Saint Thomas, Apostle - Feast

As baptised Christians, we are sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters in Christ. But sometimes some of us forget our identity. Our behaviour, attitude and way of life seems to be in contrast with our identity as Christians. At church, we appear to be good and holy, some seem generous with their offerings; but when we are sent forth to love and serve the Lord after the Sunday Mass is concluded, are we just as good and holy as we were in church?

In today's reading, we are reminded: "You are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God’s household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone." Since we are citizens, then we should be mindful of our conduct, as the way we behave and act could turn out to be counter-witnessing to the Gospel. Of course, this does not mean that we should follow blindly everything that we are taught. We should also seek clarification and ask questions, so that we would be crystal clear about what is required. St. Thomas, whose feast we celebrate today, is a great example of how we should clarify and question, not so much because we do not believe or have no faith, but more that we would be better informed and our faith strengthened.

Today, let us not forget who we are and act accordingly. Let us be true witnesses of the Gospel, firmly rooted in faith and understanding, and humbly and joyfully go forth to share the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Saint Thomas, Apostle - Feast

Do we believe everything we see or hear? Sometimes we may see something or hear of something, but what we see or hear may not necessarily be true. This is why we may sometimes be sceptical or unconvinced about something until we have clear and indisputable evidence. At other times, there are certain things we cannot see or hear, but they are present. This requires faith and trust in God.

St. Thomas in today's Gospel doubted when the disciples said, 'We have seen the Lord.' Considering the amount of stories and rumours St. Thomas may have heard, he had every reason to doubt. Of course we should discern when we accept what is being said, and when to doubt, since not everything we hear or see is true. However, we should also take heed of what Jesus said in the Gospel: "Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe." This is where we need to know when we should use our reasoning and when to depend on faith. Let us ask our God to guide us, so we would be able to be balanced in faith and reason.