Readings: I - Eph. 2:19-22
II - Jn. 20:24-29
ST. THOMAS, APOSTLE (Feast)
The Church celebrates the feast of St. Thomas called Didymus, the apostle of Jesus and the apostle of India. He was a brave and ardent apostle of Jesus. When Jesus said that he had to leave for Jerusalem, dangerous place for Jesus, St. Thomas courageously said, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (Jh. 11:16). He risked not his life for Jesus. He is commonly known as doubting Thomas. The doubt of Thomas on the resurrection of Jesus, the appearance of Jesus to St. Thomas and his proclamation, “My God and My Lord” affirmed the resurrection of Jesus and the faith of the Church. After the ascension of Jesus, St. Thomas came to India to preach the Good News. He preached in Malabar coast, Kodungalloor, Palayoor and finally came to Mylapore, Chennai and was martyred there in 72 A.D.
The cornerstone determines the spatial order and the structure of a building. The foundation stone will be set in reference to the cornerstone. According to the first reading today, Jesus Christ is the corner stone of building the Church, and the apostles are the foundation stones of that building. We are called to be a part of that building. In the Gospel reading today, we read about the dilemma of St. Thomas due to his disbelief in accepting the fact that the disciples have seen Jesus. St. Thomas had been with Jesus still could not believe that He had risen and has appeared. Jesus appears, clarifies the doubt of St. Thomas, strengthens his faith and makes him a great missionary and ambassador to India and finally a martyr of his faith.
Almost all the apostles of Jesus had defects. Peter was impetuous, he also denied Jesus, James and John, the sons of Zebedee were very particular about taking their seat at the right and left hand of Jesus, Thomas was always doubting, all the disciples abandoned and ran away when Jesus was arrested and finally St. Paul was a great persecutor of the Christians. Still these apostles were chosen to be the foundation of the building, the Church. Because Jesus discovered and trusted the goodness in them that surpassed the weakness in them and made them the foundation of the building.
The Bible says that Jesus “called to him those he wanted and they came to him” (Mk. 3:13). Jesus has chosen each of us to be His followers because ‘we are precious to him and honoured and he loves us’ (Is. 43:4). we may not be meritorious and commendable still God chooses us and makes us to be his followers, part of that building, with a purpose. “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1Sam: 16:7). He looks at us beyond our limitations, weakness, inabilities and incapabilities. May we not count or magnify our liabilities rather acknowledge God’s trust in us and with all faith acclaim along with St. Thomas, “My Lord and My God”.
