The Good Thief and Dishonest Businessmen
I just learned that the "Good Thief" is patron saint of dishonest businessmen, among others. The feast day of St Dismas - the Good Thief - falls on the same day as The Annunciation. But since March 25th arrives during Holy Week this year, we won't celebrate St Dismas' feast day. (The Annunciation, a first class feast, will be "moved" to the Monday following Divine Mercy Sunday.) So let's remember this first canonized saint now.
Yes, canonized he was, by Jesus Himself, as they both hung on the cross. Our Lord told Dismas he would be with Him that very day in Paradise. And so we have the first record of a person being proclaimed among the Blessed in Heaven by the authority of the Founder of our Holy Church, whose authority continues under today's head of our Church, Pope Francis.
Given that he was a thief, it makes sense that St Dismas may be called upon to intercede for businessmen who are dishonest in their practices. Do you know such people? If so, you can pray to St Dismas that God's grace will turn their hearts away from sin. Dismas himself can serve as the example of that process by which the dishonest businessman may be redeemed. I just read a commentary that explained specifically how Dismas was redeemed.
(What struck me in this process of redemption was how redemption begins as the mind - that is the faculty of reason - recognizes what's wrong, eventually advancing through the faculty of the will in deciding to repent. I was reminded of how our former Holy Father, Benedict XVI, emphasized the importance of reason, and condemned what he called the Dictatorship of Relativism - the belief that there is no real, absolute Truth, only "what's true for you, what's true for me" for so many people today.)
Think of the verses in St Luke's Gospel (the only Gospel that recalls the story of the Good Thief) to understand this process:
First, Dismas recognizes that he has done wrong. Second, his mind recognizes that he has offended God. Then, his through the faculty of his will, he makes a humble admission of guilt, telling God (Our Lord) that he is sorry in such a way that Our Lord knows that he really means it. He finishes by accepting the suffering he endures as reparation for his sin. Even more wonderfully, we see him unite his suffering on the cross to Our Lord's suffering on the cross.
And so we may pray to St Dismas for those dishonest businessmen we may know, that by his intercession, Our Lord will provide the actual graces needed for these people to turn away from their sin and turn towards Christ and the salvation He gained for us on the Cross. While we're at it, we may even add our own names in our prayer of intercession. Perhaps we are not dishonest businessmen, but, of course, we are all sinners in need of the salvation of the blood of Christ.
Which reminds each of us - if we have not already done so - to make a good confession during this Holy Season of Lent. God willing, dishonesty in our business practices isn't one of our sins. But even if that is the case, we know we have a friend in Heaven in St Dismas.
Yes, canonized he was, by Jesus Himself, as they both hung on the cross. Our Lord told Dismas he would be with Him that very day in Paradise. And so we have the first record of a person being proclaimed among the Blessed in Heaven by the authority of the Founder of our Holy Church, whose authority continues under today's head of our Church, Pope Francis.
Given that he was a thief, it makes sense that St Dismas may be called upon to intercede for businessmen who are dishonest in their practices. Do you know such people? If so, you can pray to St Dismas that God's grace will turn their hearts away from sin. Dismas himself can serve as the example of that process by which the dishonest businessman may be redeemed. I just read a commentary that explained specifically how Dismas was redeemed.
(What struck me in this process of redemption was how redemption begins as the mind - that is the faculty of reason - recognizes what's wrong, eventually advancing through the faculty of the will in deciding to repent. I was reminded of how our former Holy Father, Benedict XVI, emphasized the importance of reason, and condemned what he called the Dictatorship of Relativism - the belief that there is no real, absolute Truth, only "what's true for you, what's true for me" for so many people today.)
Think of the verses in St Luke's Gospel (the only Gospel that recalls the story of the Good Thief) to understand this process:
First, Dismas recognizes that he has done wrong. Second, his mind recognizes that he has offended God. Then, his through the faculty of his will, he makes a humble admission of guilt, telling God (Our Lord) that he is sorry in such a way that Our Lord knows that he really means it. He finishes by accepting the suffering he endures as reparation for his sin. Even more wonderfully, we see him unite his suffering on the cross to Our Lord's suffering on the cross.
And so we may pray to St Dismas for those dishonest businessmen we may know, that by his intercession, Our Lord will provide the actual graces needed for these people to turn away from their sin and turn towards Christ and the salvation He gained for us on the Cross. While we're at it, we may even add our own names in our prayer of intercession. Perhaps we are not dishonest businessmen, but, of course, we are all sinners in need of the salvation of the blood of Christ.
Which reminds each of us - if we have not already done so - to make a good confession during this Holy Season of Lent. God willing, dishonesty in our business practices isn't one of our sins. But even if that is the case, we know we have a friend in Heaven in St Dismas.
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