Our believing must be justified with good deeds-Homily for the Monday of the 13th week in ordinary time (Feast of St. Thomas Apostle) JULY 2023

Homily for Monday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time. Feast of St. Thomas (Apostle). 

Ephesians 2:19-22. Psalm 117:1,2. John 20:24-29.

We celebrate the feast of St. Thomas, the Apostle today. According to tradition, he came to India, established Christian communities especially in Kerala, and then went to Tamil Nadu and was martyred in Chennai. In the Gospels, we owe to St. John, whatever we know about the Apostle Thomas. The other evangelists only mention his name when they draw the list of the twelve Apostles (cf. Matt.10:2; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15).

St. Thomas was a dedicated but impetuous follower of Christ. When Jesus said that, He was returning to Judea to visit his sick friend, Lazarus, Thomas immediately exhorted the other Apostles to accompany him on the trip (cf. John 11:16). At the last supper, when Christ told his Apostles that He was going to prepare a place for them to which they also might come because they knew both the place and the way, Thomas pleaded that they did not understand and received the beautiful assurance that Christ is the way, and the truth, and the life (cf. John 14:1-7).

St. Thomas is also mentioned as being present at the resurrection appearance of Christ at Lake Tiberias when a miraculous catch of fish occurred (cf. John 21:1-3).

Thomas is famous for doubting Christ' resurrection as we have it in today's Gospel, but his unbelief vanished before the Risen Lord. Was there anything wrong with the doubt and the inquisitiveness of Thomas? There is nothing wrong with being doubtful. Thomas only demanded an encounter with Christ. Even then, the other disciples who claimed to have seen Christ still had doubts. They probably still had doubts even after seeing Christ risen.

The beautiful but outstanding feature of Thomas' experience when he encountered the Risen Lord is that he accepted and became convinced of the resurrection and exclaimed, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28) thus making a public profession of faith in the divinity of Christ. Christ himself says, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" (John 20:29). How blessed are we that believe even without seeing!

Our believing must be justified with good deeds. As Christians, we are called upon to be instruments of faith, sharing and bearing witness of our faith to those we encounter daily. The word Apostle comes from the Greek noun 'apostolos', which means someone who is being sent. Like Thomas, the Apostle, and others, we are also on mission (cf.Mark 3:14).

Through the intercession of St. Thomas, may God grant us the grace to be authentic witnesses of the Risen Lord by our words and actions through Christ our Lord. Amen.