Holy Eucharist for St. Thomas's Day

Friday, December 20, 2024, 12:00 PM

Join us to commemorate this feast day with a simple Holy Eucharist in the church at 12:00 p.m. All are welcome. Because St. Thomas's Day (December 21) falls on a Saturday this year, we will celebrate the feast one day early, on Friday, December 20.

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St. Thomas was one of the Twelve, the group of Jesus' closest disciples. He is best known for the episode in John's gospel in which he misses Jesus' appearance to the other disciples and tells them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." When Jesus appears again and offers to let Thomas touch his hands and side, Thomas believes, and cries out, "My Lord and my God!"--the first person in the gospel story to unambiguously refer to Jesus as "God" (John 20:24-29).

According to tradition, St. Thomas traveled to India and spread the gospel there. The Mar Thoma Church, an ancient Christian community indigenous to India, traces its origins to Thomas' preaching.

Image: The Incredulity of St. Thomas, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

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