Tony Gratacós is a writer who has just published his new book: The Song of Dimas, a historical novel about the man known as the "Good Thief."
TONY GRATACÓS
Writer
The initial premise was that of a man condemned to death, a criminal, who is crucified on Golgotha, and suddenly turns to his left and sees another criminal in the same situation, who looks like a bloody worm. How is this man, Dimas, able to recognize this other criminal as the Son of God? As the promised Messiah?
Dimas, or Dismas, was one of the two criminals crucified alongside Jesus. In his final moments of life, despite his sentence, he recognized Jesus as the Messiah and asked for his salvation. Jesus, seeing his faith, promised him that he would be with Him in paradise. His story symbolizes hope, even at the end of life.
TONY GRATACÓS
Writer
Our entire history, our personal history, at the end of the day, needs salvation, and we often think that salvation can be given to us by money, power, fame, but ultimately, salvation can only come from someone other than ourselves, and that someone can only be God. That is the key to Dimas: that we must not despair and that, until the very last moment, there is always an opportunity for salvation.
Tony confesses that reading this book provides a fundamental lesson for daily life.
TONY GRATACÓS
Writer
I wrote Dimas with the idea of contextualizing it in the present day. In other words, I believe that the leap of faith Dimas had to make to recognize God in a dying man at his side, in a worm crucified at his side, that leap of faith Dimas made is the same leap of faith we Christians, Catholics, have to make today to recognize God in a piece of bread. In other words, to recognize God in the Eucharist. It's the same leap of faith Dimas had to make to recognize God in His humanity.
With The Song of Dimas, Tony invites readers to remember that it is never too late to find the path and that there is always a second chance.
BAM
TR: GS
