St. Thomas the Apostle
One
St. Thomas the Apostle
About 10 years after the death and Resurrection of Jesus, King Herod unleashed a violent persecution of the Catholic Church in the year 42. He put to death the Apostle James and then most of the Apostles were scattered. They were propelled out of their comfort zone and sent on mission by this persecution.
At this time, the Apostle Thomas traveled from Jerusalem, first to Damascus in Syria and then eastward, preaching the Gospel and establishing the Catholic Church in towns along the way in Persia or modern-day Iraq and Iran until he arrived in Punjab, Pakistan, 20 miles north-west of Islamabad where he planted Catholicism.
Around the year 50, the Holy Spirit recalled him to Jerusalem to be present at two important events: the Assumption of Mary and the first Council of the Church found in Acts 15. However, like Easter Sunday, Thomas arrived too late for Mary’s Assumption, just as he was at the Resurrection and he missed it (but let’s give him a break – he was coming from Pakistan after all.)
Thomas was distraught that he missed his mother’s Assumption. And like the Resurrection eight days later, Mary appeared to Thomas, assuring him of her maternal love and care. She gave him her mantle or cloak signifying her motherly presence that would never fail him.
After this, Thomas went by way of the Red Sea to Yemen, then to the island of Socotra, where he established Catholicism. From there he sailed across the Arabian Sea to western India, to Kerala in 52 AD.
Thomas went with no companions to be the only Christian on the entire continent of Asia. Yet he was not alone. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.”
Thomas was not alone. Jesus and Mary were with him. You and I are never alone. Jesus and Mary are always with us.
Two
For seventeen years Thomas built relationships and led people to Jesus. There he established the Catholic Church in Southwestern India in the first century.
In the first century, trade routes from the Middle East to India through the Roman Empire were common. But once the Roman empire fell in the 5th century and Islam rose to power in the 7th century, India was virtually cut off from Rome and Europe for almost 1000 years.
Finally, in the 16th century, when St. Francis Xavier sailed from Lisbon to bring Christianity to India, guess what he found when he got off the boat? Catholics and the Catholic Church and Mass, and devotion to Mary. “Where did you come from,” Francis Xavier asked. “From the Apostle Thomas,” they responded.
I know a priest from the Malabar region in India. The Catholics there are known as Thomas Christians because they trace their origins to the Apostles Thomas. His hometown parish, which is considered one of the newer ones in India, was established in the year 999.
Why is this significant? Because it is historical proof that Jesus Christ founded the Catholic Church, and the Apostles, like St. Thomas, planted it all over the world.
Three
Having established Catholicism on the western coast of India, Thomas then traveled east to Chennai. Nearby was a temple of Kali, the Satanic goddess of death and dismemberment, patroness of stranglers. (I am not making this stuff up.) Without the light of Christ, the world becomes enslaved to the demons of darkness. We are once again falling into this darkness.
In 72 AD, twenty years after he arrived in India, Thomas was praying in a cave on a hill called the Little Mount where Brahmins from the temple of Kali attacked him by piercing him in the heart with a lance. There Thomas was buried and Indian Christians have venerated his tomb ever since.
Almost 40 years earlier, when Jesus told the Apostles He was going to Jerusalem, they were afraid because they knew of the plots to kill Him but, Thomas spoke up with courage and love saying, “Let us go to Jerusalem and die with Him.” Thomas said this in 33 AD. Now he had done so, not in Jerusalem but Chennai, overlooking the Bay of Bengal, more than 3000 miles from home. There he brought the light of Christ to scatter the darkness of the kingdom of Satan and death.
Four
Thomas is famously known as “Doubting Thomas”
After the Resurrection, the other Apostles tried to tell him that Jesus was alive. Thomas however, retorted, “Unless I see the holes the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand in his side, I refuse to believe.”
I’ve been rejected by a lot of people when I tried to tell them about Jesus but never as insolently as that. That was a pretty harsh reply made by Thomas. These words seem like a definitive and quite final answer.
Yet, even after having been rebuffed, the other Apostles kept inviting Thomas into their friend group to share life together. And this became the occasion for Thomas to encounter Jesus. Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” He said. Then He spoke to Thomas, “Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.” Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!”
I bet Thomas was grateful his Apostle buddies didn’t write him off.
We in our turn should never give up on family and friends and keep inviting them to share life together. Because that may be the only chance they get to encounter Jesus.
Five
You and I do not need to go 3000 miles or even 30 to fulfill our responsibility to lead people to Jesus.
Just be faithful to your time in friendship with Jesus every day, time in mental prayer through the Rosary and the prayerful reading and reflecting on the Word of God.
Make a commitment to spend time with the people God has entrusted to you: spouse, kids, elderly parents, grandkids, close friends.
Do this regularly, that is habitually. Ideally, that is once a week. In fact, God commanded us to set aside every Sunday for two things: time to delight in Him at Mass and time to delight in each other by spending time together. That is what Sunday is for. So be Apostles of delight with your family and friends on Sundays and one on one.
And when the time is right, when you see an interest or an opening, invite them to take their next right step to grow closer to God. So, invite, then follow up and be patient. Because it’s a long game.