There were also women looking on from afar

 

There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.  So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.  Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen.  And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.  And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

 

- Mark 15:40–47 

 

On Saturday we read:  Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"  Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, "Look, He is calling for Elijah!"  Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down."  And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.  Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!"

 

 There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.  My study Bible comments that the faithfulness of the women shows that in Christ, divine order is being restored to the fallen world.  In the context of spiritual history, Eve was created to complete Adam (Genesis 2:18), but instead led him to sin (Genesis 3:6).  But now the women disciples of Christ remain faithful while it is the men who flee and hide.  It is the women who bring the message of the Resurrection to the men (Mark 16:9-11, Luke 24:9-11), thereby restoring that which had been broken through sin.

 

 Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.  So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.  Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen.  And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.  And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.  My study Bible explains that if the apostles had buried Christ, doubters could claim His body was simply hidden away.  But Joseph of Arimathea, being both a prominent council member, and one who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, refutes any possibility that the Lord's body was deceptively hidden by the apostles.   A tomb hewn out of the rock would be one of great expense.  Luke's Gospel tells us that it was one where no one had ever lain before (see Luke 23:53), signifying that Christ died a dead unlike any person who had ever died.  That is, a death without corruption, and one leading to victory over the grave itself.  We note again the abiding faithfulness of the women, who keep Christ's word to take heed, watch, and pray.  Their dutiful and mindful behavior, even in a time of great panic and fear, is a model for all of us who await Christ's return.

Yes, the women in today's story model the behavior for us that Christ has espoused in His teachings on the end times (such as in this reading), times He prophesied would be terrifying, and signs of which without doubt have been present in the world throughout the Christian era.  Both Joseph and the women teach us what it means to "Take heed, watch, and pray" as Jesus has taught must be our disposition through this period of "end times" as we await the Second Coming.  Contrary to some popularized novels and theories, the "end times" constitute all of the history of the Church to the present time and are ongoing.   That is why His words apply always to us and throughout the centuries; it is not simply a period which occurs imminently before His Second Coming.  In His prophecy of end times, the time of Christ's return was deliberately left vague, meaning that it is not our job to make timetables, but our job to do and to be precisely as He took pains to repeatedly teach:  we are to keep His commandments while He's gone, we are to be alert and aware of who we are and what we are to be about, not sleeping on our watch.  Joseph and the women perfectly exemplify such dutiful, awake, and alert behavior.  Joseph takes great courage in going to Pilate and requesting the body of Christ.  He holds a prominent seat on the Council, whose leaders decided to put Christ to death and manipulated the crowds to demand His crucifixion before Pilate.  Matthew's Gospel tells us he was a rich man (Matthew 27:57), so we understand not only that he shares his wealth to honor Christ in burial (and perhaps this tomb was made for himself), but as both a wealthy man and a prominent council member, he had a lot to lose by claiming Christ's body publicly.  Early church historians mention Joseph playing a prominent role in the Church.   But the women, as my study Bible points out, give us models of discipleship that signify spiritual transformation and a setting aright of history in a very important sense.  Note that the very fact that they are women plays a role here in establishing Christianity and its meanings and teachings, contradicting the image of Eve from the Old Testament.  Among these women we also must include Mary, the mother of Jesus, who although stricken with grief is understood to have been among the women going to the tomb, as we will discuss in tomorrow's reading and commentary.  We recall that in addition to Jesus' teachings as to what kind of discipleship He desires as we await His return, in Gethsemane He also requested the disciples watch with Him, and pray (see this reading).   During Christ's agony, His closest disciples failed in this task, sleeping from sorrow, we're told (Luke 22:45).  But here it is the women who remain steadfast models of what it is to keep one's head, to do the duty needed in the circumstances, and to "watch and pray" -- even to "watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation," as Jesus told Peter at Gethsemane.  It is the women who exemplify alacrity and coolness in a time of panic and terror for all of the disciples of Christ, and we who follow in their footsteps as faithful must be very grateful to the Gospels for reporting this to us and giving us the tremendous role they play for all of us.  Let us consider what we are to be in times of great distress, and how we can be more like them as they turn an ancient story of sin on its head, giving us both their courage and their faithfulness.

 

 

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature

 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away -- for it was very large.  And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.    But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He is 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 into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."  So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.  And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will follow those who believe:  In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.  Amen.

- Mark 16:1-8(9-20)

Yesterday we read that were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who also followed Jesus and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.  Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.  So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.  Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen.  And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.  And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  Historically, there are those who teach that Mary the mother of James was the wife of Alphaeus, and this James was one of the Twelve (Mark 6:15).  But most have held that this is the Virgin Mary, who is in fact the stepmother of another James, "the Lord's brother" (see Matthew 13:55; compare Mark 15:40, 47 from yesterday's reading).   Many teach that Salome was the wife of Zebedee, and the mother of apostles James and John.  Because Jesus' death came so close in time to the Sabbath, the burial customs of the Jews couldn't be completed.  So these women went as early as possible to complete the rites of burial, very early in the morning. 

And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away -- for it was very large.   Why should this very large stone be rolled away?   Christ needed no exit from His tomb; His resurrected body needs no such accommodation (John 20:19).  It's rolled away so that the witnesses -- and us readers of the Gospels -- can look in and see that the tomb is empty.

And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.    But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He is 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 into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."  So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.  And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.  We note the angel's specific mention of Peter.  It reveals, my study bible says, a special care for the one who had denied Christ.  According to the commentary of Theophylact, Peter would have said of himself, "I denied the Lord, and therefore am no longer His disciple."  But the angel's command is a promise that Peter is forgiven.  That the women said nothing to anyone doesn't mean they never told their story as witnesses.  But it does tell us that they kept silent until Jesus appeared to them.

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.  There are two early manuscripts of Mark's Gospel that do not contain verses 9-20 (from this section to the end of today's reading).  But nearly all other manuscripts ever discovered do contain these verses and those that follow.  They are canonized Scripture, and have always been considered by the Church to be inspired, authoritative, and genuine.  That Christ appeared in another form teaches us that the Lord's resurrected body transcends not just physical space and time but also appearance.  He was sometimes recognizable to His disciples, while at other times He was not.  

Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will follow those who believe:  In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."   Jesus gives them the Great Commission, His final commandment given on earth.  It is to be lived out in the Church until He returns again.  The power of the Resurrection isn't for Jesus Himself alone, my study bible says, but rather is given to all believers for Christian life and mission.  Of the signs He reveals, new tongues refers to the ability to speak in languages that one hasn't learned in order to edify others  in worship (1 Corinthians 14), and to preach the gospel (Acts 2:1-11).  To take up serpents is primarily a reference to spiritual battle against demons (Luke 10:19).  Therefore, Christ is promising to deliver believers from the power of sin, my study bible notes.  Furthermore, this includes physical protection as well.  St. Paul was bitten by a serpent and suffered no harm (Acts 28:3-6), and in accordance with tradition, Barsabas Justus (Acts 1:23) was forced by unbelievers to drink poison and survived.  But, a note tells us, while God's grace can protect believers from both physical and spiritual harm, to test God by deliberately committing harmful acts against oneself is a grave sin (Deuteronomy 6:16, Matthew 4:7). 

So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.  Amen.  The Ascension of Christ is celebrated forty days after the Resurrection (Acts 1:3).  Christ's Ascension fulfills the type given when Elijah ascended in a fiery chariot (2 Kings 2:11).  It marks the completion of His glorification and lordship over all creation.  (We note that in the Great Commission, in the verses just above, Christ tells the disciples to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."  In the Greek, that reads literally, "to all creation.")   My study bible reminds us that at the Incarnation, Christ brought His divine nature to human nature.  In the mystery of the Ascension, Christ brings human nature to the divine Kingdom.  He reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit in His glorified body, revealing His glorified human nature -- even human flesh -- to be worshiped by the whole angelic realm.  In some icons of the Ascension, Christ's robes have a red tint to indicate the shedding of His blood for the redemption of the world and the ascent of that life-giving blood into heaven (Isaiah 63:1-3; see also Psalm 24:7-10). 

Christ's Great Commission is the command:  "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."   In the Greek, and in some English translations, this literally reads, "preach the gospel to all creation."  It might seem a little bit strange, to us who tend to think in a rather abstract way, how on earth the gospel could be preached to all creation.  That is, to those who weren't human beings.  Don't we have to have a human understanding, a soul, a heart, with which to grasp and wrestle with His teachings, and to seek to do them, to make those choices?  But my study bible hits on a significant point when it says that Christ's Ascension (which immediately follows His Great Commission) "marks the completion of His glorification and lordship over all creation."  The Great Commission is the sending out of His disciples to everywhere in His Kingdom and to all its subjects -- and the entirety of His lordship is precisely over all creation.  What that means is that the whole of the cosmos, of what we can see or know or live within or use for our lives -- every single bit of it -- is under the lordship of Christ.  It is all a part of His Kingdom, His dominion.  Therefore when we are taught how to be good stewards in His Kingdom, it's not only about a circumscribed and limited code for certain events or happenings in our lives.  It's about everything -- and it's about how we relate to each and every one, and everything in His creation.  Our "relationships" are not only to people, but rather to everything in creation:  how we see it, how we care for it, and especially how we understand it as His.  What belongs to Him should be precious to all of us.  There are many, many stories of saints living in the desert or elsewhere who could speak to and communicate love to animals.  St. Francis is especially known as one such saint, even preaching sermons to animals.  What these saintly stories teach us is about the love God wishes for us to cultivate in our hearts for all of God's creation, a kind of fullness that isn't measured but rather overflows.  It reminds us that in John's Gospel, Jesus teaches, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water," indicating the overflowing abundance of the gift of the Holy Spirit, and what the Holy Spirit confers to us.  The fruits of the Spirit also are the subject here of Jesus' Great Commission, the signs of faith.  That overflowing abundance of mercy, of the energies of God given to us as gift and for bearing spiritual fruit, is reflected in the images of the saints for whom love was unlimited, not circumscribed, but belonging to all creation.  Jesus teaches us that everything matters, each little particular.  We can pray for someone we happen to pass on the street, someone we can't seem to speak to without creating problems, someone we don't know well.  We can pray for the birds that sing outside our window, for the pet across the street.  All of creation is to be the recipient of this ministry and of His Great Commission; there are no limits to discipleship, because there are no limits to His lordship.  St. Paul writes to the Corinthians that "God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty" (1 Corinthians 1:27).  It is all of creation that is included here in the preaching of the gospel.  Let us remember, as we go live our lives, His criterion for Judgment.  It's all about how we meet His Kingdom and all that's in it.  May our prayers rise like incense, as do the prayers of the saints (Revelation 8:4).

To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables

 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that

'Seeing they may not see,
And hearing they may not understand.'

Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.  Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."

- Luke 8:1-15

Yesterday, we read that one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him.  And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."  "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."   Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  And those who sat at table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."

  Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.   My study bible notes that the women mentioned here will remain faithful to Christ until the end (23:49, 55).  They will be the first to receive and proclaim the news of His Resurrection (24:1-10).  The number seven in the Scriptures often symbolizes totality and completeness.  What it indicates here is that Mary called Magdalene had been completely given over to darkness before her healing by Christ.

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"    Here is the core parable given in the Gospels that in some sense introduces us to Jesus' use of parables.  Using common images from daily life, Jesus illustrates the Kingdom and teaches truths about the nature of what He is offering.  The parable of the Sower draws on the images of agriculture and growth for harvest, planting and growing, with which all would be familiar.

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that  'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'"  At this point, parables become a core of His preaching.  In private, they are explained to His disciples.  But to the public who listens (a great multitude) the parables draw those in who want to hear, who have ears to hear, as Jesus quotes from Isaiah at the end of the parable, above.  My study bible tells us that mysteries are not obscure intellectual concepts, but the presence of the Kingdom of God which cannot be defined.  A person's unwillingness to understand Christ's parables is a reflection of the rejection of His Kingdom.  St. John Chrysostom writes, "If the blindness were natural, it would have been proper for God to open their eyes; but because it was a voluntary and self-chosen blindness, He does not overthrow their free will."  To do so would be not only to "no advantage for them, but an even greater condemnation."  The quotation here is from Isaiah 6:9. 

"Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.  Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."  Jesus Himself is the sower in the parable.  As such, He fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 55:10-13.  My study bible notes the progress of faith as taught in this parable.  Salvation is not a one-time acceptance or profession of faith (a view never held by the historic Church).  Christ teaches that it is possible to believe for a while and then fall away (verse 13), as those with no root.   The key here is in the words Jesus choosing to describe the seeds that fell on good ground:  those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

What does it mean to hear the word with a noble and good heart?  What exactly does such a life look like, of keeping the word in one's heart and bearing fruit with patience?  There are many clues here to the qualities that make for true and good discipleship.  First of all, Jesus reveals the mysteries hidden in the parable to those who are His disciples.  This is the first promise of persistent faith, of the work of discipleship.    Such mysteries are the notable difference between His disciples and the crowds who come to hear Him preach.  But His parable illustrates so much more of what it is to be a good disciple.  He speaks of the work of the devil snatching the word away from the hearts of people.  He speaks also of temptation as another way in which people fall away from the joy of the word.  And finally there are the things of everyday life with which all of us may struggle: cares, riches, and pleasures of life, all the things that may overwhelm our thoughts and concerns and exclude or crowd out others.  So much depends on what our focus is.  In the end these qualities Jesus names are what make for good discipleship and the fruit He looks for:  a noble and good heart, a character that works to guard the word inside the heart and keep it there, and the patience it takes to bear fruit.  All of this speaks of consistent effort through time and through struggles, ups and downs of life.   The parable doesn't exclude the faithful from any of it.  What we can be certain of is that the women disciples named at the beginning of the reading surely followed their faith in all of these things, right through to the end.   Some are known as the Myrrhbearing Women, as they brought myrrh to the tomb of Christ in order to anoint His body.   These are also known (and particularly Mary Magdalene) as Apostles to the Apostles, and even Equal to the Apostles.  An apostle is one who is sent out with a message:  it is these women, the first to hear the news of Resurrection, who bear that message to the Apostles.  We can look to them as images of those who struggled against temptations, cares, and all the things of the world in order to be the ministers they were to Christ's ministry.  We're told about the earlier life of Mary Magdalene; we know these women looked on at the Crucifixion.  Their struggles become the stuff of courage for us, too.  We can call upon them as saints to pray for us, to assist us spiritually in our prayer as part of the great communion of the Body of Christ.  They remain strong and gracious images for us to help us in our struggle for faith and discipleship as well.  Christ's parable of the Sower continues to give us a sense of where we are and who we are, what we nurture, and how that nurturing will endure struggles, and bear fruit with patience.  Let us not forget patience as we remember those who've come before, endured, struggled, and lived nurturing the Word Himself, and the word in their hearts as well.