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Saturday, July 3, 2010

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St. Thomas


Ephesians 2:19-22
Psalm 117:1-2
John 20:24-29

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un-doubtedly

"His answer was, 'I will never believe it without probing the nailprints in His hands, without putting my finger in the nailmarks and my hand into His side.' " —John 20:25

St. Thomas had great faith in Jesus throughout much of his time with the Lord. He even was willing to die with Jesus (Jn 11:16). After Pentecost, Thomas became a great missionary and gave his life to spread the gospel throughout the earth. He was part of the foundation of the Church (Eph 2:20; Rv 21:14). Now Thomas sees Jesus face to face and lives in the glory of heaven.

Thomas had a fantastic life and has an even more fantastic eternity, but hardly anyone ever thinks of Thomas' faith, love, power, and glory. Rather, the name "Thomas" has become synonymous with "doubt." This shows that most people ignore a life of faith and focus on a moment of doubt. It also shows the devastating power of doubt. Our doubt makes a lasting impression on many others.

Jesus challenged Thomas to not persist in his doubts, but instead to take the step of faith and believe (Jn 20:27). We do this, not by watching what we say, but watching how we live. A life of faith (Gal 2:20) is the way to guard against falling into doubt. The Lord wants to give us this life of faith. Jesus died that we might believe in Him. Accept the gift of faith. Accept Jesus.

Prayer:  Father, may people remember me for my faith.

Promise:  "In Him you are being built into this temple, to become a dwelling place for God in the Spirit." —Eph 2:22

Praise:  St. Thomas uttered a prayer that continues to echo through time: "My Lord and my God!" (Jn 20:28)

Reference:  (To grow in your faith, read the Bible daily. For encouragement, order any or all of these audio or video tapes: Ignorance of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ, AV 82-1, V-82, How to Pray the Bible on audio AV 82-3 or on video V-82, How to Read the Bible on audio AV 46-3 or on video V-46, Principles of Bible Interpretation, audio AV 79-1, video V-79.)

Rescript:  †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 29, 2009

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