Text: John 24-29 (see below)
Happy Saint Thomas Day!
Today is one of my favorite days of the year and one of my favorite saints in the calendar. For those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, December 21 may be the shortest day of sunlight; but, tomorrow the daylight begins to increase and more and more light overcomes the darkness. Spring is on its way and nature reminds us of that promise each day.
Thomas, the disciple and apostle, had followed Jesus in faith from anywhere between one to three years (depending on which Gospel you read). He was obviously a passionate follower of our Lord for he makes bold statements like: “Let us go with him, that we might also die with him” (John 11:16). Thomas’ grief after the events of Good Friday must have been monumental for he is not with the disciples when Jesus makes his first post-resurrection appearance to the group. Where was Thomas? What was he doing? Why was he separated from the body of believers?
A week later, as the scripture below reminds us, Thomas was back in the fold. He has an encounter with the risen Lord that will forever change him. Transformed by his experience with the Logos, Thomas would go on to become one of the great evangelists of the early Church. Tradition places him in India after the end of the Gospel stories. There, he preached to the people converting many to the faith. Even today, you will find a colony of Christians in India who claim descendants from Christians converted by Thomas.
In that Upper Room, with the doors locked for fear that the authorities might arrive, Thomas has a momentary experience of the divine. He embraces the mystery of faith. Thomas begins a spiritual odyssey that will change his life forever. The spiritual life is an amazing adventure where every once and awhile you catch of glimpse of the “mysterium tremendum”. You feel it in the very depths of your being, but you don’t understand it. You think you know what is going on, but in reality you are mistaken. You try and put into words your experience and realize that you have said nothing at all. The mystery of God and the transforming power of resurrection must be embraced with all humility on our part as Thomas bears witness to. Once each and every one of us dies to our self then we are ready to receive love in all of its beauty and be empowered for ministry.
Love One Another - Brian
We are called by the Ancient Church to have all of our preparations for Christmas concluded by the end of this day. I hope that many of you have embraced this tradition so that the next three days may be spent in quiet reflection, anticipation, and hope for the coming of Christ.
The Heart of the Journey
Thomas Keating
God wants to share with us even in this life the maximum amount of divine life that we can possibly contain. The call of the gospel, 'Follow me,' is addressed to every baptized person.... The attempt to do this--to reach more deeply toward the love of Christ within us and to manifest it more fully in the world--constitutes the heart of the spiritual journey.
Source: Invitation to Love
John 20:24-29
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’
I'm passing this msg onto my oldest son - Thomas - and encouraging him to sign onto your blog. May we all have peace as we prepare for His coming.
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