St. Thomas the Apostle, Feast Day on July 3

Patron Saint of doubters, architects, blind people, builders, geometricians, masons, surveyors, and theologians.  Saint Thomas is represented by a spear because he was a carpenter and a ruler to symbolize his martyrdom. 

St. Thomas is also known as Doubting Thomas and was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ who was skeptical of the Resurrection of Jesus.

When the other apostles told him  “We have seen the Lord”, Thomas said he would not believe it until he has seen Jesus himself and has touched his wounds.  

“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe,” he said.

A week after, Jesus showed himself up to Thomas and told him to touch his wounds: “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.”    

Thereby, Thomas held his faith:   “My Lord and my God!" to which Jesus said: “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20:24–29)

After the Ascencion of Jesus, Thomas preached Christianity and the Gospel to India  around the year 52, and where he is believed to have been martyred around 72 AD.  

An ancient text called “The Acts of Thomas” talks about several conversions and miracles that Thomas did.  Around four years before his martyrdom, it is said believed that Thomas and his companions journeyed to eastern India, in modern-day Chennai.

 But before that, Thomas was said to had evangelized in Syria and Persia.

In Chennai, he cared for the poor and sick, and built churches, while preaching the Gospel.  He was said to had converted kings and their families thereby converting their people. 

 It is said that while praying a hill in Chennai which is called “Saint Thomas Hill, he was pierced in the back with a spear upon the instruction of the king because he converted the queen and other family members to Christianity.

 Saint Thomas the Apostle was mentioned in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke until near the end of Jesus’ life and ministry. The Gospel of John cited him as “Didymus” which means, “Twin”, although not much is written  about this to explain.

 The first elaborate citation on Saint Thomas was before the seventh and final “sign” performed by Jesus in the Gospel of John. 

When Jesus learned that his friend Lazarus had died, he told his disciples that he was going to raise Lazarus back to life. The disciples warned Jesus that he might further anger members of the Sanhedrin (John 11:8). 

Thomas then courageously said to the other disciples, “Let us also go to die with him” (John 11:16).

At the start of the discourse of Jesus during the Last Supper, Jesus said to the Apostles that he would return to the Father and prepare a place for them, after which he would return to take them with him. 

 Thomas objected and said, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus responds, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:5–6).