Disma, the good thief

Disma, the good thief

This good thief who will magnificently fulfill his conversion on the cross is, according to various clues, the thief whose gang was about to rob travelers at Modin. The one who, later, will supply, like Elijah the great prophet, the apostolic group sheltering at Mount Cherith for a retreat after the third Passover. The same who, arrested by the romans in September 29, will be crucified seven months later alongside Jesus.

"And in the very bitter hour the love of those who would not hate the Innocent One will be My consola­tion, my light in the dark of that hour of Darkness, My sweetness in the chalice of wine mixed with gall and myrrh."

Apostolic journey. A conversion in several stages

May 14, 28 - Modin, the first encounter

Disma is part of the gang that wants to rob travelers in a valley near Modin. He is moved by the speech of Jesus:

"It is never too late to repent. Change the verdict which is being written in Heaven against you, by means of true repentance. Do not let Sheol be hell for you, but an expiating expectation, at least that, through your own will."

Disma will be touched, but will not immediately go to repentance.

April 2, 29 - Mount Cherith, growing sympathy

The apostolic group is on a retreat there after the third Passover. They are supplied by thieves.  

Jesus accepts their gifts, even though they come from their thefts, and which have for him "the stench of sin". He explains to the apostles that this charity they showed will help the best among them to grow, and that it will have its reward. He adds that it is important not to destroy by pushing away their movement of goodness, because their conversion can happen gradually.

September 29 - Arrest near Jericho, conversion underway

Another young thief has decided to undertake a path of conversion in the house of charity opened by Zacchaeus and gives news of Disma who has been arrested. Jesus talks alone with him.

"- Oh! Lord! How could I do it, if I knew that You do not despise even us highwaymen? I also was among those who brought You the lamb at the Cherit. And one of us, who has now been captured by the Romans – at least so they say, he has certainly not been seen in the refuge of the highwaymen since before the Tabernacles – told me the words You spoke in a valley near Modin… Because at that time I had not yet joined the highwaymen. I went to them at the end of last Adar and I left them at the beginning of Ethanim. [...] - And in the very bitter hour the love of those who would not hate the Innocent One will be My consola­tion, my light in the dark of that hour of Darkness, My sweetness in the chalice of wine mixed with gall and myrrh."

April 5, 30 - Golgotha, the immediate effect of Redemption

The other thief, the one on the right, has Mary almost at his feet and he looks at her almost more than at the Christ. For a while he weeps murmuring: "the mother," he says to the other thief:

"Be silent. Do you not fear God even now that you suffer this pain? Why do you insult He Who is good? And His torture is even greater than ours. And He has done nothing wrong."

When the latter resumes his curses and blasphemies, he says:

"Be silent. Remember that you were born of a woman. And consider that our mothers have wept because of their sons. And they were tears of shame… because we are criminals. Our mothers are dead… I would like to ask mine to forgive me… But shall I be able? She was a holy woman… I killed her with the sorrow I gave her… I am a sinner… Who will forgive me? Mother, in the name of Your dying Son, pray for me."

Then comes the moment when Jesus speaks for the first time:

"Father, forgive them because they do not know what they are doing!"

This prayer overcomes all fear in Disma. He dares to look at the Christ and says:

"Lord, remember me when You are in Your Kingdom. It is just that I should suffer. But give me mercy and peace hereafter. I heard You speak once and I foolishly rejected Your word. I now repent. And I repent of my sins before You, the Son of the Most High. I believe that You come from God. I believe in Your power. I believe in Your mercy. Christ, forgive me in the name of Your Mother and of Your Most Holy Father."

Jesus turns and looks at him with deep compassion and he still has a very faint smile on his poor tortured mouth. He says:

"I tell you: today you will be with Me in Paradise."

The repentant thief calms down and, no longer knowing the prayers learned in his childhood, he repeats like a jaculatory prayer:

"Jesus Nazarene, king of the Jews, have mercy on me; Jesus Nazarene, king of the Jews, I hope in You; Jesus Nazarene, king of the Jesus, I believe in Your Divinity."

After the death of Jesus, a soldier arrives at a gallop with the order to give Jesus over and to break the legs of the others. Longinus, the centurion, calls the four executioners and orders that the two thieves be finished off with blows of a club. This happens without protest from Disma, to whom the club blow, deferred to the heart after striking the knees, breaks the name of Jesus halfway on his lips, in a gasp.

His name

Disma, Dimas, Dymas, or Dumas. This name would come from the Greek "dys" meaning difficulties or crooked and "maza", dough.

Where is he mentioned in the work?

GRM 223.8 GRM 298.10

GRM 380.3

GRM 524.6 GRM 554.12

GRM 609.13 GRM 630.11.14 GRM 647.7

In other works by Maria Valtorta

Notebooks 1943

"My heart is not different, now that I am in Heaven, from the heart I had on Golgotha when I prayed for your fathers and forgave Disma."

Learn more about this character

Evangelium Nicodemi, 9th or 10th century manuscript

The Church celebrates Saint Disma on March 25.

Disma is mentioned in The Golden Legend by Blessed Jacques de Varazze (or de Voragine), archbishop of Genoa, in the 13th century (1230-1298). This compilation of texts refers to the gospel of Nicodemus:

"This passion was ignominious because of those to whom Jesus Christ was associated, since he was placed among scoundrels, that is, with thieves, who were initially criminals; one of them, Disma, later converted; he was on the right of the Savior, according to the gospel of Nicodemus; the other on the left was damned, his name was Gestas."

The gospel of Nicodemus, which reveals his identity, is an apocryphal writing from the 4th century that had wide circulation and some Church Fathers refer to it. The story it gives conforms to the Gospel of Luke, the only one to report the episode. "And they crucified also the two thieves with him, one on his right hand and the other on his left." The surrounding stories depict him as a leader of bandits, which corresponds to Maria Valtorta's visions. He would have been involved during the flight to Egypt, which Maria Valtorta's texts do not mention.

In the Bible, it is the abode of the dead.