Hello all, Happy feast day to all born, baptized and married - TopicsExpress

Hello all, Happy feast day to all born, baptized and married today Happy feast day to all, Seminarians, Deacons, Priests, Bishops, Cardinals, Monks, Nuns, Reverend Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus. Happy feast day to all named Thomas and parents of all named Thomas Happy feast day to all who invoke Saint Thomas in moments of doubt Happy feast day to all devoted to Saint Thomas the Apostle Happy feast day to all builders and Construction workers Happy feast day to all blind people and all who care and pray for blind people Happy feast day to all Christians, especially Catholics in India Happy feast day to all Catholic Missionaries Happy feast day to all Martyrs Today July 3, marks the feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle He is also known as the “Apostle of India” He is popularly called Doubting Thomas He is also known as Saint Thomas the Believer! He can also be referred to as Judas Thomas He was known by the apostles as Thomas the Twin Saint Thomas was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ Though Saint Thomas was ready to die with Jesus when Christ went to Jerusalem, he is best remembered for doubting the Resurrection until he was allowed to touch Christ’s wounds. The Roman Catholic Church celebrates 3rd of July as the feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Jesus. We remember him as a doubting disciple only because he chose to be a fool for Christ! Scripture records a few instances about Saint Thomas. Firstly, when Jesus announced His intention of returning to Judea to visit Lazarus who was seriously ill, despite the threats to His life, Thomas also known as the Twin, said to his fellow disciples “Let us also go, that we may die with him [Jesus]” (John 11:16). Then again, at the Last Supper, when Jesus says, “You know the way where I am going.” It was Thomas who innocently said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going; how can we know the way?” (John 14:5). Lastly, after the Resurrection when Christ appeared to the apostles, Thomas who was not with them refused to believe that the Lord had risen. Saint Thomas was one apostle who took the phrase, ‘Seeing is believing’ seriously. Saint Thomas exclaims as scripture tells us: “Unless I have seen in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the marks of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” Thomas loved the Lord so much that he not only wanted to see Him but also touch Him. He wanted the assurance of his faith. We cannot blame Saint Thomas for refusing to believe what the other disciples had told him about the resurrected Lord. According to him, if they had encountered the Risen Lord, why were they still behind closed doors. Why were they yet afraid to profess their faith? Were they not an Easter people? Eight days later the frightened apostles, were inside locked doors, only this time Thomas made sure he was with them. The Lord appeared, and addressed Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands; stretch out your hand and put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe” (John 20:27). The Lord knew Thomas’ desire; He lets him have a firsthand experience of touching the imprints. The apostle is so awe-struck with this encounter of the Risen Lord, that his declaration of faith in Christ, “My Lord and My God” becomes a prayer of adoration at the elevation of the Holy Eucharist during Mass. ---------------------------------------------------------- Pope Saint Gregory the Great (who was the 64th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church) tells us: “Thomas’ doubt healed the wounds of all of our doubts.” !! Nevertheless, we may yet have doubts, and it is all right to question our faith. Along with the Bible, every Catholic must possess a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. All of us must get to know ‘why we Catholics believe in the things we believe’. Finally, be open to every encounter with the Lord, it will better our understanding of the ‘mysterium fidei’ or “mystery of our faith.” Saint Thomas understood that, “Christ is not a treasure meant for us alone; he is the most precious treasure we have, one that is meant to be shared with others.” Thomas is believed to be the only original disciple to preach outside the boundaries of the Roman Empire. He may have started-off as a doubter, but his life changed with that single Resurrected encounter! His missionary work took him as far as the shores of India where later, he was martyred with spears while praying on a hill in Mylapur, Southern India around 72 A.D. Thomas lived for Christ and died spreading the Gospel. I pray that each one of us may live as worthy witnesses to the reality of the Risen Lord and that we may never shudder in the profession of our faith in Him. Amen Catholic Tradition tells us that Saint Thomas preached the Gospel of Christ in Parthia, Persia and finally in India History confirms that he was so reluctant to start the mission, he had to be taken into slavery by a merchant headed that way. Thomas eventually was freed, and planted the new Church over a wide area. He formed many parishes and built many churches along the way. An old tradition says that Thomas baptized the wise men from the Nativity into Christianity. His symbol is the builder’s square; there are several stories that explain it • he built a palace for King Guduphara in India • he built the first church in India with his own hands • it is representative building a strong spiritual foundation as he had complete faith in Christ (though initially less in the Resurrection) • he offered to build a palace for an Indian king that would last forever; the king gave him money, which Thomas promptly gave away to the poor; he explained that the palace he was building was in heaven, not on earth Saint Thomas was stabbed with a spear around year 72 while in prayer on a hill in Mylapur, India He was buried near the site of his death His relics was later moved to Edessa, Mesopotamia His relics moved to Ortona, Italy in the 13th century Saint Thomas is invoked against blindness He is also invoked against doubt He is the Patron Saint of architects He is also the Patron Saint of blind people Saint Thomas is the Patron Saint of builders and construction workers He is also the Patron Saint of Certaldo, Italy He is the Patron Saint of East Indies He is the Patron Saint of geometricians He is the Patron Saint of India and Pakistan He is the Patron Saint of masons He is the Patron Saint of people in doubt He is the Patron Saint of stone masons and stonecutters He is the Patron Saint of surveyors He is the Patron Saint of theologians ------------------------------------------------------------- Prayer to Saint Thomas the Apostle (1) O Glorious Saint Thomas, your grief for Jesus was such that it would not let you believe he had risen unless you actually saw him and touched his wounds. But your love for Jesus was equally great and it led you to give up your life for him. Pray for us that we may grieve for our sins which were the cause of Christs sufferings. Help us to spend ourselves in his service and so earn the title of blessed which Jesus applied to those who would believe in him without seeing him. Amen. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Reflection of the Day: - Pope Saint Gregory the Great (who was the 64th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle) “Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.” He was the only disciple absent; on his return he heard what had happened but refused to believe it. The Lord came a second time; he offered his side for the disbelieving disciple to touch, held out his hands, and showing the scars of his wounds, healed the wound of disbelief. Dearly beloved Christians, what do you see in these events? Do you really believe that it was by chance that this chosen disciple was absent, then came and heard, heard and doubted, doubted and touched, touched and believed? It was not by chance but in God’s providence. In a marvelous way God’s mercy arranged that the disbelieving disciple, in touching the wounds of his master’s body, should heal our wounds of disbelief. The disbelief of Thomas has done more for our faith than the faith of the other disciples. As he touches Christ and is won over to belief, every doubt is cast aside and our faith is strengthened. So the disciple who doubted, then felt Christ’s wounds, becomes a witness to the reality of the resurrection. Touching Christ, he cried out: “‘My Lord and my God.’ Jesus said to him: ‘Because you have seen me, Thomas, you have believed.’” Saint Paul tells us: “Faith is the guarantee of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” It is clear, then, that faith is the proof of what cannot be seen. What is seen gives knowledge, not faith. When Thomas saw and touched, why was he told: “You have believed because you have seen me?” Because what he saw and what he believed were different things. God cannot be seen by mortal man. Thomas saw a human being, whom he acknowledged to be God, and said: “My Lord and my God.” Seeing, he believed; looking at one who was true man, he cried out that this was God, the God he could not see. What follows is reason for great joy: Jesus blesses us all! “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” There is here a particular reference to ourselves. We are included in these words, but only if we follow up our faith with good works. The true believer practices what he believes. But of those who pay only lip service to faith, Saint Paul has this to say: “They profess to know God, but they deny him in their works.” Therefore James says: “Faith without works is dead.” - From a homily by Pope Saint Gregory the Great -------------------------------------------------------------- Prayer to Saint Thomas the Apostle (2) Dear Saint Thomas, you were once slow in believing that Christ had gloriously risen; but later, because you had seen him, you exclaimed: My Lord and my God! According to an ancient story, you rendered most powerful assistance for constructing a church in a place where pagan priests opposed it. Please bless architects, builds and carpenters that through them the Lord may be honored. Amen. ---------------------------------------------------------- Prayer to Saint Thomas the Apostle (3) Touching the Lords side, thou didst attain to the perfection of good things, for, as a sponge, thou drew there from the fount of all good and drank the draught of everlasting life, driving out ignorance from the minds of men and filling them with the doctrines of the knowledge of God. First incredulous, then believing, thou strengthened those who were tempted, preaching to every creature how our Lord and God became flesh for us on earth and suffered death on the cross, being transfixed with nails and having His side opened with a lance, whence we draw life. Most holy apostle, who dost rejoice in the vision of God, thou didst flood with light all the land of the Indies; when thou hadst enlightened these children of the light and the day, inspired by the Spirit, thou didst overthrow their pagan temples and didst raise their people in the love of God, to the praise and glory of the Church--O blessed intercessor for our souls. Through a vision of the divine, thou didst become, O Thomas the Apostle, the mystic cup of the spiritual wisdom of Christ, in whom the souls of the faithful rejoice; a spiritual net, thou didst draw men from the abyss of ignorance. Hence thou became as a stream of charity from Zion, filling every creature with thy teachings of the divine. Thou didst imitate the Passion of Christ and, with thy side pierced for Him, didst put on immortality. Pray to Him for us, that He may have mercy on our souls. Amen. --------------------------------------------------------------- Let us pray (Oremus) Almighty and ever living God, who didst strengthen Your apostle Thomas with sure and certain faith in thy Sons resurrection: Grant us so perfectly and without doubt to believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that our faith may never be found wanting in thy sight; through him who lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen -------------------------------------------------------------- Let us pray that by the works, spiritual direction, spiritual maturity, intercession, martyrdom and faith of Saint Thomas the Apostle, we may in this group find the spiritual motivation to win our souls for God. Amen Summary of the life history and works of Saint Thomas the Apostle can be viewed by clicking the image of the martyr in our group’s photo section Saint of the day would be communicated to you as promptly and consistently as humanly possible, by Gods grace. May we all in this group and beyond this group, Christians and non Christians alike, Catholics and non Catholics alike, be saved from the fires of hell and lifted up into heaven after our stay here on this exile. Amen May our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of Saint Thomas the Apostle and other Saints before and after him and through Gods Divine Mercy strengthen our souls, open out the way for us all, and above all, intoxicate us with HIS love. Amen May Christ make us into blazing fires to enkindle the earth with the heavenly fire HE brought us. Amen Jesus we love you, all we have is yours, yours we are and yours we want to be, please do with us whatever you will. Amen Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we give you our lives and our salvation. Amen Jesus, Mary we love you, please save our souls. Amen God bless you and grant your heart’s desire. Amen Saint Thomas the Apostle, pray for us. Amen