Chapter 10
(26).
And while the saints Enoch and Elias were thus
speaking, behold, there came up another man, most wretched, carrying on
his shoulders the sign of the cross. And seeing him, all the
saints said to him: Who art thou? because thy appearance is that
of a robber. And what is the sign which thou carriest on thy
shoulders? In answer to them, he said: Truly have you said
that I was a robber, doing all sorts of evil upon the earth. And
the Jews crucified me along with Jesus; and I saw the miracles in
created things which were done through the cross of Jesus crucified,
and I believed Him to be the Creator of all created things, and the
King omnipotent; and I entreated Him, saying, Be mindful of me, Lord,
when Thou shalt have come into Thy kingdom. Immediately He
accepted my entreaty, and said to me, Amen; I say to thee, To-day shalt
thou be with me in paradise.1996
And He
gave me this sign of the
cross, saying,
Walk into
paradise carrying
this; and if the
guardian angel of
paradise will not let thee go in,
show him the sign of the
cross, and thou shalt say to him,
Jesus
Christ, the Son of
God, who has now been crucified, has sent me.
Having done so, I said all this to the
guardian angel of
paradise. And when he heard this, he immediately opened, and led
me in, and placed me at the right of
paradise, saying, Lo, hold a
little, and there will come in the
father of the whole human race,
Adam, with all his
children, holy and just, after the
triumph and
glory
of the ascension of
Christ the crucified
Lord. Hearing all these
words of the robber, all the holy patriarchs and
prophets with one
voice said:
Blessed art Thou, O
Lord Almighty,
Father of
everlasting benefits, and
Father of mercies, who hast given such
grace
to Thy
sinners, and hast brought them back into the
grace of
paradise,
and into Thy
rich pastures; for this is spiritual life most sure.
Amen, amen.
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