The Holy Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle. Every Catholic man can grow in happiness by seeking the Virtue of Faith so he can reject doubt and always beg God for faith and by building the Virtue of Piety so he can seek the intercession of the Saints for their help in his daily spiritual combat.
Liturgy
Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle – July 3 – Jn 20:24-29
Commentary
In the evening of the first Easter, Jesus mysteriously enters the Upper Room, despite the locked door. Jesus gives the Apostles His peace and shows the many brutal mortal wounds on His Body which proves He has been resurrected and glorified with mysterious new powers. Again giving the Apostles His peace, Jesus commands them to go and spread the Gospel, just as He Himself was sent by God the Father. Anticipating the great rush of the wind of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which will draw thousands to Him (Acts 2:1-4), Jesus breathes on the Apostles, ordaining them as priests with the Holy Spirit and giving them the exclusive power to forgive or not to forgive sins.
The Apostle Thomas is absent when Jesus appears on Easter Sunday evening, and refuses to believe Jesus has risen unless he personally sees and touches Christ’s wounds. Eight days later on the Second Sunday of Easter, Jesus returns, again mysteriously entering despite the locked door. After giving the disciples His peace, Jesus, with supernatural knowledge of the doubt of Thomas, offers Thomas the chance to touch His wounds, exactly what the skeptical Thomas had declared as the cost for his belief. Thomas, immediately believes and exalts Jesus, crying, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus rebukes Thomas for his disbelief, promising, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
Absolutely convinced by Jesus, St. Thomas lived the rest of his life as a witness to Christ. Tradition holds that St. Thomas traveled to India and proclaimed Jesus, served the poor, and established the “Christians of St. Thomas”. St. Thomas was martyred by spearing on a hill now called St. Thomas Mount, where he is still venerated. Sometime later, the relics (bones) of St. Thomas were returned to Italy and continue to be venerated at the Basilica of St. Thomas in Ortona, Italy.
Be awed by Jesus Christ
Consider with fear and hope, how Jesus, the Divine King and greatest Leader deals with the doubting Thomas: despite not being present when Thomas doubts, Jesus, with Divine Knowledge, knows of the disbelief of Thomas; He again miraculously appears alive, still carrying the mortal wound from the piercing of His Sacred Heart, confirming that He has risen and now has a Glorified Body; He bluntly Rebukes Thomas by challenging him to put his finger in His side to touch the Sacred Heart and by Condemning his lack of belief.
Reject doubt and beg for faith
Realize: Like Thomas initially doubted the Resurrection, many Catholic men fall away from the Church because they “doubt” the reality of Christ’s Resurrection or the infallible teachings of His Holy Catholic Church.
Believe: Reflect upon the Mortal Sin of Doubt/Disbelief (CCC 644, 2088-2089, 2119).
Pray: St. Thomas, Great Apostle, pray that I grow in the Virtue of Faith, so I reject the mortal sin of doubt, I am moved to imitate your great faith, and I live my life to draw many to Jesus Christ and His Holy Catholic Church.
Seek the intercession of the Saints
Realize: In the Communion of Saints, every Catholic man is blessed to be able to strive to imitate and seek the intercession of the Saints, the greatest human beings who have ever lived.
Believe: Reflect upon the Communion of the Saints (CCC 946-962, 2683) and Patron Saints (CCC 2156, 2165).
Pray: St. Thomas, pray that I grow in the Virtue of Piety (a part of Justice) so I honor the Saints and I develop a veneration for those Saints who can help in my own particular struggles in the Spiritual Combat.