Thursday, April 14, 2022

St. Dismas -- a poem by Mother Petra

Today, we have another poem to share with you. St. Dismas is the "good thief", crucified next to Christ. May we emulate his repentance and faith today as we remember Christ's death on the Cross. 


St. Dismas


How could you believe

in the word of One dying?

How could you trust

in the power of One defeated?

How could you hope

in a coming kingdom

as you hung naked

beside its conquered King?


What kind of King is this,

falsely condemned,

forgiving His killers

(even in suffering,

heeding such a sinner),

naked before the mocking crowd,

the tears of these women

His only possession?


Hearing His final cries

you saw Him give up His spirit.

When the soldiers came

to crush your legs,

did you doubt

the promise He had given you?

Behold, today

you will be with Me in paradise.


Three hours longer you suffered.

Did the trembling earth

and splitting rocks,

the darkened sun

confirm His reign?

Were you comforted

by His Mother

standing beneath your cross?

3 comments:

  1. St. Dismas holds a special place in my heart... thank you, Mother Petra!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for this beautiful poem Mother Petra.

    I'm imagining myself on the cross: humiliated, nailed wrist and ankle, scourged, thirsty burning in the hot Judean sun.

    How could one such as i, so sinful and lost, find hope, hope while I'm hanging on a cross, gasping my last breaths?

    Only through the love, power, and grace of the Messiah!

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