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 Psalm117:1BC, 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.
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?
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.
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?
"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
FRIDAY, JULY 3, JOHN 20:24-29
(Ephesians 2:19-22; Psalm 117)
FRIDAY, 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.
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 pleaded that they did not understand and received the 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. Although Thomas was present at the raising of Lazarus from the dead, and even stated his willingness to go to Jerusalem and there "die with the Lord" (Jn 11:16), he refused to believe in Christ's appearance to the Twelve. This incident gave rise to the expression "doubting Thomas." 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 who call themselves "Christians of Saint Thomas." 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.
Friday 3 July 2020
St Thomas
Ephesians 2:19-22. Go out to all the world and tell the Good
News – Psalm 116(117). John 20:24-29.
‘My Lord and my God!’
Poor Thomas, his moment of doubt has entered our tradition.
We speak of Doubting Thomases as a put down. It implies that the
person is somehow less than others who do believe. And yet, doubt is not the
opposite of faith, it is an element of it. If we never had doubts, there would
be no such thing as faith because no one would need to question anything.
In questioning, our faith deepens and matures. Imagine if your
faith had not changed at all since you were a child. Things would probably be
simpler, but there would be something unsatisfactory about it all.
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/Builders/Construction Workers/Surveyors
India
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Theologians
India
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Theologians
Lectio Divina: St. Thomas, Ap - Jn. 20,24-29
Lectio Divina
Friday, July 3, 2020
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 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 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."
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 “Doubting
Thomas.”
The message of the Gospel today is much more profound and timely
than it might initially appear. Let us look deeper into it:
• 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 people who did not
accept the coming of the Son of God in the flesh (2Jn 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.”
Thomas’ doubt 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 for 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. The first word of Jesus is, and will
always be, “Peace be with you!” What impresses us is the kindness of
Jesus. He does not criticize, nor does He judge the disbelief 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
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 bears 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 and injustice. Jesus becomes present
in our midst in the people 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 Thomas we say: “My Lord and my God!” This gift of Thomas
is the ideal attitude of faith. And Jesus concludes 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 appearance, Jesus repeats, “Peace be with you!” This
repetition stresses the importance of peace. Making peace is part of the
mission. Peace means much more than the absence of war. It means to build
a harmonious human life together in which people can be themselves, having
everything necessary to live, living happily together in peace. This was
the mission of Jesus and is 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 able to fulfill 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, 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; Mt 18:18). In the Gospel of Matthew,
this power is also given to Peter (Mt 16:19). Here we can see that a
community without forgiveness 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 of 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?
For further study
Saint Thomas traveled east to India and converted many in the
states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu to Christianity in the first century. The
history of the Church in India is very diverse, with many rifts. However, one
of these communities of “Saint Thomas Christians” (Nasrani) is the Syro-Malabar
Church, one of several Eastern Churches which are in full communion with Rome.
Take some time to look at the history of some of these Eastern
Churches this week. In addition to the various Roman Rites, there are several
other Rites used throughout these Churches. These historical traditions are
preserved within the Vatican through the Congregation for the Oriental
Churches.
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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