• March 17th - Joseph of Arimathea

    From rich@1:396/4 to All on Mon Mar 16 10:15:13 2020
    From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

    March 17th - Joseph of Arimathea (RM)

    1st century. We read about Joseph of Arimathea, the "noble counselor,"
    in all four Gospels (Matthew 27:57-61; Mark 15:43-46; Luke 23:50-56;
    and John 19:38-42). As with many of the Biblical figures, numerous
    legends accrued around his name in later years.

    0ur Saint Joseph was a wealthy member of the temple council and a
    secret follower of Jesus because he was afraid of persecution from
    Jewish officials. He attended the Crucifixion, and legend has it that
    he caught Jesus' blood as he hung upon the cross. (What is said to be
    the Sacro Catino in which Joseph caught the blood of Christ at the
    Crucifixion is at San Lorenzo, Genoa, Italy.) Joseph persuaded Pontius
    Pilate to let him have Jesus' body, wrapped it in linen and herbs, and
    laid it in a tomb carved in a rock in the side of a hill, a tomb that
    he had prepared for himself.

    Later tradition has embellished this account to add that Joseph was a
    distant relative of Jesus, who derived his wealth from tin mines in
    Cornwall, which he visited from time to time. One version tells the
    story of the teenaged Jesus accompanying Joseph on one such visit.
    This is the background of the poem "Jerusalem," by William Blake
    (1757-1827):

    And did those feet in ancient time
    Walk upon England's mountains green?
    And was the holy Lamb of God
    On England's pleasant pastures seen?
    And did the countenance divine
    Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
    And was Jerusalem builded here
    Among those dark satanic mills?

    Bring me my bow of burning gold!
    Bring me my arrows of desire!
    Bring me my spear!
    O clouds, unfold!
    Bring me my chariot of fire!
    I will not cease from mental fight,
    Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
    Till we have built Jerusalem
    In England's green and pleasant land.


    This version continues to say that, after the Crucifixion, Saint
    Joseph returned to Cornwall, bringing with him the chalice of the Last
    Supper, known as the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail was hidden and played
    an important part in the folk history of England in the great national
    epic about King Arthur and his knights who unsuccessful seek to find
    it.

    Upon reaching Glastonbury, he planted his staff, which took root and
    blossomed into a thorn tree. This is the Holy Thorn, which blossoms at Christmas. King Charles I baited his wife's Roman Catholic chaplain by observing that, although Pope Gregory had proclaimed a reform of the
    calendar, the Glastonbury Thorn ignored the Pope's decree and
    continued to blossom on Christmas Day according to the Old Calendar.
    One of Cromwell's soldiers cut down the Thorn because it was a relic
    of superstition. We are told that he was blinded by one of the thorns
    as it fell. A tree allegedly grown from a cutting of the original
    Thorn survives today in Glastonbury (and trees propagated from it
    stand on the grounds of the Cathedral in Washington, DC, and
    presumably elsewhere) and leaves from it are sold in all the tourist
    shops in Glastonbury.

    It was not until about the middle of the 13th century that the legend
    appears saying Joseph accompanied Saint Philip to Gaul to preach and
    was sent by him to England as the leader of 12 missionaries. It is
    said that the company, inspired by Gabriel the archangel, built a
    church made of wattles in honor of the Virgin Mary on an island called Yniswitrin, given to them by the king of England. The church
    eventually evolved into Glastonbury Abbey in Somerset. Supposedly
    Joseph died there, was buried on the island, and miraculous cures
    worked at his grave. This burial site is unlikely though.

    Is there any merit to the legends of Saint Joseph? Perhaps. Tin, an
    essential ingredient of bronze, was highly valued in ancient times,
    and Phoenician ships imported tin from Cornwall. It is not
    unreasonable to believe that some first-century, Jewish Christians
    might have been investors in the Cornwall tin trade. Christianity
    gained a foothold in Britain very early, perhaps, in part, because of
    the commerce in tin. If so, then the early British Christians would
    have a tradition that they had been evangelized by a wealthy Jewish
    Christian. Having forgotten his name, they might have consulted the
    Scriptures and found that Joseph and Saint Barnabas fit the
    description. Because much of the life of Barnabas was already
    described by the Acts of the Apostles making him an unlikely
    candidate, only Joseph was left. Thus, Christians seeking an immediate connection with their Lord, grasped on to Joseph as their evangelizer (Attwater, Benedictines, Bentley, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Robinson,
    White).

    In art, Saint Joseph is portrayed as a very old man, carrying a pot of
    ointment or a flowering staff or a pair of altar cruets (containing
    the blood and sweat of Jesus) (White). He may be shown taking the
    crown of thorns from the dead Christ. At other times he is shown with
    the shroud and crown of thorns, a thorn tree by him, or a box of
    spices (Roeder). He is venerated at Glastonbury and patron of
    grave-diggers and undertakers (Roeder, White).


    Saint Quote:
    Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us. He assumed the
    worse that He might give us the better; He became poor that we through
    His poverty might be rich.
    --Saint Gregory Nazianzen

    Bible Quote:
    =C2 And Abraham said to him: Son, remember that thou didst receive good
    things in thy lifetime, and likewise Lazareth evil things, but now he
    is comforted; and thou art tormented.=C2 (Luke 16:25)


    <><><><>
    Thy Grace =E2=80=93 a Lenten Prayer
    By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

    O my God,
    suffer me still,
    bear with me in spite of my
    waywardness,
    perverseness
    and ingratitude!
    I improve very slowly
    but really, I am moving onto heaven,
    or at least I wish to move.
    Only give me Thy grace
    meet me with Thy grace,
    I will, through Thy grace, do what I can
    and Thou shall perfect it for me.
    Then shall I have happy days, in Thy Presence
    and in the sight and adoration of
    Thy five Sacred Wounds.
    Amen

    --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
    * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)
  • From rich@1:396/4 to All on Mon Mar 16 10:15:13 2020
    From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

    March 17th - Joseph of Arimathea (RM)

    1st century. We read about Joseph of Arimathea, the "noble counselor,"
    in all four Gospels (Matthew 27:57-61; Mark 15:43-46; Luke 23:50-56;
    and John 19:38-42). As with many of the Biblical figures, numerous
    legends accrued around his name in later years.

    0ur Saint Joseph was a wealthy member of the temple council and a
    secret follower of Jesus because he was afraid of persecution from
    Jewish officials. He attended the Crucifixion, and legend has it that
    he caught Jesus' blood as he hung upon the cross. (What is said to be
    the Sacro Catino in which Joseph caught the blood of Christ at the
    Crucifixion is at San Lorenzo, Genoa, Italy.) Joseph persuaded Pontius
    Pilate to let him have Jesus' body, wrapped it in linen and herbs, and
    laid it in a tomb carved in a rock in the side of a hill, a tomb that
    he had prepared for himself.

    Later tradition has embellished this account to add that Joseph was a
    distant relative of Jesus, who derived his wealth from tin mines in
    Cornwall, which he visited from time to time. One version tells the
    story of the teenaged Jesus accompanying Joseph on one such visit.
    This is the background of the poem "Jerusalem," by William Blake
    (1757-1827):

    And did those feet in ancient time
    Walk upon England's mountains green?
    And was the holy Lamb of God
    On England's pleasant pastures seen?
    And did the countenance divine
    Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
    And was Jerusalem builded here
    Among those dark satanic mills?

    Bring me my bow of burning gold!
    Bring me my arrows of desire!
    Bring me my spear!
    O clouds, unfold!
    Bring me my chariot of fire!
    I will not cease from mental fight,
    Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
    Till we have built Jerusalem
    In England's green and pleasant land.


    This version continues to say that, after the Crucifixion, Saint
    Joseph returned to Cornwall, bringing with him the chalice of the Last
    Supper, known as the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail was hidden and played
    an important part in the folk history of England in the great national
    epic about King Arthur and his knights who unsuccessful seek to find
    it.

    Upon reaching Glastonbury, he planted his staff, which took root and
    blossomed into a thorn tree. This is the Holy Thorn, which blossoms at Christmas. King Charles I baited his wife's Roman Catholic chaplain by observing that, although Pope Gregory had proclaimed a reform of the
    calendar, the Glastonbury Thorn ignored the Pope's decree and
    continued to blossom on Christmas Day according to the Old Calendar.
    One of Cromwell's soldiers cut down the Thorn because it was a relic
    of superstition. We are told that he was blinded by one of the thorns
    as it fell. A tree allegedly grown from a cutting of the original
    Thorn survives today in Glastonbury (and trees propagated from it
    stand on the grounds of the Cathedral in Washington, DC, and
    presumably elsewhere) and leaves from it are sold in all the tourist
    shops in Glastonbury.

    It was not until about the middle of the 13th century that the legend
    appears saying Joseph accompanied Saint Philip to Gaul to preach and
    was sent by him to England as the leader of 12 missionaries. It is
    said that the company, inspired by Gabriel the archangel, built a
    church made of wattles in honor of the Virgin Mary on an island called Yniswitrin, given to them by the king of England. The church
    eventually evolved into Glastonbury Abbey in Somerset. Supposedly
    Joseph died there, was buried on the island, and miraculous cures
    worked at his grave. This burial site is unlikely though.

    Is there any merit to the legends of Saint Joseph? Perhaps. Tin, an
    essential ingredient of bronze, was highly valued in ancient times,
    and Phoenician ships imported tin from Cornwall. It is not
    unreasonable to believe that some first-century, Jewish Christians
    might have been investors in the Cornwall tin trade. Christianity
    gained a foothold in Britain very early, perhaps, in part, because of
    the commerce in tin. If so, then the early British Christians would
    have a tradition that they had been evangelized by a wealthy Jewish
    Christian. Having forgotten his name, they might have consulted the
    Scriptures and found that Joseph and Saint Barnabas fit the
    description. Because much of the life of Barnabas was already
    described by the Acts of the Apostles making him an unlikely
    candidate, only Joseph was left. Thus, Christians seeking an immediate connection with their Lord, grasped on to Joseph as their evangelizer (Attwater, Benedictines, Bentley, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Robinson,
    White).

    In art, Saint Joseph is portrayed as a very old man, carrying a pot of
    ointment or a flowering staff or a pair of altar cruets (containing
    the blood and sweat of Jesus) (White). He may be shown taking the
    crown of thorns from the dead Christ. At other times he is shown with
    the shroud and crown of thorns, a thorn tree by him, or a box of
    spices (Roeder). He is venerated at Glastonbury and patron of
    grave-diggers and undertakers (Roeder, White).


    Saint Quote:
    Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us. He assumed the
    worse that He might give us the better; He became poor that we through
    His poverty might be rich.
    --Saint Gregory Nazianzen

    Bible Quote:
    =C2 And Abraham said to him: Son, remember that thou didst receive good
    things in thy lifetime, and likewise Lazareth evil things, but now he
    is comforted; and thou art tormented.=C2 (Luke 16:25)


    <><><><>
    Thy Grace =E2=80=93 a Lenten Prayer
    By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

    O my God,
    suffer me still,
    bear with me in spite of my
    waywardness,
    perverseness
    and ingratitude!
    I improve very slowly
    but really, I am moving onto heaven,
    or at least I wish to move.
    Only give me Thy grace
    meet me with Thy grace,
    I will, through Thy grace, do what I can
    and Thou shall perfect it for me.
    Then shall I have happy days, in Thy Presence
    and in the sight and adoration of
    Thy five Sacred Wounds.
    Amen

    --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
    * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)