St Dismas - the Good Thief
The Good Thief
The Christian tradition of Saint
Dismas (or, more correctly, Dysmas) is based on the story of The Good
Thief, as told in Luke 23:39-43. One of the criminals crucified with
Jesus abused him saying: "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself, and us
as well".
But the other rebuked him, saying: "Have you no fear of god at
all? You got the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved
it. but this man has done nothing wrong."
Then he said: "Jesus, remember
me when you come into your kingdom". Jesus replied, "Indeed, I promise
you, today you will be with me in Paradise".
Apocryphal gospels
The name is used in the
narrative of this incident in the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus (10.2).
The word may be derived from a Greek word dusme meaning
"sunset" or "death".
An Arabic Gospel of the Infancy further embellishes
the story by identifying the Good Thief with Titus, one of a band of
robbers who captured the Holy Family during the flight into Egypt, but
later released them.
Dismas's prayer in the liturgy
The prayer of
Dismas, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" has a
prominent place in the Orthodox Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, where it
is repeated three times as part of the Prayer before Communion. It
is occurs in a beautiful and popular Taizé chant, often used also as a
recessional in Christian funerals.
Patron
In the Middle Ages Dismas came to be
regarded as the patron saint of prisoners and thieves.
His feast day is
given in the Roman Martyrology as 25th March is the supposed date of the
crucifixion.
In 1959 in the USA Fr Charles Dismas Clark SJ and attorney
Morris Shenker founded Dismas House, a half-way house which offers
ex-convicts a temporary home, counselling and help to find a job.
Fr
Clark's story was dramatised in the 1961 firm The Hoodlum Priest.
Today there are many Dismas Houses throughout the US.