Dobry Łotr, czyli miłosierdzie Boże wobec grzesznika w świetle komentarzy św. Augustyna do Łk 23, 39-43

Abstract

St. Augustine commenting the dialogue of Christ with the Good Thief at Calvary, at first pays attention to the attitude of converted villain. In his reprimand directed to co-crucified criminal, the Bishop of Hippo discovers the Good Thief’s realizing his guilt and confessing it. The pleading guilty is some kind of trial, when he can condemn his own bad acts, refuse them by the act of will, and by this, be in favour of justice. The crucial thing for the assessment of the Good Thief’s attitude is his asking for forgiveness, which he directs to Christ, practising in the same time, his faith in Him and expressing his trust in His mercy and goodness. However, the Good Thief’s attitude can be understood only in the perspective of answer given him by Christ. In His promise of salvation, there is the essence of the Divine Mercy, which is a gift for free, so it is favour. It contains not only forgiveness the sins, but also the justification of the sinner and the gift of life lies in the being in the community with Christ. The favour of mercy is the grounds for the conversion of the Good Thief, because by the moving his conscience makes him able to be contrite and to believe. Conclusively it says about the Divine Mercy which is based on the fact that God is the first who looks for the sinner, makes him able to look for God and let the sinner find Him. The essence of the Divine Mercy reveals definitely in crucifixion of Christ and is the meeting of God and the sinner.