Which Thief?

JM Kraemer
Apr 22
2 min read

"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Luke 23:42

This single line in the Gospel of St. Luke strikes at something deep in my own soul as of late. It has been on my mind during this Easter time. Something for me to reflect on in my own journey in this Catholic faith.

It is a moment during the Crucifixion. Along with Christ are two thieves. One who does nothing more than to mock Christ for being on the Cross with them. The other has a far more repentant heart. He is the one who says the line above. Asking Christ to remember him.

You have to wonder how many times we can see ourselves in those two thieves. For me it is often too many times to count. With the mocking thief it is far too common. We mock Christ when our actions do not reflect our faith. The moments that we act in ways that run directly counter to the teachings and understanding of the church. Sin is one major way we do this. Or when we openly embrace things that run directly counter to what we have been taught. In those moments we are no longer following Christ. We are mocking all that we believe in. We are the unrepentant thief.

When we decide to pick up our Cross and truly embrace Christ? That is the moment that following Christ is far more important to us than the demands of the world. We reject and repent of our sins. We hold on to the teachings of the faith. We are following the path of the thief who seeks forgiveness and repentance for his life. Pleading for God’s abundance mercy. This happens when we take part in the life of the church. Which means taking part in the sacraments. Including Confession. In those moments we ask Christ to remember us as we seek the Kingdom.

I’ve been reflecting on many things as of late. Being reminded of how important our faith in Christ should be. How it really doesn’t take much for us to be derailed off the path that we are on. Yet how simple things can help us get back on track.

Jesus remember me. When you come into your kingdom. -