St.
Thomas
Feastday:
July 3, Patron of architects
St. Thomas was a Jew, called to
be one of the twelve Apostles. He was a dedicated but
impetuous follower of Christ. When Jesus said He was
returning to Judea to visit His sick friend Lazarus,
Thomas immediately exhorted the other Apostles to
accompany Him on the trip which involved certain
danger and possible death because of the mounting
hostility of the authorities. 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, the Truth,
and the Life. But St. Thomas is best known for his
role in verifying the Resurrection of his Master.
Thomas' unwillingness to believe that the other
Apostles had seen their risen Lord on the first Easter
Sunday merited for him the title of "doubting Thomas."
Eight days later, on Christ's second apparition,
Thomas was gently rebuked for his scepticism and
furnished with the evidence he had demanded - seeing
in Christ's hands the point of the nails and putting
his fingers in the place of the nails and his hand
into His side. At this, St. Thomas became convinced of
the truth of the Resurrection and exclaimed: "My Lord
and My God," thus making a public Profession of Faith
in the Divinity of Jesus.
St. Thomas is also mentioned as
being present at another Resurrection appearance of
Jesus - at Lake Tiberias when a miraculous catch of
fish occurred. This is all that we know about St.
Thomas from the New Testament. Tradition says that at
the dispersal of the Apostles after Pentecost this
saint was sent to evangelize the Parthians, Medes, and
Persians; he ultimately reached India, carrying the
Faith to the Malabar coast, which still boasts a large
native population calling themselves "Christians of
St. Thomas." He shed his blood for his Master, speared
to death at a place called Calamine. His feast day is
July 3rd and he is the patron of
architects.
