The other criminal speaks first to his companion, and in so doing becomes another of Luke's witnesses to the innocence of Jesus.
Then he speaks to Jesus, asking to be remembered. He's barely met Jesus but - again, Luke's emphasis - if you only knew this man, even briefly, you would love him.
Then we hear the last words that Jesus speaks to a human being before he dies: "Today you will be with me in Paradise."
When Jesus began his ministry (he was in his hometown synagogue in Nazareth), his first words promised release to captives. Now, as he is dying, his last words fulfill that promise.
This criminal is the only person in any of the Gospels to address Jesus by his first name without a qualifier, such as "Lord," "Son of David." As the late Scripture scholar Fr. Raymond Brown put it, "The first person with the confidence to be so familiar is a convicted criminal who is also the last person on earth to speak to Jesus before he dies."
This is Holy Week. Take some time to talk to Jesus on a first-name basis.
- Little Black Book, Diocese of Saginaw
"The Good Thief"
The book drew heavily on the four Gospels and added many details.
It is in the Acts of Pilate that the "good thief" is given the name Dismas (sometimes spelled Dysmas) - from a Greek word meaning "dying." It is another example of how legendary writings imaginatively supply details that aren't given in authentic texts. Over time,Dismas was popularly looked upon as a saint. Many parishes ares named after him.
The feast of St. Dismas is celebrated March 25. Many consider him the first canonized saint.
- Little Black Book, Diocese of Saginaw