Remember Me

When someone contacts you, in light of your birthday, an anniversary, or any previous matter of connection it can be lovely and quite touching. You have been brought back into their minds, and they followed through on that mental connection by contacting you personally and making a new moment of belonging. When someone hears you speak of an important thing upcoming, or when you tell them a concern you have, they might say “I will remember you in my prayers.” What a gift it is for your name to be uttered as this person is in communion with God. On that occasion, you are brought specially and intentionally into the presence of the Divine, the Great Beloved, The Source of All.

I have been thinking of this concept— “being remembered” —because there is a fascinating request made in the story, from St. Luke the Evangelist, of Jesus on the cross, flanked by two criminals also being crucified (Luke 23:33-43). In the story, many people have things to say to Jesus the crucified one, whose life has given so many wonders and lessons to the whole region of Judah and Galilee. The people are just looking on, but their rulers jeer at him, saying “He saved others: no let him save himself if this is God’s Messiah, his Chosen.” The Roman soldiers who have been casting lots and sharing out the clothes of Jesus, mock him further, offering him sour wine. They add, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” One criminal, on his cross, says, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.” It is the other criminal, from his cross, that makes the remarkable request, “Remember me.” First, he hushes the criminal who spoke first, pointing out that though they are deserving of punishment, this man is mistreated having done no wrong. Then he makes the fascinating request, asking this simple thing: “Jesus, remember me when you come to your throne.” Jesus responds to him with a stunning promise, “Truly I tell you: today you will be with me in Paradise.” The man had set aside all vitriol, self-pity, and complaints of any sort, finding himself enthralled in connection to the one he somehow sees as a king going to his enthronement. He asks only that he remembers him. On the surface, the man crucified alongside Jesus asks only that he be brought to mind as Jesus comes fully into his reign.

What Jesus promises him, makes me think further about the word, “remember”. If something falls apart, you can take its parts, and its members, and put it all back together, as long as you have the ability and the broken item allows. You can take its several parts and
“re-member” them into a whole; in an act of restoration. Jesus promises to take this man and re-member him in paradise, to be with him. Whatever the man had in mind to ask of Jesus, the Savior grants something incalculably greater. Think on this too: At the Eucharistic table together, we recall in the Great Thanksgiving prayer that Jesus commanded us to take the bread, take the wine, and do all in remembrance of him. Christ is recalled into our presence again as we do this. He is re-membered amid the gathered community, sharing in his body and blood. He is with us every day, and in the sacrament, he is present in a special way. Moreover, when it is time for us, Jesus will remember us, and we will be with him in paradise.