Saintly Studies: ‘The Good Thief’ gives us hope

St. Dismas, depicted above, next to Christ in the altar mural at St. Joseph Church, is remembered today on his feast day of March 25. (Photos by Beth Donze)

By Beth Donze
Clarion Herald

When I was a little girl growing up in St. Leo the Great Parish in New Orleans, the first lines of Scripture that really caught my attention were those exchanged between Jesus and the two thieves who were being crucified on either side of him: 

Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.” The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23: 39-43).


Four things move me to this day about this passage from the crucifixion:

• At least one “outsider” recognized that Jesus was an innocent man, unworthy of the punishment he was receiving. The Good Thief’s defense of Jesus had to have comforted our Lord. It also consoles me, every time the Passion is read.

• God loves his children so much, even a hardened criminal, up until his last moments on earth, can be granted forgiveness if he is truly sorry for his sins and asks for God’s mercy. Perhaps the thief gained faith right then and there, after wasting his life away like the Prodigal Son. But the timing doesn’t matter to Jesus. He comes to the man’s aid, even while undergoing his own human suffering.

• Jesus tells the repentant thief that he will be with Jesus that very day! Jesus is essentially telling the man that he will destroy death, and that the thief will be at his side! When the thief asked Jesus to “remember” him, he probably assumed he had no chance to enter into the kingdom. But Jesus goes on to surprise him, telling him, “Amen” – yes, I will remember you! The thief must have become the happiest man on the planet!

• Finally, the word “Paradise” created quite a stir in my young brain. Jesus, on the cross, actually gives us a peek at heaven – he describes it as “Paradise!” He gives no further details, but calling it Paradise is good enough for me!

While the Good Thief’s name was never recorded, he has become known as St. Dismas.

Although most of our local Catholic churches tend to show Christ on his cross – without the two thieves flanking him – exceptions include the mural of all three men behind the altar at St. Joseph Church in New Orleans.

Another painting of the trio can be found at Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel, at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola. The chapel’s construction and all of its contents were crafted by inmates, including the pews, stained-glass windows and painted stations of the cross. But dominating the space is an a three-sided altar mural, created by late inmate Miguel Velez, showing Christ on the cross between the Good Thief and The Bad Thief.

It is a stunning reminder to the incarcerated men who pray and attend Mass there that it is never too late for them – or for any of us – to choose which “thief” we want to be: the cynical and bitter Bad Thief, who wears his misery like a mantle and gives up on life; or the Thief of Repentance and Hope.

Fittingly, St. Dismas is the patron saint of those who are sentenced to death.

St. Dismas, friend to Christ on the cross, pray for us!

bdonze@clarionherald.org