Joseph, a wealthy and noble man,
Was not tempted concerning Christ the Crucified,
But when the sun darkened and the earth shook,
He went to Pilate and brought him news
That the Lord had died, the Giver of life;
And so the secret disciple became public.
And when the Revealed One was concealed, the concealed one came out into the open;
Thus the wise Joseph became famous in a day.
With Nicodemus, he took Christ’s body,
And laid it in his garden, in a new tomb.
The Jewish spies heard and reported it,
And they put the righteous Joseph in chains.
In the dark prison, Joseph languished
While his Lord shone forth in hades.
Joseph pondered his memories of Christ,
Recalling His wondrous works,
And His many miracles, sayings and prophesies.
While near Him, he had stood in God’s presence:
But now all was dark, without and within.
Dark days, nights, evenings and mornings,
After the brilliant radiance of the shining sun!
Oh, desperate darkness, darker than hades!
But lo, suddenly it is dawn in the dungeon
The Risen One appears to the fettered servant.
O Joseph, brave and noble,
Neither were you tempted concerning the Risen One.
You informed Pilate of the death of Christ,
And recognized and glorified the Risen One.
Let the land of Britain honorably glorify you,
For you sowed her first seed of salvation.
By St. Nikolai Velimirovic (The Prologue of Ohrid: Volume Two)