God's Message For You Today - July 3

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

Reading 1

Eph 2:19-22

Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

 

Ps 117:1bc, 2

Responsorial Psalm

R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
For steadfast is his kindness for us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

 

 

Jn 20:24-29

Gospel

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."

Comment: Fr. Joan SERRA i Fontanet (Barcelona, Spain)

You are my Lord and my God

Today, the Church celebrates the festivity of St. Thomas. After describing the apparition of Jesus on Easter Sunday, evangelist John, tell us that the apostle Thomas was not with them, and when the Apostles —who had seen the Lord— were bearing witness of him, Thomas replied: «Until I have seen in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe» (Jn 20:25).

Jesus is good and meets Thomas. Eight days later, Jesus appears once more and tells Thomas: «Put your finger here and see my hands; stretch out your hand and put it into my side. Resist no longer and be a believer» (Jn 20:27).

—O Jesus, you are so good! If you ever see me moving away from You, come to meet me, as you did to meet Thomas.

These words were Thomas' reaction: «You are my Lord and my God!» (Jn 20:28). How beautiful these words are! Thomas calls him “Lord” and “God”. He makes an act of faith in the divinity of Jesus. When seeing him resurrected, Thomas sees not only Jesus, the man, who was with the Apostles and ate with them, but his Lord and his God.

Jesus reprimands him and tells him not to be incredulous but a believer, and He adds: «Happy are those who have not seen and believe» (Jn 20:28). We have not seen the crucified Christ or have we seen the resurrected Christ either, nor has He appeared to us, but we are happy because we believe in this Jesus Christ that has died and has resurrected for us.

Let us therefore pray: «My Lord and my God, remove from me all that can prevent me from going to You. My Lord and my God, give me all that can draw me to You. My Lord and my God, detach me from myself to give my all to you» (St. Nicholas von Flüe).