The Art of Myrrhbearing

Encountering Christ Through Serving Others

By: Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Narrated by: Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Each year after Pascha, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Holy Myrrhbearers, who cared for Jesus’s 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.

©2025 Elissa Bjeletich Davis (P)2025 Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Worth a re-listen

I received this audiobook for free from the publisher. "The Art of Myrrhbearing" is a pleasure to listen to. Hearing the stories of the myrrhbearers (including parts that are part of Church tradition, rather than revealed in Scripture) and discussing how they can speak to our lives today is an inspiring exercise. I particularly appreciated the questions offered for reflection or discussion, because they forced me to consider the content at a deeper level than I perhaps would have otherwise. I found this an easy listen and one I'll likely revisit.

The Art of Myrrh Bearing

Impressively researched and documented throughout . Reflections at the end of each chapter further enables thought.

A Call to Love, Forgiveness, and Presence

The Art of Myrrhbearing by Elissa Bjeletich Davis is a deeply moving, grace-filled invitation to live as a healing presence in the world. Drawing on the lives of the Myrrhbearing Women of the Gospels and other saints throughout Orthodox Christian tradition, Davis gently calls readers into a life of love, forgiveness, and courageous presence in the face of suffering.

With a rare combination of theological insight, scriptural reflection, and personal narrative, Davis explores what it means to bear “myrrh”—to carry Christ’s love and compassion into places marked by grief, pain, and fear. Themes such as vulnerability, attentiveness, silence, and service form the structure of the book, offering both depth and accessibility. Davis doesn’t shy away from the raw complexity of suffering. Instead, she models a healing path that is slow, quiet, and real—rooted not in sentimentality but in the difficult, beautiful work of presence.

What stands out most is her call to “get our hands dirty.” Whether through caregiving, feeding the hungry, praying for the hurting, or simply walking alongside those who are broken, Davis reminds us that true healing is born in service. One particularly striking insight is the idea that we have the power to either bind others with the memory of their sins—or to help loosen those wrappings through love, by refusing to rehearse old hurts. In this way, myrrhbearing becomes an act of inner freedom and forgiveness as much as outward care.

Each chapter feels like sitting with a wise and compassionate friend—one who has suffered and still chooses grace. Davis’s writing invites not just reading, but reflection, prayer, and action. The stories of saints and ordinary people alike serve as beacons, encouraging us to bear our own small jar of myrrh in the everyday moments of life.

This book is a treasure for Orthodox Christian women, church groups, caregivers, and anyone longing to grow in mercy, resilience, and Christ-like love. Highly recommended for personal reflection, group study, or anyone seeking to become more fully present to the suffering of the world—without being overcome by it.

There were a few glitches in the audiobook (repeated lines) that didn't distract at all from the reader experience in any detrimental way.

Inspiring saints

New perspective on the caretakers of Christ and the church. Very enjoyable and author-read

To Be a Christian by Deed, Not Merely by Name

The Art of Myrrhbearing by Elissa Bjeletich Davis is an important reminder that the true mark of a Christian is not in outward appearances of holiness but in daily acts of love, sacrifice, and placing the needs of others before one’s own.

The book is divided into three parts: the first part discusses the lives of those who tended to Christ’s body at His death, the second part delves deeper into these myrrhbearers’ lives, and the third part discusses what myrrhbearing looks like in practice - through the lives of the saints.

Each chapter is fairly short, and Elissa provides questions for reflection and meditation after each chapter. The book both lends itself well for daily reading without being overwhelmed with long chapters and is set up well for those who seek to use the book for a discussion group.

While parts one and two of the book opened my eyes to aspects of the myrrhbearers that I never considered before, part three of the book was easily my favorite. Elissa narrates the lives of a number of saints who truly made myrrhbearing the center of their lives through love and sacrifice. I was so enthralled by the stories that I was sincerely sad when the book came to an end, wishing for just a few more stories of incredible saints who lived out the call of Christ so clearly. Something beautiful about part three is that the saints included practiced myrrhbearing in completely different ways - yet each service was acceptable before God and made each person mentioned worthy of sainthood.

I would recommend this book for those who want to learn more about the lives of those who tended to the body of Christ as well as to those who sincerely desire to live out a Christian life - not by name, but by deed.