03/07/2023
🕯️✨THE SAINT OF THE DAY🕯️✨
Saint Thomas the Apostle
July 3rd
Thomas, called Didimus which means twin, was a Jew: he had the privilege of following Jesus who called him to the apostles from the early days of his public life. He pleads to the flawed education with candle, simplicity of his soul and love for his Master.
Hearing that Lazarus was ill, «Jesus said to his disciples: Let’s go back to Judea. Master, they made them observe, or now the Jews were trying to stone you, and you return among them? And Jesus answered, "Isn't there twelve hours a day?" If one walks during the day does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world; but if one walks at night stumbles, because he has no light.
Some disciples were still looking for ways to deter him. Tommaso, an unremovable sight, said: «We are also going to die with him».
We have another proof of love from this Apostle when Jesus in the Last Supper, wanting to comfort his disciples, came out with these words: «Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God and also in me. In my father's house there are many mansions. I am going to prepare a place for you; and when I have prepared it I will come back to get you, so that where I am you may be too ».
Thomas, who eagerly wanted to follow him, said: «Lord, don’t we know where you’re going and how can we know the road? ".
Jesus answered him: «I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me».
I raised Jesus from the dead, he appeared to the Apostles but Thomas was absent. The other disciples said to him: «We have seen the Lord. But he said to them: If I don’t see the holes of nails in his hands, and I don’t put my finger in the place of nails, and I don't put my hand in his rib, I don’t believe it.
But Jesus appeared again among them, and turning to the unbelieving disciple he said, “Look and touch me, and not be unbelieving, but faithful.” Thomas then fell on his knees and he couldn’t answer anything else but: «My Lord and my God».
And Jesus: «Because you have seen, O Thomas, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and will believe». Jesus ascended to Heaven and sent the Holy Spirit, the Apostles spread around the world to preach the good news. Thomas was lucky enough to bring the Vagelo between the Persians and the Meds; he also evangelized the Parti, Ircanians, Battrians, Ethiopians and Indians.
In Calamina, having carried out many conversions, I met the ire of that idolatrous king who persecuted him cruelly and in many ways: at the end he commanded that he was pierced with the spear. And Thomas died repeating: «My Lord and my God».
His relics by order of John III, king of Portugal, were placed in a church erected in Melapore in honor of the great Apostle.
PRACTICE Let us make a deep leap of faith in the divinity of Jesus Christ
PRAYER Deh ! Lord, allow us to celebrate with joy the solemnity of your blessed Apostle Thomas, so that we may always be assisted by your patronage and may see our faith grow
ROMAN MARTYROLOGY. Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle, who disbelieved the other disciples who were announcing to him the resurrection of Jesus, but when he himself showed him the side of the passage, he exclaimed: «My Lord and my God». And with this same faith he is believed to have brought the word of the Gospel among the peoples of India.
Photo credit to: Radio Maria
