The Sunday of St Thomas
Categories: hymns, parish-life, feast-days
Date: 11 April 2010 04:45:18
Troparion:
While the tomb was sealed,
You shone forth, O Christ our Life;
and while the doors remained closed,
You came among Your disciples,
O Resurrection of all.
Through them restore an upright spirit in us,
according to Your great mercy.
Kontakion:
O Christ God, Thomas explored your vivifying side with an eager hand;
and since You had entered the room while the doors were closed,
he cried out with the other Apostles,
"You are my Lord and my God."
Today, the first Sunday after Pascha, is known as Thomas Sunday, after the Gospel passage we hear read at Divine Liturgy [John 20:19-31]. While we of course have the term "doubting Thomas" from this account, we must also remember Thomas' great confession of faith, expressing the divine and human natures of Christ, "My Lord and my God."
It was a blessing to be back at church after a week of not attending services; as I blogged in an earlier post, after attending church once, or sometimes multiple times, per day, there was a strange feeling of being "lost" throughout the week. It was a joy to see my beloved brothers and sisters, as well as talk on a variety of topics to a visitor whom I have met before and with whom I share a mutual friend.
I also, after being asked by our choir director, a man who is a blessing and encouragement in his commitment as well as his example of Christ-like living, agreed to make a commitment to ensure I am on time for Matins each Sunday morning,to provide some small measure of help to the choir, and at least start off reading the Psalms [we do not read Psalms 19 and 20 in our services, we read the six following [bear in mind the Greek version of the Old Testament (the one used in the Orthodox Church) numbers the Psalms differently from the Hebrew version] and read additional hymns and verses as I am asked to assist. It is a blessing for me, for not only do I find the Psalms perfectly express the inner cries of the heart, but attending Matins helps me prepare -- mentally, spiritually and emotionally -- for the Divine Liturgy. As I drive about 35 minutes to church, and there is often, God forgive me, much impatience on my side in traffic, as well as various thoughts swirling around my head on everything and anything; the hour of Matins does help me prepare for the worship of the Divine Liturgy as well as the partaking of Christ's Holy Body and Blood [though I confess I am still very easily distracted in the Divine Liturgy...]
A blessed Sunday of St Thomas to all.