FEAST OF ST. THOMAS-DOG DAYS BEGIN
Acts, Chapter 5, verse 10-11
10 At once, she fell down at his feet
and breathed her last. When the young men entered they found her dead, so they
carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these
things.
Many years ago, there used to be a TV commercial the
used the expression, “Don’t mess with mother nature,” for if you do bad things
will happen. Others might call it Karma. In Luke’s “Acts” we see that the
leadership of the early church produced growth naturally.
1.
Purity-the leaders didn’t settle for anything less than integrity.
2.
Power-the leaders modeled an attractive, supernatural power that met human
needs.
3.
Persecution-opposition served to strengthen the leaders and their convictions.
4.
Proclamation-the leaders eagerly communicated their message.
5.
Priorities-the
leaders clearly laid out their top priority, which made decisions easier.
6.
Praise-in
the midst adversity, leaders maintained an attitude of gratitude and praised
God for everything.
7.
Perseverance-the
leaders kept right on influencing others, living a life of conviction, not
caution.
With
inner joy and deep comfort, the Church looks to families. For they bear
witness, in a credible way, to the beauty of marriage as indissoluble and
perpetually faithful. Within the family ‘which could be called a domestic
church’ which reflects, through grace, the mystery of the Holy Trinity. ‘Here
one learns endurance and the joy of work, fraternal love, generous; even
repeated forgiveness and above all divine worship in prayer
The
Church is a family of families, constantly enriched by the lives of all those
domestic churches. The Church is good for the family, and the family is good
for the Church. The safeguarding of the Lord’s gift in the sacrament of
matrimony is a concern not only of individual families but of the entire Christian
community.
The
experience of love in families is a perennial source of strength for the life
of the Church. The work of marriage is a constant summons to make this love
grow and deepen. Through their union in love, the couple experiences the beauty
of fatherhood and motherhood, and shares plans, trials, expectations and
concerns; they learn care for one another and mutual forgiveness. In this love,
they celebrate their happy moments and support each other in the difficult
passages of their life together… The beauty of this mutual, gratuitous gift,
the joy which comes from a life that is born and the loving care of all family
members from toddlers to seniors is the true vocation of the family and the
church.
St.
Thomas was one of Jesus' disciples. He is best known for being the one disciple
who wanted proof of Jesus' resurrection. St. Thomas is celebrated with a feast
day in both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. He is often referred to
as Doubting Thomas, and also the name The Twin. Many Christians see themselves
in St. Thomas because he doubted the resurrection until he received proof from
Christ himself. He also confessed to not understanding Jesus when Christ told
his disciples at the Last Supper that he was preparing a place for them.
St
Thomas Facts
·
An
early church text claims that Thomas was the only witness to the Assumption of
Mary into heaven. As her body entered heaven, she dropped her girdle.
Medieval art often depicts Thomas catching the girdle.
·
Thomas
didn't believe the apostles when they saw Jesus the first time after the
resurrection. He saw Jesus himself during his second appearance and
touched the wounds on his hands and side (John 20:24-29).
·
Church
tradition says that Thomas traveled to eastern lands, including Persia, to
evangelize to the people there about Jesus. He is thought to have settled
in India.
·
The
feast day is held July 3, but sermons the following Sunday may also mention St.
Thomas and faith. Originally the feast day for St. Thomas was on Dec. 21, the
shortest day of the year. All sorts of traditions surrounded the day,
including serving meat pies and charitable
giving.
St
Thomas Top Events and Things to Do
·
Read
writings by St. Thomas. Several early church documents bearing Thomas'
name are popular, including the Gospel of Thomas, which is a collection of
Jesus' sayings. Other texts include the Acts of Thomas and the Infancy
Gospel of Thomas. None of these texts were included in the Bible.
·
Thousands
of Indians claim to be descendants of the Christians that Thomas helped to
convert. Join them on a pilgrimage in Paylador to the traditional spot of
Thomas' tomb, Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral of the Syro-Malabar Archdiocese of
Trichur (Kerala, India).
·
If
you are a single
woman try an ancient custom performed on the Feast of St. Thomas to get an idea
who you will marry. Unmarried Austrian women would climb into bed over a
stool, throw their shoes with toes pointing downward toward the bedroom door,
and then sleep with their head at the foot of the bed. Women who
performed this ritual were thought to dream about their future husbands.
·
Say
a blessing prayer for your property on the feast of St. Thomas. An
ancient custom was for farmers and their sons or hands to drive off evil
spirits in preparation for Christmas. They were sprinkling holy water
across the land, while other family members stayed inside and prayed the
rosary.
"Read
these counsels slowly. Pause to meditate on these thoughts. They are things
that I whisper in your ear-confiding them-as a friend, as a brother, as a
father. And they are being heard by God. I won't tell you anything new. I will
only stir your memory, so that some thought will arise and strike you; and so
you will better your life and set out along ways of prayer and of Love. And in
the end you will be a more worthy soul."
9. Say
what you have just said, but in a different tone, without anger, and your
argument will gain in strength and, above all, you won't offend God.
Daily Devotions
·
Please
pray for me and this ministry
·
Please
Pray for Senator
McCain and our country; asking Our Lady of Beauraing to
intercede.
[1] John Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership
Bible.
[2] Pope Francis, Encyclical on Love.
[4]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm
Comments
Post a Comment