== Life ==[[image:JosephArimathea.jpg|right|thumb|St Joseph of Arimathea, who buried the crucified Christ.]]The holy and righteous '''St. Joseph of Arimathea''' was a wealthy member of the Jewish Sanherdrin [[Sanhedrin]] and a secret follower of [[Christ ]] ([[Gospel of Matthew|Matt. ]] 27:25; [[Gospel of John |John]] 19:38). His [[feast day]] is [[July 31]]. He is also commemorated on the [[Sunday of Myrrh-bearing Women|Sunday of the Myrrhbearers]]—the second Sunday after [[Pascha]]. Along with St. [[Nicodemusthe Righteous|Nicodemus]], St. Joseph removed Christ's body from the Cross , prepared it for burial, and placed it in his own sepulchre. Jewish spies found out about this and told their authorities , who imprisoned St. Joseph. However, the resurrected Christ appeared to St. Joseph in prison and convinced him of His his [[Resurrection! ]]. Some time later the Jews released St. Joseph from prison and banished him from [[Jerusalem]]. He then traveled throughout the whole world preaching the gospel[[Gospel]], eventually sowing the seeds of salvation in EnglandBritain, where he reposed peacefully in the Lord. ==Hymn==[[Troparion]] ([[Tone]] 2) [http://www.comeandseeicons.com/j/phn43.htm]:The noble Joseph, taking down thy most pure Body from the Tree,:wrapped it in clean linen and sweet spices and laid it in a new tomb.:But on the third day thou didst rise, O Lord, granting the world great mercy.

*St. [[Nikolai Velimirovic']], ''The [[Prologue of Ohrid"]]'' == Further Reading ==*Lewis, Rev. Lionel Smithett (M.A., Late Vicar of Glastonbury). ''St. Joseph of Arimathea at Glastonbury or The Apostolic Church of Britain''. 7th ed. James Clarke & Co Ltd., London, 1955. (ISBN 0-7188-9165-1).

==External links==*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?FSID=109009 Righteous Joseph of Arimathea] ([[CategoryOCA]])*[http:Saints//www.comeandseeicons.com/j/phn43.htm Icon and Story of St. Joseph of Arimathea]*[http://www.goarch.org/chapel/saints_view?contentid=517 Joseph the Righteous of Arimathea (GOARCH)] *[http://www.stjosephorthodoxchurch.ca/default.cfm?module=%2747%29%20FH%2A%2D7%20%20%20%0A St. Joseph of Arimathea Orthodox Church]- The longer version of St. Joseph's Life

== Source ==St*[[w:Joseph of Arimathea|Joseph of Arimathea]] at Wikipedia. Nikolai Velimirovic', ''The Prologue of Ohrid"