Feast of Saint Thomas,
Apostle
Lectionary: 593
Lectionary: 593
Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Responsorial PsalmPS 117:1BC, 2
R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
For steadfast is his kindness for us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
For steadfast is his kindness for us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
GospelJN 20:24-29
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But Thomas said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But Thomas said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Meditation: "Unless I see... I will not believe"
The last apostle to meet the resurrected Lord was the first to go with him to Jerusalem at Passover time. The apostle Thomas was a natural pessimist. When Jesus proposed that they visit Lazarus after receiving news of his illness, Thomas said to the disciples: "Let us also go, that we may die with him" (John 11:16). While Thomas deeply loved the Lord, he lacked the courage to stand with Jesus in his passion and crucifixion. After Jesus' death, Thomas made the mistake of withdrawing from the other apostles. He sought loneliness rather than fellowship in his time of sorrow and adversity. He doubted the women who saw the resurrected Jesus and he doubted his own fellow apostles who also testified that Jesus had risen. When Thomas finally had the courage to rejoin the other apostles eight days later, the Lord Jesus made his presence known to him and reassured him that he had indeed overcome death and risen again. When Thomas recognized his Master, he believed and exclaimed that Jesus was truly Lord and truly God!
Through the gift of faith we, too, are able to recognize the presence of the risen Lord in our personal lives. The Holy Spirit reveals the Lord Jesus to us and helps us to grow in knowledge and understanding of God and his ways. Through the gift of faith we are able to proclaim that Jesus is our personal Lord and our God. He died and rose that we, too, might have new life in him. The Lord offers each of us new life in his Holy Spirit that we may know him personally and walk in this new way of life through the power of his resurrection. Do you believe in God's word and in the power of the Holy Spirit?
"Lord Jesus Christ, through your victory over sin and death you have overcome all the powers of darkness. Help me to draw near to you and to trust in your life-giving word. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and strengthen my faith in your promises and my hope in the power of your resurrection."
 “My Lord and My God!” |
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Feast of Saint
Thomas, apostle
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Father Robert
DeCesare, LC
John 20:24-29
Thomas, called
Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other
disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to
them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger
into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and
said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your
finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe." Thomas answered and said to
him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you come
to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and
have believed."
Introductory
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank
you for the gift of faith I received with baptism. I believe all that you
have revealed, though I recognize that my faith is still small. I now
submerge my weak faith in your overflowing goodness and mercy, and I trust in
you completely. I love you, my Lord and my God, with all my mind, heart, soul
and strength.
Petition: Lord, increase my faith.
1. “I Will Not
Believe.” Lord, I live in a
culture where I have to know everything. If there are no facts, if I lack
evidence, then I refuse to believe. At times, Lord, even with facts and
evidence in front of me, I still refuse to believe. I know, Lord, that faith
calls for man “to commit his entire self to God” ( Dei Verbum 5).
Thomas refuses to do this when the apostles share the exciting news: “We have
seen the Lord” (John 20:25). But their news does not correspond to what
Thomas knows. He knows that you died. Maybe he went to the tomb on Saturday.
He would have seen the guards stationed there and would have imagined that
there was no way to take you from the tomb. Do I come up with convincing
reasons not to believe? If I do, how can I answer better through faith?
2. “Do Not Be
Unbelieving, But Believe.” Lord, Thomas looks at you in the Upper Room as you say this. I
recall the words: “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will
acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). You invite
Thomas to take that step of faith: to leave behind what he knows and to
accept your Resurrection. He had seen you raise Lazarus, and now you invite
him to believe that you yourself are forever alive. You are God, both living
and true. There in the Upper Room, you invite me, as you did Thomas, to
believe that you are alive in my life. Lord, I want you to have a strong
presence in my life.
3. “Blessed
Are Those Who Have Not Seen, and Have Believed.” Lord, I cannot make it to heaven without
faith. Your words to Thomas allude to what lies in store for me if I believe
until death. I was not alive when you walked on the earth, but in the light
of what you say to Thomas, I have all the more reason to exercise my faith
and pray as Thomas did: “My Lord and my God.” You desire my faith, Lord, just
as you desired Thomas’. How great you are, Lord! “Faith is first and foremost
a personal adherence of man to God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church,
150). I want to adhere to you, my Lord and my God.
Conversation with
Christ: Lord, I believe that you want to be a great
part of my life. You want to be the Lord of it. My faith is so little. Help
me to increase my faith. Give it what it needs to grow.
Resolution: Today during the day I will read numbers
150-152 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church about faith,
so as to work to increase my faith in God.
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 3
FEAST OF THOMAS, APOSTLE
JOHN 20:24-29
FEAST OF THOMAS, APOSTLE
JOHN 20:24-29
(Ephesians 2:19-22; Psalm 117)
KEY VERSE: Thomas answered and said to him, `My Lord and my God!' (v 28).
READING: After the crucifixion, Jesus' disciples gathered in the upper room behind locked doors, in fear that they too would be killed. Thomas, was absent when the Risen Christ appeared to them. Although Thomas was present at the raising of Lazarus, and even stated his willingness to go to Jerusalem and there "die with the Lord" (Jn 11:16), he refused to believe in the risen Christ's appearance to the Twelve. The Cross was what Thomas expected, and he refused to believe the testimony of the disciples without visible proof. A week later, Thomas was with the disciples when suddenly Christ appeared to them again with a greeting of peace (Hebrew, Shalom).Jesus showed Thomas the wounds of his crucifixion and asked him not to persist in disbelief. At this, Thomas became convinced of the truth of the Resurrection and exclaimed: "My Lord and My God" (20:28), thus making a public profession of faith in the Divinity of Christ. Jesus then offered a beatitude for all future generations: "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed" (v 29).
REFLECTING: Do I allow the Lord to bring me to faith when I am fearful and doubtful?
PRAYING: My Lord and my God, help me to believe even when I see no evidence for my faith.
FEAST OF THOMAS, APOSTLE
Thomas was probably born in Galilee, but there is no record as to how he became one of the Twelve Apostles of Christ. His name in Greek is Didymus, which means "the twin." At the Last Supper, when Jesus told his Apostles that he was going to prepare a place for them, Thomas said that he did not understand and received the assurance that Jesus was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. But Thomas is bestremembered for his doubt that Christ had actually risen from the dead. This incident gave rise to the expression "doubting Thomas." Thomas was also present at another Resurrection appearance of Jesus - at Lake Tiberias when a miraculous catch of fish occurred. This is all that we know about Thomas from the New Testament. The Acta Thomae, an apocryphal writing from the 3rd or 4th century, recounts the missionary efforts of Thomas. When the Apostles scattered after Pentecost, Thomas was sent to evangelize the Parthians, Medes, and Persians. He ultimately reached India, carrying the faith to the Malabar coast, which still boasts a large population who call themselves "Christians of St. Thomas." It is said that Thomas shed his blood for his Master, speared to death at a place called Calamine. His feast day is July 3rd and he is the patron of architects.
Go out to all the world and tell the Good News
There is a painting by Caravaggio that depicts the scene in today's gospel. Thomas, a look of astonishment etched on his face, leans forward, his outstretched hand and finger probing the fleshy wound on Jesus' side. The painting captures that profound moment between doubt and faith when someone’s eyes are opened to the presence of God.
Doubt and faith are not opposed to each other. Our doubts often serve as catalysts for a deeper search for meaning. Through his doubts, Thomas was invited into a deeper intimacy with Jesus. Today let us pray for the grace that our moments of doubt will lead us to a deeper appreciation and awareness of God’s presence in our lives.
July 3
St. Thomas the Apostle
St. Thomas the Apostle
Poor Thomas! He made one remark and has been branded as “Doubting
Thomas” ever since. But if he doubted, he also believed. He made what is
certainly the most explicit statement of faith in the New Testament: “My Lord
and My God!” (see John 20:24-28) and, in so expressing his faith, gave
Christians a prayer that will be said till the end of time. He also occasioned
a compliment from Jesus to all later Christians: “Have you come to believe
because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed”
(John 20:29).
Thomas should be equally well known for his courage. Perhaps what
he said was impetuous—since he ran, like the rest, at the showdown—but he can
scarcely have been insincere when he expressed his willingness to die with
Jesus. The occasion was when Jesus proposed to go to Bethany after Lazarus had
died. Since Bethany was near Jerusalem, this meant walking into the very midst
of his enemies and to almost certain death. Realizing this, Thomas said to the
other apostles, “Let us also go to die with him” (John 11:16b).
Comment:
Thomas shares the lot of Peter the impetuous, James and John, the “sons of thunder,” Philip and his foolish request to see the Father—indeed all the apostles in their weakness and lack of understanding. We must not exaggerate these facts, however, for Christ did not pick worthless men. But their human weakness again points up the fact that holiness is a gift of God, not a human creation; it is given to ordinary men and women with weaknesses; it is God who gradually transforms the weaknesses into the image of Christ, the courageous, trusting and loving one.
Thomas shares the lot of Peter the impetuous, James and John, the “sons of thunder,” Philip and his foolish request to see the Father—indeed all the apostles in their weakness and lack of understanding. We must not exaggerate these facts, however, for Christ did not pick worthless men. But their human weakness again points up the fact that holiness is a gift of God, not a human creation; it is given to ordinary men and women with weaknesses; it is God who gradually transforms the weaknesses into the image of Christ, the courageous, trusting and loving one.
Quote:
“...[P]rompted by the Holy Spirit, the Church must walk the same road which Christ walked: a road of poverty and obedience, of service and self-sacrifice to the death.... For thus did all the apostles walk in hope. On behalf of Christ's Body, which is the Church, they supplied what was wanting in the sufferings of Christ by their own trials and sufferings (see Colossians 1:24)” (Vatican II, Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity, 5).
“...[P]rompted by the Holy Spirit, the Church must walk the same road which Christ walked: a road of poverty and obedience, of service and self-sacrifice to the death.... For thus did all the apostles walk in hope. On behalf of Christ's Body, which is the Church, they supplied what was wanting in the sufferings of Christ by their own trials and sufferings (see Colossians 1:24)” (Vatican II, Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity, 5).
Patron Saint of:
Architects
Construction workers
Cooks
Architects
Construction workers
Cooks
LECTIO: ST. THOMAS, AP - JN. 20,24-29
Lectio:
Wednesday, July
3, 2013
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
you call your children
to walk in the light of Christ.
Free us from darkness
and keep us in the radiance of your truth.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
you call your children
to walk in the light of Christ.
Free us from darkness
and keep us in the radiance of your truth.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading -
John 20,24-29
Thomas, called the
Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the
other disciples said to him, 'We have seen the Lord,' but he answered, 'Unless
I can see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into
the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to
believe.'
Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. 'Peace be with you,' he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving any more but believe.'
Thomas replied, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him: You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.
Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. 'Peace be with you,' he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving any more but believe.'
Thomas replied, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him: You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.
3) Reflection
• Today is the Feast
of Saint Thomas and the Gospel speaks to us about the encounter of Jesus with
Thomas, the apostle who wanted to see in order to believe. For this
reason many call him Thomas the incredulous. In reality the message
of this Gospel is very diverse. It is much more profound and actual.
• John 20, 24-25: The doubt of Thomas. Thomas, one of the twelve was not present when Jesus appeared to the disciples the week before. He did not believe in the witness of the others who said: “We have seen the Lord”. He gives some conditions: “Unless I can see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe”. Thomas is very demanding. In order to believe he wants to see! He does not want a miracle in order to believe. No! He wants to see the signs on the hands, on the feet and on the side! He does not believe in the glorious Jesus, separated from the human Jesus who suffered on the Cross. When John writes, at the end of the first century, there were some persons who did not accept the coming of the Son of God in the flesh (2 Jn 7; 1 Jn 4, 2-3). They were the Gnostics who despised matter and the body. John presents this concern of Thomas to criticize the Gnostics: “To see in order to believe”. The doubt of Thomas also makes us see the difficulty of believing in the Resurrection!
• John 20, 26-27: Do not be unbelieving but believe. The text says “six days later”. That means that Thomas was capable of maintaining his opinion during a whole week against the witness of the other Apostles. Stubborn! Thank God, for us! Thus, six days later, during the community meeting, they once again had the profound experience of the presence of the risen Lord in their midst. The closed doors could not prevent the presence of Jesus in the midst of those who believe in him. Today, it is also like this. When we are meeting, even when we are meeting with the doors closed, Jesus is in our midst. And up until today, the first word of Jesus is and will always be: “Peace be with you!” What impresses is the kindness of Jesus. He does not criticize, nor does he judge the unbelief of Thomas, but he accepts the challenge and says: “Thomas, put your finger in the hole of my hands!” Jesus confirms the conviction of Thomas and of the communities, that is, the glorious Risen One is the tortured crucified One! The Jesus who is in the community is not a glorious Jesus who has nothing in common with our life. He is the same Jesus who lived on this earth and on his body he has the signs of his Passion. The signs of the Passion are found today in the sufferings of people, in hunger, in the signs of torture, of injustice. And Jesus becomes present in our midst in the persons who react, who struggle for life and who do not allow themselves to be disheartened. Thomas believes in this Christ and so do we!
• John 20, 28-29: Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. Together with him we say: “My Lord and my God!” This gift of Thomas is the ideal attitude of faith. And Jesus completes with a final message: “You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe!” With this phrase, Jesus declares blessed all of us who find ourselves in the same condition: without having seen, we believe that Jesus, who is in our midst, is the same One who died crucified!
The mandate: “As the Father sent me so I am sending you!” From this Jesus, who was crucified and rose from the dead, we receive the mission, the same one which he has received from the Father (Jn 20, 21). Here, in the second apparition, Jesus repeats: “Peace be with you!” This repetition stresses the importance of Peace. To construct peace forms part of the mission. Peace means much more than the absence of war. It means to construct a harmonious human living together in which persons can be themselves, having everything necessary to live, living happily together in peace. This was the mission of Jesus and also our own mission. Jesus breathed and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn 20, 22). And with the help of the Holy Spirit we will be capable to fulfil the mission which he has entrusted to us. Then Jesus communicates the power to forgive sins: “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained!” The central point of the mission of peace is reconciliation, in the effort of trying to overcome barriers which separate us. This power of reconciling and of forgiving is given to the community (Jn 20, 23); Mt18, 18). In the Gospel of Matthew, this power is also given to Peter (Mt 16, 19). Here we can perceive that a community without pardon and without reconciliation is not a Christian community. In one word, our mission is that of “forming community” according to the example of the community of the Father, of the Son and the Holy Spirit.
• John 20, 24-25: The doubt of Thomas. Thomas, one of the twelve was not present when Jesus appeared to the disciples the week before. He did not believe in the witness of the others who said: “We have seen the Lord”. He gives some conditions: “Unless I can see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe”. Thomas is very demanding. In order to believe he wants to see! He does not want a miracle in order to believe. No! He wants to see the signs on the hands, on the feet and on the side! He does not believe in the glorious Jesus, separated from the human Jesus who suffered on the Cross. When John writes, at the end of the first century, there were some persons who did not accept the coming of the Son of God in the flesh (2 Jn 7; 1 Jn 4, 2-3). They were the Gnostics who despised matter and the body. John presents this concern of Thomas to criticize the Gnostics: “To see in order to believe”. The doubt of Thomas also makes us see the difficulty of believing in the Resurrection!
• John 20, 26-27: Do not be unbelieving but believe. The text says “six days later”. That means that Thomas was capable of maintaining his opinion during a whole week against the witness of the other Apostles. Stubborn! Thank God, for us! Thus, six days later, during the community meeting, they once again had the profound experience of the presence of the risen Lord in their midst. The closed doors could not prevent the presence of Jesus in the midst of those who believe in him. Today, it is also like this. When we are meeting, even when we are meeting with the doors closed, Jesus is in our midst. And up until today, the first word of Jesus is and will always be: “Peace be with you!” What impresses is the kindness of Jesus. He does not criticize, nor does he judge the unbelief of Thomas, but he accepts the challenge and says: “Thomas, put your finger in the hole of my hands!” Jesus confirms the conviction of Thomas and of the communities, that is, the glorious Risen One is the tortured crucified One! The Jesus who is in the community is not a glorious Jesus who has nothing in common with our life. He is the same Jesus who lived on this earth and on his body he has the signs of his Passion. The signs of the Passion are found today in the sufferings of people, in hunger, in the signs of torture, of injustice. And Jesus becomes present in our midst in the persons who react, who struggle for life and who do not allow themselves to be disheartened. Thomas believes in this Christ and so do we!
• John 20, 28-29: Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. Together with him we say: “My Lord and my God!” This gift of Thomas is the ideal attitude of faith. And Jesus completes with a final message: “You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe!” With this phrase, Jesus declares blessed all of us who find ourselves in the same condition: without having seen, we believe that Jesus, who is in our midst, is the same One who died crucified!
The mandate: “As the Father sent me so I am sending you!” From this Jesus, who was crucified and rose from the dead, we receive the mission, the same one which he has received from the Father (Jn 20, 21). Here, in the second apparition, Jesus repeats: “Peace be with you!” This repetition stresses the importance of Peace. To construct peace forms part of the mission. Peace means much more than the absence of war. It means to construct a harmonious human living together in which persons can be themselves, having everything necessary to live, living happily together in peace. This was the mission of Jesus and also our own mission. Jesus breathed and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn 20, 22). And with the help of the Holy Spirit we will be capable to fulfil the mission which he has entrusted to us. Then Jesus communicates the power to forgive sins: “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained!” The central point of the mission of peace is reconciliation, in the effort of trying to overcome barriers which separate us. This power of reconciling and of forgiving is given to the community (Jn 20, 23); Mt18, 18). In the Gospel of Matthew, this power is also given to Peter (Mt 16, 19). Here we can perceive that a community without pardon and without reconciliation is not a Christian community. In one word, our mission is that of “forming community” according to the example of the community of the Father, of the Son and the Holy Spirit.
4) Personal questions
• In society today the
divergence and the tensions of race, social class, religion, gender and culture
are enormous and they continue to grow every day. How can the mission of
reconciliation be carried out today?
• In your community and in your family is there some mustard seed, the sign of a reconciled society?
• In your community and in your family is there some mustard seed, the sign of a reconciled society?
5) Concluding Prayer
Praise Yahweh, all
nations,
extol him, all peoples,
for his faithful love is strong
and his constancy never-ending. (Ps 117)
extol him, all peoples,
for his faithful love is strong
and his constancy never-ending. (Ps 117)
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