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 turned 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 turned 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
TUESDAY, JULY 3, JOHN 20:24-29
(Ephesians 2:19-22; Psalm 117)
TUESDAY, 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 exclaim “My Lord and my God” when the host is elevated at Mass?
TO SERVE: My Lord and my God, help me to believe in you even when I see no physical evidence.of your Divine Presence.
FEAST OF
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." At the Last Supper, when Jesus told his Apostles that he was going to prepare a place for them, Thomas received assurance that Jesus was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. But 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 has a large population who call themselves "Christians of Saint Thomas." Thomas shed his blood for his Master, speared to death at a place called Calamine. St. Thomas is believed to have built a church in a place where pagan priests opposed it..That is the reason why he has been recognized as the patron saints of construction workers.
Tuesday 3 July
2018
St Thomas.
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).
‘You are being built up into a dwelling-place of God in the
Spirit.’
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 flesh wound on Jesus’
side. The painting captures a profound moment when Thomas encounters his Risen
Lord. ‘My Lord and my 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.
Saint Thomas the Apostle
Saint of the Day for July 3
(1st Century – December 21, 72)
 |
| Saint Thomas | Georges de La Tour |
Saint Thomas the Apostle’s Story
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!” 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).
Reflection
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.
Saint Thomas the Apostle is the Patron Saint of:
Architects
Argentina
Construction Workers
Cooks
Argentina
Construction Workers
Cooks
LECTIO DIVINA: ST. THOMAS, AP
- JN. 20,24-29
Lectio Divina:
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
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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