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On the first day of the week, at dawn when the Sabbath rest had just ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, Salome, and other women, having taken the fragrant myrrh which they had prepared, went to the tomb of Jesus Christ to anoint His body, not having had time to do this during the burial. The Church calls these women the Holy Myrrh-Bearers. As they approached the grave, it occurred to them that the large stone would have to be rolled back if they wanted to enter the tomb. As they were discussing this, they came to the grave and saw the stone rolled back and an angel in white garments sitting on the stone in the tomb. Turning to them the angel said, “Fear not, for I know that you seek Jesus, Who was crucified. He is not here, for He is risen as He said when He was with you. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead.” Mary Magdalene with Mary, the mother of James, went with great joy to tell His eleven disciples and all the others who were grieving everything that they had seen and heard.

Righteous Pachomius the Great

Pachomius was a pagan Egyptian soldier that founded several monasteries and left thousands of disciples. He became a Christian after watching and learning from other Christians. He was baptized and lived as a monk in the desert for ten years. An angel of God appeared to him with the rules for cenobitic monasticism and a command to create such a place. Together with his brother, they built a monastery with many cells trusting God to send monks, which He did. The number of monks at the monastery grew quickly, and it became necessary to build seven more monasteries in the vicinity. The number of monks reached 7,000, all under the guidance of St. Pachomius, who visited all the monasteries and administered them. At the same time St. Pachomius remained a deeply humble monk, who was always ready to comply with and accept the words of each brother. His asceticism of abstinence, humility, and labors were an example to all. He was given the gift of performing miracles, and among his disciples were many saints. St. Pachomius died around the year 348 at the age of fifty-three, and was buried on a hill near the monastery.