The Very Rev. Radmilo Ž. Stokić
62 Kimbolton Road, BEDFORD, MK40 2NX
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8TH of May 2016, Stoke-on-Trent
+++ ST. THOMAS – THE APOSTLE OF CHRIST +++
In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Sprit !
My dear Orthodox brothers and sisters,
Today, our Holy Orthodox Church is remembering one of Christ’s 12 Apostles,
SV. TOMA - ST. THOMAS !
His full name was, Didemus Judas Thomas, who lived in Galilee when it was part of the ancient Roman Empire, and became one of Jesus Christ’s disciples when Jesus called him to join his ministry work.
Toma - Thomas is known in popular culture as “Doubting Thomas” (neverni Toma), because of the famous Bible story in which He demands to see physical proof of Jesus’ Resurrection before believing it.
Toma – Thomas, at the ,,Last Supper” asked Jesus Christ a famous question:
,,Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know Your way?”
Jesus answered to Apostle Thomas: ,,I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through Me. If you really know Me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him through Me”.
Sv. Toma – St. Thomas is most famous for how he interacted with Lord Jesus Christ after the miracle of Jesus Resurrection from the dead.
The Bible records in John chapter 20 that the Resurrected Jesus had appeared to some of his disciples while they were together, but Thomas wasn’t with the group at the time. Verse 25 describes Apostle Thomas’ reaction when the disciples told him the news: ,,We have seen the Lord” ! But he said to them:
,,Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will NOT BELIEVE”!
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Apostle Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said; ,,PEACE BE WITH YOU”! Then, he said to Apostle Thomas: ,,Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side.
STOP DOUBTING AND BELIEVE” !
After getting the physical proof he would wanted of the Resurrection miracle, Apostle Thomas’s doubt turned to STRONG BELIEF. Thomas said to Him:
,,MY LORD AND MY GOD” ! (John 20:28)
The next verse reveals that Jesus blesses people who are willing to have faith in something that they can’t see right now. Then Jesus told Apostle Thomas:
,,Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”! (John 20:29)
When Apostles receive Holy Spirit (on 50th day after Christ’s Resurrection) Apostle Thomas went to Syria, Persia and India to spred the Gospel of Christ and bring the good news to the people about Christ’s Resurrection.
Right before his death, Apostle Thomas stood up to an Indian King (whose wife, because of his teaching, became a Christian) when he pressured Thomas to make religious sacrifices to an idol.
Miraculously, the idol shattered into peaces when Thomas was forced to approach it. The King was so enraged that he ordered his high priest to kill Apostle Thomas, and he did.
He died in India in 72 AD as a Martyr of Christ, by being pierced by a spear, and was reunited with his, and our, Lord Jesus Christ !
Apostle Thomas is still known today as the Apostle of India, for many Churches that he formed and helped build there !
CHRIST IS RISEN + INDEED HE IS RISEN !!!
A M E N !!!