WEBVTT 00:00:01.770 --> 00:00:08.830 The gospel readings direct our focus on the time 00:00:08.830 --> 00:00:15.410 of the resurrection, Thomas, and then today the 00:00:15.410 --> 00:00:21.190 myrrh bearers with Joseph and Nicodemus. So we 00:00:21.190 --> 00:00:27.230 see their faithfulness and their love. Mary Magdalene, 00:00:27.309 --> 00:00:31.420 Mary the mother of James and Salome, the Theotokos, 00:00:31.539 --> 00:00:35.600 Susanna, Martha, all these Merberas. I think 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:39.700 we can count eight of them. They brought spices 00:00:39.700 --> 00:00:42.340 that they might come and anoint very early in 00:00:42.340 --> 00:00:44.200 the morning on the first day of the week. And 00:00:44.200 --> 00:00:47.179 also Joseph and Arimathea, in their courage, 00:00:47.420 --> 00:00:52.060 went to Pilate, that very wicked governor, and 00:00:52.060 --> 00:00:57.880 asked for the body of Jesus. Caring for the dead, 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:01.149 that's something we know a little bit about for 00:01:01.149 --> 00:01:05.670 the last two weeks for sure. But the church is 00:01:05.670 --> 00:01:10.370 not a graveyard. If anyone is in Christ, he's 00:01:10.370 --> 00:01:13.450 a new creation. It's about life and life eternal. 00:01:14.069 --> 00:01:16.810 Myrrh is fitting for the dead, said the hymn, 00:01:16.890 --> 00:01:24.730 but Christ is risen. Why does the church have 00:01:24.730 --> 00:01:29.379 us read this gospel account today? I ask myself, 00:01:29.640 --> 00:01:36.079 perhaps so that we might return to the experience 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:40.680 of Joseph and Nicodemus and the Myrrh -bearing 00:01:40.680 --> 00:01:46.859 women after their hope had been crushed, after 00:01:46.859 --> 00:01:50.879 they had seen the one that they followed, that 00:01:50.879 --> 00:01:56.680 they loved, they were devoted to, beaten, crucified. 00:01:59.109 --> 00:02:03.209 rejected by his own people. After they had lost 00:02:03.209 --> 00:02:06.230 their hope, we returned to the tomb after Pascha, 00:02:06.290 --> 00:02:11.069 and the stone rolled in front of the grave. That's 00:02:11.069 --> 00:02:15.110 what they thought. But lo, it was rolled to the 00:02:15.110 --> 00:02:17.810 side. Not so Jesus could get out, obviously. 00:02:18.689 --> 00:02:21.569 The church brings us back. Why? Why do we have 00:02:21.569 --> 00:02:24.750 this reading? Perhaps for me, it's because the 00:02:24.750 --> 00:02:28.159 church wants to bring us back to the worst. place 00:02:28.159 --> 00:02:31.500 in the story, the hardest place in the story, 00:02:31.740 --> 00:02:35.120 perhaps reminding us of our own occasionally 00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:38.259 dire spiritual condition, perhaps reminding us 00:02:38.259 --> 00:02:41.340 of something else. And this is very important. 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:46.460 One of the Russian elders, late 19th century, 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:51.400 said, because of the state of the world then 00:02:51.400 --> 00:02:55.479 and now, because of the state of the world and 00:02:55.479 --> 00:02:58.090 because of who we are, Christians who are going 00:02:58.090 --> 00:03:02.909 to be saved, how? Through their sorrows. Through 00:03:02.909 --> 00:03:06.129 their sicknesses. Through the troubles that they 00:03:06.129 --> 00:03:09.889 encounter. For them, certainly through persecution. 00:03:10.129 --> 00:03:14.050 But he said, in all those things, if we accept 00:03:14.050 --> 00:03:17.830 what God has given us with trust and with love 00:03:17.830 --> 00:03:22.110 and devotion, whatever sorrow and trouble and 00:03:22.110 --> 00:03:27.030 obstacle we have, if we accept it, and give thanks 00:03:27.030 --> 00:03:30.169 to God for all things, like St. Paul told us 00:03:30.169 --> 00:03:35.849 to do in that epistle on Palm Sunday, finding 00:03:35.849 --> 00:03:39.330 everything good in every situation, then we will 00:03:39.330 --> 00:03:45.210 be saved. You and I might be stuck in the worst 00:03:45.210 --> 00:03:49.610 part of our life story. We can't possibly know 00:03:49.610 --> 00:03:53.919 that, though. But today we're reminded through 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:56.259 the myrrh berries of the victory that is truly 00:03:56.259 --> 00:03:59.159 here in the resurrection that is coming when 00:03:59.159 --> 00:04:02.879 our own tale, our own spiritual life, our own 00:04:02.879 --> 00:04:08.419 way in this life is fulfilled. Hope, not false 00:04:08.419 --> 00:04:10.620 hope like tomorrow is going to be a better day. 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:15.060 Tomorrow usually isn't, if you read the news, 00:04:15.240 --> 00:04:19.050 for most people. No. Hope, not false hope, not 00:04:19.050 --> 00:04:21.910 hope in tomorrow, but hope in Jesus Christ, as 00:04:21.910 --> 00:04:24.930 I've told you so many times. We have no plan 00:04:24.930 --> 00:04:29.709 B. It's all Christ and only Christ for all things 00:04:29.709 --> 00:04:33.069 and everything, in every sorrow, in every sickness, 00:04:33.310 --> 00:04:36.810 in every death, especially death, since Christ 00:04:36.810 --> 00:04:42.269 is risen. And whatever obstacle, we have hope. 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:46.160 Just as Christ rose and passed through the stone 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:49.740 that enclosed the tomb, his light can pierce 00:04:49.740 --> 00:04:52.160 the darkness in our heart. Didn't we hear on 00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:57.300 Pascha, in him was life, and that life was the 00:04:57.300 --> 00:05:01.120 light of men, and the light shineth in darkness, 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:08.560 and the darkness has not overcome it. Secondly, 00:05:09.899 --> 00:05:11.980 I don't really like three -part sermons, but 00:05:11.980 --> 00:05:15.959 I'm going to give you one today. Secondly, we 00:05:15.959 --> 00:05:21.199 have this reading to remind us that evangelism 00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:26.680 starts within the church. The Myrrh -bearing 00:05:26.680 --> 00:05:30.319 women will illustrate this for us. The Gospel 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:34.240 states that the apostles were amazed by the word 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:36.759 of the women that Jesus was risen. We have a 00:05:36.759 --> 00:05:40.259 beautiful fresco of Mary Magdalene. We have Mary 00:05:40.259 --> 00:05:43.300 Magdalene meeting Jesus. We have the women at 00:05:43.300 --> 00:05:46.439 the tomb. And the angels say, why are you here 00:05:46.439 --> 00:05:48.740 searching for a dead man? He is risen. He is 00:05:48.740 --> 00:05:51.759 not here. We have the women up there in that 00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:57.620 peak before Christ. We have the apostles being 00:05:57.620 --> 00:05:59.860 greeted by the women who do not believe them. 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:04.959 It's hysteria. It's hysteria. Yea, certain women 00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:07.560 also of our company who were early at the sepulchre 00:06:07.560 --> 00:06:13.819 made us astonished with this news. And they believed 00:06:13.819 --> 00:06:17.800 them not. Before the evangelists picked up their 00:06:17.800 --> 00:06:22.420 pens, Before the apostles walked to the far reaches 00:06:22.420 --> 00:06:25.939 of the Roman Empire with their sermon, with the 00:06:25.939 --> 00:06:29.579 good news of the victory over death, before Peter 00:06:29.579 --> 00:06:31.819 proclaimed the good news to thousands on the 00:06:31.819 --> 00:06:36.120 day of Pentecost, and 3 ,000 later, the myrrh 00:06:36.120 --> 00:06:41.040 bearers, this was the church. Doesn't matter 00:06:41.040 --> 00:06:44.449 how small it is. It's the power in those that 00:06:44.449 --> 00:06:46.709 are there. The myrrh bearer is brought to the 00:06:46.709 --> 00:06:49.410 apostles, the first proclamation and the first 00:06:49.410 --> 00:06:53.189 sermon and the first news, the good news. So 00:06:53.189 --> 00:06:56.689 we should also stand before them with astonishment. 00:06:56.689 --> 00:07:00.149 And I take it from this, that the lesson, that 00:07:00.149 --> 00:07:04.610 the mission of the church begins within the church. 00:07:08.029 --> 00:07:12.220 I'll spell that out. The first evangelism required 00:07:12.220 --> 00:07:16.360 of Christian parents, for example, is to evangelize 00:07:16.360 --> 00:07:21.180 their children. Teaching prayer. Teaching what 00:07:21.180 --> 00:07:24.300 the meaning of prayer is. Teaching who it is 00:07:24.300 --> 00:07:27.899 we are praying to. Teaching about the soul, the 00:07:27.899 --> 00:07:32.540 life of the soul. Teaching about, yes, the commandments, 00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:39.990 the beatitudes, the creed. Teaching them to love 00:07:39.990 --> 00:07:43.050 the scripture, not just to read it, but to love 00:07:43.050 --> 00:07:46.089 it. To love the church services. To love the 00:07:46.089 --> 00:07:49.829 fasts. Yes, to love the fasts. To love Lent and 00:07:49.829 --> 00:07:52.389 the hymns of Lent. To love the feast day. To 00:07:52.389 --> 00:07:55.629 love each other. To love their neighbor. To love 00:07:55.629 --> 00:08:00.329 God. To love the monastics. If parents are not 00:08:00.329 --> 00:08:06.959 evangelizing the children, maybe I'm... You know, 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:09.300 preachers like to exaggerate a little, so maybe 00:08:09.300 --> 00:08:13.720 this is slightly. If parents are not evangelizing 00:08:13.720 --> 00:08:16.360 the children, there's no point in doing anything 00:08:16.360 --> 00:08:20.579 else. Without such evangelism within the family, 00:08:20.680 --> 00:08:25.259 we merely become caretakers of the tomb, of a 00:08:25.259 --> 00:08:31.519 cemetery. Sure, there are bodies there, but without 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:34.419 the life of the Spirit, without the life and 00:08:34.419 --> 00:08:39.200 breath within them, In the church of God, the 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:43.139 body of Christ, we live, we breathe, we have 00:08:43.139 --> 00:08:46.399 our being in the light and the knowledge, the 00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:49.700 wisdom and joy of the resurrection of Christ. 00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:52.860 Remember the incredible passage read by reader 00:08:52.860 --> 00:08:56.340 Nicholas on the eve of the great and holy Sabbath 00:08:56.340 --> 00:08:59.610 of Holy Saturday as we... came back into the 00:08:59.610 --> 00:09:02.710 church after carrying the epitaphias, the plush 00:09:02.710 --> 00:09:05.230 geniza shroud, around the church singing Holy 00:09:05.230 --> 00:09:08.029 God, and reader Nicholas read that passage from 00:09:08.029 --> 00:09:12.029 Ezekiel, the dry bones, and breath came upon 00:09:12.029 --> 00:09:14.649 them, and sinews came upon them, and they rose. 00:09:15.190 --> 00:09:18.029 That's what evangelizing ourselves will allow 00:09:18.029 --> 00:09:23.889 God to do to us. We are not caretakers of a cemetery. 00:09:26.509 --> 00:09:31.730 One more point. Those who so courageously cared 00:09:31.730 --> 00:09:36.289 for the Lord. And it was courage. Think what 00:09:36.289 --> 00:09:38.649 that meant. Their Lord had been crucified by 00:09:38.649 --> 00:09:44.029 the occupying authorities. With the collusion 00:09:44.029 --> 00:09:49.610 of the religious authorities. These women could 00:09:49.610 --> 00:09:53.990 pass through all that. Those people saw them 00:09:53.990 --> 00:09:59.110 as nothing. And their testimony would be received 00:09:59.110 --> 00:10:03.490 as nothing. But they could, in their courage, 00:10:03.669 --> 00:10:07.309 come to that tomb. An impossible task, by the 00:10:07.309 --> 00:10:09.149 way, because they thought the stone was there. 00:10:10.110 --> 00:10:13.889 And this says a lot about how we approach our 00:10:13.889 --> 00:10:16.669 life in the church, because we are also invited 00:10:16.669 --> 00:10:22.049 to be myrrh bearers. We emulate them in our care 00:10:22.049 --> 00:10:24.809 for the body of Christ. The church, that is one 00:10:24.809 --> 00:10:28.519 another, isn't it? Of which we are all members. 00:10:28.600 --> 00:10:31.279 We care for one another in love. That's first. 00:10:32.899 --> 00:10:35.720 Those who sing in the church, they're myrrh bearers. 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:39.240 Those who clean the church are myrrh bearers. 00:10:39.279 --> 00:10:43.100 Those who do flowers for the feast day are myrrh 00:10:43.100 --> 00:10:46.460 bearers. Those who look after the grounds are 00:10:46.460 --> 00:10:49.320 myrrh bearers. Those who help clean the vestments 00:10:49.320 --> 00:10:52.299 and put the altar covers on and the icon stands, 00:10:52.539 --> 00:10:54.559 they're myrrh bearers. Those who prepare food 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:57.070 or wash the dishes. are myrrh bearers. Those 00:10:57.070 --> 00:10:59.769 who go into the bathroom and plunge the toilet, 00:10:59.929 --> 00:11:02.570 they're myrrh bearers too. Those who prepare 00:11:02.570 --> 00:11:09.389 themselves to pray by fasting to receive communion, 00:11:09.750 --> 00:11:13.870 you're myrrh bearers. Those who make offerings 00:11:13.870 --> 00:11:16.450 of money are myrrh bearers. Those who come and 00:11:16.450 --> 00:11:18.250 pray with all their hearts for the salvation 00:11:18.250 --> 00:11:23.169 of the world are myrrh bearers. Gracie, may her 00:11:23.169 --> 00:11:26.860 memory be eternal. Setting out the sugar and 00:11:26.860 --> 00:11:29.700 the salt and the pepper and the coffee cups, 00:11:29.879 --> 00:11:33.580 myrrh bearer. Whatever is done for the sake of 00:11:33.580 --> 00:11:39.419 the love of Christ and his body, they're myrrh 00:11:39.419 --> 00:11:44.759 bearers. If we do tasks here at the church for 00:11:44.759 --> 00:11:47.940 any other reason besides devotion to our Lord 00:11:47.940 --> 00:11:50.440 Jesus Christ and love for one another, you will 00:11:50.440 --> 00:11:55.059 burn out. So be careful. Do it for the love of 00:11:55.059 --> 00:11:58.820 God. Be a myrrh bearer. Let the myrrh stream 00:11:58.820 --> 00:12:02.120 from your heart. Let the light of God pierce 00:12:02.120 --> 00:12:06.220 through the darkness. And the risen Lord will 00:12:06.220 --> 00:12:11.659 do what he did for those women. An angel came 00:12:11.659 --> 00:12:16.399 and spoke to them first the good news. The good 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:18.919 news will be revealed in your heart in all its 00:12:18.919 --> 00:12:22.159 power and its joy. And you will survive, not 00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:25.299 only survive, you will thrive in this life whatever 00:12:25.299 --> 00:12:29.179 sorrows and difficulties come to you. You will 00:12:29.179 --> 00:12:32.919 have the risen Lord always, not just at your 00:12:32.919 --> 00:12:37.700 hand, no, but in your heart. May our Lord have 00:12:37.700 --> 00:12:41.100 mercy on all of us and inspire all of us to be 00:12:41.100 --> 00:12:44.039 myrrh bearers. Glory to Jesus Christ.