MEMBERS OF THE GOD'S HOUSEHOLD

THE FEAST OF SAINT THOMAS, APOSTLE

Eph 2:19-22; Ps 117:1-2; Jn 20:24-29

The Alignment of Our Structures on the Apostles

Our faith in Jesus Christ is a shared possession. Profession of faith in Jesus Christ brings us into the spiritual commonwealth, in which the apostles were first. They were first to behold the Son of Man and believed his divinity. What they beheld, they did for all of us who are meant to come to faith in the later ages. They are able to do this because they share the same human nature as we do. Because of our common human nature, we were there with them and saw with their eyes, heard with their ears, touched with their hands, the word that is life. That they touched the word of life is a statement of faith from the Apostle John, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it.” What they proclaim to us in faith, we accept in order to share the new life and divine nature with them. So, we accept what they experienced with their senses because of our common humanity, by which they represent all of us; we also accept what they believed and proclaimed to us because of our common faith in Jesus Christ that brings us to share a commonwealth in God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In the same way we build a commonwealth among men, we also build the spiritual commonwealth. The only difference is that in the latter, God is the primary builder or Agent, while in the former, we are the principal agents. In all fields of human endeavour, we record progress when we accept the testimonies of tested and dependable persons in the field, and further their experience and experiment in our search for knowledge and a good life. In this regard, the testimonies of the apostles on their experience of the Son of Man form part of the Church’s Tradition. But even more important is our profession of faith in what they taught as revealed by God. God gave them the gift of faith to go beyond what the senses could perceive and comprehend what is spiritually discerned. The same spiritual life they possessed by believing, we now possess by believing what they taught us as revealed by God. The Holy Spirit, who explained these spiritual things to them, is still with us in the Church and within each of us who believes in the name of Jesus Christ. We are part of the spiritual structure God planned to build through the Only Begotten Son, as Paul explains. “You are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God’s household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone.”

We celebrate Saint Thomas the Twin, who demonstrated clearly for us the fact that what they saw was given to them for all of us, who did not see the humanity of Jesus Christ. Thomas and all the apostles knew Jesus Christ as a man. But what he believed him to be was put to question when he was crucified on the cross of Calvary. All the apostles were equally rattled by their experience of the crucifixion of the Son of Man. But when they saw him again after his resurrection, they were reassured and strengthened in their faith, which his resurrection confirmed. But Thomas was not there when he revealed himself. He refused to believe, thereby taking the position and championing the course of any of us who would disbelieve their account. Here is what he gained for us from the Risen Lord. “The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you,’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him: ‘You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’” Happy indeed are we, who did not see with our physical eyes, but believed. By believing we are made part of the same divine structure. Now we see him with our spiritual eyes, for he lives with the apostles and us in the Church; the spiritual structure he is constructing for God the Father.

Let us pray: Grant, almighty God, that we may glory in the Feast of the blessed Apostle Thomas, so that we may always be sustained by his intercession and, believing, may have life in the name of Jesus Christ your Son, whom Thomas acknowledged as the Lord. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.