St Thomas Sunday
Categories: hymns, feast-days
Date: 15 April 2007 05:32:39
Troparion:
While the tomb was sealed, You did shine forth from it, O Light. While the doors were closed, You did come in to Your Disciples, O Christ God, Resurrection of all, renewing in us through them an upright spirit, according to the greatness of Your mercy.
Epistle: Acts 5:12-30
Gospel: John 20:19-31
A blessed Feast of the Sunday of St Thomas to all: Christ is Risen! The Church, in my opinion, is rather wise is celebrating this event the week after Pascha: after the joy of Christ's Resurrection we plunge straight back to the trials and struggles of our faith through the example of Thomas (rather like the commemoration of St Stephen, the first Christian matryr, and the Holy Innocents straight after Christmas in the Western liturgical tradition).
Though he may be known for his doubting, we must remember Thomas did confess Jesus to be God and in his life thereafter, as St John Chrysostom wrote, "Thomas ... toiled through the grace of God more bravely, more zealously and tirelessly than them all, so that he went preaching over nearly all the earth, not fearing to proclaim the Word of God ..." He founded churches in Palestine, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Ethiopia and India, where he died a martyr. Holy Apostle Thomas: pray for us.
The following hymns are from Matins:
Be not faithless, O Thomas, to Me who was wounded for Your sake. And having probed My wounds with your hands, be of one mind with the Disciples, and proclaim I am a living God....
Today the fragrance of spring is shed forth, and the new creation shall rejoice. Today the locks shall be lifted from the doors with the faithlessness of the beloved Thomas, as he shouts out, You are my Lord and my God.
As You did not break the seals of the tomb at Your dread Resurrection, O life-giving Christ, so did You enter unto Your glorious Apostles, the doors being shut, and made them glad. And at once You did bestow on them an upright spirit, for Your countless mercies.
When You appeared among Your Disciples, O Lord, Thomas, who is called Didymus, was not there. Therefore, he doubted the fact of Your Resurrection, and unto those who had seen You he cried, saying, Except I thrust my hand into His side, in the prints of the nails, I will not believe that He is risen.
Truly, Christ called unto Thomas, saying, Probe as you will; thrust in your hand and know Me, that I have earthly flesh, bones, and body. Be not doubtful, but believe as the rest. But that one shouted, crying, Glory to Your Resurrection, O You who are my Lord and my God.
Eight days after Your Resurrection, O Jesus, King, the Word, and only Son of the Father, You did appear to Your Disciples, the doors being shut, granting them Your peace. And to the Disciple who believed not You did show the marks, saying, Reach out and probe my hands, feet, and incorruptible side. But he, being convinced, cried out unto You, saying, My Lord and my God, glory to You.