The Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle
All that is known for certain about Thomas comes from the New Testament. He is mentioned as one of the twelve apostles in all four Gospels and is nicknamed Didymus, “the twin,” in John’s Gospel. It was a “doubting” Thomas who refused to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead until he had seen him with his own eyes and put his finger into his wounds; this prompted Jesus’ response, “Doubt no longer but believe,” to which Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God” ( John 20:24-29 ). Reflecting on this moment, Saint Gregory the Great wrote, “The disbelief of Thomas has done more for our faith than the faith of the other disciples. As he touches Christ and is won over to belief, every doubt is cast aside and our faith is strengthened. So the disciple who doubted, then felt Christ’s wounds, becomes a witness to the reality of the resurrection.” Tradition states that Saint Thomas preached the Gospel to the Parthians, Medes, and Persians, eventually making his way to India where he ...