The Good Thief

Quoniam hesterno die de latrone fecimus mentionem videamus quis iste latro sit, qui in cruce Domino constituto non solum peccatorum suorum veniam consequitur, sed etiam paradisi amoenitate donatur: ut qui propter scelera damnatus fuerat ad poenam, propter fidem transferretur ad gloriam, fueritque illi crux, quam pertulit, non tam supplicii damnatio, quam salutis occasio. In cruce enim positus Dominum credidit crucifixum, et ideo qui consortio passionis utitur, consortio paradisi condonatur. Beatus enim latro, dum supplicium patitur, regnum coeleste consequitur. Ecce reus dicitur, sicut cui damnari ad tempus expedivit. Non enim perveniret ad gloriam, si non contradictus esset ad poenam. Videamus, inquam, cur tantorum criminum reus, tam cito a Salvatore paradisum promeretur; cum alii multorum temporum lacrymis frequentibusque jejuniis, vix delictorum suorum veniam consequantur. Magna, fratres, et multiplex causae est: primum, quod iste latro devotione fidei tam repente mutatus est, ut praesentem poenam despiceret, ac de futura veniam precaretur, et magis crederet utile sibi esse de aeterno judicio petere, quam de temporali supplicio postulare; reminiscens enim sclereum suorum, et poenitudinem gerens, plus incipit avere quod sperat, quam sentire patitur. Potuit enim, nisi de futuris amplius cogitasset, qui in Christum semel crediderat, de praesenti magis supplicio deprecari. Deinde illud ad gratiam ejus majoris est meriti, quod Christum in cruce postium credidit, et passio, quae aliis sandalum fecit, illi ad fidem profecit; crucis enim passio multis scandalum fuit, sicut dicit Apostolus: Nos autem praedicamus Christum crucifixum Judaeis quidem scandalum, gentibus autem stultitiam. Recte ergo meretur paradisum, qui crucem Christi non putavit scandalum, sed virtutem; dicit enim idem Apostolus: Ipsis vocatis Judaeis Christum Dei virtutem, et Dei sapientiam. Recte plane et Dominus huic donat paradisum, quia quem Judas Scarioth in hortulo paradisi distraxerat, hic in crucis patibulo confitetur. Mira res: confitetur latro quem discipulus abnegavit; mira, inquam, res: latro honorificat patientem, quem Judas prodidit osculantem: ab hoc pacis blandimenta venduntur, ab illo crucis vulnera praedicantur; ait enim Memento mei, Domine, cum veneris in regnum tuum. Haec est fidei plena devotio, ut cum de vulneribus Domini profluus sanguis cernitur, tunc de potestate ejus venia postuletur; cum videtur ejus humilitatas, tunc magis teneatur ejus divinitas; cum morti addictus putatur, tunc regis illi honorificentia deferatur. Iste enim fidelis latro non credidit mortiturum, quem annunttiat  regnaturum; non putat subdenum inferis, quem dominaturum confitetur in caelo; non arbitratur eum apud tartarum detineri, a quo etiam se postulat liberari. Cernet licet ejus hianta vulnera; spectet ipsius sanguinem profluentem, Deum tamen credit, quem reum nescit; justum fatetur, quem non meminit peccatorem: ait enim illi alteri exprobranti latroni: Nos quidem recte digna factis recipimus; hic autem nihil mali gessit. Intellexit enim, quod pro alienis peccatis has plagas susciperet, pro alienis sceleribus haec vulnera sustineret; et scivit, quod illa in corpore Christi vulnera, non essent Christi vulnera, sed latronis; atque ideo plus amare coepit, postquam in corpore ejus sua vulnera recognovit. Ait enim propheta: Quoniam ipse infirmitates nostras portat, et pro nobis dolet; nos autem existimabamus eum esse in dolore, livore ejus sanati summus. Plus ergo in cruce positus livorem ejus cernens, latro diligit Deum: mira res: plus in cruce latro Christum diligit, quam Judas dilexit in coena, ille per cibum supplantat Magistrum; hic credidit Dominum per dolorem, sicut ait propheta: Qui edebat panes meos adampliacit adversum me supplantationem. Cognovit igitur hic latro omnem Domini passionem ex ipsius fieri voluntate, et in potestate ejus esse vel morti animam tradere, vel ad vitam iterum remeare, sicut ipse Dominus ait: Postestatem habeo ponendi animam meam, et potestatem habeo iterum sumendi eam. Usque adeo autem illum liberum ab inferni legibus judicavit, ut etiam se ab iis posceret liberari. Sanctus Maximus Taurinensis, Homilia LI De Sancto Latrone I Source: Migne PL 57.343b-346a

Because yesterday we made mention of the thief, let us see who this thief is, he who was placed on the cross with the Lord, and not only received forgiveness for his own sins, but was even given the delight of paradise, so that he who on account of sins was condemned to punishment on account of faith was transported to glory, and his cross which he bore was not only a punishment of torment but an occasion of salvation. Placed on the cross He believed in our Lord crucified and therefore as an associate in His passion it was given to him to be an associate in paradise. Indeed the thief was blessed while he suffered punishment, whence paradise followed. See that he is named guilty and so it profits him for a time to be condemned. He would not have come to glory if he had disputed his punishment. Let us see, I say, why, though guilty of so many crimes, he was so swiftly promised paradise by the Saviour, when others who spend a very long time amid many tears in fasting scarcely gain forgiveness for theirs. A great thing it is, brothers, and many are the reasons. First, that this thief with the devotion of faith was suddenly transformed, so that he despised present punishment and entreated future forgiveness, and thought it more useful for himself to entreat concerning the eternal judgement than to ask concerning temporal punishment, for recalling his own crimes and being penitent, the more he began to desire what he hoped than to feel what he suffered. For how was he able, unless he had greater thought of the future, he who had come to believe in Christ, otherwise to dismiss present punishments? Thus he merits to be more pleasing who placed on the cross believed in Christ, the suffering, which is a scandal to others, rather advancing him to faith. For the suffering of the cross was a scandal to many, as the Apostle says: 'For we preach Christ crucified, a scandal to the Jews, foolishness to the Gentiles.' 1 Rightly, therefore, he deserved paradise who did not think the cross of Christ a scandal but a power, for the same Apostle says, ''To Jews who have been called, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.' 2 And rightly did the Lord grant him paradise, because He whom Judas Iscariot gave away in the garden, he confesses on the gibbet of the cross. A wondrous thing: the thief confessed Him whom the disciple denied; a wondrous thing, I say, that the thief gave honor to Him who suffered, whom Judas betrayed with a kiss. By the latter the delights of peace are sold, by the former the wounds of the cross are preached; for he says, 'Remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom.' 3 This is a deep and devout faith, that when the blood flowing from the wounds of the Lord is seen, that then the forgiveness of His power is asked, that when His humility appears, that then His Divinity is grasped more greatly, that when He is thought to be snared by death, that then He is honoured as a king. This faithful thief did not believe that He would die whom he announced would reign, he did not think He would be subdued by hell whom he confessed would rule in heaven, he did not judge Him as one who would be held by Tartarus whom he asked to be liberated. He sees His open wounds, he gazes at His flowing blood, yet he believed Him God who did not know guilt. He names Him righteous whom he did not hold a sinner, for He says to the other thief, he who was abusive: 'We rightly receive what we do for our deeds, this one has done no evil.' 1 For he understood that for the sins of others He received His blows, and for the crimes of others He sustained His wounds, and he knew that those wounds on the body of Christ were not the wounds of Christ, but of the thief, and so the more he began to love Him after he recognised his own wounds on His body. For the Prophet says, 'Because he bore our infirmities and suffered for us, we judged him to be one condemned, but by his bruises we were healed.' 5 Thus the more the thief on the cross looked at his bruises, the more he loved God. Another wonderful thing, the thief loved Christ on the cross more than Judas loved him at the supper, that one who by bread betrayed Him. He believed the Lord in suffering, as the Prophet said, 'He who ate my bread rises up against me to overthrow me.' 6 Therefore the thief knows all the suffering of the Lord is on account of His own will, and in His power it is if He gives His soul to death and that He has power to take it up again. 7 He even judged Him able to free Himself from the laws of hell, whence he asked Him to free from him them. Saint Maximus of Turin, Homily 51, On The Good Thief 1 1 Cor 1.23 2 1 Cor 1.24 3 Lk 23.42 4 Lk 23.41 5 Isaiah 53.4-5 6 Ps 40.10 7 Jn 10.18