The Crucifixion

Today is Palm Sunday and our Catholic culture for hundreds of years teaches the faithful flock to bring palms to the church so they can be blessed and kept in the altars or in the doors of our homes. I learned that most of the palms gathered in the church are then collected and eventually burned and its ashes used for Ash Wednesday. As for today’s gospel reading, frankly speaking I really don’t know why for this Liturgical Year, the gospel reading is not about the triumphant entry of our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, but his crucifixion on the cross. You can read it in Luke 23: 33-43.

“33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left. 34 [Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”] They divided his garments by casting lots. 35 The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God.”

36 Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine 37 they called out, “If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 Above him there was an inscription that read, “This is the King of the Jews.” Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.”

40 The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? 41 And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

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I can only second guess that today’s gospel is about the crucifixion because the Catholic Church want to emphasize repentance for this season of Lent, especially that today is the start of the Holy Week. Actually, you can rename the title of this gospel narrative into “The Good Thief” because as you read in today’s gospel, one of the two criminals crucified with our Lord Jesus Christ was clearly unrepentant and even joined the chant of the soldiers and rulers for the Messiah to save himself, Of course the crucified criminal also wanted to be saved with the Messiah. But he was obviously selfish as he only cared for himself and had no remorse for his life of crime.

But the other criminal only showed remorse and repentance and asked the Lord that he would be with him in Paradise and we all know this story very well… that even at the last minute of your life… if you repent, you can still be saved and all that is required is a repentant and contrite heart.

While the Bible doesn’t say much about the two criminals crucified with our Lord Jesus Christ, however, legend or tradition says that the good thief was called “Dimas” and the other one was named Gestas. But there must be some truth in this legend because this story also comes out in my favorite book, “The Life of Mary: As seen by the Mystics” written by Raphael Brown. The story of Dimas having an encounter with the Holy Family was during the time that they fled to Egypt.

The Holy Family got lost and arrived in the camp of robbers. They were about to be harmed, but when the leader of the gang saw the baby Jesus, his hard heart melted and became kind to them and allowed them into his hut. When the Blessed Virgin Mary washed the baby Jesus in a basin and the gang leader saw that he was looking at a holy child, he asked his wife if she could use the water that washed the Baby Jesus to wash his son who had leprosy. When the gang leader’s wife washed his sick baby into the same basin that the Baby Jesus used, the son’s leprosy was cured.

As the legend goes, that baby was Dimas, who apparently followed his father’s footsteps living a life of crime. His legendary encounter with the Holy Family cured his flesh when he was dipped in the same water with the Baby Jesus.  But somehow Jesus and Dimas met again, but this time, they were in Golgotha nailed on the cross both at the verge of death. Dimas, who early in his life was saved by Jesus, was once more saved by Jesus, but this time, Jesus did not save his flesh because they both died on the cross, but our Lord Jesus Christ save his soul for life eternal.

What we can learn from this wonderful story is that, it is never too late to repent. But then, what happens when you are too late? Of course our flesh is destined to decay, unless you’re a saint where your corpus is often preserved from corruption. Worry not about your flesh as it is of no avail. Worry instead that your soul will be brought into that inextinguishable fire called Gehenna. So repent now and save your own soul.

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