About the beginning of His thirty-second year, when the Lord Jesus was going throughout Galilee, preaching and working miracles, many women who had received of His beneficence left their own homeland and from then on followed after Him. They ministered unto Him out of their own possessions, even until His crucifixion and entombment; and afterwards, neither losing faith in Him after His death, nor fearing the wrath of the Jewish rulers, they came to the sepulchre, bearing the myrrh-oils they had prepared to annoint His body. It is because of the myrrh-oils, that these God-loving women brought to the tomb of Jesus that they are called the Myrrh-bearers. Of those whose names are known are the following: first of all, the most holy Virgin Mary, who in Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40 is called "the mother of James and Joses" (these are the sons of Joseph by a previous marriage, and she was therefore their step-mother); Mary Magdalene (celebrated July 22); Mary, the wife of Clopas; Joanna, wife of Chouza, a steward of Herod Antipas; Salome, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus; and Susanna. As for the names of the rest of them, the evangelists have kept silence (Matt 27:55-56; 28:1-10. Mark 15:40-41. Luke 8:1-3; 23:55-24:11, 22-24. John 19:25; 20:11-18. Acts 1:14).

Together with them we celebrate also the secret disciples of the Saviour, Joseph and Nicodemus. Of these, Nicodemus was probably a Jerusalemite, a prominent leader among the Jews and of the order of the Pharisees, learned in the Law and instructed in the Holy Scriptures. He had believed in Christ when, at the beginning of our Saviour's preaching of salvation, he came to Him by night. Furthermore, he brought some one hundred pounds of myrrh-oils and an aromatic mixture of aloes and spices out of reverence and love for the divine Teacher (John 19:39). Joseph, who was from the city of Arimathea, was a wealthy and noble man, and one of the counsellors who were in Jerusalem. He went boldly unto Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and together with Nicodemus he gave Him burial. Since time did not permit the preparation of another tomb, he placed the Lord's body in his own tomb which was hewn out of rock, as the Evangelist says (Matt. 27:60).

The holy Martyrs Timothy and Maura were husband and wife. Timothy was from Penapeis in the Thebaid, a reader in the Church, and had been married to Maura only twenty days when he was betrayed to Arian, the Governor of the Thebaid, as a teacher of the Christians. Arian commanded Timothy to surrender his sacred books, which he refused to do, comparing it to a father's giving up his children to death. For this answer, heated iron spits were thrust through his ears. As he was being put to other tortures, Arian summoned Maura, hoping that she would persuade her husband to worship the idols, but she confessed herself a Christian. The hair of her head was pulled out, her fingers were cut off, then she was lowered into a cauldron of boiling water, but remained unharmed. Finally husband and wife were crucified facing each other, and after nine days, received their martyric end, during the reign of Diocletian (284-305).

Now it is noteworthy that Christians who happened to be in attendance at the venerable Xenia's execution and the immolation of her sacred relics, with faith, took up the ashes. This residue, through the intercessions of the Great Martyr Xenia, proved effective for the healing of incurable diseases for longtime sufferers. Thus, the good fame of the Saint circulated in the mouths of all in Peloponnesos and throughout Greece.

Now many miracles and paradoxical wonders have taken place for those who invoked the help of Saint Xenia. This phenomenon takes place to this day for those who take refuge in her, and with faith call upon her honorable name. Therefore, we shall narrate a few of those miracles to the glory of the philanthropic God, Who is glorified in His Saint, and to the benefit of your love.

1. At that time, there was a pious woman named Maria from Patras, in northwestern Peloponnesos. She was afflicted with a severe illness. The physicians, to whom she resorted, were unable to determine the illness nor to remedy it. Thus, she lay in bed for many months. She never ceased, however, to call upon the Lord's help and His saints.

Once, her husband's cousin came to visit her. She was from Kalamata. When the cousin beheld Maria's pitiable condition and learned that physicians were incapable of healing or assisting her, she brought to mind the wonderworker of her homeland, the Great Martyr Xenia. She recommended that Maria take refuge in her patronage and seek her help. 

As advised, the infirm Maria entreated the Saint night and day with tears for a cure. Then, one night, as she ardently prayed after a critical stage of her disease, Maria beheld the Saint in her sleep, who said to her, "Your suffering cannot be cured by physicians. Evil people have bound you to a spell. However, if you will meet with me, I shall loose you from your illness and heal you. My name is Xenia."

Maria awoke filled with joy and related the dream to her husband. Now he, without wasting any time, brought her to the newly-built church honoring the Saint. When Maria beheld the icon of Saint Xenia, she immediately recognized her. Thus, before her icon, Maria supplicated the Saint with ardent faith and profound compunction. 

On the third day, the Saint again appeared in a dream to the ill woman. The Saint took oil from the oil lamp of her icon and anointed Maria's body, and uttered, "Glorify, O woman, God who has granted you your health. Go now to your house." Then - O the miracle! - Maria arose and was exceedingly glad, for she sensed that she was completely restored. Then, with even greater reverence, Maria glorified our Lord Jesus Christ and the holy Great Martyr Xenia who saved her from a certain and grievous death.

2. During the Frankish domination, Saint Xenia healed the son of a farmer suffering from lunacy. As many times as he was troubled by the devil, he would cry out, "Saint Xenia torments me!" Due to this, his parents entreated the Saint with faith to save her child. The merciful and benevolent Martyr then appeared in a dream to the mother of the afflicted one. She counseled the mother to betake herself to the parish priest, promising to help heal her child. When the mother awoke, she immediately acted upon what she was advised by Saint Xenia. Then, in a short while, her son was healed and liberated from that frightful madness.

3. In like manner, the Saint healed one named Nicholas who was paralyzed in his feet. Nicholas had humbly and with faith invoked the wonderworking Saint and Great Martyr.

4. A young woman, suffering from facial paralysis, was immediately restored when, with fervent faith, she sought the help of the Saint.

Therefore, O pious listeners and lovers of Christ, let us, with faith, take refuge in Saint Xenia. Let us flee to her in every difficulty and, especially, in those sicknesses which she, by the grace of God, especially helps and cures; for many have been healed by God at her behest. This includes sufferers from lunacy, heart disease, nervous disorders, boils and ulcers. Moreover, she may be invoked for deliverance from charms and spells wrought through jealousy and envy. Indeed, she is able to dispel these demonic machinations and incantations for all those that call upon her with faith and piety; for she is able to save them through the honorable Cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to Whom is due glory and dominion unto the ages. Amen.

(For a recent appearance and miracle of the Saint, read also Saint Xenia of Kalamata, the Newly Revealed Martyr and A Suffering Woman Who Visited A Psychic: An Astonishing Correspondence.)

Saint Irene was the daughter of a princelet called Licinius; named Penelope by her parents, through a divine revelation she was brought to faith in Christ and at Baptism was renamed Irene. In her zeal for piety she broke in pieces all the idols of her father, who commanded that she be trampled underfoot by horses. But while she remained unharmed, one of the horses rose up and cast down her father, killing him. By her prayer she raised him to life again, and he believed and was baptized. Afterwards, in many journeyings, Saint Irene suffered torments and punishments for her faith, but was preserved by the power of God, while working dread miracles and converting many thousands of souls. At last she came to Ephesus, where she fell asleep in peace, in the first half of the fourth century. Two days after her death, her gravestone was found lifted off, and her grave empty. At least two churches were dedicated to Saint Irene in Constantinople, and she is also the patroness of the Aegean island of Thera, which is commonly called Santorin (or Santorini), a corruption of "Saint Irene."

The feast today in honour of the holy Apostle John commemorates the miracle taking place each year in Ephesus, in which a certain dust or powder, called manna, suddenly poured forth from his tomb and was used by the faithful for deliverance from maladies of both soul and body. For an account of his life, see September 26.

Saint Arsenios was a deacon of the Church of Rome, born of an illustrious family, and wondrous in virtue. In the days of Saint Theodosius the Great, he was chosen to be the tutor of the Emperor's young sons, Arcadius and Honorius. While living at the imperial palace in Constantinople, compassed with all luxury and innumerable temptations to sin, Arsenios often besought God with tears to guide him to salvation. This prayer was answered one day when a voice came to him saying, "Arsenios, flee from men, and thou shalt be saved." He sailed secretly to Alexandria, and from there went to Scete, where he became a monk. Yet after he had withdrawn from the world, and was come among the most illustrious monks of his day, he heard, 'Arsenios, flee, be silent, pray always, for these are the causes of sinning not." Following this call, he separated himself even from his fellow monks, practicing extreme silence. On Saturday evenings, he would turn his back on the setting sun, and would stretch out his hands in prayer to Heaven, till the sun shone upon his face the following morning, and only then would he sit down. Once a monk came to visit him, and looking into his cell saw Arsenios entirely like a flame of fire. After living some fifty-five years as a monk, and attaining to heights reached by few, he reposed in peace about the year 449, at the age of ninety-five.

The Prophet Esaias, the son of Amos, was descended from a royal tribe. He prophesied in the days of Ozias (who is also called Azarias), Joatham, Ahaz, and Hezekias, Kings of Judah. About 681 B.C, in the reign of Manasses, the son and successor of the most pious Hezekias, when this Prophet was censuring Manasses' impiety and lawlessness, he was sawn asunder with a wooden saw, and thus received a martyr's end.

Of all the Prophets, he is called the most eloquent because of the beauty and loftiness of his words. His book of prophecy, divided into sixty-six chapters, is ranked first among the greater Prophets. The Fifth Ode of the Psalter, "Out of the night my spirit waketh at dawn unto Thee, O God . . ." is taken from his book. It was this holy Prophet who foretold that a Virgin would conceive in the womb (7:14); that not an ambassador, nor an angel, but the Lord Himself would save fallen man (63:9); that the Messiah would suffer, bearing our sins (ch. 53). His name means "Yah is helper."

Close to the Sheep's Gate in Jerusalem, there was a pool, which was called the Sheep's Pool. It had round about it five porches, that is, five sets of pillars supporting a domed roof. Under this roof there lay very many sick people with various maladies, awaiting the moving of the water. The first to step in after the troubling of the water was healed immediately of whatever malady he had.

It was there that the paralytic of today's Gospel way lying, tormented by his infirmity of thirty-eight years. When Christ beheld him, He asked him, "Wilt thou be made whole?" And he answered with a quiet and meek voice, "Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool." The Lord said unto him, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." And straightaway the man was made whole and took up his bed. Walking in the presence of all, he departed rejoicing to his own house. According to the expounders of the Gospels, the Lord Jesus healed this paralytic during the days of the Passover, when He had gone to Jerusalem for the Feast, and dwelt there teaching and working miracles. According to Saint John the Evangelist, this miracle took place on the Sabbath.