It was St. Joseph who asked Pontius Pilate for our Lord's body after the crucifixion. It was Joseph who prepared Him for burial and it was Joseph's tomb in which He was laid and ultimately rose from. You can visit it today at the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. It really is empty!
Little is known of Joseph after this point. For his sacrifice to our Lord he is now known as the patron of undertakers and that is the reason he is mine.
Legend has it that Joseph was more then a secret follower of Christ. He is believed to have also been His uncle. It has been said that Joseph was a merchant of tin and regularly traveled to and traded with the people of the British Isles. Even taking his young Nephew on one such journey.
There is a hymn based on a poem written by William Blake that you can enjoy here. It tells the story of our Lord's legendary journey with his uncle to the shores of England.
England is where it is said that Joseph settled. Establishing a church in Glastonbury and bringing the gospel to the pagan inhabitants of that beautiful Island. While that's just a tradition, it's one that is firmly rooted in the minds of all English Catholics like myself, and one that drives our work in the ministry.
It is this great tradition passed on to each of us that drives what we do. From preaching the gospel, to caring for the dead, to planting churches, St. Joseph of Arimathea is a great inspiration to me and should be to us all, both clergy and laity alike. It is his legacy passed down to us that is our example.
It is this same legacy of caring for others, preaching the gospel and planting churches that has been instilled in us by our Anglican heritage, the seminary of the Reformed Episcopal Church and the life and ministry of or bishops. Where we learned that to be Anglican is first and foremost about getting our hands dirty and serving others for the Kingdom.
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