The “good” thief

We celebrate The Solemnity of Christ the King tomorrow. Fr. Vincent reflects on a portion of the gospel reading from Luke 23:35-43 about the crucifixion scene with Jesus and the two thieves. The first thief was unrepentant, but the second thief (the “good” thief) showed 2 qualities that were praiseworthy -1. Sincerity - he was sincere to admit his wrongdoing and accept punishment for his crime. I messed up and deserve to be punished 2. Humility - he is humble enough to turn to Jesus and say, “remember me as you enter into your Kingdom" and hence Jesus gave him the most precious of all gifts, the gift of redemption at the final moment of his life.What has this story got to do with us? When we make a mistake, are we sincere to admit our wrongdoing and apologize? Do we reach out to those we have wronged?Most of us don’t, instead we tell “white” lies; we try to cover it and minimize our mistake, but a lie is a lie, a lie is not telling the truth.When we tell lies, it causes great pain and undermines our relationships with others because of insincerity and dishonesty.Repentance and remorsefulness gained the good thief the blessing of redemption for Jesus.Let us ask Mother Mary to intercede for us to follow these qualities of sincerity and humility which are also found in Our Mother of Perpetual Help.- Novena Devotion by Fr Vincent Low, C.Ss.R. (22 November 2025)