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 Psalm PS 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.
Gospel JN 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: "Do not be faithless, but believing"
What can give us unshakeable hope and confidence in the face of
failure, defeat, and death? The apostles had abandoned Jesus in his hour of
trial when he was betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemani by Judas and arrested by
the Jewish authorities. Their fear turned to despair when Pontius Pilate, the
Roman governor, sentenced Jesus to death by crucifixion for his claim to be the
King of the Jews. In that hour of darkness on "Good Friday" the apostles
saw Jesus' death as defeat rather than victory.
From death and despair to joy and victory
On Sunday morning when they heard the reports from the women who saw the empty tomb, they were slow to believe that Jesus had risen as he prophesied to them previously. Their despair turn to joy when the Risen Lord at last appeared to them and showed them the scars of his victory - his pierced hands, feet, and side. Jesus had indeed triumphed over the enemies which held the human race in slavery to sin, Satan, and death.
On Sunday morning when they heard the reports from the women who saw the empty tomb, they were slow to believe that Jesus had risen as he prophesied to them previously. Their despair turn to joy when the Risen Lord at last appeared to them and showed them the scars of his victory - his pierced hands, feet, and side. Jesus had indeed triumphed over the enemies which held the human race in slavery to sin, Satan, and death.
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 faith we meet the Risen Lord
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?
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!” 2014-07-03 |
|
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.
|
FEAST OF THOMAS,
APOSTLE, THURSDAY, JULY 3, JOHN 20:24-29
(Ephesians 2:19-22; Psalm 117)
(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). 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.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Final Purification
If one of our friends was imprisoned in a house of fire, how we
should rush to her assistance. Then think how we should try to deliver the
souls in purgatory. -Blessed Mary of Providence
Go out to all the world and tell the Good News
‘My Lord and my God.’The example of Thomas is reassuring for those who find their faith constantly tested by the suspicious and critical culture in which we live. His need to see Jesus in the flesh in order to believe touches the deep-felt desire in all of us to meet Jesus face to face. While prayer can lead us into an intimate relationship with Jesus, it is natural to desire to touch and to be touched by the Word made flesh. Some misguided theologies have seen the flesh as corrupt and a source of sin, but the presence of God in the flesh reminds us that our bodies are good and beautiful in the sight of God. Our need for physical touch and intimacy in this life points to an inbuilt desire to return to the loving hands of our Creator and Lord.
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 DIVINA:
ST. THOMAS, AP - JN. 20,24-29
Lectio:
Thursday, July 3, 2014
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)
:
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét