Behold the Wood of the Cross
Behold,
Behold, the wood of the cross,
on which is hung our salvation.
O come let us adore.
These are the words we repeated in song as the members of St. Thomas parish made their way one by one to venerate the cross last night. Several minutes later we began to sing another verse,
Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
I’ve always been struck by the words of St. Dismas, the man who has come to be known as the good thief. He would likely have never imagined that his life would be remembered by millions, and only for a few of his last words spoken on earth. We don’t know very much about him, except that he must have committed some serious crimes that brought him to his own execution. More importantly, we know that he believed Jesus had the power to heal him from his sins and that he had the courage to ask Jesus, even in the final moments of life for a place in the Kingdom of God.
I’ve sometimes met people who feel that this story points to a God who is unjust. “How could it be,” they say, “that someone could spend their entire life in sin, ask for forgiveness at the last moment, and be given the same place as someone who did good their entire life?” The only answer I have is the generosity of God, poured out in His love and mercy for us. None of us merit salvation. It is a free gift. Good Friday always reminds me of just how far God was willing to go in order to save us. The only proper response is not to wonder why, but to say thank you.
Steve Robinson has an excellent reflection on this very subject in his latest podcast. You can listen to it here.
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