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 cast It  into  the  pit  with  the  bodies  of  the  two  thieves,  when  Joseph  of Arimathea  came  up,  and  showed  to  her  Pilate’s  order  that  the  Sacred Body should  be  given  to  him. And when  he  had  taken  down  the beloved Body  from  the  Cross,  he  gave  It  to  the  holy  Mother,  and  laid It in  her  arms  where  It  had  so  often  rested  in  childhood. The faithful friends  helped  her  with  loving  hands  to  wash  the  Body  of  the  Most Holy, so  disfigured,  torn,  and  blood-stained; and  now  for  the  first  time the sorrowful  Mother  was  able  to  examine  the  number  of  His  wounds and bruises,  and  to  picture  to  herself  the  extent  of  the  horrible  torments which Jesus  had  endured. His wounds  bled  afresh  in  her  own  heart, and her  grief  was  deep  as  the  sea. But while  we  contemplate  this sorrowful picture,  let  us  not  forget  that  sin  alone  is  responsible  for  the torments of  Jesus,  and  the  sorrow  of  His  Mother. Let us  awaken  within us a deep  sense  of  contrition,  and  a heartfelt  horror  of  our  own  sins; and let  us  make  a firm  resolution  never  again  to  commit  a wilful  sin!

The courage  of  Joseph  of  Arimathea  is  expressly  mentioned  in Scripture. “He went  in  boldly  to  Pilate  and  begged  the  Body  of  Jesus” (Mark 15,  43). He feared  neither  the  hatred  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees, nor the  scorn  and  ridicule  which,  as  a member  of  the  Sanhedrin,  he would  draw  on  himself  by  taking  down  One  Crucified  from  the  Cross with his  own  hands,  and  by  laying  Him  in  his  own  sepulchre. Moreover he shewed  Pilate,  by  his  very  petition,  that  he  considered  Jesus to have  been  unjustly  put  to  death;  and  he  openly  confessed  himself to be  an  adherent  and  disciple  of  the  Crucified  One.

The generosity  of  Nicodemus  also  deserves  praise. He brought  with him a hundred  pounds’  weight  of  very  precious  spices,  to  lay  on  the Body of  our  Lord. He considered  nothing  too  precious  for  Jesus. Love made him  generous.

The sins  of  our  Lord's  enemies.  The  chief  priests  and  Pharisees sinned by  falsely  suspecting  the  disciples  of  intending  to  steal  the Body of  their  Master. They also  committed  the  sii*  of  calumny  by imparting  their  unfounded  suspicions  to  Pilate,  representing  to  him  the disciples of  Jesus  as  deceivers  and  thieves. They also  sinned  by  blasphemy, in  calling  our  Lord  a seducer.

The devices  to  which  the  enemies  of  Jesus  resorted  to  keep  His Body in  the  grave,  and  to  destroy  all  belief  in  Him,  tended  against their will  to  His  glory,  and  manifested  to  the  whole  world  that  it was  by  His  own  power  alone  that  Jesus  came  forth  from  the  sealed and guarded  grave. Thus, by  God’s  wisdom,  good  can  be  made  to come  out  of  evil.

The poverty  of  Jesus  was  extreme.  Neither  in  life  nor  in  death had Jesus  a place  where  to  lay  His  Head;  and  after  He  died,  His  Body did not  belong  to  those  who  loved  Him,  but  to  His  executioners  and tormentors; and  was  given  away  by  them  to  the  first  asker  as  a thing of no  value. Jesus renounced  everything  in  the  world,  even  His  Body,