July 3 Thomas the Apostle

Thommy and John

good morning
i love you

Happy Fourth!
from my spot on the hillside, the fireworks are extraodinary - sites and sounds of celebration
rockets red glare!
we do all right in this country, as grandpa says!
Deo Gratias!
ADMG

Thomas the Apostle

a patron saint for Thommy and me - maybe one for the doubter among us, too....
but he did not doubt, he sought truth! and understanding. and gave his faith.

Thomas; Dydimas; Juneau....TWIN
so he, too, was a brother.
he knows what we know to be a brother - and maybe moreso, to be twins, born minutes apart rather than two or four years... a closeness to his twin preparing him for his closeness to Jesus? our being brothers preparing us to be brothers with Jesus? our being sons preparing us to be sons of God? like Jesus?

Thomas was probably born in Galilee, of humble family, tho probably not a fisherman...
I was born in NYC and baptized there - of humble family, one generation from the boat, a few years from hell's kitchen and the depression...
you were born in Nashville, baptized in the same font as your father. your parents' station was a little less humble, a bit higher up the middle class ladder, professionals both, still on our upward trajectory - - not unlike the fireworks there before me as i type ....

we don't know how he found out about Jesus. we don't know how they met. we don't know how he was called to follow him. we don't know how he decided to follow him; how he declared his friendship, his disciplship.... we were born to ours. irish catholic boy from nyc i am [and you irish catholic boys from nashville]... baptized at St Elizabeth's of Hungary on the upper east side. came to know Jesus not so much through water and spirit as much as through family and faith, sealed by water and spirit; anointed by oil, twice. called and answered for us by our parents [at least one of your parents knows how to keep a promise]. verified at a young age, confirmation age - i still have copy of your letters professing your faith and request to be confirmed. faith and discipleship renewed so many times, so many places, so many ways - in part because renewal was necessary; in part because renewal in renewing.

Jesus said "I will go to prepare a place for you....where I am, there you may also be. And you know the way I am going." he said that to his apostles. [he says that to us, too.] what is he talking about? what is he saying? of course they understood. [fersure you know what he means, right?] well, Thomas spoke up, as we tell our classes, if you have a question, please ask it because you know if you have the question others do too. well, Thomas asked. you can be confident the others has the same question [as later I bet they had the same "doubt" - - as they has the same kinds of wishing to be free of him, to deny him, like Peter did, during his ordeal before the sanhedrin. ya think?] Thomas asked, "Lord, we do not know where you are going, how can we know the way?" Jesus knew each day better and more clearly who he was. surely several steps ahead of his friends' understanding of who he was. How CAN we know the way? How CAN we know where we are going. more importantly, first, where we are suppose to be going?.... Jesus answered the question Thomas asked for all of us.... "I am the way, the truth, the life.... if you know me, you know the father." [thanks for asking, Thomas!]

When Jesus told them he was going to his friend Lazarus' house - his friend who had died (?) - his disciples reminded him that "the jews want to stone you" [what, are you nuts?! he's dead. let the dead bury their dead, didn't you say that? why would you risk your life for a man who is already dead. and, oh by the way, our lives too, you know!] Thomas rallied the troops - "Let us go too, that we may die with him!" a fatalist? a loyalist? if he's going to die, what good is our continuing to live? let us witness to his ministry, maybe they won't stone him if we're with him. but we've come this far, how can we stop now. we've seen him do miraculous things, and he's still vertical. whatever happens, we are with you, lord. let's go guys, we're with Jesus, no matter what.... no matter what.... 'til death do us part.... no matter how horrible the prospects appear to be for him or for us being with him, our faith, our love, our position as disciples require us to do what's right and good. besides, who are we to say we know better than what Jesus is telling us? if it's to go raise Lazarus from the dead, we're with HIM. [not unlike the place of wife with husband or son with father or brother with brother.... no matter what, Let us go too, that we may die with him - and to die with him is to live with him, forever....

We always immediately remember Thomas because of the "fingers in the holes in his hands; my hand into his side" Thomas wanted to know, Thomas wanted assurance; Thomas wanted to see/touch for himself. Thomas played ther role of verifier for all of us - Jesus is risen in Body AND spirit. who shook his hand before this? hugged him, kissed him? the guys on the road to emmaus broke bread with him before he disappeared again. the apostles had seen him appear miraculously in the locked upper room. Thomas was the vehicle though whom Jesus assured us, proved to all of us, that He IS RISEN body and soul. how are you a vessle for Jesus?
Thomas proclaimed once again "My Lord and My God" - man and God. how do you come to your declaration of love, of faith, of your relationship with Jesus?

Thomas is also listed among those at the miracle of fishes at lake tiberius. how many miracles have you been present for? i was at the miracle of your births. yes a miracle, each of you - a gift, a miracle, four fives! John's popping up out of the uterine belly looking like Yoda [and avoiding the genital herpes]; then VBAC Thommy diving through the birth canal into the biggest hands i've seen since i shook bob cousey's hand. miracles of faith. miracles of love. miracles that our druid ancestors would proclaim in song and story. that i have experienced such gifts is miraculous...

TheActa Thomae [the acts of thomas :) ] give us an account of his Pentacostal mission that took him to India. that's some walk! i know we believe in the speaking of tongues that the spirit gave the disciples - - so that the world would hear and understand. how Thomas communicated as he prosletyzed his way with the Parthians, Medes, and Persians - - settling at the Malabar coast, which still has many "Christians of St Thomas". as you pass through the Parthians, Medes, et al. in your life, how are people coming to call themselves 'Christians of John' or 'Christians of Thommy'? a few people have told me that i have influenced that faith's strengthening, their faith's expression, even a fewer, their faith's conversion. maybe it had something to do with me. it had everything to do with the Spirit through me. being a blessing for others is our raison d'etre. yes?

in addition to being the patron saint of india, Thomas is the patron saint of architects. something like a set designer or a mechanical engineer, ya think?

i love you
dad