St. Joseph of Arimathea

Lolo Jose - Holy Wednesday Procession 2014

Joseph of Arimathea was, according to all four canonical Gospels, the man who donated his own prepared tomb for the burial of Jesus after Jesus' crucifixion. According to Mark 15:43, he was an "honourable counsellor, meaning a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, who was waiting for the kingdom of God". Matthew 27:57 described this Joseph as a rich man and disciple of Jesus. According to John 19:38, upon hearing of Jesus' death, this secret disciple of Jesus, "went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus".

August 31st, according to Roman Martyrology, is the feast of St.Joseph of Arimathea together with St. Nicodemus who provided and buried our Lord's body after His crucifixion.

Pilate, after a centurion confirmed the death, allowed Joseph's request. Joseph immediately purchased fine linen (Mark 15:46) and proceeded to Golgotha to take the body of Jesus down from the cross. There, according to John 19:39, Joseph and Nicodemus took the body, wrapped it in the fine linen, and applied the myrrh and aloes Nicodemus had brought. The disciples then conveyed the prepared corpse to the place previously bought for Joseph's own tomb, a man-made cave hewn from rock in the garden of his house nearby.

"Ama naming maawain,

buong puso at pagmamahal, galang at pitagang inihanda para sa paglilibing at inihimlay sa sariling libingan ng iyong tapat na lingkod na si San Jose ng Arimatea ang labi ng aming Panginoong Hesus.

O Panginoon Hesus. nag-iwan ka sa amin ng tanda ng iyong pagpapakasakit at paghihirap, ang banal na kumot na ginamit ni Jose para balutin ang iyong banal na katawan na pinahirapan sa krus

O Panginoon ipagkaloob mo sa amin at sa iyong tapat na sambayanan ang pagpapala at lakas na mahalin at paglingkuran ng buong katapatan ang iyong Anak na nabubuhay at naghahari kasama mo at ng Espiritu Santo, magpasawalang hanggan, Amen."