Today we consider St. Joseph of Arimathea. Joseph was known for his wealth, and (as we heard both on Sunday and now today) for his charity. Aside from his appearance here at the end of the Gospels, he does not appear in Scripture. Yet, this mention alone is worth our time and prayer.
No words of Joseph are recorded. Nevertheless, the Gospels do tell us that Joseph went to Pilate to ask permission to take down Jesus’ body from the cross and to bury Jesus. We can imagine the courage that it took to go to the Roman governor, who hours before had permitted Jesus to be crucified, and to be associated with Jesus by asking personal permission to bury His body. It was none of the Twelve who asked for such permission. It was no one who had been a beneficiary of Jesus’ ministry of healing. It was this simple, quiet, wealthy man.
Most of all, however, we may benefit from considering St. Joseph of Arimathea’s actions. To watch as he climbs up a ladder to suspend the body of Jesus in some cloths and ropes; to remove the nails from His hands and from His feet; to feel the full weight of Christ’s body as he lowers Him down little by little to Mary and the others gathered at the foot of the cross. To watch the hands of St. Joseph as they apply the spices to Jesus’ scourged and pierced flesh. To see the care with which he places the burial cloths around the body, and then slowly carries Jesus’ body to his own tomb. As we see how St. Joseph honored Christ’s death, let us ask him to pray for us today, that we too may join in honoring the dignity of Christ’s body broken for our sake.