Posted on 01/10/2005 12:36:47 PM PST by It's me
CHENNAI (ICNS) – The tsunami waves have subsided, but a miracle is being talked about across Chennai. It is the story of how St Thomas’ miraculous post kept the invading waves away, sparing the newly renovated Santhome Cathedral.
The Cathedral, the world’s second basilica built on an apostle’s tomb, has been giving shelter to hundreds of tsunami victims ever since the waves ravaged many buildings across the coast.
But even though the killer tsunami waves devastated the Chennai coast, Father Lawrence Raj, the parish priest of the Santhome Cathedral Basilica, says “the sea did not touch our church.”
The reason? “We believe the miraculous post of St Thomas prevented the sea waters from entering the church,” says Father Raj.
The church that sits at the site where St. Thomas, one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ, was buried after his death in the year 72 is located a few metres from the sea. While all the buildings on either side of the church were hit by the tsunami waves, the Santhome Cathedral remained unaffected.
Local people now say it is the St Thomas’ miraculous post that has kept the sea away on December 26.
According to Father Raj, the legend is that when St Thomas planted the post at the top of the steps leading to the Cathedral, he said the sea would not pass that point.
The priest saw from the terrace of church the angry sea in action, as it surged across the road and flooded the huts in front of St Thomas’ post, which is an innocuous looking log of wood, mounted on a cement pedestal.
The belief goes that a village in the Mylapore area was flooded when a huge tree trunk fell across the river. The local king brought a royal pachyderm to lug it away, but the task seemed impossible.
Then, according to legend, St Thomas came along, removed the girdle from his waist and handed it to a bystander and asked him to yank the log with it. He did so and the log was moved easily.
A mural in the Cathedral museum illustrates this incident. Father Raj says the current post is believed to be from that same log of wood.
Hundreds of homeless survivors who have been staying in the church ever since the tragedy hit them have prayed to St Thomas for saving them.
“It is St Thomas who has saved me. This church was untouched by the waters because of the miraculous power of the St Thomas post,” said K Sebastiraj, a fisherman who sought shelter in the Santhome Cathedral.
Thank you. I think God watches out for His churches and His people.
Look....up there....there goes the point!
I'm a fairly Protestant/fundamentalist kinda' guy...
but honestly, that's one fine looking cathedral...
(photo in post 30)
Nit this, pic, and help me out here. Does this comment stem from your "mono-" dimensioned or "uni-" dimensional world-view?
Now you've done it!
"Also amazing is that every Southern Baptist missionary (and there are many) in each of the affected countries was alive and well and accounted for within 24 hours of the disaster."
God looks after His people. He's not concerned about buildings. He's in the soul business.
Maybe when we're done looking at "tradition" we could look at "obvious". It's hard for me to think that anything that took such a long post to "prove" could be obvious.
It might be true (though I don't think so) but it SHO ain't obvious.
"“We believe the miraculous post of St Thomas prevented the sea waters from entering the church,” says Father Raj. "
The post has that power? A piece of wood? Or maybe God? They should give credit where credit is due.
For a Christian to die is to gain. Perhaps it was their time but He left missionaries to carry on His work? It's not our calling to question or judge Him.
I hate to be rotten but I wish they would try to find a natural explanation for this instead of attribute it to saintly intervention. A stone and steel and wood church is very nice to save of course, but the next logical question is: Why did God save the church and not the people on the coast? I think they should be cautious about declaring this a miracle, given the extent of the existing loss.
A lotta mosques were saved for the same reason - you notice in Banda Aceh, only the big mosque made it. I think it's due to sturdy construction rather than the hand of God.
Then if I tell you to go jump off a cliff then I will be helping mankind?
Then read it again, you will see it.
It is quite obvious if you just read what it says instead of what people tell you it means.
Read it for yourself and forget all you were ever taught.
Remember:: WHAT WAS THE SUBJECT THEY WERE TALKNG ABOUT?
Ah, Race ... you and I both know the "church" is the body of believers, not a building no matter how grand or elaborate it is. It looks like a dirty shack to Him. As it says in the Bible, our best works are filthy rags to Him.
I doubt that you'll get through ...but keep trying.
"It is not obvious that the rock Jesus was speaking of was himself. In fact Jesus refers to Peter..."
But even if Jesus's statement read that Peter is the rock, it is very subjective whether or not the Catholic church is that church or has broken from what true Christianity is. Christ's Church is still alive...but whether that Church is the Catholic branch is the big question to me. With everything that lead up to the reformation and that which goes on to this day, I see much of what I believe is heresy. Can a heretical church be Christ's church? I would not think so.
Christ derides man's focus on man's rules and traditions of the Pharasee's over the commands of God. I see very little difference between the big social, man made organization that the Pharasee's created and what the Catholic church is now. But I am still learning and could be wrong....but that is my take on it now.
Ah Race, maybe someone will really get it!
You can only pray they do!
Good job!
I had a lot of practice here...
It really is simple, just keep track of what the subject was when Jesus said that!!
It is so easy!
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