Fr. Raymond J. de Souza: The 7 Seven Last Words and the Nicene Creed: ‘Today You Will Be With Me in Paradise’

Editor’s note: For more than 20 years, Father Raymond de Souza has preached the “Seven Last Words” devotion, a traditional meditation on the seven times Jesus speaks from the cross on Good Friday. Made famous in recent times by the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, the meditations are usually organized around a particular theme. For 2025, Father de Souza chose the Nicene Creed as his theme, as the Catholic Church marks this year the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. These meditations were preached at Holy Cross parish in Kemptville, Ontario, where Father de Souza is the pastor. This is the second installment. Please find the first one here. 

^“One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’ And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.’ And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise’” (Luke 23:39-43).

The second word from the cross, the second time Jesus speaks from the cross, he promises paradise to the Good Thief, the one we call St. Dismas.

It is astonishing to consider that, on that first Good Friday, the first one saved — perhaps to the astonishment of the great figures of the Old Covenant — was this thief, this criminal, hanging there beside Jesus. The two thieves are having a debate, really, having a debate about who Jesus is and who the Christ is. The first thief, observing this man whom others have called the Christ, says, “If you are the Christ, then save us. Save yourself and us.” …