Our dear women!
Our sisters in Christ!
I cordially greet you on the Orthodox women’s holiday — the Sunday of the Holy Myrrhbearing Women!
Having witnessed all the horrors of Great Friday, these brave and selfless women did not fear the armed guards at the Holy Sepulchre. Aware that they were heading for certain death, they fearlessly went to their Master through the darkness and cold of the night.
They were not afraid that they would become outcasts in their people as a result of their standing by the side of the Crucified Christ.
For that love, courage, and devotion, the Lord Jesus Christ vouchsafed the Holy Myrrhbearing women to be the first to learn of His Resurrection and bring that glad tidings first to the Apostles, and then to the whole world.
Since then, nothing temporary and earthly can overshadow the heavenly and eternal Paschal joy!
Its light has been passed on from generation to generation, from heart to heart to this day. And the example of the Holy Myrrhbearing Women inspires millions of their followers — Christian women of all times and peoples.
In the XX century, our grandmothers and mothers, our dear ‘white kerchiefs’, proved their faithfulness to Christ and defended their Church in spite of the terrible persecution by the godless Soviet authorities.
Today, when their husbands and sons are fulfilling their duty on the front line, our women, our modern-day myrrhbearing women, are once again in the vanguard of defending the purity of our true Orthodox faith, our canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, our churches, our common future.
On this festive day, I want to wholeheartedly thank all of you, dear women, our dear sisters in Christ, for your faith and faithfulness!
I want to wish you and your families love, peace, good and welfare, Paschal joy and strength to carry out your service!
May the Lord strengthen you in these days of most hard trials, which we will definitely get through!
A low bow to you!