San Dimas, history and life of the good thief

Saint Dimas. He is the only saint canonized in life. He is also recognized as the Good Thief, he is one of the two bandits, who according to the gospels, were crucified together with Jesus of Nazareth. Here you will learn more about the good thief.

Biography of Saint Dimas

We do not know much about San Dimas with certainty about its entire history, it is only a few stories or minutes, both very old, apocryphal, that spread the legend about it, which we have all heard narrated at some time.

The Holy Family, according to what the Bible tells us, was forced to flee to Egypt, due to the risk that Jesus’ life was running, due to the monitoring of children under two years of age that Herod the Great had determined.

On a certain occasion when the king’s soldiers were on the trail of the Holy Family, and when they were already very close to them, Joseph and Mary found a house in which they could comfortably hide, if they were allowed to enter. This house was where Dimas lived with his family. José asks them to hide them, since the king’s soldiers with their horses, almost reached them. But the inhabitants of that house refused to hide.

At this time the young Dimas comes out, probably due to his character and disposition with which he identified himself among his colleagues of great authority, and arranges for them to remain and conceals them in such a clandestine place that the Roman police cannot discover them, nor can they stop them. .

Jesus promises Dimas, satisfied, that his act will not remain undecorated, and warns him that they will see each other again at another time and in even worse situations, and then it will be He, Christ, who will help his benign protector.

In this way the apocryphal acts end their tale. Enough definition, however, to observe in it a total discrepancy between the legends charged to Jesus, and the evangelical consideration, even in the most sublime moments in which to ratify his doctrine, Jesus Christ works some of his miracles. For this reason we will surround ourselves with the Gospel narrative, Living Word, which leads us to important teachings.

About his death and his solemn canonization -by Jesus Christ himself-, one can only say:

And with Him they crucified two thieves, one to the right and one to the left of Him. And the Scripture was fulfilled that says: And he was numbered among the wicked. One of the malefactors insulted him saying: Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us. But the other, answering, rebuked him saying: Don’t you even fear God being in the same ordeal? We, the truth, are rightly so, because we received the just payment for what we did; more This one has done nothing; and said to Jesus Remember me when you come in the glory of your royalty. He said to him: Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.

(Mark 17, 27s. and Luke 23, 39-43)

Good Thief San Dimas

The Good Thief is one of the two malefactors who, as the gospels tell and narrate, were crucified at the same time as Jesus of Nazareth. In the Gospel of Luke, his writings refer to Jesus saying to the “good thief” in the middle of the crucifixion before the day was out, he would stay with him in paradise. Although none of the canonical gospels indicates the name of the thieves, in some apocryphal gospels the Good Thief is called by the name of Dimas. His feast day is celebrated on March 25.

Mentions in the canonical gospels

Although he was never legally canonized by the Catholic Church, he is supposed to be the only person who was truly recognized as a saint by Jesus. “Truly I tell you that today you will be with me in Paradise.”

The Martyrology (official catalog of the Saints of the Catholic Church) has him subscribed, even without citing his name, on March 25, following the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.

The two thieves or malefactors were crucified at the same time as Jesus, one to his right and one to his left. According to the Gospel of Saint Matthew, they both made fun of each other at the beginning of Jesus, however, the Gospel of Saint Luke simply indicates that it was one: One of the hanged malefactors humiliated him: Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.

The other admonished him: And you, who tolerate the same pain, do you not respect God? Ours is fair, because we receive the payment of our violations; he, on the other hand, has not committed any breach. And he added: Jesus, when you come to your kingdom remember me. Jesus replied: I assure you that today you will be with me in paradise.

“And with Him they crucified two thieves, one on His right and one on His left. And the Scripture was fulfilled that says: And He was counted among the wicked.

“One of the malefactors insulted him saying: Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.

“But the other, answering, rebuked him saying: Do you not even fear God being in the same ordeal? We, the truth, are rightly so, because we received the just payment for what we did; more This one has done nothing; and said to Jesus Remember me when you come in the glory of your royalty.

“He said to him: Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Mark 17, 27s. and Luke 23, 39-43).

Mentions in the apocryphal gospels

According to customs and the Gospel of Nicodemus (apocryphal Gospel), the Good Thief was sacrificed to the right of Jesus and the Bad Thief, called Gestas, to the left. For this reason, crucifixion characters often show Jesus with his head tilted to the right side.

In another of the apocryphal gospels, the Protoevangelium of Santiago, José de Arimatea makes the following statement: His name was Dimas; he was of Galilean origin and owned an inn. He robbed the rich, but helped the poor. Even though he was a thief, he was similar to Tobias, so he used to bury the dead.

He intended to plunder the mob of Jews; he stole the books of the law in Jerusalem, left the daughter of Caiaphas barefoot and naked, who was then a priestess of the sanctuary, and even removed the secret deposit placed by Solomon. Such were his misdeeds.

The Arabic Gospel of Childhood from the 6th century designates the Good Thief as Titus and refers to the event of the Attack of the bandits, in which some bandits attack the Holy Family while passing through a forest.

One of the bandits called Tito (The Good Thief), mediates to protect, while the other called Dumaco (The Bad Thief) does not subscribe. The Virgin Mary blesses Titus and Jesus himself predicts that both outlaws will be crucified: “Mother, thirty years from now the Jews in Jerusalem will crucify me and these two thieves will be put on the cross together with me. Tito will be on the right and Dumascus on the left. Tito will precede me in paradise.” Arabic Gospel of Infancy. Chapter XXIII.

Novena to Saint Dimas

Day one

opening sentence: Oh good thief, you were forgiven by our savior at the hour of your death, together with him on the cross you suffered a lot before leaving great san dimas, just to the right of the creator you were so lucky and life smiled at you placing by your side our lord showed you his compassion show us your compassion now san dimas forgive each of my great sins amen

Daily prayer: Today we praise you on our knees, saint dimas, because you were with the savior in his death with this novena I commend myself to you, so I will walk along the paths of what is right, always moving away from bad decisions, sins, vices and from the darkness of evil you have made me understand that this will not bring me any benefit, my benefit is to be with god intercede for me before our lord so that he always forgives me, because i have sinned one day i will be ready to obtain the grace of our lord , and I will do everything to make it come true. Amen.

Day two