We know the names of Christ’s Twelve Apostles because
the list is found in the Gospels. Some
are well known to us for good (St. Peter) and bad (Judas Iscariot)
reasons. Peter’s personality especially
comes across vividly in the scriptural accounts; and we also know something of
the personalities of James and his brother, John – the Sons of Thunder. Some are remembered for the method of their
calling, such as Andrew and Matthew.
Some are known by little more than their names, such as Jude and
Thaddeus.
Today’s saint, St. Thomas is known to us from a few
references and one vivid incident following Christ’s resurrection. Other than his identity as an Israelite,
nothing is known of Thomas’ origins. In
the gospels, he is referred to as “Didymus” or the “the twin” (the name Thomas
itself has been interpreted as twin.)
Not even apocryphal literature identifies who was Thomas’ twin. As a one of the Twelve, Thomas was one of
Jesus’ most intimate companions, traveling with him, witnessing his miracles,
and absorbing Jesus’ teaching about Himself and the Kingdom of God. It is astounding to us today to imagine what
it must have been like to be in the daily presence of Jesus; and to be witness
to the revelation of Christ as Son of God and Redeemer of Mankind. And yet these simple men were chosen to be
the first heralds of the Good News, and to lay the foundations of God’s Church
on earth. And while we struggle in vain
to penetrate through the millennia to know something of these special men;
perhaps, in the end, it is enough that Christ knew them and chose them, and
that their words, deeds and teachings, through the grace of the Holy Spirit,
have come down to us today.
Despite their frequent inability to truly comprehend
Jesus and his teachings; there is little doubt that the apostles were on fire
with the Love of God. The first time we
hear Thomas speak is following the death of Lazarus. Despite the apostles’ misgivings, Jesus is
preparing to return to Lazarus’ home in Judea, where it is feared He will be
stoned. It is Thomas who speaks in this
instance, saying to his fellow apostles, “Let
us also go, that we may die with him."
This genuine devotion to Jesus would be put to the test during His
passion and found wanting. That the
apostles did not fully comprehend the nature of Christ and his mission is
reflected in their reaction to His suffering and death. This is voiced by Thomas at the Last Supper,
when Jesus speaks of His Father’s House.
When Jesus says that He will go before them; Thomas, not understanding
asks, “Lord,
we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?” Jesus’ answer is a revelation of Himself, “I
am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No
man cometh to the Father, but by me.”
Like all the apostles, Thomas deserted Jesus during his
Passion. When Jesus appeared to the
twelve following His resurrection, Thomas was not there. Informed by his fellow apostles that Jesus
has truly risen, Thomas is skeptical, “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.”
Eight days later, Jesus again appeared to the Twelve, this time with
Thomas. Jesus invites Thomas to examine
his wounds, and the spirit of revelation washed the scales from Thomas’ eyes
and caused him to exclaim, “My Lord and My God!” Along with the other apostles, Thomas was
commissioned to preach the gospel to whole world.
After this, what we know of Thomas comes from
tradition, some of which is reliable and some which is not. Some apocryphal documents state that Thomas
was the only witness to the Assumption of Mary – although most scholars
discount this. Other traditions hold
that when dividing up the mission fields, Thomas was assigned what was then
Persia and India. The apocryphal Acts of
Thomas states that Thomas was reluctant to go, and that in order that God might
fulfill His Will in him, Thomas was made and slave and thus taken to India.
It is likely that Thomas was the apostle to Persia and
India, probably arriving there around 52 AD.
He made conversions and performed baptisms despite strenuous opposition
(indeed, descendants of these early Christians, known as St. Thomas Christians,
or Nasranis, still live in India today.)
His preaching and conversions aggravated the local shamans, and he was
forced to flee to what is now called St. Thomas Mount, west of Mylapore,
India. His persecutors pursued him, and
it was on this Mount, that Thomas – the original “Doubting Thomas” – gave full testament
to his faith in Jesus Christ by suffering martyrdom by being run through with a
lance. The present Basilica of St.
Thomas was built on the spot.
Pope Gregory the Great and other commentators have
highlighted the significance of Thomas’ story – that faith is not always a
brilliant moment of acceptance or an uninterrupted assent, but rather often a
winding path, subject to the whims of our own human frailty. Having experienced doubt after a personal
association with Jesus, St. Thomas is a powerful intercessor for those who
struggle with belief, especially in an increasingly secular world. And his martyrdom is a vivid reminder that
Jesus calls us to the cross; and that neither accommodation with the world or
false compassion can ever be preferred to the Truth.
V. Holy St. Thomas the
Apostle, pray for us,
R. That we may be made
worthy of the promises of Christ!
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