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July 3
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.
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)” (Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity, 5).
Patron Saint of:
Architects
Construction workers
Cooks
St. Thomas, Pray for us.
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