``Where
the Bishop is, there let the multitude of believers be;
even as where Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church'' Ignatius of
Antioch, 1st c. A.D
Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle
December 21 is
the Feast of St. Thomas,1 the Apostle known as "Didymus"
("Twin"). When Jesus told the Apostles that Lazarus was dead and that
He was going to go to Judea to raise him up again, it was Thomas who
said to his companions, "Let us also go, that we may die with him"
(John 11). And at the Last Supper, when Lord Christ said,
Let not your
heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my
Father's house there are many mansions. If not, I would have told you:
because I go to prepare a place for you. And if I shall go, and prepare
a place for you, I will come again, and will take you to myself; that
where I am, you also may be. And whither I go you know, and the way you
know.
Thomas replied with "Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can
we know the way?" To which Christ related what's become one of the most
popular of Bible verses:
I am the way,
and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by Me. If
you had known Me, you would without doubt have known My Father also:
and from henceforth you shall know Him, and you have seen Him.
But it is Thomas's incredulity after the Resurrection for which he is
most remembered and which gives us his nickname "Doubting Thomas." As
recounted in John 20:
Now Thomas, one
of the twelve, who is called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus
came. The other disciples therefore said to him: We have seen the Lord.
But he said to them: Except I shall see in His hands the print of the
nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand
into His side, I will not believe.
And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with
them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and
said: Peace be to you. Then He saith to Thomas: Put in thy finger
hither, and see My hands; and bring hither thy hand, and put it into My
side; and be not faithless, but believing.
Thomas answered, and said to Him: My Lord, and my God.
Jesus saith to him: Because thou hast seen Me, Thomas, thou hast
believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed.
Many other signs also did Jesus in the sight of His
disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written,
that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: and that
believing, you may have life in His name.
Thomas was also present when Jesus showed Himself at Lake Tiberias,
telling the Apostles to cast their nets on the right side of their
ship, which they did and ended up with a multitude of fish even though
they'd caught none before (John 21).
After the Bible no longer speaks of him, tradition tells us that St.
Thomas went on to preach in Persia, where he is said to
have baptized many (including the Magi),
possibly China and Indonesia, and India.
And there, in India, he was martyred
by being thrust by spears by four soldiers.
After his death, his relics were translated to Edessa, now known as
Urfa, Turkey. Some of his relics can now be venerated at the Cathedral
of Saint Thomas the Apostle in Ortona, Italy, and at the San Thome
Basilica in Chennai, India. St. Thomas is the patron Saint of
architects
and builders, and of India.
It's providential that St. Thomas's feast comes when it does! Dom
Gueranger writes in his "The Liturigcal Year":
To none of the
Apostles could this day have been so fittingly assigned as to St.
Thomas. It was St. Thomas whom we needed; St. Thomas whose festal
patronage would aid us to believe and hope in that God Whom we see not,
and Who comes to us in silence and humility in order to try our Faith.
St. Thomas was once guilty of doubting, when he ought to have believed;
and only learnt of the necessity of Faith by the sad experience of
incredulity: he comes then most appropriately to defend us, by the
power of his example and prayers, against the temptations which proud
human reason might excite within us. Let us pray to him with
confidence. In that heaven of Light and Vision, where his repentance
and love have placed him, he will intercede for us, and gain for us
that docility of mind and heart, which will enable us to see and
recognize Him, Who is the Excepted of Nations, and Who, though the King
of the world, will give no other signs of His majesty, than the
swaddling-clothes and tears of a Babe.
Indeed! In just
a few days, our hearts will be with a tiny baby, born in a manger. And
we who have not seen but believe will say: "My Lord, and my God!"
Customs
First, a prayer for this feast, from Dom Gueranger's "The Liturgical
Year":
O glorious
Apostle Thomas who didst lead to Christ so many unbelieving nations,
hear now the prayers of the faithful, who beseech thee to lead them to
that same Jesus, Who in five days, will have shown Himself to the
Church. That we may merit to appear in His divine presence we need,
before all other grace, the light which leads to Him. That light is
Faith: then, pray that we have have Faith. Heretofore, our Savior had
compassion on thy weakness, and deigned to remove from thee the doubt
of His having risen from the grave; pray to Him for us that He will
mercifully come to our assistance and make Himself felt by our heart.
We ask not, O holy Apostle, to see Him with the eyes of our body, but
with those of our faith, for He said to thee, when He showed Himself to
thee: Blessed are they who have not seen, and have believed! Of this
happy number we desire to be. We beseech thee, therefore, pray that we
may obtain the Faith of the heart and will, that so, when we behold the
divine Infant wrapped in swaddling-clothes and laid in a manger, we may
cry out: My Lord and my God!
Pray, O holy Apostle, for the nations thou didst
evangelise, but which may have fallen back again into the shades
of death. May the day soon come when the Sun of Justice will once more
shine upon them. Bless the efforts of those apostolic men who have
devoted their labours and their very lives to the work of the Missions;
pray that the days of darkness may be shortened, and that the countries
which were watered by thy blood may at length see that kingdom of God
established amongst them, which thou didst preach to them, and for
which we are also in waiting.
"Back in the day," in "merry old England," the Feast of St. Thomas was
the day the poor would "go a-Thomasing." That is, they would go door to
door begging. This practice, also called "mumping," "gathering,"
"Christmasing," or gooding," would typically result in their being
given flour, apples, bread, ale, oatmeal, cheese, coal, or candles for
their efforts.
Elsewhere in the world, St. Thomas's Day brings on grand parties. In
Chichicastenango, Guatemala, of which St. Thomas is patron Saint, a
city-wide, week-long feast is had during which processions are held, accompanied by flute
and marimba players. People wearing great masks dance the Baile del Tzijolaj (the Dance of
the Flute) and the Baile del Torito
(Dance of the Little Bull) among many others. The latter begins before
sunrise and can last for twelve hours! Then comes the Palo Voladores (Pole Flyers): a
tall pole is erected in the town square, and dancers masked to look
like monkeys and jaguars climb to the top, secure themselves with
ropes, and swing around it. Pyrotechnics finish things off!
In San Sebastián (also known as Donostia) in the Basque Autonomous
Community of Spain, the people dress in their traditional costumes,
attend great markets, and eat txistorra
(a type of uncured sausage) and talo
(a type of corn tortilla), washing it all down with cider.
The Winter Solstice typically falls on December 21 or 22, so this feast
will likely have the longest night of the year. This fact led to its
being associated with dark things -- and the warding off of dark
things. Farmers used to walk their land, blessing it with incense, holy water,
and blessed salt to keep evils away, and the
same thing can be done with modern farms, properties, and homes.
Because of the long, cold darkness of this night --
St. Thomas day,
St. Thomas gray,
The longest night and shortest day
-- fire comes to mind. A
night in front of the fireplace, with lots of candles around, sounds
ideal. Something to consider is having a Swiss Raclette meal. To do so,
get a wheel of Raclette, Greuyere, or Emmenthal cheese and have on
hand: fully cooked sausages, such as Bratwursts; boiled new potatoes
(the waxy kind); cornichons; pickled onions; crusty bread; butter; and
Dijon mustard. Cut the wheel of cheese in half and place half on a flat
iron sheet (one could use an iron skillet instead). Put the cheese
cut-side toward the fire, close enough so it begins to melt. As it
melts, scrape away the melty cheese onto a single serving plate -- over
the top of a sausage or two and a few new potatoes, and alongside some
of the other things listed above. The person who receives the plate
begins eating while the cheese is still melty, and meanwhile, another
plate is being prepared for the next person. Serve this meal with a dry
white wine (e.g., a Gewürztraminer or Riesling).
After dinner in the darkened, firelit room, maybe shadow puppetry would
be something to keep your children entertained (or, better, keep them
entertaining themselves). They could do this by shaping creatures out
of their hands and casting their shadow on the walls, or by making a
shadow puppet theater with a light source behind a white sheet or
parchment paper. You could show them Chinese or Thai shadow puppetry to
inspire them. They could incorporate narration, music, acting, sound
effects -- all sorts of things. A little book to get them started with
hand shadow puppets: Hand Shadows
(pdf)
Given St. Thomas's patronage of India, another option food-wise is
Indian food. A recipe for Tandoori Chicken:
Tandoori Chicken
1 large onion, quartered
2-inch piece ginger, peeled
3 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c. neutral oil
1 cup (8 oz.) plain whole-milk yogurt
2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
1/4 cup Tandoori Masala (a spice mix. See below)
3 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs
Fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for serving
In a blender, blend onion, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, and
oil until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Add yogurt, salt, and 1/4 cup
tandoori masala and mix until combined. Pat chicken dry with paper
towels; season with salt. Thoroughly rub marinade into chicken and
place into a bowl with the marinade. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and
refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours). Preheat oven to 400°. Set a
wire rack in a large sheet pan. Arrange chicken on rack (don't let
excess marinade drip off), and bake chicken until a thermometer stuck
into the thickest part reads 165F (about 30 minutes). Heat broiler on
low and broil the tops of the chicken until lightly charred, about 5
minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter, top with cilantro, and serve
with lime wedges, with basmati rice and cucumber salad alongside.
Tandoori Masala spice mix can be bought already prepared, or
you can make your own by combining:
3 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 cup plain yogurt
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground cumin
1 TBSP chopped mint
Mix together.
As to music, the only Thomas-centered song I know of is the old country
song "I Am the Man, Thomas". Here it is sung by Ralph Stanley:
Chorus:
Oh, I am the Man, Thomas, I am the Man
Look at these nail scars here in my hands
Chorus
They drove Me up the hill, Thomas, I am the Man
They made Me carry the cross, Thomas, I am the Man
Chorus
They crowned My head with thorns, Thomas, I am the Man
They nailed Me to the cross, Thomas, I am the Man
Chorus
They pierced Me in the side, Thomas, I am the Man
I died on the cross, Thomas, I am the Man
Chorus
They buried Me in the tomb, Thomas, I am the Man
In three days I rose, Thomas, I am the Man
Chorus
Finally, if you're a single woman, here's some lore for you: go to
sleep
tonight by stepping on a stool to get into your bed, and lie in your
bed wrong way around
-- that is, with your feet where your head should be, and with your
head where your feet should be. If you do this, it's said you'll dream
of your future husband.
Readings
Excerpt from Homily 26 (an Easter Homily)
by Pope St. Gregory the Great
7. "But Thomas, one of the Twelve, nicknamed Didymus, was not with them
when Jesus came." This disciple alone was absent; back he heard what
had happened, but he refused to believe what he was hearing. The Lord
came a second time; he offered the incredulous disciple to touch his
side, he showed him his hands, and showing him the scar of his wounds,
he healed the wound of his unbelief.
What do you notice, dear brothers, what do you notice in this? Is it by
chance, according to you, that this chosen disciple is at first absent,
that on his return he hears [this story], that hearing him he still
doubts, that in his doubt he touches, and that touching he believes?
No, it is not due to chance, but to a divine disposition. Celestial
goodness, in fact, has led everything in an admirable way, so that this
disciple, under the influence of doubt, touches in his Master the
wounds of the flesh, and thus heals in us the wounds of unbelief. And
the incredulity of Thomas was more useful for our faith than the faith
of the disciples who believed: when Thomas is brought back to faith by
touching [the wounds of Jesus], our mind is delivered from all his
doubts and is comforted in her faith.
The Lord thus allowed a disciple to doubt after his Resurrection,
without however abandoning him in this doubt, just as he wanted that
before his birth, Mary [his mother] had a husband, who nevertheless did
not consummate the marriage . And the disciple, doubting and then
touching, became the witness of the truth of the Resurrection, just as
the husband of the Mother [of Jesus] had been the guardian of the
inviolable virginity of the latter.
8. Thomas touched and cried, "My Lord and my God!" "Jesus said to him,
'Because you saw me, Thomas, you believed.'" As the Apostle Paul tells
us, "the faith is the reality of the things we hope for, the proof of
those we do not see "(Heb 11: 1), it is very clear that faith is the
proof of things that can not be seen. Because those that are visible do
not come from faith, but from knowledge. But since Thomas lives and
touched, why do you tell him, "Because you saw me, you believed." It
was because Thomas saw one thing and believed another. The deity can
not be seen by a mortal man. Thomas therefore saw the man, and he
confessed God, crying, "My Lord and my God!" He believed on seeing,
since considering the one who was truly man, he proclaimed that he was
God, what he could not see.
9. The rest of the text gives us immense joy: "Blessed are those who
have not seen and who have believed." This sentence does not designate
us especially, we who are attached to our Redeemer according to the
mind, without having ever seen it with our eyes of flesh? It is us that
this sentence designates, if, however, our faith is accompanied by
works. Because this one really believes who puts into practice in his
works what he believes. Conversely, Paul says about those who are
faithful only by name: "They profess to know God, but they deny him by
their deeds." (Tit 1,16). And James says, "Faith without works is
dead." (Jas 2: 26)
It is in the same sense that the Lord declares to the blessed Job about
the ancient enemy of the human race: "He will absorb the river and not
be surprised, and he remains confident that the Jordan will flow into
his mouth "(Jb 40:23). What symbolizes the river, if not the rapid
course of the human race, which flows from its origins to its end, and
like a torrent formed by the waters of the flesh, continues its course
to the end which is fixed to it? And what does the Jordan represent, if
not the baptized? Since it is in the Jordan River that the Author of
our Redemption deigned to be baptized, the Jordan rightly designates
all those who have received the sacrament of baptism. The ancient enemy
of the human race has thus absorbed the river, because from the origin
of the world to the coming of the Redeemer, with the exception of a
very small number of elected officials who have escaped him, he has
dragged the whole human race in the belly of his wickedness. It is
rightly said on this subject: "It will absorb the river and not be
surprised", because it does not make much of ravishing infidels. But
the following is very serious: "And he remains confident that the
Jordan will flow into his mouth", that is to say, after having
delighted all infidels since the beginning of the world, he thinks he
can catch also the faithful. And the mouth of his evil persuasion
devours, day after day, those whose bad lives are in disagreement with
the faith they confess.
10. Fear such a fate, dear brothers, fear it with all your strength!
Put to think all the attention of your mind. Here we celebrate the
Easter solemnities; but we must live in such a way that we can reach
the eternal feasts. They pass, all the holidays we celebrate in this
life. You who participate in the solemnities present, take care not to
be excluded from the eternal solemnity. What good is it to take part in
men's festivals, if we come to miss the feast of angels? The solemnity
of this life is only the shadow of the solemnity to come. We celebrate
the first year each year only to get to the one that will not be
annual, but eternal. By celebrating the first fixed date, we remember
better that we must desire the second. May our spirit, by participating
in this transient joy, warm and burn with love for the eternal joys, so
that we will taste in the Fatherland the full reality of this joy whose
shade is the subject of our meditations in the way.
Remodel, my brothers, your life and your manners. Consider in advance
how severely you will judge the one who rose from death full of
sweetness. In the day of his dreadful judgment, he will appear with the
Angels, the Archangels, the Thrones, the Dominations, the
Principalities and the Powers, while the heavens and the earth will
blaze and all the elements will serve him trembling with terror. So
keep this terrifying Judge in your sight, and fear him as he prepares
to come, so as not to be frightened, but confident, when he comes. In
short, it must be feared to no longer have to fear it. May the terror
it inspires us to push us to good works, and the fear to preserve our
life from all misconduct. Believe me, my brothers, we will be all the
more reassured in his presence that now we are more worried about our
faults.
11. If one of you had to come to court tomorrow with his adversary to
defend his cause, worried about himself and the restless mind, he might
spend a whole night of insomnia that we could well tell him the next
day, and what he would answer to the accusations. He would be very much
afraid that I would be intractable to him, and he would be afraid of
appearing guilty to me. Now who am I? Or rather, what am I? In a short
time, after being a man, I will only be worm, and after being worm,
dust. If, then, we tremble with so much apprehension at the judgment of
what is only dust, how seriously should we not think of the judgment
[of a God] of such majesty, and with what terror we must not he not
foresee it?
12. But since there are those who are hesitating about the resurrection
of the flesh, and our teaching is better if it answers the questions
you secretly ask in your hearts, we must speak a little about faith in
the resurrection. For many are doubtful of the resurrection - as some
of us have sometimes also been able to see: seeing at the sight of the
sepulchres that the flesh is falling into decay and the bones into
dust, they can not believe that the flesh and bones can form from this
dust; and they conclude, so to speak, by asking themselves, "How could
a man be reformed from the dust? How could one make a soul for ashes?
We will answer them briefly that for God, to restore what existed was
much less than to create what did not exist. And what is so amazing
that he redoes a man from the dust, who created everything from nothing
at the same time? It is indeed more admirable to have created the sky
and the earth without starting from anything preexisting than to
restore man from the earth. But we pay attention only to ashes, and
while we despair of seeing her become flesh again, we seek in a way to
embrace by reason the power of the divine work.
Such reflections come from the fact that divine miracles that are daily
lose value to them because of their frequency. Is it not true, however,
that the entire mass of a tree that will be born is hidden in a single
tiny seed? Let us put before our eyes the magnificent image of an
immense tree, and then let us know where this tree was born, which has
reached such a mass by its growth. Surely, we will find that it
originates from a tiny seed. Let us now examine this little seed: where
are the hardwoods, the rough bark, the intense taste and smell, the
generous fruits and the very green leaves hiding in it? To the touch,
the seed is not robust; Where does the hardness of wood come from? Nor
is it rough; where does the roughness of the bark spring? She has no
taste; where does the flavor of its fruit come from? She does not
smell; from where the smell of its fruits exhales? In her, nothing
green; Where did the greenness of its leaves come from? All these
things are hidden together in the seed, though they are not expected to
come out together. The seed produces a root, from the root comes out
the shoot, from the shoot sprouts the fruit, and in the fruit a seed is
re-formed. Let us add that a seed is also hidden in the seed. It is no
wonder, then, that God brings back from the state of dust bones,
nerves, flesh and hair, he who daily renews the miracle of bringing out
a little seed of wood , the fruits, the leaves that form the immense
mass of a tree?
Thus, when a soul, prey to doubt, seeks to explain what power can
produce the resurrection, it must be questioned about facts that are of
the current reality and that we can not yet understand at all by
reason, so that this soul, seeing itself incapable of penetrating a
thing which it sees, after having ascertained it with its eyes, comes
to believe in that power of which it hears the promise.
So think in yourselves, dear brothers, that God promises us; these
things will remain. Despise however what passes over time, as if it was
already lost. Hurry with all your desire for this glory of the
resurrection, whose Truth shows us in it the realization. Flee the
desires of the earth, which separate us from our Creator, because the
contemplation of the almighty God that you reach is all the higher
because you love more exclusively the Mediator between God and men, he
who, being God live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
Footnotes:
1 In the Novus Ordo, the Feast of St.
Thomas was moved to July 3.
