Let us look at the scenario in today’s Gospel. You have Jesus on the Cross and you have the two thieves on either side of Him. At the base of the cross you have Mary, Mary Magdalene and John standing silently in shock and grief. Surrounding them you have lots of bystanders and then you have the leaders of the Jews. They are all screaming different words, but one thing they are screaming is: If you are the Son of God get yourself off this cross. They are angry, protesting, they are triumphant and they feel victorious. They have vanquished their enemy.

Now focus on the Bad thief on the cross. He says the same words, if you are the Son of God then get yourself off that cross and get us off as well. You will learn that this man is about as evil as they come. I do not believe he is the devil, but maybe possessed by the devil. If you understand his evil to the deepest level it should terrify you. He is totally self-centered narcissistic, blind to the divine by choice. Those in the crowd who are screaming similar words are not so different than he is. He is the reason why I believe in Hell, not as a place where people go who make a mistake, it is a place where the evil go. People who choose evil and turn them over to it. This is the bad thief on the cross. I will always jokingly say that hell exists because where else do people go who sit in the window seat of airplanes and then pull down the shade when they die. But more seriously, I will teach there is a hell because I have seen too much evil to believe there is not. This man is so evil you could make a terrifying movie about his life. Have I met people like him? Yes? Are they thieves? No, but usually they are caught up in some form of greed. Often, they are often in positions to do what the leaders of the Jews in the Gospel are doing and what the thief does on his own: speak words that lead people away from God. 

Notice the argument is reasonable and it is as reasonable as the temptations in the desert. If you are the son of God turn these stones into bread, etc. But here the words are if you are the Son of God, prove it to us and we will believe. What is at the bottom of these words are the words of those who do not understand and who may be seeking Christ. They cry out to God with their expectations of whom He should be and are unable to see Him for whom He is. So they say,

If God existed, my mother would not have died, I would not have lost my job, we would not suffer so much in this family, I would be rich and famous. There is a whole gamut of forms those words and they all come down to one word. “Mine” My will be done. If God existed he would fulfill my will and my wishes. If you want to translate these words, I would do so with the word Mine. These people are living with the equivalent of the words “Mine” over and over again.

But now look at the good thief on the cross. He realizes something powerful: If God exists I would be on a cross for my crimes. It is that understanding that he sees the truth and the justice that he missed before that he is no longer blind to the grace of God and the presence of Jesus. It is then that he sees Jesus as He is the Son of God, the King and to him he pledges His allegiance.

If you are demanding that God fulfill all your will and demand your world your way. If you use the Church for your desires and learn to hate her because it demands you submit to Christ, if you can be interpreted as saying “Mine, Mine, Mine” to God, you will never recognize Christ, even if he is in your midst.

But the minute you desire his will, his justice and his truth reign in our life. Submit yourself to it and you will see and embrace Christ.

Beware of those whose arguments are tantamount to screaming Mine, Mine, Mine to Christ and reject them, even if they work for the Church and seek only Jesus as the truth, justice and life, and you will recognize and submit your will to him every time.

God bless you,

Fr. Robert J Carr

Fr. Carr is member of the Segundo Elo  of the Canção Nova Community. He is the pastor of Holy Trinity Quincy, MA and is the editor of this blog. He is the author of several books, blogs and hundreds of videos all of which you may find on Youtube.  You can follow him on twitter as @frbobcarr and on Google plus as+FrRobertCarr, his website is Carrbooks.us Thoughts, comments on the homily? Let us know at Facebook