July 3 | Saint Thomas the Apostle

Born: early 1st century, Galilee, Judea (modern-day Israel)

Died: December 21, 72, St. Thomas Mount, Chola Empire (modern-day Chennai, India)

Nationality: Roman citizen of Galilean Jewish ancestry

Vocation: one of the 12 Apostles, an early Church missionary, builder 

Attributes: his finger on the side of Christ, builder’s square, lotus flower, twin

Patronage: architects, builders, India

Canonization: pre-congregation

My Lord and my God! (John 20:28)

Although he is commonly known as “Doubting Thomas,” this holy Apostle was a man of strong faith – so much so that he gave his life to bring people in a then-unknown land to Christ.

St. Thomas was born to a Jewish family in Galilee, the same region where Jesus Himself grew up. Scripture has consistently referred him as “Thomas called Didymus (John 20:24).” Both of these monikers are translated as “twin” – Thomas comes from Aramaic, which was the everyday language spoken by first-century Galilean Jews, while Didymus comes from Greek, which was the scholarly and literary language. Therefore it is very likely that he had a twin.

His occupation before being called by Jesus is unknown, although it's speculated that he could have been a type of builder, as he was very skilled at building a cathedral during his later life in India.

Although St. Thomas is mentioned by name in all four Gospels, the only one where he features extensively is the Gospel of John.

Chronologically, his earliest speaking line in the Bible comes in John Chapter 11, where Jesus tells His Apostles  that Lazarus – who He would eventually raise from the dead in His final miracle before the Passion – has passed away. Christ signals to the Twelve that he has to journey to Judea to “wake him up” from “sleep” (John 11:11). Jesus later clarifies that he meant to say that his friend “is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe” (John 11:14-15). To this, Thomas replied, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16). 

This beautifully illustrates how Thomas truly left everything behind to follow the Lord. Most interpretations of this passage hold that he is referring to death by persecution. Unlike the “doubter” character he is popularly portrayed as, this quote and his eventual martyrdom in India both show that the real Thomas was incredibly courageous and willing to sacrifice his entire life in this world for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

However, the most well-known Scripture passage concerning Thomas is, without a doubt, when Jesus appears to him after He has risen. John makes it clear that he was the only one of the 11 remaining Apostles not present when Christ visited them in the passage immediately before (John 20:19-24). When the other 10 Apostles informed him about their encounter, Thomas famously expressed his doubt that it happened. “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side,” he said, “I will never believe” (John 20:25).

Over a week later, Christ finally appeared to the 11, this time with the skeptical Apostle present. 

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:27-29)

In 2006, one year after assuming the papacy, Pope Benedict XIV stated that through this narrative, customarily read on the Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday), Thomas shows us “that Jesus can now be recognized by his wounds rather than by his face.” Indeed, the saint’s humble and simple prayer, “My Lord and my God,” is repeated by many Catholics today, especially after the priest acting in persona Christi consecrates the Eucharist during Mass.

St. Thomas is also well-known for his great efforts of evangelization, including his voyage to India, which was then on the very edge of the known world. 

Following Pentecost, tradition holds that Thomas embarked on an evangelization journey traveling east. It is believed that he first preached to the Medes and Persians in Western Asia (modern-day Iran), before traveling even further east, deep into what is now India. After converting many of the locals, he died a martyr in the current city of Chennai, where his tomb remains to this day.

St. Thomas the Apostle, pray for us.