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).

This Saint, who was born in the Upper Thebaid of Christian parents, joined the community of Saint Pachomios at about the age of fourteen years, and became the greatest of his disciples. Because of Theodore's utter humility and unquestioning obedience, Pachomios called him more and more to his aid in governing the monasteries he had established. Although some found fault with this, because Theodore was younger than they, Pachomios continued to put his confidence in him, to such a degree that once he told the brotherhood, "Theodore and I fulfil the same service for God; and he also has the authority to give commands as father." Pachomios was succeeded as governor of the monks by Saint Orsiesius in 346, and Orsiesius later took Theodore as his fellow abbot. At Theodore's death in the year 368, the monks mourned him so bitterly that the sound of their crying was heard on the other side of the river.

The Hieromartyr Alexander, Bishop of Jerusalem, was a disciple of the great teacher and writer of the Church, Clement of Alexandria. At the beginning of the third century he was chosen bishop of Flavia, Cappadocia. He was arrested during the reign of the emperor Septimus Severus (193-211) and spent three years in prison.

After his release from prison he went to Jerusalem to venerate the holy places, and was told to remain there through a divine revelation. In 212 he was chosen as coadministrator with the elderly Patriarch Narcissus, an unusually rare occurrence in the ancient Church. Following the death of Saint Narcissus (August 7), Saint Alexander succeeded him and governed the Church of Jerusalem for thirty-eight years, working for the enlightenment of Christians. He also established the first library of Christian theological works at Jerusalem.

Saint Alexander was arrested during the persecution of the Church under the emperor Decius (249-251). The holy martyr was sent to Cappadocia, where he suffered many tortures. He was condemned to be eaten by wild beasts, but they did not harm him. Saint Alexander was cast into prison, where he surrendered his soul to God in the year 251.

The hieromartyr Alexander is also commemorated on December 12.

Nicholas Basdanis was born at Metsovo, Epeiros to poor, but devout Orthodox parents. As a young man he went to Trikkala in Thessaly, where he worked as the assistant of a Moslem baker. While there, some Turks tried to convert him to their religion. Yielding to their persistent efforts, he embraced Islam. Later, realizing the gravity of his sin, he returned to Metsovo, and to the Orthodox Church.

Nicholas earned some extra money by taking wood to Trikkala and selling it. This went on for some time, but one day He was recognized by a Moslem barber, who was a friend of the baker. The barber wondered why Nicholas was no longer dressed as a Turk. Stricken with fear, Nicholas gave him the load of wood, promising to bring him more wood every year, if he would keep his secret. The barber agreed, and things continued that way for a long time.

Nicholas was troubled by his conscience, however, and believed that the only way to atone for his denial of Christ was to become a martyr. He spoke of this to his Spiritual Father at the monastery of Meteora, who advised him not to be too hasty in carrying out his intention, lest he should be unable to endure the inevitable torture, and deny Christ once again. Seeing that Nicholas was determined to pursue this course, the priest strengthened him spiritually for the contest.

When Nicholas felt he was ready, he returned to Trikkala to see the barber. The man asked him about the wood he had promised to bring, and Nicholas told him that he had none. Furthermore, he would not be receiving any wood in future. The barber became angry and denounced Nicholas to the authorities, saying that he had rejected Islam. The barber summoned other Turks to take Nicholas to the kadi for interrogation.

In answer to the kadi's questions, Nicholas admitted freely that he had converted to Islam, but then he repented and returned to his Christian Faith. Fearlessly, he told the Moslems that he was born a Christian, and that he intended to die as a Christian, no matter how much they might torture him.

The kadi tried the usual flattery and promises of riches in order to persuade him to return to their religion. When this failed, the kadi threatened him with horrible torments and death if he did not relent. Nicholas refused, and so he was beaten and thrown into prison, where he received nothing to eat or drink for some time.

Twice more, Saint Nicholas was brought before the kadi with the same results. Seeing that he could not be persuaded, the kadi sentenced him to death. A large fire was lit in the marketplace, and the holy martyr was thrown into it on May 16, 1617. Thus, by enduring this fire, Saint Nicholas escaped the fire of Gehenna.

Later, a pious Christian went to that place, hoping to obtain relics. Since the Saint's body was being guarded, the man had to pay a large sum of money to obtain the skull. He took it home and hid it inside a wall so the Moslems would not find it.

In time, an Orthodox Christian named Melandros bought the house. On the night of May 17, 1618, he noticed a bright light shining from the wall of one of the rooms. In the morning, he opened the wall and found the skull of the New Martyr Nicholas. He brought this treasure to Barlaam Monastery at Meteora, where his brother was a monk, and donated the holy relic to the monastery in remembrance of himself, and of his family.

Saint Brendan was born in County Kerry, Ireland in 484. One of his earliest teachers was Saint Ita, a woman. His parents wanted him to have a good education, so when he was six he began attending a monastery school. There he learned the exciting stories of Saint Patrick and the others who had brought Christianity to Ireland. Some of them traveled to other lands, both those nearby and those over the sea, to share the new faith with people beyond Ireland's borders.

As Brendan was growing up, he must have been inspired by those great champions of the faith. In 512, at the age of 26, he was ordained to the priesthood. He then traveled by sea to islands off the coast of Scotland, to Wales, and to Brittany on the northern coast of France. He founded monasteries in these places, and prayed for the people living in them to know and love God. He would later become known as one of the "Twelve Apostles of Ireland", a group of monks who all lived in the sixth century and who had all studied with the great Saint Finian. These twelve did a lot to spread the faith by building churches and monasteries, by teaching, and in some cases by doing
miracles.

Saint Brendan made many sea voyages, but the most famous one was the "epic journey" with a group of other monks he called to join him. They constructed a wooden boat, covered with hides tanned in oak bark and softened with butter. Next they fashioned a mast and sails. Then they fasted for forty days, prayed together, and were ready to embark. They set out on the Atlantic Ocean in the name of the Holy Trinity, hoping to find the "Isle of the Blessed."

Accounts of their epic journey say that they saw "mountains in the sea spouting fire" (perhaps volcanos) and "great crystal pillars" (perhaps icebergs). We are told that they once came upon a huge rock in the sea, and decided to celebrate the Liturgy on it, having been at sea for a long time. As the monks were singing the hymns, the "rock" heard the music and moved. It turned out to be a whale.

The voyagers did see many beautiful and awe-inspiring things and places on their journey, and having spent seven years at sea Saint Brendan and the others were ready to come home again. After returning, he founded more monasteries, including one for his sister Briga at Annaghdown, in County Galway.

It was while visiting Briga that he died, in 577. Saint Brendan was buried at the cathedral in Clonfert, one of the places where he had founded a monastery. Saint Brendan is the patron saint of mariners, boatmen, elderly adventurers—and whales.