Joseph of Arimathea is a quiet favorite of mine among the calendar of saints. His feast day is August 1 for us, and he is remembered on July 31 by the Orthodox and Lutherans and August 30 by Roman Catholics.

We know little about Joseph from the Gospels other than that he was a “secret follower” of Jesus and a dissenting member of the religious council that condemned Jesus. After Jesus’ death, all four gospels tell us that he took the body of Jesus to bury in a tomb, most likely his own tomb that he had prepared for himself.

The first thing that captures me is Joseph’s act of compassion in providing a dignified burial for a man condemned and executed as a traitor and blasphemer.