And so we wait...

Kateryna Kuziv (Ukrainian, 1993–), Myrrhbearers, 2021. Egg tempera on gessoed wood, 40 × 40

This day we must perfect the art of waiting and praying. Jesus had been crucified, his body anointed and laid in a fresh tomb, and the massive stone rolled in place. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were myrrhbearers, taking Jesus's body down from the cross ,anointing it with myrrh and aloes and wrapping it in clean linen before laying it in the new tomb.

This picture depicts women also known as myrrhbearers and tradition tells us the complete list included:

Mary Magdalene

Mary, the mother of James and Joses

Mary, the wife of Cleopas

Martha of Bethany, Sister of Lazarus

Mary of Bethany, Sister of Lazarus

Joanna the wife of Chuza, the steward of Herod Antipas

Salome, the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee

Susanna

Before they arrived at the tomb, however, they waited in the in between, in the pain and grief of death, of the end of all that had been prophesied, all that Jesus had said he would do.

And so must we. Settle in to a time of waiting this day, maybe imagine the company of these women, where they were hiding, how they wept and wondered what would happen to them now.

Settle in to the in between, the unknown, the fear and the tears.

Forget that you know what happened next.