The Centurion glorifies God

Saint Luke - Chapter 23

The Centurion glorifies God. J-J Tissot

[47] Videns autem centurio quod factum fuerat, glorificavit Deum, dicens : Vere hic homo justus erat.
Now the centurion, seeing what was done, glorified God, saying: Indeed this was a just man.

From The Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by J-J Tissot (1897)

The Centurion he referred to was the Roman Captain who had charge of the triple execution on Calvary.  He was in command of the soldiers who formed the escort of the condemned and were on guard throughout the execution to keep back the crowds.  He had to hold himself in readiness to meet any emergency, such as a rising amongst the people or an attempt at rescue.  "Now when the centurion saw what was done", says the sacred text, that is to say, when he noted the supernatural darkness spreading over all the land, when he heard the last loud cry Jesus, felt the earthquake, heard the splitting of the rock and perhaps was told of the rending of the veil in the Temple, for the rumour of that significant phenomenon may already have spread, he glorified God, saying: "Certainly this was a righteous man." According to the Gospel of Nicodemus chapter 11, the name of this Centurion was Longinus, whilst a tradition quoted by Saint Chrysostom, but for the truth of which that eloquent theologian does not vouch, adds that Longinus died a martyr to his belief in Jesus Christ.  According to other accounts, of equally uncertain authority, the converted Centurion even became Bishop of Cappadocia.  The Ballandists dwell at length upon the subject of Longinus, and Baronius in his turn quotes numerous legends relating to him, whilst Bartholinus (De latere Christi, chapter 6)  relates that in a church near Lyons there was a tomb which bore the following inscription: "Qui Salvatoris latus in cruce cuspide fixit Longinus hic jacet" Which may be translated: " Here who pierced the side of the Saviour with a spear, Longinus, rests here." Many authors are, however, of opinion that the name of Longinus, given by tradition to the Centurion of Calvary, is really merely derived from the original Greek word for a spear, and it does, in fact, resembles a word to a certain extent.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam