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The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio
St Thomas the Apostle
On July 3rd we celebrate the Apostle Thomas and his life. The name Thomas actually means ‘The Twin’. He is sometimes also called ‘Didymus’ but this is simply a Greek translation of ‘The Twin’. I think it safe to assume that he had a twin brother or sister. However, we know Thomas mainly for his skepticism when he questioned the other apostles’ accounts of having met the risen Christ. This attitude earned him the title ‘Doubting Thomas’. When Thomas finally met the risen Christ for himself, he forgot his skepticism and declared, "My lord and my God" (John 20 vs 28). Thomas was clearly unafraid to speak out and unafraid to speak his mind. John 11:16 records that when the apostles were reluctant to return to Judea for fear of persecution Thomas said “Let us go with him. We might as well die with him”. Thomas is also the one who contradicts Jesus when in in John 14 vs 4 and 5 we have Jesus saying:
4 And you know the way to the place where I am going.
and Thomas’ challenging response:
5 “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
In later life Thomas went to India and the Christian Community there hold him as their patron saint. Many other churches in the Middle East and southern Asia, such as the Assyrian Church of the East, the early church of Sri Lanka.also have Apostle Thomas in their historical traditions as founder.
I think Thomas is important to us today because he is used in the Gospels to represent us, with our doubts, impetuous behaviours and misunderstandings. The Gospel writers were very careful to include Thomas’ stories for that reason. We have someone we can identify with, who thinks the way we do in the face of such great mysteries. It seems that even a doubting, outspoken critic can perform great deeds!
Tony Gilbert
Team Rector
Reverend Tony Gilbert
Three Valleys Team Ministry
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A PRAYER FOR ALL THOSE AFFECTED BY CORONAVIRUS
Keep us, good Lord,
under the shadow of your mercy.
Sustain and support the anxious,
be with those who care for the sick,
and lift up all who are brought low;
that we may find comfort
knowing that nothing can separate us from your love
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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please click here
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The Reverend Tony Gilbert and his wife Nicola