Monday, July 02, 2012

 

FEAST, ST. THOMAS

JULY 3, 2012
TUESDAY 13TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR II
FEAST, ST. THOMAS

Eph 2:19-22 / Jn 20:24-29

EPHESIANS 2:19-22
Now you are no longer strangers or guests, but fellow citizens of the holy people: you are of the household of God. You are the house whose foundations are the apostles and prophets, and whose cornerstone is Christ Jesus. In him the whole structure is joined together and rises to be a holy temple in the Lord. In him you too are being built to become the spiritual sanctuary of God.

JOHN 20:24-29
Thomas, the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he 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." Eight days later, the disciples were inside again and Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors Jesus came and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; stretch out your hand, and put it into my side. Don't be an unbeliever! Believe!" Thomas then said, "You are my Lord and my God." Jesus replied, "You believe because you see me, don't you? Happy are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

REFLECTION
History has labeled Thomas a skeptic, a cynic, a disbeliever, a doubter. However, if you read the Gospel carefully, Jesus had already shown himself to all the other disciples in very much the same manner that Thomas demanded. It was only Thomas who was somehow left out until the very end. Yet when Jesus did appear before him, Thomas uttered the words: "My Lord and my God!"

These words spoken by Thomas show that not only did he see the risen Christ with his eyes, but also in a much greater sense than what his physical eyes can behold. He has "seen" Jesus for who he truly is. So although a skeptic at first, in the end, Thomas had seen far greater than any of the other disciples.

Then Jesus said, "Blessed are those who have not seen yet believe." You may think these words are a slight against Thomas. However, what they truly are is a blessing. With those words, Jesus has placed his blessings upon all of us who, to this day, believe in him, even though we are unable to see him physically as the Apostles did.

We can learn a lot from Thomas. Just like exercise for our physical bodies, questioning allows us to grow spiritually. More often than not, God finds a way of revealing Himself to us when we do. What is the status of our faith now? Do we have questions or doubts that need to be answered?

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Fr. Ismael Zuloaga, SJ
- Ditas dela Paz
- Deanne Montoya
- Mon Torres
- Ditas dela Paz
- Michael G, Bob, John T, Delores, Mary Ann, Linda O, Kristen, Tom Bryant, Gene L & Fr Larry
- Chief Samrose Anyaugo and Cordelia Anyaugo
- Isabelita C. Dolojan
- April
… for the personal intentions of
- Dana, Rita & Pam, Ben & Nancy & Eugene R
- Pauline
- Dr Ugonna Anyaugo,Ogechi Anyaugo, Barr Obinna Okoronkwo, Barr(Mrs) Barbara Adaugo Okoronkwo, Ifeanyi Anyaugo, Chuba Anyaugo and Cordelia Anyaugo
- Angel and Elaine
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Wedding Anniversary: Arsenio & Helen Uy
- Wedding Anniversary: Patrick & Jershanale Sy
- In Memoriam (+): Joanna Choa (Oct 29,1914 - July 3, 2008)
- In Memoriam (+): Douglas L. Abadco (Feb 14,1955-July 3,2007)
- In Memoriam (+): Julieta A. Gamboa
… for families who are in need of healing
… for world peace and reconciliation.

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.

Have a good day!

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