Vigils Reading
April 15
TODAY YOU WILL BE
WITH ME IN PARADISE
By St John Chrysostom
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Today the cross has opened Paradise which had been closed to us for
thousands of years. For today God has brought a robber there. Thus he effects
two marvels: he opens Paradise, and he brings in a thief. Today God has given
us our ancient fatherland, today he has brought us to the paternal city, today he
has opened his house to the whole of humanity. ‘Today,’ he said, ‘you will be
with me in Paradise’.
What did you say, Lord? You are crucified, nailed there, and you
promise Paradise?
Yes, so that you may learn how great is my power on the cross.
It is indeed a cruel sight. And to deflect your attention from this aspect of
the cross and make you realize the power of the Crucified, Jesus works this
miracle from the cross, the miracle which more than any other bears witness to
his power. For it was not when raising the dead, commanding the wind and the
waves, expelling demons, but when crucified, fixed with nails, covered with
insults, spittle, mockery and abuse, that he had power to change the evil state of
the thief; and in this you can see two aspects of his power.
He shook the whole of creation, he split the rocks, and he drew the soul of
the thief, which was harder than rock; for the thief believed in him and Jesus
said in return, ‘Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Doubtless the
cherubim guarded paradise, but he was master of the cherubim. A flaming
sword twirled at the entrance, but he had all power over fire and sword, over life
and death.
Truly, no king ever allowed a thief or any other subject to sit with him
while he made an entrance into a town. But Christ has done this: when he
entered into his fatherland he brought a thief with him. In doing this he did not
slight Paradise, did not dishonor it by the thief’s presence there; on the contrary,
he honored Paradise, because it is glorious for Paradise to have a master who
can make a thief worthy of the joys to be found there. Likewise when he brings
publicans and prostitutes into the kingdom of heaven he is not insulting the
kingdom but honoring it, for he shows that the master of the kingdom of heaven
is strong enough to make prostitutes and publicans worthy enough to receive
such an honor and such a gift.