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.
AlleluiaJN 20:29
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord;
blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord;
blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
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: "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."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Touching the wounds of Christ and healing
the wounds of our unbelief, by Gregory the Great (540-604 AD)
"It was not an accident that that particular
disciple was not present. The divine mercy ordained that a doubting disciple
should, by feeling in his Master the wounds of the flesh, heal in us the wounds
of unbelief. The unbelief of Thomas is more profitable to our faith than the
belief of the other disciples. For the touch by which he is brought to believe
confirms our minds in belief, beyond all question." (excerpt from FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 26)
FEAST OF
SAINT THOMAS, APOSTLE
MONDAY, JULY 3, JOHN 20:24-29
(Ephesians 2:19-22; Psalm 117)
MONDAY, JULY 3, 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).
TO KNOW: 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 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).
TO LOVE: Do I allow the Lord to bring me to faith when I am fearful and doubtful?
TO SERVE: My Lord and my God, help me to believe even when I see no evidence for my faith.
SAINT 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." Thomas is best remembered 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. At the dispersal of the Apostles 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 that calls themselves "Christians of Saint Thomas." Thomas shed his blood for his Master, speared to death at a place called Calamine. Thomas is the patron of architects.
Monday 3 July
2017
St Thomas.
Ephesians 2:19-22. Psalm 116(117). John 20:24-29.
Ephesians 2:19-22. Psalm 116(117). John 20:24-29.
Go out to
all the world and tell the Good News — Psalm 116(117).
‘Peace be
with you.’
The Gospels make no attempt to
gloss over the flaws of the Apostles. Nevertheless, it seems that it is Thomas
whose character remains unredeemed in the popular imagination. Peter denied
Jesus three times; James and John both demonstrated vengefulness and a lust for
power; yet it is ‘Doubting Thomas’ who seems forever defined by his scepticism!
It is a pity, because we can readily empathise with Thomas’ attitude as we
wrestle daily with our own doubts and fears. We can take comfort in the fact
that Jesus does not scold Thomas for his disbelief. Indeed, in the midst of
doubt, Jesus offers peace.
Our encounter with the risen Lord
brings about peace in our own lives, but Jesus invites us to discover the
source of that peace: the cross. He asks us to enter the wounded world, and
help others experience Christ in the midst of their own suffering and doubts.
ST. THOMAS, APOSTLE
On July 3, the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Thomas the
Apostle. Best known for his initial unwillingness to believe the other apostles
in their claim that Jesus had risen from the dead, St. Thomas can teach the
faithful about believing without seeing.
As
an apostle, Thomas was dedicated to following the Lord. Upon hearing that Jesus
was returning to Judea, an area that would pose dangers due to the growing
animosity of the authorities there, he immediately said to the other apostles,
"Let us also go, that we may die with him" (Jn 11: 16).
Yet
despite this determination, Thomas proved not only too weak to stand beside
Jesus as he faced his crucifixion, but also doubted the Lord’s Resurrection
when he was told about it by the other apostles. Denying their story, he told
them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my
finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not
believe" (Jn 20: 25).
A
week later, Christ appeared and 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." When Thomas did so he exclaimed, "My
Lord and my God!"
In
his general audience on September 27, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of St.
Thomas, explaining that we can learn from his doubts, which show us "that
Jesus can now be recognized by his wounds rather than by his face."
"The
Apostle Thomas’ case is important to us for at least three reasons," said
the Pope. "First, because it comforts us in our insecurity; second,
because it shows us that every doubt can lead to an outcome brighter than any
uncertainty; and, lastly, because the words that Jesus addressed to him remind
us of the true meaning of mature faith and encourage us to persevere, despite
the difficulty, along our journey of adhesion to him."
After
Pentecost, St. Thomas is traditionally believed to have preached the Good News
to the Persians and Medes, until he reached India, where he evangelized and was
eventually martyred in 72 A.D.
St.
Thomas’ feast day is July 3, and he is the patron of architects and builders.
LECTIO DIVINA: ST. THOMAS, AP
- JN. 20,24-29
Lectio Divina:
Monday, July 3, 2017
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.
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.
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?
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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