THE SEVENTH SORROW OF MARY: Jesus Is Placed in the Tomb

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. And Pilate permitted it. So he came and took his body. Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about 100 pounds. They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by.

—John 19:38‒42

Mary, mother and disciple

Mary did not know how the story was going to end—that in 3 days, her faith would be rewarded. Yet, she persevered. She buried her son and then went about his work, comforting his friends, despite her sadness.

Mary is an example of faith-filled hope, the kind of hope we must cultivate in our own lives as we wait and work for God’s kingdom.

Questions to Guide Your Reflection:

1. When has God surprised me, taking what I considered a failure and turning it into a great success?
2. How can Mary’s example be an inspiration for my own work, especially as I seek to build God’s kingdom on earth?