Thomas the Apostle

“ Thomas the Apostle, December 21st, 1643, being in her twenty-third year. Shortly after she added the a vow of poverty, and from that time her career of sanctity was unmistakable. She advanced in virtue as she advanced in age, and the practise of every good work, and held the office of Prefect of the extern congregation for many years. In 1647, her father falling dangerously sick, she attended him with all the love and charity that might be expected from such a daughter, and had the consolation of seeing him die full of hope and trust in the mercy of God. ”

“ Then again said Abbanes unto the apostle,
'If thou art cunning in crafts, as thou saidst but now,
why would Thy Lord let thee come to me? '
Thomas said to him, concerning Christ's building:
' I lay the foundations which shall last for ever,
and I set the wall which shall never sink,
and make the windows which shall be very perfect,
that there shall be no lack to the house of the heavenly light. ”

“ It is mainly for the light they throw on Gnostic ideas that the Acts of Thomas deserve to be studied; for they are a mere romance without any historic value. The object of the Acts seems to have been to delineate a Christian ideal as presented in Thomas, whose "acts of compassion, and the cures done by him as a free gift, and still more, his single-mindedness, and gentleness, and fidelity, show that he is a just man, or an apostle of the new God whom he preaches ”

“ Thomas afterwards traversed various kingdoms of India, preaching the Gospel everywhere, working many miracles, and converting the nations to Jesus Christ. At last he was persecuted by a king named Mesdeus, who ordered him to worship a statue of the sun. The apostle consented to kneel down before it, and to sacrifice to it, if the statue did not, at his command, fall into dust. But that miracle really took place. Then there arose a great tumult among the people, the greater part of whom took part with St. Thomas. ”

“ Beyond this, the writings of the New Testament give not the least account of Thomas; and his subsequent history can only be uncertainly traced in the dim and dark stories of tradition, or in the contradictory records of the Fathers. Different accounts state that he preached the gospel in Parthia,――Media,――Persia,――Ethiopia,――and at last, India. A great range of territories is thus spread out before the investigator, but the traces of the apostle’s course and labors are both few and doubtful. ”

“ And those that were healed by him said with one accord and one voice, "Glory to thee, Jesus, who in like manner hast given healing to all through thy servant and apostle Thomas! And being in good health, and rejoicing, we pray thee, that we may become members of thy flock and be counted among thy sheep. Receive us, therefore, O Lord, and consider not our trespasses and our former transgressions, which we have done, because we were in ignorance!" ”

“ How when Our Lord was ascended into heaven, then he sent St. Thomas, his apostle, into Ind, to preach there God's word. And as St. Thomas went about in the temples he found a star in every one, painted after the manner of the Star that appeared to the three Kings when Christ was born, in which Star was a sign of the Cross and a Child above. And when [Pg 38] St. Thomas saw this he asked of the bishops what it was, and they told him that such a Star of old time appeared on the Hill of Vaws in token of a Child that was born who should be king of the Jews, as was heard spoken out of the same Star. ”

“ After these words he hastened to the prison,
and sought the apostle, saying with weeping:
'My brother knew not, Lord, that thou wert the apostle
of the living God, and he hath highly sinned.'
Then he quickly unbound him, and besought him to receive
costly raiment. Then said the Lord's servant:
Yet knowest thou not that those who follow Christ
and desire to possess heavenly virtues,
wear not splendid garments nor fleshly adornings. ”

“ Then the Virgin, taking pity on his weakness and want of faith, threw down to him her girdle, that this tangible proof remaining in his hands might remove all doubts for ever from his mind: hence in many pictures of the Assumption and Coronation of the Virgin, St. Thomas is seen below holding the sacred girdle in his hand. For instance, in Raphael’s beautiful ‘Coronation’ in the Vatican; and in Correggio’s ‘Assumption’ at Parma, where St. Thomas holds the girdle, and another apostle kisses it. ”

“ Then the king Gondophorus said to his brother:
' Since it is made for me, I think that it is mine;
let the apostle make for thee another work like it;
if, however, he cannot make another,
it may serve us both to possess this one.'
Then said the holy apostle: ' The Saviour hath builded
unnumbered dwellings and spacious palaces
from the beginning of the world magnificently in heaven;
and they can be purchased with true faith. ”

“ Thomas having preached at all in India has been frequently called in question by writers deserving of attention; but we find it supported by so much evidence, that it seems difficult for an unprejudiced mind to refuse credit to a fact guaranteed by such excellent historical authorities. All the Greek, Latin, and Syriac monuments proclaim that St. Thomas was the apostle of the Indies, who carried the torch of faith into the remote regions where he suffered martyrdom. Some writers have affirmed that he prosecuted his apostolical labours as far even as China ”

“ Then answered Thomas: ' Oh! thou my Lord,
send me whither Thou wilt, save to the Indians.'
The Saviour said to him: — ' Go now, and I will be with thee,
and will not forsake thee;
and after that thou hast gained for Me the Indians,
thou shalt come to Me with the glorious crown of martyrdom.'
Thomas answered Him: ' Thou art my Lord,
and I am Thy servant; Thy will be done.'
Lo then! the steward, who was named Abbanes,
(come) from the Indian king, rowed to land,
and went through the province seeking his errand.
Then Christ went to him, and said openly,
' What buyest thou, youth? ”

“ THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL. (1 John 3:8)
It is clear to my mind that sin is the thing referred to by the apostle in the word devil. The sting of the Serpent is its power of destruction. The "sting of death" is the power of death; and that, the apostle says, in one place, "is sin"; and in another, "is the devil". There are not two powers of death; but one only. Hence, the devil and sin, though different words, represent the same thing. "Sin had the power of death", and would have retained it, if the man, who was obedient unto death, had not gained the victory over it. ”

“ But, says the apostle, "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual." In his letter to the Ephesians (Eph. 6:14) , he enumerates them as the girdle of truth, the breast-plate of righteousness, the preparation of the gospel of peace for sandals, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. This is the "whole armour of God" which, "the people of the holies" are permitted to use. The two-edged sword of the spirit is the only offensive weapon they are allowed to wield in combat with the Beast. ”

“ After the Saviour's passion and resurrection from death
and ascension into heaven, when His apostles
travelled throught this earth, then came Thomas
to the city of Caesarea, and the Saviour Himself
came to him from heaven, thus saying: —
' The king of the Indians, who is called Gondophorus,
hath sent his steward to the Syrian land
to seek a workman who is well skilled in his craft ”

“ I rear the building, so that the roof shall surmount
all edifices, and it shall be fair without,
and the work shall nevertheless be more beautiful within.
"Whatsoever there be in marble or in glorious building,
I verily make, and if thou wilt commit to me
boys to teach, I will instruct them truly.'
Then said Abbanes: 'Excellent is the man
who hath such workmen; he is better than any king.'
Thomas answered him: ' Excellently thou hast spoken. ”

“ Tertullian, who became a Christian about eighty-five years after the reception of the Apocalypse by the apostle John, that is, about a.d. 185, in writing upon the resurrection, says: "He who raises the dead to life will raise the body in its perfect integrity. This is part of the change which the body will undergo at the resurrection ”

“ It was not, however, till his sixteenth year, that he appeared to be truly renewed by the grace of God. Then he manifestly became a new creature in Christ Jesus. With his whole heart he now devoted himself to the Lord, was baptized by Mr. Thomas, and received into the church. His subsequent disposition and conduct fully confirmed the sincerity of his profession, adorned the doctrine of God our Saviour, and greatly endeared him to his pastor and fellow-members. ”

“ The doctrines of those illustrious men, like the scattered members of a body, Thomas collected together and cemented, distributed in wonderful order, and so increased with important additions that he is rightly and deservedly esteemed the special bulwark and glory of the Catholic faith. With his spirit at once humble and swift, his memory ready and tenacious, his life spotless throughout, a lover of truth for its own sake, richly endowed with human and divine science, like the sun he heated the world with the warmth of his virtues and filled it with the splendor of his teaching. ”

“ But He who sees into the hearts of all—looking in his benevolence more at the intention than the outward form, may perhaps sometimes find in it the workings of a true christian piety, and so reward it with his love. Let us trust so in the charity of our faith, and proceed to notice that portion of the old record which is more intimately connected with our subject. We read that
"Thomas had brought with him to the convent, on his entering, many books, of both canon and civil law; as well as the books by which he had regulated the schools of Oxford and Exeter before he became a monk. ”

“ This want of faith was wrong: Thomas knew that the other Apostles would not say anything that they did not believe to be true; and it was impossible that all the ten, should have merely fancied that they had seen and talked with their beloved Lord and Master.
Thomas was now left for one whole week in his unbelief; and a good many of the disciples, who had not themselves seen Jesus, took his view of the matter: though the ten Apostles, and a great number of the disciples, were convinced that Christ was indeed risen. ”

“ Thomas's membership in the twelve was a standing declaration that Jesus loved even honest doubters.
The other apostles held Jesus in reverence because of some special and outstanding trait of his replete personality, but Thomas revered his Master because of his superbly balanced character. Increasingly Thomas admired and honored one who was so lovingly merciful yet so inflexibly just and fair; so firm but never obstinate; so calm but never indifferent; so helpful and so sympathetic but never meddlesome or dictatorial; so strong but at the same time so gentle ”

“ No man was more active than he, in revivals. He would go many miles to assist in carrying them on, and in getting outsiders interested in religion. His house being one of the holiest, if not the happiest in St. Michael's, became the "preachers' home." These preachers evidently liked to share Master Thomas's hospitality; for while he starved us, he stuffed them. Three or four of these ambassadors of the gospel—according to slavery—have been there at a time; all living on the fat of the land, while we, in the kitchen, were nearly starving. ”

“ There are few saints, in fact, of whose daily life and habits we know more than St. Thomas. He is familiar to us as one of ourselves. We seem to see him enjoying his ordinary recreation of walking up and down the cloister of his convent, occasionally dragged off by his brethren to take a breath of fresh air in the garden, but sure in such cases to be found before long in some remote corner, absorbed in cogitation. ”

“ The brilliant chancellor was no sooner archbishop than he turned from all the gaieties of the world, and while no less a statesman, adopted the life of his monks—though never himself a monk—at Canterbury. Henceforth Archbishop Thomas was the unflinching champion of the poor and them that had no helper, the resolute defender of the liberties of the Church against all who would make religion subject to the autocracy of the king of England. ”

“ At Canterbury the monks received him as an angel of God, crying, "Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord." "I am come to die among you," said Thomas in his sermon. "In this church there are martyrs," he said again, "and God will soon increase their number." A few days later he made a triumphant progress through London on his way to visit the young king; his fellow-citizens crowded round him with loud blessings, while a procession of three hundred poor scholars and London clerks raised a loud Te Deumas Thomas rode along with bowed head scattering alms on every side. ”

“ How it would have strengthened the faith of those Christians who had not yet seen the vision of their risen Lord to have seen the light even upon the gloomy face of Thomas! But Thomas missed the privilege of giving. I cannot rob myself without robbing you. I cannot starve myself spiritually without helping to starve you. I cannot sin alone. If I do that which lowers my spiritual vitality, by that very act I help to lower yours also. "Thomas was not with them when Jesus came," and he missed a double blessing, the privilege of receiving and the privilege of giving. ”