Today is our parish feast day…
St Thomas was a Galilean and one of the 12 Apostles. His Syriac name means ‘Twin’, the Greek form of which would be Didymus. He appears frequently in the Gospels and especially in the Resurrection Narratives of John’s Gospel, one account of which is used at today’s Feast Day Mass.
Traditionally, he was believed to have preached the Gospel in India and been martyred there. From St Augustine, Sermon 258, nn 2,3: “For what is the fullness of faith? That Christ be believed not only as man, that Christ be believed not only as God, but man and God. That is the very fullness of faith: ‘For the word became flesh and dwelt amongst us’ (John 1:14). This disciple therefore, when he touched his Saviour’s scars and members, offered for his touching, exclaimed: ‘My Lord and my God’ (John 20:27). He touched the man, he recognised his God, he touched the flesh, he looked upon the Word.”
St Thomas shares the impetuosity of Peter, the sons of thunder, James and John and Philip’s foolish request to see the Father. He shares their weakness and lack of understanding. But we should never exaggerate their human weakness, as Jesus did not choose worthless men. Holiness is always a gift from the Lord and not our creation. It is given to ordinary men and women who seek the Lord in all humility and the Lord will gradually transform us as he did St Thomas into his image so that we too can say with such conviction “My Lord and my God”.
“Prompted 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 (cf. Colossians 1:24) (Decree on Church’s Missionary Activity, 5).
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