July 3, 2009 Gospel

DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Friday, 03 July 2009
Saint Thomas, apostle - Feast

Today the Church celebrates : St. Thomas, Apostle


Letter to the Ephesians 2:19-22.

So then 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.

Psalms 117:1.2.

Praise the LORD, all you nations! Give glory, all you peoples!
The LORD'S love for us is strong; the LORD is faithful forever. Hallelujah!


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint 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 he 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."


Commentary of the day :

Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Sermon 88 (©Augustinian Heritage Institute)

"Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed"


The disciples were so shaky in their faith that even though they had actually seen that he was risen, they didn't think they could believe unless they touched him. They weren't satisfied with what they could see with their eyes, unless they could stretch out their hands as well to his body, and touch the scars of his recent wounds; so that the disciple who doubted, as soon as he had touched and recognized the scars, cried out «My Lord and my God !» He had healed all the wounds of other people, and yet he showed him his own scars. Couldn't the Lord have risen without any scars? But he knew an about the wounds in the minds of his disciples, and it was to cure these that he preserved the scars in his own body.

And how did the Lord answer him when he confessed and said, «My Lord and my God?» - «Because you have seen me,» he said, you have believed. Blessed are those who do not see, and yet believe.» Who was he referring to, brothers and sisters, if not us? Not only us, of course, but also those who come after us. It wouldn't be long, after all, before he withdrew from mortal eyes in order to consolidate faith in people's minds, and whoever believed after that believed without seeing, and their faith had great merit. To acquire this faith all they stretched out was a true and loyal heart, not a groping hand as well.