The Second Word

When we make allusion to the Second Word we are speaking about the second sentence that Jesus pronounced at the Calvary being crucified alongside with two thieves.
The second word that Jesus pronounced in the Calvary is about forgiveness, this time directed to a sinner crucified with Him, whose name was Dismas. Jesus shows his Divinity by opening heaven for a repentant sinner, such generosity for a poor man that only asked to be remembered.
It was not just the religious leaders or the soldiers that were mocking Jesus, but even Gestas the other crucified criminal, did a downward progression of mockery. But the criminal on the right speaks up for Jesus, explaining that both were receiving their just due, and then pointing to Jesus, said, "This man has done nothing wrong”. Then, turning to Jesus, he asked, "Jesus, remember me when you come in Your Kingdom."
This repentant sinner had, in spite of his terrible sufferings on the cross, a wonderful faith in Jesus.
This could be the conversation between Jesus and The Two Thieves :
Gestas: Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!
Dismas: Please shut up! Have you not enough punishment?
Gestas: You are a fool. Jesus and you are liars. Jesus, You are an impostor…if you really were who You say to be, then you wouldn’t die this way. This isn’t the death of a Messiah , this is the death reserved for criminals like us.
Dismas: This Man is innocent.
Gestas: They all say that…but if he’s here, isn’t he…He is condemned just like us.
Dismas: But we have stolen from everyone we have ever met. We have lied to everyone who ever trusted us and drived our way into miserable and vicious places ; but, this Man has done nothing to deserve a death like this. He shouldn’t be here. He should be with the people who love him but instead he is here dying between us, two common criminals. His last breath will be taken next to us…the scum of the earth!
Gestas: You are right, we are scum. But I’m dying nailed on a cross, and if this Man is the Messiah as the people say, perhaps can He save us. If You are the Messiah, order an Angel to come to pull out these dreadful nails... so we could descend from our crosses!
Dismas: What do you say? Don’t you fear God? We are justly crucified. We deserve this horrible and shameful death. But this Man has done nothing wrong.
Dismas : Under great exhaustion because of the effort and pain, but with all the emotion of having seen the Light, he said the words that would take him to sanctity: Jesus, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom.
Jesus: In that moment Jesus smiled at the man next to him and said : I tell you the Truth, today you will be with Me in Paradise.
On hearing these words, Dismas also smiled. His soul was now full of hope. He has spoken the only gracious words to reach Jesus' ears on that fateful day. After several hours of continuous pain and true repentance, crurifragium (breaking of legs) was applied to him. Unable to breath any more, Dismas no longer a thief but a restored man, sighed his last breath and died.
Before he met Christ, Dismas was a criminal, a derelict and outcast of society. When he met Christ he became a convert and a Saint.
Josedimas 10:38, May 8, 2011 (UTC)
Category:Stations of the Cross
Category:Jesus
Category:Christianity
Category:Gospels
Category:Saints from the Holy Land
Category:Saints
Category:Religion and capital punishment
Category:Holy Week
Category:Criminals
Category:Religious conversion
Category:Gospel episodes
Category:Biblical Persons
Category:Biblical phrases