Saint of the Day – 3 August – Saint Nicodemus

Saint Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, a teacher of Israel, and a member of the Sanhedrin. He went in the secrecy of the night to learn from Jesus, whom he professed as a teacher sent by God. Owing to his insistence on a hearing for Jesus according to Jewish law, Nicodemus is called “defender of Jesus”. In return, the chief priests and his fellow pharisees mocked him by saying that no prophet comes from Galilee.

He sought to understand from Jesus how a person might be born again after having left his mother’s womb. After Jesus’ crucifixion, Nicodemus assisted Joseph of Arimathea in laying Jesus’ body in a nearby tomb. He brought a royal, thirty-three kilogramme mixture of myrrh and aloe to anoint the Saviour of the world, thus testifying to his faith and Mary Magdalene-esque devotion.

Later, he was ostracized by the Pharisees for his Christianity. He lived the remainder of his life in the home of Gamaliel, another member of the Sanhedrin. Their relics were housed and venerated together in the 5th century, along with those of St. Stephen the martyr.

He carved both the Holy Face of Lucca and the Batlló Crucifix, receiving angelic assistance with the face in particular.