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´´My Lord and My God!´´

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

July 3 of 2014. Feast of Saint Thomas, apostle.

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.

Homily of the Day

July 3, 2014

A personal experience comes to mind – a testimony of God’s goodness after “drought and famine.” My spouse and I lost our jobs, and our small business failed. We were stuck with a big debt, bills piled up, credit cards and loans were at their maximum. The family was in and out of the hospital so often that the staff would say “Welcome back!” There were many days of despair when we did not know how we would be able to feed our two small children and there were creditors knocking on our door. Each night we called on God on bended knees, but there seemed to be no answer. We thought we were in this all alone. During those times it was hard to believe that Christ was the redeemer for we were stuck in the mud for so long that like Thomas, our doubts got the better of us.

Everything came into culmination 2 days before Christmas. We had no money to spend, and yet that day our two small children were rushed to the hospital for severe sickness. We spent Christmas in the hospital with only P2,000. How to pay our bill was our big worry. After five days they were discharged, and we able to pay our bill amounting to P30,000. Without being asked, people just came bearing gifts like that one Christmas night in Bethlehem. Jesus renewed our faith in him. Christ was born again in our hearts that day. Then things started to fall in place. The following year we were able to land a job. But who would have thought that at exactly the same date of the following year, we rushed our two children again to the hospital. But unlike the first Christmas, we had enough money to pay our bill, although we were left with nothing. But this time we were more hopeful because we believed in God’s goodness and providence. The next Christmas, now with three kids, we were able to celebrate Christ’s birthday more joyfully at home. God is good indeed.