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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 07-03-17, FEAST, St. Thomas, Apostle
USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 07-03-17 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 07/02/2017 10:08:03 PM PDT by Salvation

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To: Salvation
John
  English: Douay-Rheims Latin: Vulgata Clementina Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
  John 20
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, who is called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. Thomas autem unus ex duodecim, qui dicitur Didymus, non erat cum eis quando venit Jesus. θωμας δε εις εκ των δωδεκα ο λεγομενος διδυμος ουκ ην μετ αυτων οτε ηλθεν ο ιησους
25 The other disciples therefore said to him: We have seen the Lord. But he said to them: Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. Dixerunt ergo ei alii discipuli : Vidimus Dominum. Ille autem dixit eis : Nisi videro in manibus ejus fixuram clavorum, et mittam digitum meum in locum clavorum, et mittam manum meam in latus ejus, non credam. ελεγον ουν αυτω οι αλλοι μαθηται εωρακαμεν τον κυριον ο δε ειπεν αυτοις εαν μη ιδω εν ταις χερσιν αυτου τον τυπον των ηλων και βαλω τον δακτυλον μου εις τον τυπον των ηλων και βαλω την χειρα μου εις την πλευραν αυτου ου μη πιστευσω
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said: Peace be to you. Et post dies octo, iterum erant discipuli ejus intus, et Thomas cum eis. Venit Jesus januis clausis, et stetit in medio, et dixit : Pax vobis. και μεθ ημερας οκτω παλιν ησαν εσω οι μαθηται αυτου και θωμας μετ αυτων ερχεται ο ιησους των θυρων κεκλεισμενων και εστη εις το μεσον και ειπεν ειρηνη υμιν
27 Then he saith to Thomas: Put in thy finger hither, and see my hands; and bring hither thy hand, and put it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing. Deinde dicit Thomæ : Infer digitum tuum huc, et vide manus meas, et affer manum tuam, et mitte in latus meum : et noli esse incredulus, sed fidelis. ειτα λεγει τω θωμα φερε τον δακτυλον σου ωδε και ιδε τας χειρας μου και φερε την χειρα σου και βαλε εις την πλευραν μου και μη γινου απιστος αλλα πιστος
28 Thomas answered, and said to him: My Lord, and my God. Respondit Thomas, et dixit ei : Dominus meus et Deus meus. και απεκριθη θωμας και ειπεν αυτω ο κυριος μου και ο θεος μου
29 Jesus saith to him: Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed. Dixit ei Jesus : Quia vidisti me, Thoma, credidisti : beati qui non viderunt, et crediderunt. λεγει αυτω ο ιησους οτι εωρακας με πεπιστευκας μακαριοι οι μη ιδοντες και πιστευσαντες

21 posted on 07/03/2017 5:36:22 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex
24. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25. The other disciples therefore said to him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

CHRYS. A priest though he may have ordered well his own life, yet, if he have not exercised proper vigilance over others, is sent to hell with the evil doers. Wherefore, knowing the greatness of their danger, pay them all respect, even though they be not men of notable goodness. For they who are in rule, should not be judged by those who are under them. And their incorrectness of life will not at all invalidate what they do by commission from God. For not only cannot a priest, but not even angel or archangel, do any thing of themselves; the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost do all. The priest only furnishes the tongue, and the hand. For it were not just that the salvation of those who come to the Sacraments in faith, should be endangered by another's wickedness.

At the assembly of the disciples all were present but Thomas, who probably had not returned from the dispersion: But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

ALCUIN. Didymus, double or doubtful, because he doubted in believing: Thomas, depth, because with most sure faith he penetrated into the depth of our Lord's divinity.

GREG. 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, confirming our minds in belief, beyond all question.

BEDE. But why does this Evangelist say that Thomas was absent, when Luke writes that two disciples on their return from Emmaus found the eleven assembled? We must understand that Thomas had gone out, and that in the interval of his absence, Jesus came and stood in the midst.

CHRYS. As to believe directly, and any how, is the mark of too easy a mind, so is too much inquiring of a gross one: and this is Thomas's fault. For when the Apostle said, We have seen the Lord, he did not believe, not because he discredited them, but from an idea of the impossibility of the thing itself: The other disciples therefore said to him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe. Being the grossest of all, he required the evidence of the grossest sense, viz. the touch, and would not even believe his eyes: for he does not say only, Except I shall see, but adds, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side.

26. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be to you.
27. Then says he to Thomas, Reach hither your finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither your hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28. And Thomas answered and said to him, My Lord and My God.
29. Jesus says to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

CHRYS. Consider the mercy of the Lord, how for the sake; of one soul, He exhibits His wounds. And yet the disciples deserved credit, and He had Himself foretold the event. Notwithstanding, because one person, Thomas, would examine Him, Christ allowed him. But He did not appear to him immediately, but waited till the eighth day, in order that the admonition being given in the presence of the disciples, might kindle in him greater desire, and strengthen his faith for the future. And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be to you.

AUG. You ask; If He entered by the shut door, where is the nature of His body? And I reply; If He walked on the sea, where is the weight of His body? The Lord did that as the Lord; and did He, after His resurrection, cease to be the Lord?

CHRYS Jesus then comes Himself, and does not wait till Thomas interrogates Him. But to show that He heard what Thomas said to the disciples, He uses the same words. And first He rebukes him; Then says He to Thomas, Reach hither your finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither your hand, and thrust it into My side: secondly, He admonishes him; And be not faithless, but believing. Note how that before they receive the Holy Ghost faith wavers, but afterward is firm. We may wonder how an incorruptible body could retain the marks of the nails. But it was done in condescension; in order that they might be sure that it was the very person Who was crucified.

AUG. He might, had He pleased, have wiped all spot and trace of wound from His glorified body; but He had reasons for retaining them. He showed them to Thomas, who would not believe except he saw and touched, and He will show them to His enemies, not to say, as He did to Thomas, Because you have seen, you have believed, but to convict them: Behold the Man whom you crucified, see the wounds which you inflicted, recognize the side which you pierced, that it was by you, and for you, that it was opened, and yet you cannot enter there.

AUG. We are, as I know not how, afflicted with such love for the blessed martyrs, that we would wish in that kingdom to see on their bodies the marks of those wounds which they have borne for Christ's sake. And perhaps we shall see them; for they will not have deformity, but dignity, and, though on the body, shine forth not with bodily, but with spiritual beauty. Nor yet, if any of the limbs of martyrs have been cut off, shall they therefore appear without them in the resurrection of the dead; for it is said, There shall not an hair of your head perish. But if it be fit that in that new world, the traces of glorious wounds should still be preserved on the immortal flesh, in the places where the limbs were cut off there, though those same limbs withal be not lost but restored, shall the wounds appear. For though all the blemishes of the body shall then be no more, yet the evidences of virtue are not to be called blemishes.

GREG. Our Lord gave that flesh to be touched which He had introduced through shut doors: wherein two wonderful, and, according to human reason, contradictory things appear, viz. that after the resurrection He had a body incorruptible, and yet palpable. For that which is palpable must be corruptible, and that which is incorruptible must be impalpable. But He showed Himself incorruptible and yet palpable, to prove that His body after His resurrection was the same in nature as before, but different in glory.

GREG. Our body also in that resurrection to glory will be subtle by means of the action of the Spirit, but palpable by its true nature, not, as Eutychius says, impalpable, and subtler than the winds and the air.

AUG. Thomas saw and touched the man, and confessed the. God whom he neither saw nor touched. By means of the one he believed the other undoubtingly: Thomas answered and said to Him, My Lord and My God.

THEOPHYL. He who had been before unbelieving, after touching the body showed himself the best divine; for he asserted the twofold nature and one Person of Christ; by saying, My Lord, the human nature by saying, My God, the divine, and by joining them both, confessed that one and the same Person was Lord and God.

Jesus says to him, Because you have seen Me, you have believed.

AUG. He says not, has touched me, but, has seen me; the sight being a kind of general sense, and put in the place often of the other four senses; as when we say, Hear, and see how well it sounds; smell, and see how sweet it smells; taste, and see how well it tastes, touch, and see how warm it is. Wherefore also our Lord says, Reach hither your finger, and behold My hands. What is this but, Touch and see? And yet he had not eyes in his finger. He refers them both to seeing and to touching, when He says, Because you have seen, you have believed. Although it might be said, that the disciple did not dare to touch, what was offered to be touched.

GREG. But when the Apostle says, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, it is plain that things which are seen, are objects not of faith, but of knowledge. Why then is it said to Thomas who saw and touched, Because you have seen Me, you have believed? Because he saw one thing, believed another; saw the man, confessed the God. But what follows is very gladdening; Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. In which sentence we are specially included, who have not seen Him with the eye, but retain Him in the mind, provided we only develop our faith in good works. For he only really believes, who practices what he believes.

AUG. He uses the past tense, in the future to His knowledge having already taken place by His own predestination.

CHRYS. If any one then says, Would that I had lived in those times, and seen Christ doing miracles! let him reflect, Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

THEOPHYL. Here He means the disciples who had believed without seeing the print of the nails, and His side.

Catena Aurea John 20
22 posted on 07/03/2017 5:38:11 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex


The Incredulity of Saint Thomas

Caravaggio

1601–1602
Oil on canvas
107 cm × 146 cm (42 in × 57 in)
Sanssouci, Potsdam

23 posted on 07/03/2017 5:38:52 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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To: All
Saint Thomas the Apostle

Fr. Don Miller, OFM

<em>Saint Thomas</em> | Georges de La TourImage: Saint Thomas | Georges de La Tour

Saint Thomas the Apostle

Saint of the Day for July 3

(1st Century – December 21, 72)

 

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


24 posted on 07/03/2017 4:23:42 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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The Twelve Apostles of the Catholic Church: St. Thomas [Catholic Caucus]
Saint Thomas the Apostle
St. Thomas the Apostle (First Century)
St. Thomas in India
Row over Pope's remark on St Thomas
The Apostle Thomas, His Question Gives Us the Right ... to Ask Jesus for Explanations
Orthodox Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, October 6
HOMILIES PREACHED BY FATHER ALTIER ON THE FEAST OF SAINT THOMAS THE APOSTLE
St. Thomas, Apostle and Martyr December 21
Celebrating the Apostle's Coming : 1950th Anniversary of St. Thomas in India
25 posted on 07/03/2017 4:27:21 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Information: St. Thomas

Feast Day: July 3

Died: 72 in India

Patron of: against doubt, architects, blind people, builders, East Indies, geometricians, India, masons, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, surveyors, theologians

26 posted on 07/03/2017 4:33:48 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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St. Thomas

Feast Day: July 03
Born: (around the time of Jesus) :: Died: (around) 72 AD

Thomas was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. Thomas in the Syriac language means "twin." St. Thomas loved Jesus very much. Once when Jesus was going to face the danger of being killed, the other apostles tried to hold Jesus back. But St. Thomas said to them, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

When Jesus was captured by his enemies, Thomas lost his courage and ran away with the other apostles. It broke his heart when Jesus died. Then on Easter Sunday, Jesus appeared to his apostles after he had risen from the dead but Thomas was not with them. As soon as he arrived, the other apostles told him joyfully, "We have seen the Lord." They thought Thomas would be happy. Instead, he did not believe them.

"Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails," he said, "and put my finger in the place of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."

Eight days later when Jesus appeared to his apostles again, Thomas was there, too. Jesus called him and told him to touch his hands and the wound in his side. Poor St. Thomas! He fell down at Jesus' feet and cried out, "My Lord and my God!"

Then Jesus said, "Because you have seen me, Thomas, you have believed. Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed."

After Pentecost, Thomas was strong and firm in his belief and trust in Jesus. He took the mission he was given seriously and went to Parthia, Persia and India to preach the Gospel. He was killed by his enemies while kneeling in front of a cross and praying. He died a martyr there, after many people became followers of Jesus.


27 posted on 07/03/2017 4:43:54 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Monday, July 3

Liturgical Color: Green

The Church dedicates the month
of October to the Blessed Virgin
of the Rosary. As we pray each
decade, we meditate on one of
the mysteries of the Rosary,
celebrating God's love for us.

28 posted on 07/03/2017 4:55:40 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: July 3rd

Feast of St. Thomas, apostle

MASS READINGS

July 03, 2017 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Grant, almighty God, that we may glory in the Feast of the blessed Apostle Thomas, so that we may always be sustained by his intercession and, believing, may have life in the name of Jesus Christ your Son, whom Thomas acknowledged as the Lord. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Old Calendar: St. Irenaeus, bishop and martyr; St. Leo II, pope and confessor (Hist)

St. Thomas, the disciple who at first did not believe, has become for the Church one of the first witnesses to her faith. She is fond of appealing to his testimony and frequently puts in our mouths those simple words whereby he expressed the fervour of his regained faith: "My Lord and my God." It is known that St. Thomas preached the Gospel in Asia beyond the frontiers of the Roman Empire, probably in Persia and possibly as far afield as India. St. Thomas' feast was formerly celebrated on December 21.

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Irenaeus, Doctor of the Church, who wrote many important works of which the most famous is his Adversus Haereses, Against the Heresies, in explanation of the Faith. His feast in the Ordinary Form is celebrated on June 28.

Historically today is the feast of St. Leo II, one of the last Popes of the early Middle Ages. His short pontificate (682-683) was marked by the confirmation of the sixth ecumenical council at which the Monothelite heresy was condemned. St. Leo II also perfected the melodies of the Gregorian chant for the Psalms and composed some new hymns.


St. Thomas
There is very little about the apostle Thomas in the Gospels; one text calls him the "twin." Rarely during Jesus' lifetime does he stand out among his colleagues. There is the instance before the raising of Lazarus, when Jesus was still in Perea and Thomas exclaimed: "Let us also go and die with Him." Best-known is his expression of unbelief after the Savior's death, giving rise to the phrase "doubting Thomas." Nevertheless, the passage describing the incident, had as today's Gospel, must be numbered among the most touching in Sacred Scripture.

In the Breviary lessons Pope St. Gregory the Great makes the following reflections: "Thomas' unbelief has benefited our faith more than the belief of the other disciples; it is because he attained faith through physical touch that we are confirmed in the faith beyond all doubt. Indeed, the Lord permitted the apostle to doubt after the resurrection; but He did not abandon him in doubt. By his doubt and by his touching the sacred wounds the apostle became a witness to the truth of the resurrection. Thomas touched and cried out: My Lord and my God! And Jesus said to him: Because you have seen Me, Thomas, you have believed. Now if Thomas saw and touched the Savior, why did Jesus say: Because you have seen Me, Thomas, you have believed? Because he saw something other than what he believed. For no mortal man can see divinity. Thomas saw the Man Christ and acknowledged His divinity with the words: My Lord and my God. Faith therefore followed upon seeing."

Concerning later events in the apostle's life very meager information exists. The Martyrology has this: "At Calamina (near Madras in India) the martyrdom of the apostle Thomas - he announced the Gospel to the Parthians, and finally came to India. After he had converted numerous tribes to Christianity, he was pierced with lances at the king's command."

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Against doubt; architects; blind people; builders; construction workers; Ceylon East Indies; geometricians; India; masons; Pakistan; people in doubt; Sri Lanka; stone masons; stonecutters; surveyors; theologians.

Symbols: Spear and lance; carpenter's square and lance; builder's rule; arrows; five wounds of our Lord; girdle; book and spear; spear; t-square.
Often Portrayed As: With a lance (because of his martyrdom) or with a square (because of the legend that he was sent as an architect to the king of India).

Things to Do:


St. Leo II
Pope Leo II was a Sicilian. He was learned in sacred and profane letters, as also in the Greek and Latin tongues, and was moreover an excellent musician. He rearranged and improved the music of the sacred hymns and psalms used in the Church. He approved the acts of the sixth General Council, which was held at Constantinople, under the presidency of the legates of the apostolic see, in the presence of the emperor Constantine, the patriarchs of Constantinople and Antioch, and one hundred and seventy bishops: Leo also translated these said acts into Latin.

It was in this Council that Cyrus, Sergius, and Pyrrhus were condemned for teaching that there is in Christ only one will and one operation. Leo broke the pride of the archbishops of Ravenna, who had puffed themselves up, under the power of the exarchs, to set at naught the power of the apostolic see. Wherefore, he decreed that the elections of the clergy of Ravenna should be worth nothing, until they had been confirmed by the authority of the Bishop of Rome.

He was a true father to the poor. Not by money only, but by his deeds, his labours, and his advice, he relieved the poverty and loneliness of widows and orphans. He was leading all to live holy and godly lives, not by mere preaching, but by his own life, when he died in the year 683, he had been Pope eleven months. He was buried in the church of Saint Peter.

Excerpted from The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.

29 posted on 07/03/2017 5:09:12 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 20:24-29

Saint Thomas, Apostle (Feast)

My Lord and my God! (John 20:28)

St. Thomas often gets a bad rap. He is known mostly as “Doubting Thomas,” but that’s an unfair portrait of the man. In fact, Thomas may well be one of the greatest unsung heroes of the New Testament.

If you were to look for the most profound act of faith in the Gospels, Thomas’ would be near the top of the list: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Not just “Messiah” and not just “Rabbi,” but “Lord” and “God.” It was also a very personal proclamation: Thomas claimed Jesus not only as “the Lord” but his Lord.

These words didn’t come out of the blue. They were the fruit of all the time he had spent with Jesus. They were the result of his determination to listen to Jesus and to follow his lead.

So who was this Thomas the believer? For one, he was zealous and enthusiastic. He was the first apostle to state his willingness to accompany Jesus even if it meant death (John 11:16). He was also hungry to learn more about Jesus. At the Last Supper, it was Thomas who asked, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” (14:5). After Pentecost, Thomas traveled far and wide, ending up in India, where tradition tells us he was martyred in AD 52.

That’s quite a résumé! And yet, Thomas is still remembered as the one who doubted. Surely James or Philip or Andrew would have been just as suspicious if they had been in his situation on Easter Sunday. Surely any of us would have found the news of Jesus’ resurrection hard to believe. So maybe we should give Thomas a new nickname. Maybe we could call him “Believing Thomas” or “Faithful Thomas” or “Adventurous Thomas.”

Today, as you reflect on the way Jesus used Thomas to change the world, ask him to do the same for you. Ask him to give you the same zeal and inquisitiveness and courage that this apostle had. And believe that even when doubt gets the upper hand, it doesn’t mean that your story is over. Like Thomas, you, too, can be “blessed” even if you “have not seen” but still believe (John 20:29).

“Jesus, form me as you formed Thomas. Teach me to believe; then send me out as your witness.”

Ephesians 2:19-22
Psalm 117:1-2

30 posted on 07/03/2017 5:12:33 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for July 3, 2017:

“As a matter of equality, your surplus at the present time should supply their needs.” (2 Cor 8:13-14) Considering your resources, find someone who has less today. Give them some of your surplus – money, time, or talent.

31 posted on 07/03/2017 6:46:58 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Regnum Christi

July 3, 2017 – “My Lord and My God!”

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

Father Robert DeCesare, LC

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 he 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.”

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of faith I received with baptism. I believe all that you have revealed, though I recognize that my faith is still small. I now submerge my weak faith in your overflowing goodness and mercy, and I trust in you completely. I love you, my Lord and my God, with all my mind, heart, soul and strength.

Petition: Lord, increase my faith.

1. “I Will Not Believe.” Lord, I live in a culture where I have to know everything. If there are no facts, if I lack evidence, then I refuse to believe. At times, Lord, even with facts and evidence in front of me, I still refuse to believe. I know, Lord, that faith calls for man “to commit his entire self to God” ( Dei Verbum 5). Thomas refuses to do this when the apostles share the exciting news: “We have seen the Lord” (John 20:25). But their news does not correspond to what Thomas knows. He knows that you died. Maybe he went to the tomb on Saturday. He would have seen the guards stationed there and would have imagined that there was no way to take you from the tomb. Do I come up with convincing reasons not to believe? If I do, how can I answer better through faith?

2. “Do Not Be Unbelieving, But Believe.” Lord, Thomas looks at you in the Upper Room as you say this. I recall the words: “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). You invite Thomas to take that step of faith: to leave behind what he knows and to accept your Resurrection. He had seen you raise Lazarus, and now you invite him to believe that you yourself are forever alive. You are God, both living and true. There in the Upper Room, you invite me, as you did Thomas, to believe that you are alive in my life. Lord, I want you to have a strong presence in my life.

3. “Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen, and Have Believed.” Lord, I cannot make it to heaven without faith. Your words to Thomas allude to what lies in store for me if I believe until death. I was not alive when you walked on the earth, but in the light of what you say to Thomas, I have all the more reason to exercise my faith and pray as Thomas did: “My Lord and my God.” You desire my faith, Lord, just as you desired Thomas’. How great you are, Lord! “Faith is first and foremost a personal adherence of man to God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 150). I want to adhere to you, my Lord and my God.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I believe that you want to be a great part of my life. You want to be the Lord of it. My faith is so little. Help me to increase my faith. Give it what it needs to grow.

Resolution: Today during the day I will read numbers 150-152 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church about faith, so as to work to increase my faith in God.

32 posted on 07/03/2017 6:50:36 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Homily of the Day
July 3, 2017

We tend to look at things in our own personal point of view. In the
letter of Paul to the Ephesians, we are reminded to appreciate the
greatest gift that God had given us – God accepted us, we of whom were
not part of his initially chosen people, into his family. What can we
do to build a dwelling place within ourselves for God’s spirit to grow
within us?

Just like Thomas, all of us have our personal spiritual doubts. Some of
us may be searching for some kind of spiritual “proof.” But what kind
of “proof” are we looking for? Is it a belief “that if it works – then
it must be true” especially if it was experienced firsthand? Or is it a
“leap of faith” or “leap in the dark”? Or is our belief on the point
that “since there was past evidence, then it makes sense”?

The Gospel today reminds us to pause and reflect on the evidences in
our daily lives that come from our belief and trust in Jesus Christ.
Could these evidences have been shown within us as a result of
experiencing and reflecting on God’s Words, finding it easier to show
love and concern to others and the need to share our faith with them?


33 posted on 07/03/2017 6:53:08 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Espa�ol

All Issues > Volume 33, Issue 4

<< Monday, July 3, 2017 >> St. Thomas
 
Ephesians 2:19-22
View Readings
Psalm 117:1-2 John 20:24-29
Similar Reflections
 

THE LOVE THAT KNOWS NO BOUNDS

 
"His answer was, 'I will never believe it without probing the nailprints in His hands, without putting my finger in the nailmarks and my hand into His side.' " �John 20:25
 

It was unreasonable for Thomas to make his examination of Jesus' wounds a prerequisite for believing in Jesus' resurrection. No one, including Thomas, has the right to examine the wounds of Jesus or of anyone. Nevertheless, Jesus fulfilled Thomas' unreasonable request. Jesus goes to extremes to love and save us. His Incarnation, His crucifixion and death, the gift of His body and blood, His repeated forgiveness and mercy, and His humility in acceding to many of our unreasonable demands are amazing indications that His love for us knows no bounds.

Yet some people are so blinded that they don't recognize the Lord's extreme love. Others are so callous that they presumptuously think that they can delay their conversion to the Lord because He'll keep giving them chances to repent. However, others respond to the Lord's radical love for them as Thomas eventually responded. They cry out to Jesus with their whole being: "My Lord and my God!" (Jn 20:28)

The Lord has created us to love us. He has been pursuing us for years. He is madly in love with us. Will you love Him? Love Him with all your heart (Mt 22:37). Accept Jesus as your Lord and God.

 
Prayer: God, I love You, Who are Love (1 Jn 4:8, 16). I will live and die for You.
Promise: "You are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God." �Eph 2:19
Praise: "My Lord and my God!" (Jn 20:28)

34 posted on 07/03/2017 6:55:54 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Men Regret Lost Fatherhood
35 posted on 07/03/2017 6:57:23 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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