along the way, Saint Pelagia, by the grace of God, met Bishop Linus. Pelagia immediately recognised the bishop who had appeared to her in the dream. She fell at his feet, requesting Baptism. At the bishop’s prayer, a spring of water flowed from the ground.

Bishop Linus made the Sign of the Cross over Saint Pelagia, and during the Mystery of Baptism, angels appeared and covered the chosen one of God with a bright mantle. After giving the pious virgin Holy Communion, Bishop Linus offered a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord with her and then sent her to continue her journey. She then exchanged her expensive clothing for a simple white garment and distributed her possessions to the poor. Returning to her servants, Saint Pelagia told them about Christ, and many of them were converted and believed.

She tried to convert her own mother to Christ, but the obdurate woman sent a message to Diocletian’s son that Pelagia was a Christian and did not wish to be his wife. The youth realised that Pelagia was lost to him, and he fell upon his sword in his despair. Pelagia’s mother feared the emperor’s wrath, so she tied her daughter up and led her to Diocletian’s court as a Christian who was also responsible for the death of the heir to the throne. The emperor was captivated by the unusual beauty of the virgin and tried to turn her from her faith in Christ, promising her every earthly blessing if she would become his wife.

The holy virgin refused the emperor’s offer with contempt and said, “You are insane, Emperor, saying such things to me. I will not do your bidding, and I loathe your vile marriage since I have Christ, the King of Heaven, as my Bridegroom. I do not desire your worldly crowns which last only a short while. The Lord in His heavenly Kingdom has prepared three imperishable crowns for me. The first is for faith since I have believed in the true God with all my heart; the second is for purity because I have dedicated my virginity to Him; the third is for martyrdom since I want to accept every suffering for Him and offer up my soul because of my love for Him.”

Diocletian sentenced Pelagia to be burned in a red-hot bronze bull. Not permitting the executioners to touch her body, the holy martyr signed herself with the Sign of the Cross and went into the brazen bull and her flesh melted like myrrh, filling the whole city with fragrance. Saint Pelagia’s bones remained unharmed and were removed by the pagans to a place outside the city. Four lions then came out of the wilderness and sat around the bones letting neither bird nor wild beast get at them. The lions protected the relics of the saint until Bishop Linus came to that place. He gathered them up and buried them with honour. Later, a church was built over her holy relics.

The Service to the holy Virgin Martyr Pelagia of Tarsus says that she was “deemed worthy of most strange and divine visions.” She is also commemorated on October 7.

During the reign of Emperor St Constantine Equal to the Apostles (306-337), when the persecutions against Christians had stopped, a church was built at Saint Pelagia’s burial place.

Troparion — Tone 3

Through your knowledge of the Faith, you abandoned the darkness of ignorance, / fairest virgin of Christ. / You were refreshed by dew and finished your contest by fire. / Glorious martyr Pelagia, / entreat Christ our God to grant us His great mercy!

Kontakion — Tone 2

Abandoning your mortal betrothed in order to wed the Immortal One, / as your dowry you offered chastity and your contest. / Therefore, we acclaim you, Pelagia.