Melissa Cleaveland

When I first received this book, I assumed it would focus solely on the Holy Myrrhbearing Women who went to Christ’s tomb on the morning of His Resurrection. While it certainly covers that, it offers so much more. The book is divided into three sections. The first explores the *myrrhbearers*—people, mostly women, who were close to Christ during His earthly ministry. Each figure is introduced with a brief backstory, supported by Scripture and quotes from the Church Fathers. I especially appreciated how the questions for reflection helped highlight the unique qualities of each person and made their stories feel personally relevant. The second section delves into the time surrounding Christ’s death and resurrection, focusing on the roles each myrrhbearer played during this pivotal period. The final section introduces us to saints whose lives exemplify the spirit of the myrrhbearers—those who lived selflessly in service to others. This was my favorite part of the book. It beautifully demonstrates how small, everyday acts of love and sacrifice can reflect the heart of a myrrhbearer. Each saint’s story is unique, yet they share a common thread: being a myrrhbearer is a daily choice to put our brothers and sisters in Christ before ourselves. And while that might sound simple, there is truly an art to living this way. I hope you’ll read this book and find it as inspiring as I did.