History
Ss. Joanna, Mary & Salome, “the myrrhbearers,” are best known for their early morning appearance at Jesus’ tomb the morning that he rose from the dead and their attempt to prepare his body for burial.
According to Jewish tradition, the dead had to be prepared for burial by washing and anointing the body with expensive perfumes. Using spices and herbs such as nard, myrrh, and aloe, the body was anointed and wrapped in a linen shroud. It was then placed in a family tomb, where many relatives would be buried over a period of time. Joseph of Arimathea laid Jesus’ body in his family tomb the afternoon of the crucifixion, but Jesus’ followers didn’t have time to complete the full burial anointing process before the Sabbath started that night.
When Joanna, Mary, and Salome showed up on Sunday morning, they intended to finish the burial preparations from three days prior, bringing with them the perfumes that they needed.
Spice Simmer Pot
In light of these women’s work and their commemoration on August 3rd, we wanted to share with you the idea of making a spice simmer pot at home. Consisting of boiling a pot of water in your kitchen with various spices and herbs added, this natural form of aromatherapy will give your house a lovely scent and remind you of the myrrhbearers and their work!
The directions are easy: bring a small saucepan of water up to boiling temperature on your stove and add oils, spices, and herbs in order to freshen up the smell of your whole house. This is also a great way to use some of the home-grown plants and flowers that you have perhaps been tending to all summer in your garden!
We chose to go with a summer-y concoction of 2 lemons, 1 sprig of rosemary, and 1 drop of vanilla extract; however, there are several recipes that you can follow or make up in order to create a great aroma. Here are some other options!
- 2 drops myrrh, 1 drop frankincense, 2 drops lavender, 1 drop sandalwood
- 2 lemons, 1 sprig rosemary, 1 drop vanilla extract
- 3 limes, 1 bunch of fresh mint, 1 bunch of fresh thyme, 1/4 cup grated ginger
- 1/4 cup dried lilacs, 1/4 cup dried roses, 4 drops vanilla
- 1 small or medium navel orange, 1/4 cup cranberries, 3 cinnamon sticks, 2 tablespoons whole cloves, 3 bay leaves or a pine/rosemary sprig, 1 whole star anise (optional)
