Santoral today: the list of saints to celebrate this Friday, March 17

Good deeds, deadly sacrifices, and even inexplicable occurrences arising from apparent divinity, are the reasons why different individuals have been beatified and canonized by the Vatican carry with him the name of saint.

Every daymarked on the calendar, commemorates the life and death of those beings, men and women, who have dedicated their lives to the same Catholic Church which has earned them the appointment.

It is the day of the saint Friday March 17.

The four evangelists mention him, albeit very briefly, and all coincide in pointing out his intervention in the same episode, the only one for which this notable of Jerusalem, member of the Sanhedrin, “rich man” according to Matthew, “illustrious” according to Mark, appears in person, an ephemeral mode in the history of Christ.

Joseph asks Pilate for permission to bury Jesus and once granted, with the help of Nicodemus, he unties the body from the cross and takes it to a new rock-hewn tomb (this is why the Christian tradition in patron saint of embalmers and gravediggers). . That’s what we’re told about him.

Who was this pious character? “A good and honest man”, describes him Saint Luke, “who was waiting for the kingdom of God”, that is to say “who was also a disciple of Jesus” (Matthew), “but clandestine, for fear of the Jewish authorities ” (John). A shamed disciple who now, “gathering his courage”, says Marcos, claims the body of the Master.

Jesus had just died ignominiously, Peter denied him three times in public, the apostles, intimidated and overcome by discouragement, hide or disperse and in the trial the only one who rises, the only one who gathers courage, is a secret disciple who until now dared not declare his condition.

José de Arimathea inspires great respect and the legend (which makes him collect the blood of Christ on Golgotha, with the Holy Grail) underlines the dignity of the one who comes out of the shadows at the worst moment with a courage that the most faithful. He, perhaps frowned upon by the apostles, who could reproach him for not committing himself, has the irrepressible courage of the timid, the unexpected serenity of the nervous, the abrupt decision of the hesitant, and that is why he is revered, for having courageously shown mercy with the Lord.

With this character is other saints and martyrs which are also celebrated this Friday, March 17 as follows:

Saint Patrick

San Agricola

Santa Gertrudis of Nivelles

San Juan Sarkander

Saint Paul of Cyprus

Blessed Conrado of Modugno

Blessed John Nepomuceno Zegri y Moreno

The Catholic and Orthodox Church uses canonization to declare a deceased person a saint.which implies the inclusion of her name in the canon (list of recognized saints) and the authorization to venerate her, acknowledging her power before God.

During Christianity, people were recognized as saints without the need for a formal process; however, this changed in the Middle Ages.

In the case of Catholicism, the Church must make an exhaustive investigation of the life of the person to be sanctified and there are four ways to obtain the appointment: the path of heroic virtues; the path of martyrdom; that of exceptional causes, confirmed by an ancient cult and written sources; and the offer of life.

Moreover, it is an essential requirement who performed at least two miracles (or one in the case of being a martyr). Canonization is made in a solemn papal declaration and a feast day is assigned for liturgical veneration.

There is no set time limit for proceeding with the canonization of a character, since there is even cases like that of San Pedro Damián who was canonized up to 756 years after his death or, conversely, the case of San Antonio de Padua which was named up to 352 days after his death.

The last canonization took place in October 2019, when the pope declared Cardinal John Henry Newman and Sister Dulce of Brazil saints.