March 29 | Saint Joseph of Arimathea

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, imagine living a double life. By day, you are one of the most powerful people in your country. You wear the finest clothes, you sit in the highest seats of government, and people tremble when you walk by. You are part of the inner circle, the group that makes the rules.

But you have a secret. Deep down, you disagree with everything your colleagues are doing. In fact, you are secretly loyal to the very man they are trying to destroy. You are a spy in your own house. You are terrified that if you speak up, you'll lose your position, your wealth, or maybe even your life. So, you stay quiet. You watch from the shadows. Until the day comes when you can't stay quiet anymore. This is the story of St. Joseph of Arimathea.

From the four Gospels, we know a few key things about his profile. Joseph was a wealthy and righteous man. But here is where the drama begins. Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish High Council. These were the heavy hitters. The Supreme Court and the Senate rolled into one, and they were the ones who ultimately decided to arrest Jesus. And Joseph was sitting right there among them.

Joseph was actually a disciple of Jesus. He followed him in secret because of his position. Imagine the pressure. You are sitting in the council meetings, listening to your colleagues plot against the person you believe is the savior of the world. When the high council finally made their move to condemn Jesus, Joseph was put to the ultimate test. Luke's Gospel tells us that Joseph had not consented to their plan of action. He didn't agree to the plan to condemn the Savior. But despite him, the plan went ahead.

Jesus was sent to the cross. This is where Joseph of Arimathea stops being a secret disciple and starts being a hero. After the crucifixion, when all hope seemed lost, Joseph made a dangerous move. He broke his cover. Joseph went directly to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor.

Joseph wanted permission to bury Christ's body. This was a bold request. Usually, someone executed as a criminal might be thrown into a commonplace grave. But Joseph used his influence and his courage to ensure that didn't happen. He wanted to give Jesus a proper burial.

Once he got permission, Joseph didn't just tell his servants to handle it. He got his hands dirty. He supplied fine linen cloths to wrap our Lord's body for burial. He wasn't working alone, either. He teamed up with Nicodemus, a Pharisee who had also visited Jesus in secret. Together, these two men, who had moved in the shadows for so long, stepped into the light during the darkest moment of history. They removed Jesus from the cross.

Joseph then did something incredibly generous. He took the body and placed it in his own new tomb. He gave his own final resting place to Jesus. Together, they wrapped the body in those fine linens and sealed him in the tomb. Because of this, Saint Joseph of Arimathea is the patron saint of funeral directors and pallbearers. He is the ultimate example of respecting the body after death and ensuring dignity for those who have passed away. Think about a time when you hid your faith or your values because you were afraid of what your friends would think or that your position in your social group might suffer.

Next time, don't stay in the shadows. Be brave like Joseph. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.