Matthew 27:61

And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulcher.

Verse 60 Read Chapter 27 Verse 62

Augustine of Hippo

AD 430

Aug in Serm., non occ.: Had the tomb been in the earth, it might have been said they undermined the place, and so carried Him off. Had a small stone been laid thereon, they might have said, They carried Him off while we slept.

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Cornelius a Lapide

AD 1637

And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary. The other Mary, the mother of James and Joses. It appears that Salome, having no further office to do for Jesus, returned home in sorrow, or took home the Blessed Virgin. Simeon Metaphrastes, however, asserts that the Blessed Virgin remained on the spot till the resurrection, as assuredly believing that it would take place on the third day. Sitting over against the sepulcre. Our Lord, as was fitting, was laid out by men, and not by women, who, while this was taking place, did not venture to enter the sepulchre. But they waited till the men retired, and then went in and saw how he was laid, that they might return very early the next morning, when the Sabbath was over, and anoint His body.

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George Leo Haydock

AD 1849

Sitting over-against. Though St. Matthew makes mention of two women only, who were there, it is nevertheless certain from the other evangelists, that there were more, though these two are here particularized, because they perhaps showed greater anxiety. They are said to be sitting, because they were afraid to join themselves with the two noblemen, Joseph, of Arimathea, and Nicodemus; and not able to leave their Lord, without knowing where he was placed, they sat down to see the end. (Jansenius)

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Hilary of Poitiers

AD 368

Mystically, Joseph affords a figure of the Apostles. He wraps the body in aclean linen cloth, in which same linen sheet were let down to Peter out of heaven all manner of living creatures; whence we understand, that under the representation of this linen cloth the Church is buried together with Christ. The Lord’s body moreover is laid in a chamber hewn out of rock, empty and new; that is, by the teaching of the Apostles, Christ is conveyed into the hard breast of the Gentiles hewn out by the toil of teaching, rude and new, hitherto unpenetrated by any fear of God. And for that besides Him ought nothing to enter our breasts, a stone is rolled to the mouth, that as before Him we had received no author of divine knowledge, so after Him we should admit none.

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Jerome

AD 420

He is described as rich, not out of any ambition on the part of the writer to represent so noble and rich a man as Jesus’ disciple, but to show how he was able to obtain the body of Jesus from Pilate. For poor and unknown individuals would not have dared to approach Pilate, the representative of Roman power, and ask the body of a crucified malefactor. In another Gospel this Joseph is called acounsellor; and it is supposed that the first Psalm has reference to him, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly.” . By this simple burial of the Lord is condemned the ostentation of the rich, who cannot dispense with lavish expense even in their tombs. But we may also consider in a spiritual sense, that the Lord’s body was wrapped not in gold, jewels, or silk, but in clean linen; and that he who wrapped it, is he who embraces Jesus with a pure heart. He is laid in a new tomb, lest after His resurrection it should be pretended that it was some other who had risen when th... Read More

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John Chrysostom

AD 407

Consider this man’s courage; he risked his life, and took upon him many enmities in order to render this service; and not only dares to ask for Christ's body, but also to bury it.

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John Chrysostom

AD 407

For what purpose do the two Marys wait beside the sepulcher? As yet they did not fully know his greatness. They had brought ointments. They were waiting at the tomb, so that if the madness of the civil authorities should relax, they might go and care for the body. Do you see these women’s courage? See their depth of affection? See their noble spirit in providing? See their noble spirit even to death? Let us men imitate these women! Let us not forsake Jesus in times of trial! These women exposed their lives so much for him even when he was dead, even as they had spent so much for him when he was alive. But we men, I repeat, neither feed him when hungry nor clothe him when naked. Seeing him begging, we pass him by. And yet if we might really behold him in the neighbor, we would divest ourselves of all our goods. The Gospel of Matthew, Homily

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John Chrysostom

AD 407

For what purpose do these wait by it? As yet they knew nothing great, as was meet, and high about Him, wherefore also they had brought ointments, and were waiting at the tomb, so that if the madness of the Jews should relax, they might go and embrace the body. Do you see women's courage? Do you see their affection? Do you see their noble spirit in money? Their noble spirit even unto death? Let us men imitate the women; let us not forsake Jesus in temptations. For they for Him even dead spent so much and exposed their lives, but we (for again I say the same things) neither feed Him when hungry, nor clothe Him when naked, but seeing Him begging, we pass Him by. And yet if you saw Himself, every one would strip himself of all his goods. But even now it is the same. For He Himself has said, I am he. Wherefore then do you not strip yourself of all? For indeed even now you hear Him say, You do it unto me; and there is no difference whether you give to this man or to Him; you have nothing ... Read More

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Rabanus Maurus

AD 856

From this also has prevailed in the Church the custom of celebrating the sacrifice of the altar not in silk, or in coloured robes, but in linen grown from the earth, as we read, was ordered by the Holy Pope Silvester.

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Remigius of Rheims

AD 533

Arimathea is the same as Ramatha, the city of Helcana and Samuel, and is situated in the Chana nitic country near Diospolis. This Joseph was a man of great dignity in respect of worldly station, but has the praise of much higher merit in God’s sight, seeing he is described as righteous. Indeed he that should have the burial of the Lord’s body ought to have been such, that hemight be deserving of that office by righteous merit. Or, otherwise; The linen is grown out of the ground, and is bleached to whiteness with great labour, and thus this signifies that His body which was taken of the earth, that is of a Virgin, through the toil of passion came to the whiteness of immortality. And to this day the holy women, that is, the lowly souls of the saints, do the like in this present world, and with pious assiduity wait while Christ's passion is being completed.

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Theophylact of Ochrid

AD 1107

. Joseph of Arimathea before had hidden himself, but now he dares to do a great deed, risking his life for his Teacher’s Body, and taking upon himself the enmity of all the Jews. Pilate gives him the Body as a great favor. As Christ had been put to death as a rebel, it is likely that they were going to throw His Body aside unburied. But Joseph was rich and probably gave gold to Pilate; then he took the Body and honored it by placing it in a new tomb in which no one else had ever been placed. This was by God’s providence, so that when the Lord had risen, no one could say that it was another dead man who had previously been buried there that had risen. For this reason the tomb was new. Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary," that is, the Theotokos, who above was called the mother of James and Joses, were sitting opposite the tomb and waiting for the frenzy of the Jews to subside, so that they could go and embrace the Body and anoint it with myrrh. Isaiah spoke concerning these women, "Ye wo... Read More

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