by Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Each year after Pascha, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Holy Myrrhbearers, who cared for Jesus’ body after He was crucified. But myrrhbearing has a broader definition; it can serve as a metaphor for the practical, incarnate love to which Christ calls His followers. In The Art of Myrrhbearing, author Elissa Bjeletich Davis explores the lives of grace-filled, myrrhbearing saints in Scripture and throughout the life of the Church, offering questions for reflection in each chapter. By following the lead of compassionate saints such as Joseph of Arimathea and Olga of Alaska, we can learn to embrace a simple and profound way of life in ever-deepening communion with Christ and with others.

About the Author: Elissa Bjeletich Davis hosts several popular Ancient Faith Radio podcasts, including Everyday Orthodox and Light Streams In. She is the coauthor of Tending the Garden of Our Hearts: Daily Lenten Meditations for Families (Ancient Faith Publishing, 2019) and Blueprints for the Little Church: Creating an Orthodox Home (AFP, 2016), as well as a contributor to Behold a Great Light: A Daily Devotional for the Nativity Fast through Theophany (AFP, 2023). She and her husband, Chris, live in a house full of kids near Austin, Texas.

Praise for The Art of Myrrhbearing

"At a time when we are so preoccupied with ideas and theological abstractions, Elissa reminds us not simply to talk but to do: to join the Church in its sacred ministry of anointing the world. I hope this book inspires each of us to manifest the Kingdom in concrete ways, for the life of the world." -Steven Christoforou, Executive Director, FOCUS North America