The Penitent Thief, also known as the Good Thief, Wise Thief, Grateful Thief, or Thief on the Cross, is one of two unnamed thieves in Luke's account of the
crucifixion of Jesus
The crucifixion and death of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and consid ...
in the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
. The
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel of Luke), or simply Luke (which is also its most common form of abbreviation). tells of the origins, birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Together with the Acts of the Apostles, it makes up a two-volu ...
describes him asking Jesus to "remember him" when Jesus comes into
his kingdom. The other, as the
impenitent thief
The impenitent thief is a man described in the New Testament account of the Crucifixion of Jesus. In the Gospel narrative, two criminal bandits are crucified alongside Jesus. In the first two Gospels (Matthew and Mark), they both join the crowd ...
, challenges Jesus to save himself and both of them to prove that he is the Messiah.
He is officially venerated in the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. The
Roman Martyrology
The ''Roman Martyrology'' ( la, Martyrologium Romanum) is the official martyrology of the Catholic Church. Its use is obligatory in matters regarding the Roman Rite liturgy, but dioceses, countries and religious institutes may add duly approved ...
places his commemoration on 25 March, together with the
Feast of the Annunciation
The Feast of the Annunciation, in Greek, Ο Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου, contemporarily the Solemnity of the Annunciation, and also called Lady Day, the Feast of the Incarnation ('), or Conceptio Christi ('), commemorates the ...
, because of the ancient Christian tradition
that Christ (and the penitent thief) were crucified and died exactly on the anniversary of Christ's
incarnation
Incarnation literally means ''embodied in flesh'' or ''taking on flesh''. It refers to the conception and the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form or the appearance of a god as a human. If capitalized, it is the union of divinit ...
.
He is given the name Dismas in the
Gospel of Nicodemus
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
and is traditionally known in Catholicism as Saint Dismas
[Lawrence Cunningham, ''A brief history of saints'' (2005), page 32.] (sometimes Dysmas; in Spanish and Portuguese, ''Dimas''). Other traditions have bestowed other names:
* In
Coptic Orthodox
The Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ϯⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲟⲣⲑⲟⲇⲟⲝⲟⲥ, translit=Ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos, lit=the Egyptian Orthodox Church; ar, الكنيسة القبطي ...
tradition and the ''
Narrative of Joseph of Arimathea
The Pilate cycle is a group of various pieces of early Christian literature that purport to either be written by Pontius Pilate, or else otherwise closely describe his activities and the Passion of Jesus. Unlike the four gospels, these later wri ...
'', he is named Demas.
* In the ''
Codex Colbertinus Codex Colbertinus, designated by 6 or c, is a Latin manuscript of the Bible. Its version of the four Gospels and Book of Acts follows the Vetus Latina, while the rest of the New Testament follows the Vulgate. It was written in the 11th or 12th centu ...
'', he is named Zoatham or Zoathan.
* In the
Arabic Infancy Gospel
The Syriac Infancy Gospel, also known as the Arabic Infancy Gospel, is a New Testament apocryphal writing concerning the infancy of Jesus. It may have been compiled as early as the sixth century, and was partly based on the Infancy Gospel of Thom ...
, he is named Titus.
* In
Russian Orthodox
Russian Orthodoxy (russian: Русское православие) is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, whose liturgy is or was traditionally conducted in Church Slavonic language. Most ...
tradition, he is named Rakh (
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
: Рах).
Gospel of Luke
Narrative
![Good thief (16th c](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Good_thief_%2816th_c.%2C_Rostov_Kremlin%29.jpg)
Two men were crucified at the same time as Jesus, one on his right and one on his left, which the
Gospel of Mark
The Gospel of Mark), or simply Mark (which is also its most common form of abbreviation). is the second of the four canonical gospels and of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells of the ministry of Jesus from his baptism by John the Baptist to h ...
interprets as fulfillment of the prophecy of
Isaiah 53
Isaiah 53 is the fifty-third chapter of the Book of Isaiah in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet Isaiah and is one of the Nevi'im. Chapters 40 through 55 a ...
:12 ("And he was numbered with the transgressors"). According to the Gospels of
Matthew
Matthew may refer to:
* Matthew (given name)
* Matthew (surname)
* ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497
* ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith
* Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Ch ...
and Mark, respectively, both of the thieves mocked Jesus; Luke, however, relates:
Attempts have been made to reconcile the apparent contradiction between Luke's account and that of Mark and Matthew.
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...
suggested that the authors of Mark and Matthew, for the sake of concision, employed a figure of speech whereby the plural was put for the singular. Later commentators, such as
Frederic Farrar
Frederic William Farrar (Bombay, 7 August 1831 – Canterbury, 22 March 1903) was a cleric of the Church of England (Anglican), schoolteacher and author. He was a pallbearer at the funeral of Charles Darwin in 1882. He was a member of the Cambr ...
, have drawn attention to the difference between the Greek words used: "The two first Synoptists tell us that both the robbers during an early part of the hours of crucifixion ''reproached'' Jesus (''ὠνείδιζον''), but we learn from St Luke that only one of them used injurious and insulting language to Him (''ἐβλασφήμει'')."
"Amen ... today ... in paradise"
The phrase translated "Amen, I say to you, today you will be in paradise" in Luke 23:43 ("Ἀμήν σοι λέγω σήμερον μετ’ ἐμοῦ ἔσῃ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ." ''Amén soi légo sémeron met' emoû ése en tôi paradeísoi'') is disputed in a minority of versions and commentaries. The Greek manuscripts are without punctuation, so attribution of the
adverb An adverb is a word or an expression that generally modifies a verb, adjective, another adverb, determiner, clause, preposition, or sentence. Adverbs typically express manner, place, time, frequency, degree, level of certainty, etc., answering ...
"today" to the
verb
A verb () is a word (part of speech) that in syntax generally conveys an action (''bring'', ''read'', ''walk'', ''run'', ''learn''), an occurrence (''happen'', ''become''), or a state of being (''be'', ''exist'', ''stand''). In the usual descri ...
"be", as "Amen I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise" (the majority view), or the verb "say", as "Amen I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise" (the minority view), is dependent on analysis of
word order
In linguistics, word order (also known as linear order) is the order of the syntactic constituents of a language. Word order typology studies it from a cross-linguistic perspective, and examines how different languages employ different orders. C ...
conventions in
Koine Greek
Koine Greek (; Koine el, ἡ κοινὴ διάλεκτος, hē koinè diálektos, the common dialect; ), also known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek or New Testament Greek, was the common supra-reg ...
. The majority of ancient
Bible translations
The Bible has been translated into many languages from the biblical languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. all of the Bible has been translated into 724 languages, the New Testament has been translated into an additional 1,617 languages, and ...
also follow the majority view, with only the
Aramaic language
The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated in ...
Curetonian Gospels
The Curetonian Gospels, designated by the ''siglum'' syrcur, are contained in a manuscript of the four gospels of the New Testament in Old Syriac. Together with the Sinaiticus Palimpsest the Curetonian Gospels form the Old Syriac Version, and a ...
offering significant testimony to the minority view. As a result, some prayers recognize the good thief as the only person confirmed as a saint—that is, a person known to be in Paradise after death—by the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
, and by Jesus himself.
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, OP (; it, Tommaso d'Aquino, lit=Thomas of Aquino; 1225 – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican friar and priest who was an influential philosopher, theologian and jurist in the tradition of scholasticism; he is known wi ...
wrote:
Unnamed
Only the Gospel of Luke describes one of the criminals as penitent, and that gospel does not name him.
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...
does not name the thief, but wonders if he might not have been baptized at some point.
According to tradition, the Good Thief was crucified to Jesus' right and the other thief was crucified to his left. For this reason, depictions of the
crucifixion of Jesus
The crucifixion and death of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and consid ...
often show Jesus' head inclined to his right, showing his acceptance of the Good Thief. In the Russian Orthodox Church, both
crucifix
A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (Lati ...
es and crosses are usually made with three bars: the top one, representing the ''
titulus'' (the inscription that
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of J ...
wrote and was nailed above Jesus' head); the longer crossbar on which Jesus' hands were nailed; and a slanted bar at the bottom representing the footrest to which Jesus' feet were nailed. The footrest is slanted, pointing up towards the Good Thief, and pointing down towards the other.
![Ubekendt spansk mester - The Good Thief (Saint Dismas) - KMS8561 - Statens Museum for Kunst](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Ubekendt_spansk_mester_-_The_Good_Thief_%28Saint_Dismas%29_-_KMS8561_-_Statens_Museum_for_Kunst.jpg)
According to
John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom (; gr, Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος; 14 September 407) was an important Early Church Father who served as archbishop of Constantinople. He is known for his homilies, preaching and public speaking, his denunciat ...
, the thief dwelt in the desert and robbed or murdered anyone unlucky enough to cross his path. According to
Pope Gregory I
Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregori ...
, he "was guilty of blood, even his brother's blood" (
fratricide
Fratricide (, from the Latin words ' "brother" and the assimilated root of ' "to kill, to cut down") is the act of killing one's own brother.
It can either be done directly or via the use of either a hired or an indoctrinated intermediary (a ...
).
[The Life of The Good Thief, Msgr. Gaume]
Loreto Publications
1868 2003.['']Catholic Family News
''Catholic Family News'' (CFN) is a Catholic traditionalism, Traditionalist Catholic monthly publication of Catholic Family Ministries.
History
Founded in 1994, CFN was run for many years by John Vennari (1958-2017). Vennari served as both edit ...
'', April 2006.['' Christian Order'', April 2007.]
Named
"Dismas"
Luke's unnamed penitent thief was later assigned the name Dismas in an early Greek recension of the ''Acta Pilati'' and the Latin ''Gospel of Nicodemus'', portions of which may be dated to the late fourth century. The name "Dismas" may have been adapted from a
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
word meaning "sunset" or "death".
The other thief's name is given as
Gestas
The impenitent thief is a man described in the New Testament account of the Crucifixion of Jesus. In the Gospel narrative, two criminal bandits are crucified alongside Jesus. In the first two Gospels (Matthew and Mark), they both join the crowd ...
. In
Syriac Infancy Gospel's ''Life of the Good Thief'' (''Histoire Du Bon Larron'' French 1868, English 1882), Augustine of Hippo said, the thief said to Jesus, the child: "O most blessed of children, if ever a time should come when I shall crave Thy Mercy, remember me and forget not what has passed this day."
Anne Catherine Emmerich
Anne Catherine Emmerich (also ''Anna Katharina Emmerick''; 8 September 1774 – 9 February 1824) was a Roman Catholic Augustinian Canoness Regular of Windesheim, mystic, Marian visionary, ecstatic and stigmatist.
She was born in Flamschen, a ...
saw the Holy Family "exhausted and helpless"; according to Augustine of Hippo and
Peter Damian
Peter Damian ( la, Petrus Damianus; it, Pietro or '; – 21 or 22 February 1072 or 1073) was a reforming Benedictine monk and cardinal in the circle of Pope Leo IX. Dante placed him in one of the highest circles of '' Paradiso'' ...
,
the Holy Family met Dismas, in these circumstances.
[The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from the Visions of Ven. ]Anne Catherine Emmerich
Anne Catherine Emmerich (also ''Anna Katharina Emmerick''; 8 September 1774 – 9 February 1824) was a Roman Catholic Augustinian Canoness Regular of Windesheim, mystic, Marian visionary, ecstatic and stigmatist.
She was born in Flamschen, a ...
TAN Books
1970.(No.2229)/(No.0107). Pope Theophilus of Alexandria
Theophilus of Alexandria may refer to:
* Theophilus I of Alexandria, ruled in 385–412
* Theophilus II (Coptic patriarch of Alexandria), ruled in 952–956
* Theophilus II (Greek patriarch of Alexandria), ruled in 1010–1020
* Theophilus III of ...
(385–412) wrote a ''
Homily on the Crucifixion and the Good Thief'', which is a classic of
Coptic literature
Coptic literature is the body of writings in the Coptic language of Egypt, the last stage of the indigenous Egyptian language. It is written in the Coptic alphabet. The study of the Coptic language and literature is called Coptology.
Definition
...
.
"Demas"
In Coptic Orthodoxy, he is named Demas.
This is the name given to him in the
Narrative of Joseph of Arimathea
The Pilate cycle is a group of various pieces of early Christian literature that purport to either be written by Pontius Pilate, or else otherwise closely describe his activities and the Passion of Jesus. Unlike the four gospels, these later wri ...
.
"Titus"
The apocryphal
Syriac Infancy Gospel calls the two thieves Titus and Dumachus, and adds a tale about how Titus (the good one) prevented the other thieves in his company from robbing
Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
and
Joseph
Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...
during their
flight into Egypt
The flight into Egypt is a story recounted in the Gospel of Matthew ( Matthew 2:13– 23) and in New Testament apocrypha. Soon after the visit by the Magi, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to flee to Egypt with Mary and the i ...
.
"Rakh"
In the Russian tradition, the Good Thief's name is "Rakh" (
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
: Рах).
Sainthood
The Catholic Church remembers the Good Thief on 25 March. In the Roman Martyrology, the following entry is given: "Commemoration of the holy thief in Jerusalem who confessed to Christ and
canonized
Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christianity, Christian communion declaring a person worthy of Cult (religious practice), public veneration and enterin ...
him by Jesus himself on the cross at that moment and merited to hear from him: 'Today you will be with me in Paradise.
A number of towns, including
San Dimas, California
San Dimas (Spanish for "Saint Dismas")
is a city in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 census, its population was 34,924. It historically took its name from San Dimas Canyon in the San Gabriel ...
, are named after him. Also,
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
es are named after him, such as the Church of the Good Thief in
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between Toro ...
, Canada—built by convicts at nearby
Kingston Penitentiary
Kingston Penitentiary (known locally as KP and Kingston Pen) is a former maximum security prison located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, between King Street West and Lake Ontario.
History
Constructed from 1833 to 1834, and opened on June 1, 1 ...
, Saint Dismas Church in
Waukegan
''(Fortress or Trading Post)''
, image_flag =
, image_seal =
, blank_emblem_size = 150
, blank_emblem_type = Logo
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_type1 = State
, subdivisi ...
, Illinois, the
Old Catholic
The terms Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics, Old-Catholic churches or Old Catholic movement designate "any of the groups of Western Christians who believe themselves to maintain in complete loyalty the doctrine and traditions of the undivide ...
Parish of St Dismas in
Coseley
Coseley ( ) is a village in the north of the Dudley Metropolitan Borough, in the English West Midlands. Part of the Black Country, it is situated approximately north of Dudley itself, on the border with Wolverhampton. Though it is a part of ...
and the
Church of St. Dismas, the Good Thief, a Catholic church at the
Clinton Correctional Facility
Clinton Correctional Facility is a New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision maximum security state prison for men located in the Village of Dannemora, New York. The prison is sometimes colloquially referred to as Dannem ...
in Dannemora, New York.
The
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
remembers him on
Good Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
, along with the crucifixion. The
Synaxarion
Synaxarion or Synexarion (plurals Synaxaria, Synexaria; el, Συναξάριον, from συνάγειν, ''synagein'', "to bring together"; cf. etymology of ''synaxis'' and ''synagogue''; Latin: ''Synaxarium'', ''Synexarium''; cop, ⲥⲩⲛⲁ ...
offers this couplet in his honor:
Eden's locked gates the Thief has opened wide,
By putting in the key, "Remember me."
He is commemorated in a traditional Eastern Orthodox prayer said before receiving the
eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
: "I will not speak of Thy Mystery to Thine enemies, neither like
Judas
Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betraye ...
will I give Thee a kiss; but like the thief will I confess Thee: Remember me, O Lord in Thy Kingdom."
Art
In
medieval art
The medieval art of the Western world covers a vast scope of time and place, over 1000 years of art in Europe, and at certain periods in Western Asia and Northern Africa. It includes major art movements and periods, national and regional art, gen ...
, St Dismas is often depicted as accompanying Jesus in the
Harrowing of Hell
In Christian theology, the Harrowing of Hell ( la, Descensus Christi ad Inferos, "the descent of Christ into Hell" or Hades) is an Old English and Middle English term referring to the period of time between the Crucifixion of Jesus and his re ...
as related in and the
Apostles' Creed
The Apostles' Creed (Latin: ''Symbolum Apostolorum'' or ''Symbolum Apostolicum''), sometimes titled the Apostolic Creed or the Symbol of the Apostles, is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith".
The creed most likely originated in 5th-century Ga ...
(though neither text mentions the thief).
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, one of the hymns of Good Friday is entitled, "The Good Thief" (or "The Wise Thief",
Church Slavonic
Church Slavonic (, , literally "Church-Slavonic language"), also known as Church Slavic, New Church Slavonic or New Church Slavic, is the conservative Slavic liturgical language used by the Eastern Orthodox Church in Belarus, Bosnia and Herzeg ...
: "''Razboinika blagorazumnago''"), and speaks of how Christ granted Dismas Paradise. Several compositions of this hymn are used in the Russian Orthodox Church and form one of the highlights of the
Matins
Matins (also Mattins) is a canonical hour in Christian liturgy, originally sung during the darkness of early morning.
The earliest use of the term was in reference to the canonical hour, also called the vigil, which was originally celebrated by ...
service on Good Friday.
In
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic expe ...
's ''
Waiting for Godot'', the main characters Vladimir and Estragon briefly discuss the inconsistencies between the
Four Evangelists' accounts of the penitent and impenitent thieves. Vladimir concludes that since only Luke says that one of the two was saved, "then the two of them must have been damned
..why believe him rather than the others?"
In popular culture
The thief features in Christian popular music, as in Christian rock band
Third Day
Third Day was a Christian rock band formed in Marietta, Georgia during the 1990s. The band was founded by lead singer Mac Powell, guitarist Mark Lee (both of whom were the only constant members) and Billy Wilkins. Drummer David Carr was the ...
's 1995 song "Thief", and the name of the Christian rock band
Dizmas. The thief is the narrator in
Sydney Carter
Sydney Bertram Carter (6 May 1915 – 13 March 2004) was an English poet, songwriter, and folk musician who was born in Camden Town, London. He is best known for the song " Lord of the Dance" (1967), whose music is based on the " Shaker Allegro" ...
's controversial song "Friday Morning".
[Sydney Carter, obituar]
Daily Telegraph
March 16, 2004
He is portrayed by
Stelio Savante in the award-winning Good Friday film ''Once We Were Slaves'' directed by Dallas Jenkins
St. Dismas is central to the early plot of the video game ''
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End'' in which treasure hunter
Nathan Drake uses a St. Dismas statue to aid in his search for pirate treasure.
Dismas is the name of one of two starting characters in the video game ''
Darkest Dungeon
''Darkest Dungeon'' is a roguelite role-playing video game developed and published by Red Hook Studios. The game was first released for Microsoft Windows and OS X in January 2016, which followed a year-long early access development period. Later ...
''. He is also referred to as a rogue, thief, and highwayman in the in-game descriptions. A comic showing his backstory, as well as in-game item descriptions, implies that he is attempting to redeem himself after killing an innocent woman and her child. A special achievement is granted if both starting characters reach the game's final challenge, fittingly titled "On the old road, we found redemption."
In the 1967 romantic comedy caper film ''
Fitzwilly'', butler mastermind Claude Fitzwilliam (
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. His award-winning career has spanned seven decades in film, television, and stage.
Van Dyke began his career as an entertainer on radio and telev ...
) and his larcenous staff operate St. Dismas Thrift Shoppe in Philadelphia, a fictional charity where they send and store their stolen loot.
St. Dismas is prominently mentioned throughout the 1946 film ''
The Hoodlum Saint
''The Hoodlum Saint'' is a 1946 American drama film starring William Powell and Esther Williams.
Plot
Major Terry O'Neill (William Powell) returns to Baltimore in 1919, after the end of World War I, expecting to get his old newspaper night edit ...
'' starring
William Powell
William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the ''The Thin Man (film), Thin Man'' series based on the Nick and Nora Cha ...
,
Esther Williams
Esther Jane Williams (August 8, 1921 – June 6, 2013) was an American competitive swimmer and actress. She set regional and national records in her late teens on the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Ol ...
and
Angela Lansbury
Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American film, stage, and television actress. Her career spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States, and her work received a great deal ...
.
Dismas Hardy is the main protagonist in a series of legal and crime thriller novels by
John Lescroart
John Lescroart (; born January 14, 1948) is a ''New York Times'' bestselling author known for his series of legal and crime thriller novels featuring the characters Dismas Hardy, Abe Glitsky, and Wyatt Hunt. His novels have sold more than 10 mi ...
.
In the 2022 film ''
Clerks III
''Clerks III'' is a 2022 American comedy-drama film written, produced, directed, and edited by Kevin Smith and stars Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Trevor Fehrman, Austin Zajur, Jason Mewes, Rosario Dawson, and Smith. It serves as a standalo ...
'', Elias mentions the Good Thief multiple times, quoting him as saying "Jesus did no wrong, whereas we are but thieves". In a
running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are not ...
, everybody hears "but thieves" as "butt thieves" and wonders out loud what that means.
See also
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Impenitent thief
The impenitent thief is a man described in the New Testament account of the Crucifixion of Jesus. In the Gospel narrative, two criminal bandits are crucified alongside Jesus. In the first two Gospels (Matthew and Mark), they both join the crowd ...
Gestas, the other thief crucified alongside Jesus
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Life of Jesus in the New Testament
The life of Jesus in the New Testament is primarily outlined in the four canonical gospels, which includes his genealogy and nativity, public ministry, passion, prophecy, resurrection and ascension. Other parts of the New Testament – suc ...
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Passion (Christianity)
In Christianity, the Passion (from the Latin verb ''patior, passus sum''; "to suffer, bear, endure", from which also "patience, patient", etc.) is the short final period in the life of Jesus Christ.
Depending on one's views, the "Passion" m ...
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List of names for the biblical nameless
This list provides names given in history and traditions for people who appear to be unnamed in the Bible.
Hebrew Bible Serpent of Genesis
Revelation 12 identifies the serpent with Satan, unlike the pseudepigraphical-apocryphal Apocalypse of M ...
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Saint Dismas, patron saint archive
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San Dimas A city named after the Penitent Thief
References
External links
''The Wise Thief''hymn from Eastern Orthodox Good Friday service (in English)
Saint Dismas– Freebase
{{DEFAULTSORT:Penitent thief
Christian saints from the New Testament
10s births
30s deaths
Christian folklore
Gospel of Luke
Followers of Jesus
People executed by crucifixion
Saints from the Holy Land
Year of birth unknown
Unnamed people of the Bible