August 13 Church honors the memory of St. Joseph of Arimathea
St. Joseph of Arimathea was a secret disciple of Jesus. As a member of the Sanhedrin, he was not involved in the "advice and practice" of the Jews who issued the death sentence to Jesus Christ.
Upon hearing of Jesus' crucifixion and death, Joseph of Arimathea dared to ask Pilate to take away the body of Jesus and buried it together with the righteous Nicodemus, also a secret disciple of the Lord.
Joseph immediately purchased a linen shroud, and proceeded to Golgotha to take the body of Jesus down from the cross. There, according to John 19:39-40, Joseph and Nicodemus took the body and bound it in linen cloths with the spices that Nicodemus had bought. The disciples then conveyed the prepared corpse to the place previously bought for Joseph's own tomb. This happened in the Garden of Gethsemane, in the presence of Our Lady and the saints Myrrhbearers.
Having rolled a heavy stone at the door of the sepulcher, they went away.
Saint Joseph of Arimathea died peacefully in England.
