This Week Day's End July 3, 2006

 

Water this Week July 3 2006

 

July 3 2006

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

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
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.

2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15 Brothers and sisters: As you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse, knowledge, all earnestness, and in the love we have for you, may you excel in this gracious act also. For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.
Not that others should have relief while you are burdened, but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their needs, so that their abundance may also supply your needs,
that there may be equality. As it is written: Whoever had much did not have more, and whoever had little did not have less.

Jn 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.”

Believing without having seen, we walk by faith and not be sight. There is more to life than what is seen. It is interesting that Thomas was Didymus, a twin.

"As you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse, knowledge, all earnestness, and in the love we have for you, may you excel in this gracious act also." It is important to excel in the love for one another as a disciple of Jesus. Faith, discourse, knowledge in all earnestness should be pursued with a goal of excellence but not forgeting love of one another which is a grace.

The wounds of Jesus are born out of love for us. The kind patience that he has with Thomas is ever loving and ready to give. The gentle selflessness of Jesus is a model of love to the point of and including laying down one's life for another.

Thomas is a reminder to come to Jesus in prayer with any and all doubts and questions that might arise daily. To be healed and my questions answered in the wounds and love of Christ who is ever present.