We walk in the company of the women who have gone before: judges, prophets, martyrs, warriors, poets, lovers, and saints, mothers of the faith, both named and unnamed, demonstrating how many beautiful and courageous paths we can walk together toward Christ.
We walk in the company of St. Marina, who understood deeply the communal nature of both brokenness and salvation and lived heart-wide, her hand over her mouth to cover her neighbors' faults.
We walk in the company of St. Mariamne, Equal to the Apostles, whose ministry was accepted as a blessing to the Apostles in their work to spread the gospel.
We walk in the company of Saints Xenia of Rome and St. Petersburg, who lived as wandering strangers seeking their homeland with God.
We walk in the company of St. Philothei, who used her gifts of compassion and healing in fighting against human trafficking and the exploitation of other women.
We walk in the company of St Elizabeth the New Martyr, who created a thriving oasis of order and beauty within the walls of her community, even in a time of turmoil.
We walk in the company of St. Ita, a wise mentor and foster mother for many who lived a life of deepening courage and simplicity, becoming known not just for her sweet pieties but for her fierce and holy thirst.
We walk in the company of St. Hermione, whose gifts of healing and organization founded the first hospital-hostels that would become a worldwide Orthodox tradition.
We walk in the company of St. Barbara, who walked an unconventional role entirely committed to God’s will, serving and blessing others with the chalice of Christ.
We walk in the company of Saint Melangell, who acted as a refuge for animals and a vessel of healing to others.
We walk in the company of Amma Sarah, a desert mother, who reminds us that becoming aware of our thoughts towards others is the first step towards true community and love.
We walk in the company of St. Olga of Alaska, whose life work was to bless and protect her community as they walked the pilgrimage of their lives.
We walk in the company of St Vassa, a wife and mother who exposed cruelty and whose tremendous faith and bravery were unwavering.
We walk in the company of St. Ketevan, who became a leader among all Georgian women in holding fast to the faith amidst terrible sorrow.
We walk in the company of St Tabitha, patron of the creators of beauties large and small, those who deftly stitch their lives into the lives of their communities - the give and take and millions of small mercies we extend to one another in love.
We walk in the company of St Cecilia of Rome, a woman remembered for her courage, compassion, and tender boldness.
We walk in the company of St. Demiana, who journeyed in place with forty women as they built a religious community in Egypt—a pilgrimage that would eventually lead them to courageously defy an emperor and give their lives in martyrdom.
We walk in the company of St. Maria of Paris, whose journey from the intellectual revolutions of Russia into the lives of the downtrodden on the streets of Paris drew her into radical hospitality and sacrifice.
We walk in the company of St. Egeria, travel writer, mountaineer, anthropologist, historian, liturgist, and spiritual seeker–and an explorer who continually defied convention to find God.
We walk in the company of St. Matrona, who, although blind and eventually lame, welcomed the pilgrimage of hundreds who sought her for physical and spiritual healing.
We walk in the company of the Myrrhbearing Women, who went in mourning to the tomb to care for the body of Christ and discovered that he lives.
We walk in the company of Mary the Theotokos, Mother of God.
We walk in the company of unknown women, hidden saints whose names and stories are lost or silenced to history. We honor their invisible threads of hope, courage, and faithfulness, which bind us to all the women who have gone before and continue to nourish us with courage and wisdom through their prayers.
Amen.