In a message for the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women, May 16, 2021, the Patriarch of Romania stressed the importance of women’s work in society.

Last year, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church formalised Christian Women’s Sunday, a holiday held on the third Sunday after Easter also called the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women.

This approach “highlights the importance of women’s missionary work in the life of the Church and Romanian society,” His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel noted in his message.

Her Beatitude listed the many works of women in the family and society, from giving birth and raising children to philanthropic activities, health care, and scientific, research, information and social involvement.

The message of the Patriarch of Romania underlined the dignity and equal importance of men and women: “In the love of Christ and in the state of holiness, the distinctions between people are no longer grounds for division or conflict, but the richness of the communion of faith and holy living.”

Myrrh-bearing women – lights for the life of Christian women in the Church and society: full text

Christ is risen!

Since the ideal of the Christian life is the acquisition of holiness and eternal life (Hebrews 12:14), the calendar of the Orthodox Church is full of holy men and women, who, through true faith and righteous living in Christ and the Holy Spirit, have reached the likeness of God, the merciful and holy One (Luke 6:36 and 1 Peter 1:16).

Thus, in the love of Christ and in the state of holiness, the distinctions between people are no longer reasons for division or conflict but the richness of the communion of faith and holy living.

In this regard, the Holy Apostle Paul says: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). And when he emphasises the equal dignity of man and woman in Christ, the same Holy Apostle Paul says, “Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God” (1 Corinthians 11: 11-12).

Since on the second Sunday after Easter, the Orthodox Church commemorates St. Thomas the Apostle as a confessor of the Resurrection of Christ, on the third Sunday after Easter, the Orthodox Church commemorates the Myrrh-bearing Women as confessors of the Resurrection of Christ, as the Synaxaria of this Pentecostal Sunday mention.

Therefore, the Holy Myrrh-bearing Women are the icon of all godly women in the Church of Christ, as they opened the way to confess the faith in the Lord’s Resurrection for all righteous women: from holy martyrs, venerable holy women, holy empresses and all Christian mothers who give birth and raise children in faith and love for God and fellow people.

For this reason, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, by resolution no. 4,014 of July 22, 2020, declared the third Sunday after Easter as Christian Women’s Sunday.

This initiative to appreciate the faith and courage of Christian women highlights the importance of women’s missionary work in the life of the Church and of Romanian society.

In this sense, we mention: giving birth and raising children in the Orthodox Christian faith; catechising children – as grandparents, mothers, wives, sisters (in the family); religious and theological education of children and young people – as religion teachers, presbyteras, educators, teachers and specialised trainers (in kindergartens, schools, high schools and universities); social-philanthropic activities (at the level of parishes and monasteries, in homes for elderly people, orphanages, social centers); carrying out medical, social assistance and volunteering activities – as doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants (in medical units: hospitals, polyclinics, dispensaries, pharmacies, treatment and recovery centers); carrying out media and Christian journalism activities (Lumina Newspaper, Trinitas TV, Radio Trinitas and other media institutions); activity in institutions of public administration, arts, culture, army, justice, agriculture, industry, trade, scientific research, thus contributing to the efficient proceeding of ecclesial and social life.

At the same time, the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrates the National Family Day on the Sunday closest to May 15, as the Sunday of the Christian Family, protected by the Holy Apostle Andronicus and his wife, Junia (commemorated on May 17). They preached the Gospel of Christ to our Thracian ancestors in Pannonia, that is, near the borders of today’s Romania.

In the context of 2021, proclaimed in the Romanian Patriarchate as a Solemn Year of the pastoral care of Romanians outside Romania and a Commemorative Year of those asleep in the Lord, we remember with appreciation and gratitude all Christian women who confessed through their lives the faith in the crucified and risen Christ both in Romania and outside Romania, among Romanians in Romania’s neighbouring areas and the Romanian diaspora.

In the fight against the present pandemic, we especially appreciate the activity of Christian women who are medical staff (doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants). They cultivate merciful love for suffering people in hospitals, working hard and patiently to treat and heal those affected by Covid-19 and other diseases.

On Christian Women’s Sunday and Christian Family Sunday, we pray to God to give to all Orthodox women and families, as He first offered to the Holy Myrrh-bearing Women, joy and blessing in confessing the risen Lord Jesus Christ.

At the same time, we wish everyone good health, peace and help in all good deeds for many and blessed years!

† Daniel
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church

Photography courtesy of the Basilica.ro Files / Mircea Florescu