| Saint Dismas | |
|---|---|
 Saint Dismas, from The Last Judgment by Michelangelo |
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| Confessor | |
| Died | c. 33 A.D., Golgotha Hill outside Jerusalem |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church Roman Catholic Church |
| Feast | March 25 |
| Attributes | Wearing a loincloth and holding his Cross; sometimes, standing in Paradise |
| Patronage | prisoners, undertakers, thieves |
 Saints Portal |
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Saint Dismas (sometimes spelled Dysmas or only Dimas, or even Dumas), also known as the Good Thief or the Penitent Thief, is the apocryphal name given to one of the two thieves (Matthew 27:38) who was crucified alongside Jesus. Dismas was the thief who repented of his sins and asked Jesus to remember him in his kingdom. The two thieves were crucified at the same time as Jesus, one on his right hand, and one on his left (Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:27-28, Luke 23:33, John 19:18), which Mark interprets as fulfillment of the prophesy of Isaiah 53:12. According to the Gospel of Luke 23:39-43:
[O]ne of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, "If thou be Christ, save thyself and us." ♦ But the other answering rebuked him, saying, "Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? ♦ And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss." ♦ And he said unto Jesus, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." ♦ And Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise." (KJV)
According to Matthew, both of the thieves at first mocked Jesus (Matthew 27:44); Luke however, mentions only that one of the thieves mocked him (Luke 23:39). According to tradition, the Good Thief was crucified to Jesus' right hand, and the other thief was crucified to his left. For this reason, depictions of the crucifixion often show Jesus' head inclined to his right, showing his acceptance of the Good Thief. In the Russian Orthodox Church, both crucifixes and crosses are usually made with three bars: the top one, representing the titulus (the inscription that Pontius Pilate wrote and was nailed above Jesus' head; the longer crossbar on which Jesus' hands were nailed; and a slanted bar at the bottom representing the footrest to which Jesus' feet were nailed. The footrest is slanted, pointing up towards the Good Thief, and pointing down towards the other. The name of "Dismas" for this person, unnamed in the canonical Gospel itself, appears first in the twelfth century in the Gospel of Nicodemus. The name of "Dismas" was adapted from a Greek word meaning "sunset" or "death." The other thief's name is given as Gestas. The apocryphal Arabic Infancy Gospel calls the two thieves Titus and Dumachus, and adds a tale about how Titus (Dismas) prevented the other thieves in his company from robbing Mary and Joseph during their Flight into Egypt. In Russian tradition Good Thief's name is Rakh (Russian: Рах). Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria (385-412) wrote a Homily on the Crucifixion and the Good Thief, which is a classic of Coptic literature. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, one of the most moving hymns of Good Friday is entitled, The Good Thief (or The Wise Thief, Church Slavonic: Razboinika blagorazumnago), and speaks of how Christ granted Dismas Paradise. There are several moving compositions of this hymn which are used in the Russian Orthodox Church and form one of the highlights of the Matins service on Good Friday. In medieval art, St Dismas is often depicted as accompanying Jesus in the Harrowing of Hell as related in 1 Peter 3:19–20 and the Apostles' Creed (though neither text mentions the thief). A number of towns, including San Dimas, California, are named after him, and it is very common for prison chapels to be dedicated to Saint Dismas, since he represents not only the epitome of a repentant malefactor, but also God's willingness to forgive even at the last moment. There also exists the parish Church of the Good Thief in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The biblical account of the repentant thief is foundational to the teaching of the church regarding Baptism of desire, whereby one who desires baptism but is prevented by circumstances beyond his control from actually being baptised, may be saved by the grace and mercy of God.
See also
External links
- Patron Saints: Dismas
- The Wise Thief hymn from Eastern Orthodox Good Friday service (in English)
