(C.D. Stampley Enterprises, Charlotte, NC 2001). Used with permission.

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For funeral directors

St. Joseph of Arimathea (1^st century)

Feast day: August 31

The patron of funeral directors is St. Joseph of Arimathea who claimed Christ’s body after the crucifixion, prepared it for burial, and laid it in a new tomb.

All four gospels mention Joseph of Arimathea as a wealthy man, a secret disciple of Our Lord, possibly a member of the Sanhedrin religious court. That first dreadful Good Friday when the Apostles were scattered and in hiding, Joseph found the courage to go to Pontius Pilate and request the body of {ln:Jesus}. Along with Nicodemus, another clandestine disciple, Joseph took Christ’s body down from the cross, wrapped it in linen, and carried it to a cave tomb he had prepared for his own use.

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Over the centuries many legends have grown up around St. Joseph, but the most beautiful associates him with the Holy Grail. In this story Joseph is the uncle of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a merchant whose business interests take him as far as the island of Britain. When {ln:Jesus} was a boy Joseph took him along on one his voyage to England. The 18^th-century poet William Blake immortalized this legend is his poem “Jerusalem”:

And did those feet in ancient time

Walk on England’s mountains green?

And was the holy Lamb of God

On England’s pleasant pastures seen?

At the crucifixion Joseph stood at the foot of the cross. As the Precious Blood dripped from Our Lord’s wounds, Joseph caught it in the cup Christ had used at the Last Supper. He transferred the Blood into two cruets. After Christ’s Ascension into Heaven Joseph took the cruets and the cup, known as the Holy Grail, and traveled to France with the apostle St. Philip. From there he went with twelve priests to bring the gospel to England.

The missionaries settled in Glastonbury where Joseph built a chapel which he dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. There Joseph placed the cruets of Christ’s Blood and the Holy Grail.

A persistent tradition in England says Joseph’s chapel, known as ‘the Old Church,” survived at Glastonbury until 1184 when it was destroyed in a great fire. In 1186 the current Lady Chapel was consecrated on site of Joseph’s church.

Five years later, in 1191, the monks of Glastonbury claimed to have found the graves King Arthur and Guinivere, a discovery which linked Joseph of Arimathea to the Arthurian legend.

In 1965 amid the ruins of the Glastonbury Abbey Queen Elizabeth II erected a large wooden cross with an inscription that reads: “The cross. The symbol of our faith. The gift of Queen Elizabeth II marks a Christian sanctuary so ancient that only legend can record its origin.”

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Prayer to the saints is a powerful thing.

Now, with Saints for Every Occasion, readers can quickly find help for any challenge they face – no matter how large or small. Author Thomas J. Craughwell profiles 101 patron saints from various continents, cultures and times – from saints who were contemporaries of Christ, to modern patrons like Padre Pio and Faustina Kowalska. Each saint lived heroically in difficult times and circumstances, providing powerful examples of how to turn almost any obstacle into a source of grace. Along with old favorites such as St. Anthony and St. Jude, Craughwell offers patrons for specifically modern concerns, including, for example, saints to watch over astronauts, internet users and environmental activists. Beautifully illustrated and entertainingly told, Saints for Every Occasion features 101 patron saints readers will seek out time and again.

“An excellent resource for home and classroom use.” – Publisher’s Weekly {/tabs}