THOMAS THE APOSTLE
Thomas the Apostle, also known as Didymus, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus
according to the New Testament. Thomas parents are unknown and even his birthdate also.
Thomas Didymus lived in Galilee. Tradition says he labored in Parthia, Persia, and India,
suffering martyrdom near Madras, at Mt. St. Thomas, India. Thomas was probably born in
Galilee to a humble family, but there is no indication that he was a fisherman. He was a Jew, but
there is no account of how he became an apostle to Christ. Nevertheless, thanks to the fourth
Gospel his personality is clearer to us than some of the other Twelve. Thomas’ name occurs in
Matthew (10:3), Mark (3:18), Luke (6) and Acts of the Apostles (1:13), but in the Gospel of John
he plays a particularly distinctive part. Thomas is often condemned for his lack of belief, but
Thomas was equally courageous, willing to stand by Jesus in dangerous times. He also
relentlessly sought the Truth. Like an inquisitive child, he constantly asked questions. And, his
wonderful profession, “My Lord and my God,” is the clearest declaration of Jesus’ divinity in
Holy Scripture.
Thomas was his Hebrew name and Didymus was his Greek name. At times he was called Judas.
Matthew, Mark and Luke tell us nothing about Thomas except his name. However, John defines
him more clearly in his Gospel. Thomas appeared in the raising of Lazarus (John 11:2-16), in the
Upper Room (John 14:1-6) where he wanted to know how to know the way where Jesus was
going. In John 20:25, we see him saying unless he sees the nail prints in Jesus' hand and the gash
of the spear in His side he will not believe. That's why Thomas became known as Doubting
Thomas. By nature, Thomas was a pessimist. He was a bewildered man. Yet, he was a man of
courage. He was a man who could not believe until he had seen. He was a man of devotion and
of faith. When Jesus rose, he came back and invited Thomas to put his finger in the nail prints in
his hands and in his side. Here, we see Thomas making the greatest confession of faith, "My
Lord and my God." Thomas' doubts were transformed into faith. By this very fact Thomas' faith
became great, intense and convincing.
He is regarded as the patron saint of India among its Christian adherents,[10][11] and the Feast of
Saint Thomas on July 3 is celebrated as Indian Christians' Day. [12][13] The name Thomas remains
quite popular among the Saint Thomas Christians of the Indian subcontinent. It is said that he
was commissioned to build a palace for the king of India, and he was killed with a spear as a
martyr for his Lord. His symbol is a group of spears, stones and arrows.
REFLECTION
We tend to often see doubt as a negative thing, but intrinsically, it is not often the case. Sacred
Scripture reveals that God, sometimes, tolerates the doubting man, and enables him to attain
knowledge through such a medium. Needless to say, doubt precedes knowledge. Importing this
idea into our Christian parlance, it would not be out of place to say that doubt precedes faith.
Faith that has not first wrestled with doubt may not be faith at all. This we see in the person of
St. Thomas, the Apostle, whose doubt wrestled with his faith and this has come to serve as the
basis of our faith. doubt is important because it helps you to challenge the status quo, face and
overcome your fears, redefine the situation you once believed to believe more, reflect on
previous stories you’ve told yourself and search for the silver lining, ask new questions, and to
search for new answers. Likewise, Thomas’ answer to his doubt was a result of his disposition to
contemplate the open side and the Heart of Jesus, resulting in his profound expression of faith.
May this very contemplation of the most expressive sign of our Savior’s love lead us to a clear,
determined, strong, and apostolic faith. Above all, Thomas doubted, but he decided to move
from doubt to faith, from skepticism to trust, and from fear to the courage of giving up his life in
martyrdom for what he had come to believe.
