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Quote of the Day All the way to heaven is heaven, because Jesus said, 'I am the way.'" St. Catherine of Siena
Today's Meditation "Whenever we receive Communion, we enter into communion with the Holy Trinity. Did anybody ever tell you that? With each reception of Holy Communion, we experience, already here on earth, the same divine activity that we will one day experience in all its fullness in heaven—the divine activity of love eternally taking place within the Trinity…God wants to live his triune life in us. We are called to be dwelling places for the Holy Trinity and to enter into a personal relationship with each of the persons in God."
—Vinney Flynn, p. 27-28
Daily Verse "Then [Jesus] said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.' Thomas answered him, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him, 'Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.'" John 20:27-29 | St. Thomas the Apostle (1st c.) was one of the twelve disciples who accompanied Jesus during His earthly ministry. He is remembered for his disbelief in the news of Christ's Resurrection until he physically saw and touched Jesus' wounds—thus earning him the name "Doubting Thomas." After Pentecost he traveled and preached throughout Persia and southeast Asia. Early traditions ascribe his main work and martyrdom to India, so that he is also called the "Apostle of India." He converted many to Christ, worked miracles, and established the Church in the East. One tradition holds that on his way to India he met and baptized the Three Wise Men of the Nativity who first venerated Jesus at Bethlehem. St. Thomas is also remembered for being a skilled carpenter, and according to Indian tradition he built the first churches in India with his own hands. St. Thomas the Apostle is the patron of India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, architects, builders, masons, surveyors, theologians, against blindness, and of people in doubt. His feast day is July 3rd. | Ephesians 2:19-22 Brothers and sisters: You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Psalm 117:1-2 R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.
Praise the Lord, all you nations,
glorify him, all you peoples! R.
For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever. R. Gospel Acclamation Alleluia, alleluia.
You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord;
blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe! Jn 20:29
Alleluia, alleluia. John 20:24-29 Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But Thomas said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe." Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: John 20:24-29 We have seen the Lord. (John 20:25) The disciples couldn't wait to share the good news with Thomas: "We have seen the Lord," they told him (John 20:25). But Thomas, whose feast we celebrate today, gave a disheartening reply: "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe" (20:25). A whole week went by before Thomas encountered Jesus. Imagine the contrast between the overjoyed disciples and "Doubting Thomas" during that time! Did they try to convince him? Did they recount, over and over again, the details of their having met Jesus, or did they avoid bringing it up? Whatever they did, Thomas didn't change his mind—until Jesus himself showed up. With a greeting of peace and without condemnation, Jesus invited Thomas to see his wounds and even to touch them. "Do not be unbelieving, but believe," he said (John 20:27). Thomas didn't need any more convincing. His doubts fell away, and he proclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" (20:28). Although we know him mostly for his doubts, Thomas' one week of questioning was followed by decades of bold, faithful preaching of the gospel. Tradition tells us that he spent the rest of his life proclaiming the risen Lord with zeal and courage. He brought the good news to many nations, most notably to India. To this day, and even in the face of sometimes fierce persecution, Christians in the Kerala region of southern India hold fast to a faith they trace all the way back to St. Thomas. Are there ways in which you may be doubting the Lord today? Maybe you're questioning his goodness, his care for you, or his provision for your loved ones. Don't give in to those doubts! Receive Jesus' invitation to draw close to him, to encounter him, and to believe. He waits for you with open arms; he does not condemn you or push you away. Let him fill you with the faith and confidence you need, not only to believe but to boldly share the good news of the gospel. "Jesus, my Lord and my God, I believe!" Ephesians 2:19-22
Psalm 117:1-2 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "But Thomas said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe......." end quote. | From Bishop Barron: "There is, in most areas of life, a play between knowing and believing. It is not unique to the religious sphere of life. Blaise Pascal summed it up: "The heart has its reasons that reason knows not." It is not that we who have not seen and have believed are settling for a poor substitute for vision. No, we are being described as blessed, more blessed than Thomas. God is doing all sorts of things that we cannot see, measure, control, fully understand. But it is an informed faith that allows one to fall in love with such a God." end quote.
From Roberto Juarez:
"In my life, what experience of Christ have I had? It is evident that we have not seen Jesus, we have not touched his wounds and yet we believe in him. Our experience of the risen Christ is due to the witness of a loved one, to what we have lived and received from our parents, to what someone has taught us... The testimony of others is what initiates our faith. Little by little in our lives this faith grows and allows us too to be witnesses of Christ. • What attitudes of Thomas do I recognize in my life of faith? Secondly, the mercy of Jesus in the face of doubt. Jesus does not rebuke Thomas for doubting, but patiently shows him his wounds, giving him what is necessary to believe. The Lord understands our weaknesses.
Jesus does not reproach, he knows that we need to see, to touch, in order to believe. It is our temptation to pass everything through the filter of reason. That is why he asks him to touch, to prove that it is him, without trap or cardboard. • When have I needed to see in order to believe, and how did Jesus meet me? Thirdly, beatitude for those who believe without seeing. Jesus declares blessed those who believe without the need for visible proof, thus opening the way of faith for all believers of all times.
He knows that those who come from behind will not be able to see and touch as Tomás has done, which will be the testimonies. The faith of each one is what will make it possible to believe in Jesus. Praise all those who believe without seeing, those who see with the eyes of the heart. Our faith must be strong without the need for trials and signs, but through witness. • How can I strengthen my faith to live it without relying on signs or trials? Like Thomas, we also have moments of doubt and searching. Let us thank Jesus for his patience and for showing us his wounds, a sign of his love. Let us ask the Lord to help us to believe without seeing, to trust in his Word and to recognize his presence in our daily lives. May we be joyful witnesses of the resurrection and may he give us a faith that does not waver, even in the midst of the shadows." end quote.
Unless I see. As if to make everyone else a liar? The other disciples said they saw. Why wouldn't he believe?
And you? Would you believe if your friends or relatives saw Him?
What if I told you that I myself have seen with my soul, the Lord Himself! And I did, and it has forever changed me. Seeing Him on the dark cross, now every single day at 3pm me and my family pray the divine Mercy chaplet, even on weekends. Do you believe? Remember that McDonald prisoner that is now free I spoke of earlier? He had died and experienced our Lord, and even hell, and came back, and later on, some of his own fellow inmates he gave witness to would be some of the very ones that would gang up on him and stab him, attempting to kill him...again.
So what's up with our beliefs? We hear from eye witnesses and now what? Does it matter?
It should.
The stories in the bible, they are witnesses, and many of them are witnesses of blood, having given their very lives for God our Father and then for Christ our Lord. Funny how in the bible we do not have the stories of how every disciple was treated and died after our Lord's death, but only one or two stories. The rest are traditions passed on.
So how or what are we to believe? To decipher, the solution is simple...ask God for the Holy Spirit to lead, and the Spirit will pull, gravitate to His will, and whence you find yourself fighting His will, you will feel uneasy, and a counterweight on the soul.
Let us not wrestle with God anymore, but let us let Him. Let Him work us, mold us, shape us, and transform us. This then, becomes humility in action..obedience because of love, the willing of the good of the other.
St. Thomas! Pray for us! That we might believe with His Word alone! |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Matthew 5:10 10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
