Today the church celebrates the memorial of Saint Thomas the Apostle. Saint Thomas may be known as doubting Thomas but it was that faithful encounter where he touched the wounds of Jesus that led to his belief in Jesus’s resurrection. Oftentimes we can be like Thomas where we may be witnesses to God’s graces working in us and among us in our world, but still doubt the risen Christ Jesus in our midst. I too have oftentimes doubted God’s presence in a chaotic world. I wanted proof only to realize that the Holy Spirit was leading me to our risen Lord all along. Our encounters with others in ministry, with our family, friends and coworkers is one way where we can find the risen Jesus in our midst by being a Christ & seeing Christ in our brothers and sisters as being made in the Creator’s image. Continually seeking an encounter with God in a daily prayer routine will also aide us on our faith journey to find the risen Lord. To have faith and say “my Lord and my God” allows us to admit that we are not the rulers of our life nor the captain of our ship. Being dependent on the belief that the risen Jesus is in our midst despite not having the encounter that Thomas did allows us to go outside our comfort zone and be truly vulnerable for what may come our way. When we cast aside our doubt, the grace of the Holy Spirit can transform our limited human perception into one of awareness and belief in God’s power to lead us into a better place where the risen Lord wishes to dwell.
One place of prayer we can renew our faith in the risen Lord is within Eucharistic adoration. A National event taking place this month in Indianapolis will call all pilgrims in attendance to renew such a tradition of adoration in which we profess our faith in Jesus being present with us in the consecrated host. https://www.eucharisticcongress.org
John 20:24-29 Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
It is believed that St. Thomas ventured to Parthia and India spreading the good news of the gospel in that region under which the Syro Malabar Christian church was started. Thomas was tasked with building a palace for the king in India and is a patron saint or architects as in some depictions Thomas holds a carpenter’s square with a book in the other hand signifying his evangelical work. It is believed that Thomas was killed by a spear in India as a martyr of the faith.
Saint Thomas, Apostle, pray for us.
StreetEvangelist 
