At the Transfiguration, Our Lord showed His glory to the disciples to prepare them for the scandal of His coming passion and death. On the Cross, the thieves saw only His humiliation. One of them blasphemed and mocked Him. The other, showing fortitude and wisdom, asked Christ to remember him in His kingdom.

Arnold of Chartres said of the repentant thief “He believed, he repented, he confessed, he preached, he loved, he trusted, he prayed.” He admitted his guilt and turned away from his sin, he believed in Our Lord and trusted in Him, he admonished the other thief and begged Our Lord for grace and mercy.

Dismas, as he is called in the tradition, offers us all an example. We are sinners and must learn to distrust our own feeble efforts, but place an absolute and confident trust in Our Lord who offered His life for us.

Reflecting on the sacred passion during Lent, we place ourselves at the side of Christ, asking Him in our turn “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” In humility, we trust Him to hear our prayer.