Posted on 07/02/2020 10:16:02 PM PDT by Salvation
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.
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.
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.
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.
-- Blessed Giles of Assisi
The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28) "Blessed are you among women, |
Bring your hand and put it into my side. (John 20:27)
Amazing. Jesus had already appeared to the other apostles, to Mary Magdalene, and to two disciples traveling on the road to Emmaus. He had shown himself to be alive over and over again, but Thomas wasnt having it. He wouldnt believe unless he could see Jesus just as they hadand touch him, too!
And what did Jesus do? He yielded to Thomas demands and appeared again. Not only that, but he was willing to let Thomas probe and examine his body so that he could finally believe.
Typically, when we think about this story, we focus on Thomas doubts or weak faith. But today, lets focus instead on Jesus response. Just as he had done in the Incarnation, just as he had done during his hidden years as a carpenter, and just as he had done when he washed his disciples feet and allowed himself to be crucified, here again Jesus humbled himself and gave himself over to the hands of men. He cared more about meeting Thomas need than he cared about how reasonable or appropriate Thomas demand was.
And the result of such humility? Thomas was so moved that he made the greatest and most personal proclamation about Jesus in all the Gospels: My Lord and my God! (John 20:28).
Jesus will always help us to know him better. He probably wont appear physically, as he did for Thomas, but he will show up in countless other ways. In our prayer, in his word, in the love of a friend, in the whispers of our consciencein these and many other ways, Jesus humbly comes to us. And of course, the humblest way of all is when he places himself in our hands in the gift of the Eucharist.
Wherever he traveled as an apostle, Thomas probably told the story of how Jesus let him touch him. Let him tell you the same thing today: Jesus is standing before you right now. He is inviting you to reach out and touch him. Let him show you that he truly is your Lord and your God.
Thank you, Jesus, for humbling yourself so much just to save me.
Ephesians 2:19-22
Psalm 117:1-2
Daily Marriage Tip for July 3, 2020:
We often take the ones we love for granted on small things. Be courteous! Always say please, thank you to your spouse, even for small things
like making dinner or taking out the garbage. Give the one you love the same common courtesy you give to a stranger.
Thomas, whose name means “twin,” showed signs of a pronounced independence. It stands to reason that a twin might be especially insistent on differentiating himself from his twin as he matures. When Thomas told the other apostles that he did not believe the apostles’ claim that Jesus had risen (Jn 20:25), Thomas wrongfully chose to be independent of the apostles, Mary Magdalene, and others who had met the risen Christ. When Thomas talked about putting his fingers and hands into Jesus’ wounds (Jn 20:25), he was displaying an independence which was extreme to the point of possibly being sinful. Thomas was saying that he would have to see, probe, and inspect Jesus’ risen body himself before he would believe in Jesus’ Resurrection.
It is no coincidence that in the USA the celebration of the feast of St. Thomas always is on the day preceding the birthday of our country, “Independence Day.” When our citizens are independent from sin and totally dependent on God, we are truly “one nation under God.” When we decide to be independent from God, our independence becomes sinful, leading to destruction and damnation. May the USA repent as did Thomas and proclaim Jesus as Lord and God (Jn 20:28). Otherwise, we will perish in our independence.
Prayer: Father, help me unlearn what the world has mistaught me about independence. Send the Holy Spirit to teach me that true independence is grounded in total dependence on You.
Promise: This means that you are strangers and aliens no longer. No, you are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God. Eph 2:19
Praise: St. Thomas said to his fellow disciples, Let us go along, to die with him (Jn 11:16). St. Thomas is most often associated with doubting, but in the end he proved his courage and fidelity to Jesus.
What a message!
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