On the words spoken to the thief on the Cross
On the words spoken to the thief on the Cross
LORD JESUS CHRIST, sole and supreme Comfort of sinners, I bless and thank you for the immeasurable kindness and infinite mercy you manifested to the thief hanging on the cross to your right—once a despicable man but now a sincere penitent and a disciple. At the very moment that he acknowledged his sinfulness and genuinely repented of his evil deeds, he was granted, in view of the promise that you had given him, remission of all his sins as well as access to paradise. Where there is wholehearted contrition and total conversion, repentance, even if it be late in coming, does have its beneficent effects.
Indeed holy and salutary is that conversion and contrition for sins by which one merits to enter the kingdom of heaven! The penitent thief—now a blessed confessor—though he had sinned seriously over a long period of time, nevertheless, at the end and in his greatest need, came to his senses, and being sorry for all his past deeds humbly asked forgiveness. Abundant mercy was shown him in return. In declaring that he was rightly condemned to death, he at the same time acknowledged his own culpability. When he reproved his comrade in crime for his unseemly blasphemy, he showed his love of justice, and, in remarking that Christ was crucified without cause because he was free of all fault, he manifested his compassionate nature. The man, who does not despair of God’s mercy but asks to be remembered in God’s kingdom, indeed has remarkable faith!
Endowed with such virtuous qualities, the thief, as he hung on his cross, saw his entire life pass before him and so with total confidence he turned to you, Lord Jesus, our caring Shepherd of souls, our true Priest, and most faithful of Confessors, saying: Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.1
Most kind Jesus, you answered him in return with the sweetest and most comforting of words: Amen I say to you, this day you will be with me in paradise.2 These words, flowing so graciously from God’s lips are indeed sweet and endearing, but to the ears of a contrite sinner, as he undergoes his agony in his final hour, they are far more gracious for they bring immense comfort to an anxious and fearful heart. He who is privileged to hear such a promise can die in total confidence. The individual, for whom God agrees to be his defense, has nothing to fear on Judgment Day.
What was denied to Peter, after he had made his request, was granted to this self-confessed thief. Peter desired to remain on the mount of contemplation3 but his petition was not granted. Before the hour of Christ’s Passion had come, Peter had expressed his desire to follow Jesus wherever it would take him, but he was told: You cannot follow me now, you will follow me later.4 Peter was among the first to be called as an apostle, but the thief enters the kingdom before him. How wonderful are your works, Lord; your thoughts are exceedingly deep; inscrutable are your judgments; indescribable the words of your mouth. For one who is unwise, these matters are beyond him, but they far surpass the understanding of a fool.
How fortunate was the thief to suffer one hour with you, to die with you, and then to proceed with you into your kingdom. I know not what good he may have done earlier in his life, but of this I am certain, that when his end was approaching, he was cleansed of all his evil deeds and this because of his humble confession.
This then was the greatest of mercies, that one so villainous should be pardoned as quickly and as soon as he poured forth his deeply felt prayer to you: Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Gracious and merciful Lord, as soon as you heard this prayer as you hung on your Cross, you immediately comforted his sorrow-filled heart by responding so kindly: Amen, I say to you, this day you will be with me in paradise.
It would indeed be both salutary and consoling for me to reflect and meditate on the thief’s death and your most compassionate response. Not that I may sin the more boldly, nor to postpone my repentance any longer, but not to yield to despair if suddenly I should become ill, now that I know that so sinful a man as the thief had been so quickly converted and by your merciful grace was granted eternal salvation and admitted into paradise.
Because of my countless sins, I should indeed be alarmed if I had no knowledge of your mercies, Lord, and if I had not heard of penitents whom you had most generously received back. Through the prophet you have spoken: I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he turn from his sin and live,5 as well as with your own lips: God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that all who believe in him will not die but have eternal life.6 And again: I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.7
Without any delay you forgave Mary Magdalen’s many sins, as she wept copious tears at your feet. And Peter, after he had three times denied you and had cried bitterly, you again took into your fellowship. In your mercy you restored to health those afflicted with various diseases and because of your abundant love you freed those held captive by their serious sins. This is clear in the case of the adulteress, whom you snatched from the clutches of her accusers and delivered from being stoned.
O lovable Jesus, my mercy and my refuge, who protect and deliver me from the wrath of my enemies, be merciful to me and let not my soul perish among the ungodly, for it was precisely in order to redeem my soul that you voluntarily suffered your crucifixion.
Recall the sacred words you directed to the thief, for by these very same words you have offered me unfailing hope. O my life’s Savior, when the hour of my death approaches, say to my soul: This day you will be with me in paradise. For a dying man there are no more joyful or sweeter sounding words to be heard than your most gratifying response: This day you will be with me in paradise.
Lord, remember me in your kingdom. Do not abandon me at death’s fearful moment, when my strength begins to leave me, when my voice becomes only a whisper, when my sight grows dim and my hearing almost nil. At that moment, good Jesus, come to my aid; send your holy angels to comfort me in my agony and may the hateful enemy, who subtly awaits my final hour, not prevail over me. At one time this same enemy dared to detect some weakness in you, which he would then try to use to his advantage, but finding none, he departed completely nonplused. May those who seek to destroy my soul be confounded; let them be turned away and swiftly put to shame.
Lord, let my soul rejoice in you and find joy in your salvation, as I reflect on your most consoling words, your second utterance from the Cross, Amen I say to you, this day you will be with me in paradise. May these words, more tender because they came from you as you hung on your Cross, be often on my lips and still more often in my heart. Words addressed to me from the lips of my crucified Lord are most endearing and eloquent, and for this reason they merit more serious attention and profound reflection.
Would that I so live and serve my Lord that at the hour when I leave my body behind, I may be worthy to hear those gracious words from heaven: This day you will be with me in paradise. If only you would speak those other heartwarming words to your servant: Well done, good servant, because you were faithful in small matters, enter the joy of your lord.8 Nothing would then be better or more gratifying than to have lived a good life and to have served you faithfully until death.