Thomas was the eighth apostle and he was chosen by Philip. In later times he became known as “Doubting Thomas,” but his fellow apostles hardly considered him an incorrigible skeptic. Indeed, he had a logical and skeptical mindset, but his courageous devotion did not allow those who knew him closely to consider Thomas a skeptic. When Thomas joined the apostles, he was twenty-nine years old. He was married and had four children. At first he worked as a carpenter and mason, but later became a fisherman. He had little education, but had a sharp and logical mind and was the son of wonderful parents who lived in Tiberias. Of all the apostles, only Thomas had a truly analytical mind. He was the true scientist of all the apostles. Thomas's childhood was unhappy. The marriage of his parents could not be called successful, which affected him in adulthood. Thomas acquired a very difficult and grumpy character. Even his wife was pleased when he became one of the apostles: she was glad that she would not be able to see her pessimistic husband most of the time. In addition, he was characterized by some suspicion. Therefore, it was difficult to get along with him. At first, Peter was very disappointed with Thomas and complained about him to his brother Andrei, calling him “mean, nasty and always suspicious.” But the better Thomas's comrades got to know him, the more they liked him. They were convinced of his absolute honesty and unwavering loyalty. Thomas was an extremely sincere and truthful person, but he was naturally picky and grew up to be a real pessimist. The curse of his analytical mind was suspicion. He was already losing faith in people when he met the apostles and thus came into contact with the noble personality of Jesus. This connection with the Teacher immediately began to transform Thomas's entire character, which led to a huge change in his relationships with other people.
If the other apostles revered Jesus because of some special and outstanding feature of his multifaceted personality, then Thomas revered his Master because of his character. Thomas increasingly admired and respected the one who was so affectionate and merciful - and so adamantly fair and impartial; so firm, but devoid of stubbornness; so calm, but devoid of indifference; so helpful and sympathetic, but without being intrusive or peremptory; so strong - and at the same time so kind; so confident, but devoid of rudeness or harshness; so soft, but so alien to indecision; so pure and innocent - and at the same time so alive, energetic and strong-willed; so truly courageous, but without rashness or recklessness; so loving of nature, but so free from any worship of it; so cheerful and playful, but so devoid of frivolity and frivolity. It was this incomparable harmonious personality that captivated Thomas. Of all the apostles, he perhaps had the best intellectual understanding of Jesus and the ability to appreciate his personality. Again and again he opposed any idea, considering it a manifestation of recklessness and excessive self-confidence; he argued to the very end, but when Andrew put the question to a vote and the apostles decided to do what he so stubbornly objected to, Thomas was the first to say: “Let's go!” He knew how to lose. He was not vindictive and did not harbor hurt feelings. Time after time he objected to Jesus exposing himself to danger, but if the Master decided to take a risk, Thomas invariably rallied the apostles with his courageous call: “Forward, friends - let us go to death with him.” Thomas had very difficult days; at times he became gloomy and despondent. The loss of his twin sister at the age of nine contributed much to his youthful sadness and contributed to his character problems later in life. When Thomas was in a gloomy mood, sometimes Nathanael helped him come to his senses, sometimes Peter, and often one of the Alfeev twins. Unfortunately, during his periods of greatest depression, he always avoided direct contact with Jesus. However, the Teacher knew everything about this and treated the apostle, who suffered from melancholy and overcome by doubts, with understanding sympathy. Thomas serves as an excellent example of a person who experiences doubts, fights them and wins. He had a magnificent mind; he was not a sarcastic critic. He was a man of a logical mind, a thinker; he was a touchstone for Jesus and his fellow apostles. He had a keen and unerring sense of truth. At the first sign of fraud or deception, Thomas would have left them if he had not felt the truth in the teachings of Christ. Scientists may not fully understand Jesus and his work on earth, but a man with the mind of a true scientist, Thomas Didymus, lived and worked with the Teacher and his human companions, and he believed in Jesus of Nazareth. The days of trial and crucifixion became a difficult test for Thomas. For some time he fell into deep despair, but gathered his strength, remained with the apostles and, together with them, welcomed Jesus on the Sea of Galilee. He succumbed to doubt and depression for a time, but eventually regained his faith and courage. After Pentecost, he helped the apostles with wise advice and, when persecution scattered the believers, he went to Cyprus, Crete, the coast of North Africa and Sicily, preaching the good news of the kingdom and baptizing the believers. Thomas continued to preach and baptize until, by order of Rome, he was captured and executed in Malta. Just a few weeks before his death, he began to describe the life and teachings of Jesus. Saint John Chrysostom says: “Thomas, who was once weaker than the other apostles in the faith, became by the grace of God more courageous, zealous and tireless than all of them, so that he went around almost the entire earth with his preaching, not being afraid to proclaim the Word of God to the savage peoples.” |
Orthodox and Catholics traditionally associate the preaching of Christianity in India with the name of the Apostle Thomas.. The descendants of the ancient Christians of India call themselves Christians of the Apostle Thomas and consider this apostle the founder of their church. They are to this day " firmly adhere to the oral tradition of their apostolic roots.
In 1293, Marco Polo visited India. In his notes, he reports a visit to the tomb of the Apostle Thomas in India, in the Malabar region, and calls the local residents “Christians of the Apostle Thomas.” At the same time, the famous missionary and explorer Giovanni of Montecorvino will also announce his visit to the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle in India. And a little later, in 1324, the Franciscan monk Odorico of Pordenonegoda wrote about his journey and worship of the Apostle Thomas at his burial place
His relics remained in India until the 4th century.
Among Western peoples, the name Thomas sounds like Thomas or Tomas. The island of Sao Tome and the capital of the state of Sao Tome and Principe are named in honor of Thomas.(an island state in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Africa) the city of Sao Tome.
Orthodox Christians celebrate the Day of St. Thomas the Apostle on October 19, while Catholics celebrate “ Saint Thomas Day"is a holiday celebrated in a number of countries on December 21. The date of December 21 is due to the fact that the memory of St. Thomas the Apostle was previously celebrated in the Catholic Church on this day. Currently, the memory of the Apostle Thomas in the Roman Catholic Church is celebrated on July 3; on December 21, the saint's memory is celebrated in some dioceses, among traditionalist Catholics, as well as in a number of Protestant churches. In most countries, it has lost its religious content, it is noted regardless of religious affiliation. The holiday is usually accompanied by local customs and traditions. Depending on the country, it may or may not be a non-working day. Celebrated on the shortest and darkest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere of planet Earth
Finland celebrates Thomas Day widely: Most Finnish companies provide their employees with holidays starting from St. Tuomas Day. In Finland they say: “If you haven’t been out for a month, you shouldn’t have started!” The shortest day of the year is called “Anti-Christmas,” but this has nothing to do with paganism. There is a saying: “ Anti-Christmas brings, Tuomas brings him into the house" from this day the Christmas feast begins (despite the fact that the Christmas fast will last three more days): “Whoever doesn’t have Tuomas on Tuomas Day doesn’t have it on Christmas Day either.”. An indispensable attribute of the Tuomasa table: smoked pork legs and blood sausages.
On this day, the “night of two loaves” begins - it is so long that two lines of baking have time to finish in the ovens. It is on this night that the famous star-shaped black Christmas bread is baked. Cafes, restaurants, bars, and sometimes even residential buildings are decorated in a very unique way, stylizing them “like a barn”
Holland has its own traditions of this day: All students in Dutch schools try to come to class early on St. Thomas's Day. Those who come write their name on the chalkboard. The one who does this last gets the nickname “sleepy Thomas.” Teachers also try not to be late, because in this case the nickname will stick to them. In the Netherlands they say: "Christmas Comes with Saint Thomas", because all the Christmas preparations for efficient people are already behind them. As in Finland, “the night of two loaves” is not just empty words for the Dutch
This day is revered even in distant Guatemala: The patron saint of the city of Chichicastenango in Guatemala is Saint Thomas, and therefore “St. Thomas Day” is one of the main local holidays. On this day, Indians gather in the city to cheerfully celebrate “St. Thomas’s Day” with music, dancing, and colorful theatrical performances. Theatrical processions take place around the Church of Santo Tomas and the Sanctuary of Pascual Haba, and the image of Thomas the Apostle is carried through the streets of Chichicastenango. The festive procession is accompanied by fireworks, fireworks and a brass band.
Well, of course, Saint Thomas is most revered in India..According to the tradition of Indian Christians, Apostle Thomas brought Christianity to India in 52. He arrived in Kodungallur, now the state of Kerala and founded there Seven Churches of St. Thomas the Apostle, and also preached sermons in what is now the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is believed that he suffered a martyr's death and was killed by a Brahmin at St. Thomas's Mount in Chennai, and was buried on the site of the present St. Thomas Cathedral.
The total number of Christians in India, according to the 2001 census, is 24,080,016 people or 2.34% of its population. However, this number does not correspond to the real number of Christians, since authorities do not allow Indian citizens to change their religious affiliation after they reach school age. Thus, people who converted to faith in Jesus Christ and were even baptized can be recorded as Hindus.
Most Christians in India are Catholics, according to for 1993, amount to about 17.3 million people.
In India there are the Malankara Syrian and Malankara Indian Orthodox Churches, both of which have approximately 1,200,000 parishioners.
Malankara Orthodox Church- one of ancient eastern churches. According to legend, it dates back to the communities founded in India by the Apostle Thomas on the so-called Malabar Coast. Specialization in maritime trade led to a wide variety of crops in the coastal settlements of the Malabar Coast. The first groups of Christians, Jews and Muslims in India emerged in these cities.
In India there are also Christians of the Armenian Church, and a parish of the Russian Orthodox Church has also been created in the city of New Delhi.
A Russian Orthodox church in honor of St. Thomas the Apostle is being built on the territory of the Russian Federation Embassy in New Delhi. Since the early 2000s, services have been regularly held in the house church, set up in a small room in the residential sector of the embassy.
The parishioners of the temple are primarily Russians and representatives of other Slavic peoples living or traveling in India.
A characteristic feature of Christianity in India is that there is a “de facto” caste system that is not provided for in the Bible. Traditional Indian castes have undergone a major transformation in local Christian communities: they have become much smaller (due to the small number of communities), but the result of this has been their rigidity and impenetrability. In many churches in India, only people from the upper castes can hold priestly positions. The Roman Catholic Church has repeatedly drawn attention to this anomaly, but no serious attempts have been made to overcome the caste division of Indian Christians.
Historically, since the founding of the Christian community, a relatively peaceful coexistence has been maintained between them and the Hindus. After the arrival of European colonialists, vigorous missionary activity began in the south and northeast of India. Many local peoples were converted to Catholicism, sometimes by force.
Aggressive proselytism on the part of Christian missionaries during the years of British rule in the 19th century. caused a negative reaction from Muslims and Hindus, who felt a threat to their traditional way of life.
India responded by passing laws restricting or prohibiting religious change. And then Christians began to be persecuted by the fanatical population of various Hindu movements.
An Australian man working for Christian missionaries was burned alive along with his two sons, who had come to spend the holidays in India with their parents. His killer was Dara Singh, an activist of the Hindu organization VHP, which is responsible for the burning of a number of churches and the murder of many Christian activists.
According to a 2011 report by the Catholic Secular Forum (CSF), attacks on Christians by extremist Hindu groups now occur in almost all Indian states, with 2,141 incidents of violence against Christians recorded. The victims are mainly women and children.
Muslims in India are also very hostile to Christians. Muslims in India and Pakistan, if they convert to Christianity, are subjected to humiliation, intimidation, and attacks. In Kashmir, a 50-year-old Christian convert named Bashir Tantray was killed, allegedly by Islamic extremists, on November 21, 2006. Christian cleric KK Alavi, who converted from Islam, angered the Muslim community and received many threats. The militant Islamic group "The National Development Front" organized an active campaign against him.
However, the relics of St. Thomas the Apostle have not been in India for a very long time. They were transferred to Syria on July 3, 230. In Edessa, a large temple was built and consecrated in honor of St. Thomas the Apostle. When the Turks conquered Edessa, the Latin crusaders transferred the relics of Thomas on October 6, 1144 to the island of Chios.
Orthodox Christians pray before the relics of the Apostle Thomas.
The island of Chios is mentioned in the Acts of the Holy Apostles (see: Acts 20:15): the Apostle Paul visited there in 58. It is also known that in the middle of the 3rd century Saint Isidore suffered martyrdom on the island, and an episcopal see was founded there in the 5th century, so that under the “Acts” of the Council of Chalcedon (451), the Council in Constantinople (680) and Council of Nicaea (787) bears the signature of the Bishop of Chios.
However, the island was not a calm place: Genoa and Venice argued among themselves for its ownership. The Venetians even tried to steal the holy relics, however, unsuccessfully: the alarm raised by the inhabitants of Chios forced them to flee, so they only managed to take away the silver urn.
In 1258, a battle took place between the Genoese and Venetians. The Venetians won the battle, gaining rights to nearby islands in the Aegean Sea, including the island of Chios, where the Ortonian galleys landed.
According to the custom of that time, after defeating an opponent, the winner took for himself not only material values, but also shrines. The Orton sailors, along with the holy relics of the Apostle Thomas, also took a gravestone made of Chalcedonian marble.
Since then and to this day, the relics of St. Thomas the Apostle have been kept in the cathedral of the Italian city of Ortona, to which numerous pilgrims from all over the world flock to venerate the shrine.
The Orton Cathedral in the name of St. Thomas the Apostle was erected on the site of a pagan temple, as often happened in Europe, as a sign of the triumph of Christianity over paganism.Orton(Italian: Ortona) is a city in Italy, located in the Abruzzo region, subordinate to the administrative center of Chieti.
The population is 23,500 people.The patron saint of the locality is considered San Tommaso.
Temple with the relics of Thomas in Ortona
However, in India, the former burial place of the apostle is also considered a holy place. There is a Catholic church there with a relic, the ancient tomb of a saint.
The area in which the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle is located is considered “sacred land.” On December 26, 2004, when a tsunami hit the southeast coast of Asia, this area was one of the affected areas. Although the Cathedral of St. Thomas the Apostle is located almost on the coast, it was not affected by the elements, so thousands of people were able to find their salvation here. There were no deaths among the residents who live in the huts around the cathedral. The ocean waters penetrated far into the territory, but did not even touch the temple complex. The fact that the area adjacent to the cathedral was not damaged at all can only be explained by the intercession of St. Thomas the Apostle. On the coast, since time immemorial, there has been a pole between the sea and the burial place of the apostle. According to legend, this pole was once installed by the Apostle of the Lord himself as a sign that “the sea will not cross this border.”
Thomas in different languages of the world: Tomasz (Polish), Tomaszka (Czech), Tomas (English), Toma and Thomasin (French), Tomazzo (Italian), Tumasgiu (Corsecan), Tumas (Catolonian), Toma (Romanian), Tamas (Belarusian), Tuomas (Finnish) ), Thawas (Scottish)...
Let us pray to the Holy Apostle Thomas and ask for strengthening in faith, deliverance from cowardice, doubt and hypocrisy, from vain mental anxieties.
Oh, holy Apostle Fomo! We pray to you: save and protect us with your prayers from the temptations of the devil and the falls of sin, and ask for us, the servants of God ( names), help from above in times of unbelief, so that we do not stumble over the stone of temptation, but steadily walk the saving path of the commandments of Christ, until we reach those blessed abode of paradise. Hey, Apostle Spasov! Do not disgrace us, but be our helper and protector in all our lives and help us end this temporary life in a pious and godly manner, receive a Christian death and be honored with a good answer at the Last Judgment of Christ; Let us glorify the magnificent name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
Christ the Savior brought the Gospel teaching to earth, with His suffering He redeemed the human race, and by His ascension to heaven He opened access to the Heavenly abodes. He preached surrounded by His disciples and a multitude of people. Archpriest L. Roldugin writes: “All the Apostles were called by the Lord to a single work - the creation of the Kingdom of Heaven in the souls of people. But each of the Apostles chose the Lord in his own way, loved Him in his own way, and fulfilled the work of God in his own way.” Among the Savior's closest followers was the Apostle Thomas.
He was from the Galilean city of Pansada and was engaged in fishing. Having heard the gospel of Christ the Savior, he left everything and followed Him, becoming one of the Twelve holy Apostles of Christ the Savior. According to the testimony of Holy Scripture, the holy Apostle did not believe the other disciples who saw the risen Christ: Unless I see the marks of the nails in His hand, and put my finger into the marks of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I have no faith.(John 20:25). On the eighth day after His Resurrection, the Lord appeared to the Apostle Thomas and showed him His wounds. In response, the Apostle exclaimed: My Lord and my God!(John 20:28). The restraint and doubt of the Apostle Thomas served to reassure himself and strengthen the faith of others. A modern researcher writes that the Apostle Thomas has an internal kinship “with the Apostle Peter.” The Holy Apostle Thomas, who initially showed doubt, subsequently, by Divine Providence, zealously traveled around almost the entire earth preaching the Gospel, proclaiming the Word of God to various peoples.
Church historian Eusebius Pamphilus says that after “the Resurrection of Christ from the dead and the Ascension, Thomas, one of the twelve, at the inspiration of God, sent Thaddeus, who was one of the seventy disciples of Christ, to Edessa to preach the teaching of Christ.” Then all the Apostles continued the preaching begun by Christ, but not in Jerusalem, but in various parts of the world. “The Holy Apostles and disciples of the Savior were scattered throughout the whole earth. To Thomas, as the legend tells, Parthia fell by lot.” The various regions where Saint Thomas preached are named. According to Church Tradition, Saint Thomas the Apostle founded Christian Churches in Palestine, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Ethiopia and India. Saint John Chrysostom (†407; memorial 14 September) says: “Thomas convinces the Ethiopians by baptism”; in another place - “the barbarians honor Thomas.” Saint Gregory the Theologian (†389; comm. January 25) says that the Apostle Thomas preached in India.
During his missionary service, the Most Pure Virgin died. “The Apostle Thomas was destined to serve in the discovery of the resurrection of the Mother of God, just as he once, with his doubt, contributed to greater confirmation of the resurrection of Christ. By God's providence, he arrived in Gethsemane only on the third day after the burial of Her body. With cries of deep sadness, he threw himself down in front of the grave cave and with sobs expressed his grief that he was not worthy to see the Mother of his Lord and receive Her last blessing.”
The holy Apostle sealed the preaching of the Gospel in India with martyrdom. For the conversion to Christ of the son and wife of the ruler of the Indian city of Meliapora (Melipura), the holy Apostle was imprisoned, endured torture, and finally, pierced with spears, went to the Lord.
Soon after the death of the Apostle, “one Christian secretly took his holy relics, took them to Mesopotamia, to the city of Edessa, and placed them there in a worthy place.” In this regard, it is noted: “In the ancient Western Martyrologies, June 3 commemorates the transfer of the relics of the Apostle Thomas from India to Edessa.” Edessa becomes the center of veneration of the holy Apostle. The fifth-century church historian Socrates Scholasticus says of Edessa: “In this city there is a famous and glorious temple, built in memory of the Apostle Thomas.” He was also revered in the capital of Byzantium. In the Great Palace in Constantinople there was a particle of the relics of the enlightener of India: “The skull of St. Thomas the Apostle and his finger, which he put into the Body of the Lord.” Saint John Chrysostom says that the tombs of the apostles “Peter, Paul, John and Thomas are known.”
In the Eulogy to the Apostle Thomas it is said: “This and that great one is enlightened with the rest of the preachers of God by the invasion of the Holy Spirit, and the end of the earthly land entrusted to him - India, for all of that was his lot - from the Holy Spirit to turn them to the light of God's understanding.” The fruits of the Apostolic preaching have survived to this day. “When the Portuguese first sailed to the shores of India in 1500, they found a settlement of Christians in Malipur, who said that they had accepted the faith from the Apostle Thomas.” The Portuguese showed great interest in the traditions about the Apostle Thomas that were preserved in India. In 1972, India celebrated the 1900th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Apostle Thomas.
Particles of the relics of the Apostle Thomas are found in India, Hungary and Mount Athos. The Western tradition of venerating the holy relics of the Apostle Thomas is well known. His relics rest in the Basilica of St. Thomas in the Italian city of Ortona. They rest within the throne in the lower altar in a gilded tomb. On September 6, 1258, the Ortona galleys under the command of the local captain Leone returned to port after participating in a military expedition against Genoa on the side of Venice. Captain Leone handed over the holy relics and tombstone of the Apostle, taken on the island of Chios, to Abbot Jacob, rector of the Orton Cathedral of the Virgin Mary. Nowadays the tombstone is in the floor next to the relics behind the throne. Soon after the holy relics were delivered to Italy, proceedings arose about the authenticity of the relics of the Apostle and, according to the testimony of prisoners from Chios, their authenticity was confirmed by a notary and certified by a special letter. In 1566 Ortona was attacked by the Turks; the tomb of the holy Apostle was damaged, the holy relics were on fire, but miraculously they were not damaged. They also miraculously did not suffer during hostilities with the French in 1799.
In the southern nave of the basilica there is a chapel in honor of the Apostle Thomas, in which behind the throne hangs an image of Thomas placing his finger in the side of the Lord. On both sides of the chapel are two images. One tells how the relics of the holy Apostle were taken from India, the other tells how they were met in Ortona. In one picture, the artist depicted a deserted shore and two Indians who regret the loss of honest relics, in another - a large gathering of people and general joy at the arrival in Ortona.” A particle of the relics of the Holy Apostle is also kept in a reliquary made in the form of a hand holding a square, which is a tool necessary for architectural and construction work.
The annual city celebrations in Ortona, dedicated to St. Thomas the Apostle, take place on the first Sunday in May.
Archpriest L. Roldugin. Holy Most Glorious Apostle Thomas // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate (hereinafter - JMP). 1973. No. 7. P. 64.
The biography of the Apostle Thomas is not very rich, but several facts about his life are still known. Saint Thomas the Apostle was born in the Galilean city of Paneas. Thomas the twin was chosen by Jesus Christ as one of his twelve disciples.
It is believed that Saint Thomas became the founder of Christian churches in India, Mesopotamia, Palestine, Parthia and Ethiopia. The life of the Apostle Thomas ended in agony. He was buried in India.
Origin of the phrase "Doubting Thomas"
The Holy Scriptures indicate an episode according to which Thomas was not present at the first resurrection of Christ. Therefore, the other eleven apostles did not believe that Jesus had risen. Then Christ turned to him eight days after the resurrection and showed his wounds from the nails and Thomas believed.
Since then, the expression “Doubting Thomas” has become a common noun and is still used in speech to this day. The plot of Jesus' coming to an unbeliever can often be found in the iconography of the Gospel.
Why was Thomas called "Twin"
The name Thomas is interpreted from Hebrew as “to be divided in two, in half.” Therefore, Thomas was often called the Twin. In Greek his name is Didymus. This interpretation of the name is indicated in the Gospel.
Preaching of Thomas
When Thomas arrived in India, a caste system had already been formed there. And this meant that without the approval of the king, no activity, much less preaching, was allowed. However, there were also those kings who were calm about preaching the new faith.
Therefore, upon arrival in India, Thomas found himself in the palace of King Gundofar, who gave the go-ahead for preaching. In exchange for this, Gundofar hired Thomas as a carpenter to build him a palace. However, Thomas committed an adventure.
The Apostle distributed all the money to the needy
When funds were allocated for the construction of the palace, the apostle divided everything among the needy and did not invest a single coin in the palace. The king, seeing that nothing had been built, wanted to execute Thomas.
However, his deceased brother appeared to him in a dream and said that the most wonderful palace he had seen in heaven was built by the apostle. Gundofar was surprised and did not believe, but canceled the execution.
It is worth noting that Thomas reached India along the Great Silk Road. Passing through Mesopotamia, Ethiopia, Parthia and Palestine, he formed Christian communities there.
Preaching in India
The Indian preaching of Christianity is commonly associated with the name of Thomas. Scientists believe that it was the Apostle who brought Christianity to India. Although, some historians do not agree with this and attribute this role to Thomas Kansky.
The Indians themselves consider Thomas the founder of the Christian movement in India. If we turn to history, we will find references to the preaching activity of the holy apostle in India in the notes of Gregory the Theologian, Jerome of Stridon, Ambrose of Milan and others.
this year, after visiting the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle, Marco Polo recognized the inhabitants of India as Christians from Thomas
In 1293, Marco Polo, after visiting the tomb of the holy apostle, recognized the inhabitants of India as Christians from Thomas.
Execution of Thomas
The holy preacher spent his last years in India, in the city of Melipur. Here he converted the wife and heir of King Mazdei to Christianity. However, he did not have time to perform baptism.
The king, having learned about the adoption of Christianity by his relatives, began to be angry, because this happened without his knowledge. Thomas was imprisoned. Thomas performed the baptism of the king's wife and son in prison.
Having performed the baptism, the apostle left the prison room through closed doors to celebrate the Liturgy over the new converts. The guards, noticing the disappearance of Thomas, immediately reported this to the king. When the saint returned, having fulfilled his duty, he was sent for interrogation.
In this conversation, the preacher told Mazdei that he had no power over him. And then Mazdei asked who his master was. And then came the answer:
“My Lord and God, lord of heaven and earth.”
The king did not want to accept such an answer and sentenced the holy preacher to execution. Thomas accepted his death with dignity and the only thing that bothered him was that he did not have time to fully sow the Christian faith.
Therefore, on the way to the place of death, he converted a man named Siphorus into a presbyter, and the king’s heir became a deacon. Saint Thomas died a martyr's death from being pierced by spears.
Life after death
After the execution of Thomas, a historically important situation happened to King Mazdei. The king's son was possessed by evil spirits. An insight descended on Mazday, and he realized that this was punishment for the execution of the saint.
Then Mazdei decided to take a handful of the saint’s relics and apply them to his son’s body. Then, the king believed, healing would come.
After death, Thomas helped the king
When Mazdei was about to accomplish his plan, Thomas appeared to him and asked that since he did not believe him alive, then why would he believe him dead.
When the king came to the burial place of Thomas, he did not find his remains there. Then he decided to take a handful of sand that was located next to the burial. Upon his return, he cried out to the Lord, renounced evil spirits and applied sand to his son. As a result, the son received healing.
Icon of the Apostle Thomas
An icon depicting the image of St. Thomas helps with prayers to strengthen faith. If necessary, protect yourself from evil spirits and devilish temptations. The image of Thomas will also help in getting rid of diseases.
If we are talking about purchasing an icon, then it is worth turning to it if a person is at the beginning of the path to the Orthodox faith. In the home iconostasis, the image of Thomas will ensure the avoidance of life's troubles, protect against temptations and help maintain faith.
Saint Demetrius of Rostov
Saint Thomas the Apostle, called the twin, was born in the Galilean city of Paneas. When our Lord Jesus Christ, during His stay on earth with people, passed through cities and villages, teaching the people and healing all sorts of diseases, Thomas, hearing his preaching and seeing his miracles, clung to Him with all his soul. Filled with the sweet words of Jesus Christ and the contemplation of his most holy Face, Thomas followed Him and was honored by the Lord to be numbered among the twelve Apostles, with whom he followed Christ until his very saving suffering. After the resurrection of the Lord, Saint Thomas, with his distrust of the words of the other Apostles about this, further strengthened the faith of the Church of Christ, for while the other disciples of Christ said: “We have seen the Lord,” he did not want to believe them until he himself saw Christ and touches his wounds. Eight days after the resurrection, when all the disciples had gathered together and Thomas was with them, the Lord appeared to them and said to Thomas: “Put your finger here and look at My hands; reach out your hand and put it in My side; and do not be an unbeliever, but a believer.” ". |
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Seeing Christ and touching his life-giving ribs, Thomas exclaimed: “My Lord and my God” (John 20:24-29).
After the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven and the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles cast lots among themselves where each of them should go to preach the Word of God. Thomas’s lot fell to go to India in order to enlighten the countries darkened by paganism and teach the true faith to the various peoples who lived there - the Parthians and Medes, the Persians and Hyrcanians, the Bactrians and Brahmans and all the most distant inhabitants of India.
Thomas was very sad that he was being sent to such wild peoples; but the Lord appeared to him in a vision, strengthening him and commanding him to be courageous and not to be afraid, and promised to be with him Himself. He soon showed him the opportunity to penetrate these countries.
The Indian king Gundafor, wanting to build himself a palace as skillfully as possible, sent his merchant Avan to Palestine to look for a skilled builder there who would be experienced in construction and could build the same chambers that the Roman emperors had. With this same Avan, the Lord commanded Thomas to go to the Indian countries. When Avan was looking for skilled architects in Paneada, Thomas met him and presented himself as a man experienced in the art of construction. Avan, having hired him, entered the ship with him, and they set off, taking advantage of the favorable wind.
When they landed in a city, they heard the sound of trumpets and other musical instruments. The king of that city was giving his daughter in marriage, and sent heralds to notify throughout the city so that both rich and poor, slaves and strangers would gather for the wedding, and if anyone did not want to come, he would be subject to the royal court. Hearing this, Avan and Thomas, fearing, like strangers, to anger the king if they did not listen to him, they went to the wedding celebration in the royal courtyard. When everyone sat down and began to have fun, the Apostle sat down in the very last place and did not eat anything, did not take part in the fun, but was lost in thought. Everyone looked at him as a stranger and a foreigner. Those who reclined next to him said to him:
“Why did you come here when you don’t eat or drink anything?”
The Apostle said in response:
“I came here not to eat and drink, but to fulfill the will of the king, for the heralds loudly announced that if anyone does not come to the wedding, he will be subject to the royal court.”
At that time, among those feasting there was one Jewish woman who played the flute beautifully, singing some kind of greeting to each of those reclining. Seeing Thomas, who was not having fun, but only often raised his eyes to heaven, she realized that he was a Jew, and, playing in front of him, she sang the following chorus to him in Hebrew: “There is only one God - the Jew, who created heaven and earth.”
The Apostle, listening to this refrain with pleasure, asked her to repeat those words several times.
The cupbearer, seeing that the Apostle was not having fun, hit him in the face, saying:
- You are invited to the wedding - do not be sad, but have fun, joining the drinkers.
Then the Apostle said to the one who struck him:
- May the Lord reward you for this in this life, and may I see the hand that hit me, dragged by a dog for show to many!
Some time later, the cupbearer who struck the Apostle went to the well, intending to bring water to the guests to dilute the wine. There a lion suddenly attacked him, knocked him down and killed him, and, having sucked his blood, left. Then the dogs came running, tore his body into pieces, and one black dog, grabbing his right hand, dragged it to the feast and threw it in front of everyone. Everyone present there, seeing this, was horrified and asked whose hand this was. The woman playing the pipe exclaimed:
– Something extraordinary and mysterious is happening among us now: among those reclining with us is either God or God’s messenger. For I saw how the cupbearer struck one man and heard that man say in Hebrew: “Let me see your right hand dragged by a dog to be shown to many,” which, as you all see, came true.
After these words, fear attacked everyone.
At the end of the feast, the king, hearing about what had happened, called the holy Apostle Thomas to him and said:
“Enter the palace and bless my daughter who was given in marriage.”
The apostle, entering the bedchamber, began to teach the newlyweds about chastity and maintaining pure virginity and, having prayed for them, blessed them and left. In a dream, the newlyweds saw Jesus, who appeared to them in the form of the Apostle Thomas and lovingly embraced them. The husband, thinking that it was Thomas in front of him, said to him:
“You left us before everyone else—how did you end up here again?”
The Lord answered:
“I am not Thomas, but his brother, and everyone who renounced the world and followed Me just like him will not only be My brothers in the future life, but will also inherit My kingdom.” So do not forget, My children, what My brother advised you, and if, according to his advice, you keep your virginity immaculate, then you will be rewarded with incorruptible crowns in My heavenly palace.
Having said this, the Lord became invisible; They, having awakened from sleep, told each other what they had seen in the dream, and, getting up, fervently prayed to God all night; The words he spoke were kept in his heart like precious pearls.
In the morning, the king entered the bedchamber where the newlyweds were, and found them sitting separately from each other. Perplexed, he asked them the reason for such distance from each other. They answered him:
“We pray to God that He will give us the strength until our very death to observe perfect chastity in marriage, in which we now remain, so that we may be crowned in the heavenly palace with incorruptible crowns, as the Lord who appeared to us promised.
Then the king realized that the wanderer who had been in the palace the day before had convinced them to preserve their virginity; he became extremely angry and immediately sent his servants to seize the Apostle, but they did not find him, because he and Avan had already sailed to India.
Arriving at the Indian king Gundafor, they appeared before him, and Avan said:
“Here, sir, I have brought to you from Palestine a skilled builder so that he can build the chambers that your Majesty desires.”
The king was delighted, showed Thomas the place where he wanted to build the chambers, and, having determined their dimensions, gave him a large amount of gold for construction, and he himself went to another country.
Thomas, having received the gold, began to distribute it to those in need - the poor and wretched, while he himself, laboring in preaching the Gospel, converted many to faith in Christ and baptized them.
At that time, the young man who, on the advice of Thomas, promised to preserve virginity together with his wife, having heard that the Apostle was preaching Christ in India, came with her to the Apostle. Instructed by the holy Apostle in the faith of Christ, they received holy baptism from him. The maiden received the name Pelagia and subsequently shed her blood for Christ, while the young man was named Dionysius and was subsequently awarded the rank of bishop. Returning with the Apostolic blessing to their fatherland, they spread the glory of the Name of God, converting the unfaithful to Christ and building churches in the cities.
After two years, the king sent to the Apostle to find out: will the construction of the chambers be completed soon? The apostle answered the messengers that all that remained was to put on the roof. The king was delighted, for he believed that Thomas was really building a palace for him on earth, and he sent him a lot more gold, ordering him to quickly build a magnificent roof for the chambers.
Thomas, having received more gold, raised his eyes and hands to heaven, saying:
– Thank You, Lord, Lover of Mankind, that You arrange the salvation of people in various ways!
And again he distributed the gold sent by the king to those who asked him for help, and he himself continued to diligently preach the Word of God.
After some time, the king learned that Thomas had not even begun to carry out his command, that all the gold was distributed to the poor, and the builder did not even think about the construction, but, passing through cities and villages, preached some new God and performs wondrous miracles. The king became very angry and sent his servants to seize the Apostle. When Saint Thomas was brought to the king, he asked him:
-Have you built the chambers?
Thomas answered:
- He built them, and they were magnificent and beautiful.
Then the king said:
“Let’s go and see your palace.”
The Apostle answered:
- In your life you cannot see this palace, but when you leave this life, then you will see it and, happily settling in it, you will live there forever.
The king, thinking that he was laughing at him, was greatly offended and ordered him to be thrown into prison along with the merchant Avan, who had brought him, where they were to languish in anticipation of a painful death penalty: the king intended to skin them alive and burn them at the stake.
When they were sitting in prison, Avan began to reproach the Apostle:
“You,” he said, “deceived both me and the king, calling yourself a most skillful builder.” And now you have spent the royal gold uselessly and ruined my life. Because of you I suffer and must die a cruel death: the king is cruel and will kill us both.
The Apostle, consoling him, said:
– Don’t be afraid, the time has not yet come for us to die; we will be alive and free, and the king will honor us for the chambers that I have built for him in the kingdom of heaven.
That same night the king's brother fell ill and sent to tell the king:
“Because of your grief, I also began to feel sad, and from this melancholy I fell into an illness from which I am now dying.”
Immediately after this, the king's brother actually died. The king, having forgotten his previous grief, fell into new grief and wept inconsolably over the death of his brother. The Angel of God, taking the soul of the deceased, lifted it to the heavenly abodes and, going around the local villages, showed it numerous magnificent and brilliant chambers, among which one was so beautiful and brilliant that its beauty cannot be described. And the angel asked the soul:
- Which of all the chambers do you prefer to live in?
She, looking at that most beautiful chamber, said:
“If I had been allowed to stay at least in the corner of that chamber, then I would not need anything else.”
The angel told her:
“You cannot live in this chamber, for it belongs to your brother, with whose gold the stranger Thomas, known to you, built it.
And the soul said:
“I ask you, sir, let me go to my brother, and I will buy this chamber from him, for he does not yet know its beauty - and then, having bought it, I will return here again.”
Then the angel returned the soul to the body, and the deceased immediately came to life and, as if awakening from sleep, asked those around him about his brother, and prayed that the king would come to him as soon as possible. The king, hearing that his brother had come to life, was very happy and hurried to him, and, seeing him alive, became even more joyful. The resurrected one began to say to him:
“I am sure, king, that you love me as your brother; I know that you wept inconsolably for me and, if it were possible to free me from death, you would have given even half your kingdom for it.
The king answered:
- Yes, this is absolutely true.
“If you love me so much,” the king’s brother said to this, “then I ask you for one gift - do not deny me it.”
The king answered:
“I give everything that I own in my state to you, my beloved brother,” and he confirmed his promise with an oath. Then the resurrected brother said:
“Give me your chamber, which you have in heaven, and take all my wealth for it.”
The king, having heard such words, became embarrassed and remained silent, as if he had lost the ability to speak. Then he said:
- How can I have a chamber in heaven?
“Truly,” answered the king’s brother, “there is such a chamber in heaven that you do not know about and which you have never seen in all of heaven.” It was built for you by Thomas, whom you keep in prison; I saw her and marveled at her indescribable beauty and asked to be placed in at least one corner of her, but this was not allowed to me; for the angel who led me said: You cannot live in it, because this is your brother’s chamber, which Thomas, known to you, built. I asked the angel to let me go to you to buy that chamber from you. So, if you love me, give her to me and take all my property instead.
Then the king rejoiced over his brother’s return to life and over the chamber built for him in heaven. And he said to the resurrected brother:
- Beloved brother! I swore not to deny you anything that is under my control on earth, but I did not promise you the chamber that is in heaven. But if you want, we have an architect who can build the same chamber for you.
Having said this, the king immediately sent servants to the prison to bring Saint Thomas out of there along with the merchant Avan who had brought him. When they came to the king, the latter hurried to meet the Apostle and fell at his feet, asking him for forgiveness for his sin against him, committed out of ignorance. The apostle, having given thanks to God, began to teach both brothers faith in our Lord Jesus Christ - and they, touched by their souls, accepted his words with love. Soon after, he baptized them and taught them to live like Christians, and the brothers, with their numerous alms, created for themselves eternal abodes in heaven. Having stayed with them for some time and confirmed them in the holy faith, the Apostle went to other surrounding cities and villages, laboring in the cause of saving human souls.
At the time when Thomas enlightened the Indian countries with the preaching of the Gospel, the time came for the honest repose of the Mother of God and all the Apostles from different countries were caught up in the clouds of heaven and transferred to Gethsemane, to the bed of the Blessed Virgin. Then Saint Apostle Thomas was raptured from India, but did not have time to arrive on the very day of burial of the God-glorified body of the Most Pure Mother of God. This was arranged by God's will in order to certify the believers that the Mother of God with her body was taken to heaven. For just as regarding the resurrection of Christ we were more confirmed in faith through Thomas’s unbelief, so we learned about the taking into heaven with the flesh of the Most Pure Virgin Mary of the Theotokos as a result of Thomas’ slowdown. The Apostle arrived only on the third day after the burial and grieved that he could not be in Gethsemane on the very day of the burial to accompany the body of the Mother of his Lord to the burial place with the other Apostles. Then, by the general agreement of the holy Apostles, the tomb of the Most Holy Theotokos was opened for Saint Thomas, so that he, seeing the most venerable body, would bow to it and be consoled in his sorrow. But when they opened the tomb, they did not find the body, but only one shroud lying there. And from here everyone was firmly convinced that the Mother of God, like Her Son, rose on the third day and was taken to heaven with her body.
After this, Thomas again appeared in the Indian countries and preached Christ there, converting many to faith with signs and wonders. Arriving in Meliapor, he enlightened many there with the preaching of the Gospel and confirmed them in the holy faith with the following miracle. In one place lay a tree of extraordinary size, which not only people, but even elephants could not move, but Thomas tied his belt to this tree and on that belt dragged the tree ten furlongs and gave it to the construction of the temple of the Lord. Seeing this, the believers became even stronger in their faith, and many of those who did not believe believed. The Apostle performed another miracle there, even greater than the first. One pagan priest killed his son and accused Saint Thomas of this, saying:
- Foma killed my son.
An unrest arose among the people, and the assembled crowd seized Saint Thomas as a murderer and demanded that the court condemn him to torture. When there was no one who could testify that Thomas was not involved in that murder, the Apostle of Christ began to beg the judge and the people:
“Let me go, and I, in the name of my God, will ask the murdered man to tell him himself who killed him.”
Everyone went with him to the body of the murdered priest's son. Raising his eyes to heaven, Thomas prayed to God and then said to the dead man:
“In the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, I command you, young man, tell us who killed you?”
And immediately the dead man said:
- My father killed me.
Then everyone exclaimed:
– Great is the God whom Thomas preaches.
The Apostle was freed, and the priest, thus, himself fell into the hole that he dug for the Apostle. After this miracle, a great multitude of people turned to God and received baptism from the Apostle.
Then the Apostle went even further, to the Kalamis country, where King Muzdius ruled. Preaching Christ here, the saint converted one woman to the faith, named Sindicia, the niece of Mygdonia, the wife of the royal favorite Carisius. Syndicia convinced Mygdonia that she should know the truth and believe in the One God, the Creator of the entire universe, Whom Thomas preaches. Then Mygdonia said to Syndicia:
“I would like to see for myself the man who preaches the true God and hear his teaching from him.”
Syndicia replied:
“If you want to see the Apostle of God, dress in bad clothes, as if you were a simple and poor woman, so that you do not be recognized, and then come with me.”
Mygdonia did so and went with Sindicia. They found the Apostle preaching Christ in the midst of a large crowd of simple and poor people. Having intervened in the crowd, they began to listen to the teaching of Thomas, who spoke a lot about Christ the Lord and taught faith in Him, and also spoke about death, about judgment and hell, and about the kingdom of heaven. Listening to all this, Migdonia was touched in her heart and believed in Christ; Having returned home, she constantly reflected on the apostolic words and, talking with her niece Syndicia about Christ, affirmed her love for Him. From that time on, she began to abhor unbelievers as enemies of God, and to avoid all communication with them in conversations and at feasts, and at the same time to move away from worldly pleasures altogether. She also decided to end her marital cohabitation with her husband. This deeply saddened him, and when he could not force Mygdonia to change her decision, he began to ask King Muzdius to send his wife, Queen Tertiana, to persuade Mygdonia not to disdain marital cohabitation (Queen Tertiana and Mygdonia, the wife of Carisius, were sisters) . The queen went to Mygdonia and asked her why she did not obey her husband.
Mygdonia answered:
- Because he is a pagan and an enemy of God, and I am a servant of the One true God, Jesus Christ, and I do not want to be desecrated by an unbeliever and unclean person.
Tertiana wanted to know who Jesus Christ is, whom Mygdonia calls the true God. Then Mygdonia presented before her the sermon of the Apostle Thomas and taught her the knowledge of the true faith. Tertiana, wanting to know more clearly about Christ and better learn faith, wished to see the Apostle himself and hear his sermon. After consulting with Mygdonia, she secretly sent for the Apostle and, calling him, both begged him to guide them on the true path. He, preaching Christ to them, enlightened them with the light of faith, washed them with the font of holy baptism and taught them to keep the commandments of God and all virtues. Tertiana and Mygdonia, having imprinted in their hearts everything that was said to them, both agreed to serve the Lord in purity and not to communicate with their husbands, as with infidels. The Apostle, by the power of God, continued to perform numerous miracles and heal all sorts of ailments, and many, not only from the common people, but even from the royal courtiers, seeing the signs performed by the Apostle and listening to his teaching, turned to Christ. One of the sons of the king himself, named Azan, believed and was baptized by the Apostle; for the Lord Himself acted through the Apostles, multiplying His church and spreading the glory of His name.
Queen Tertiana, having returned from Mygdonia, remained in prayer and fasting and continued to renounce carnal cohabitation with her husband. The king, surprised by such a change in his wife, said to his friend Carisius:
“Wanting to return your wife to you, I lost my own, and mine began to treat me even worse than yours towards you.”
After this, the king and Carisius carried out the most rigorous investigation into the reason for this change that they noticed in their wives, and they learned that a certain foreigner - an alien named Thomas, having taught them the faith of Christ, convinced them to stop conjugal cohabitation with their husbands. They also learned that the royal son Azan and many of the servants of the royal house, as well as officials and countless ordinary people, as a result of Thomas’s preaching, believed in Christ. All this made them angry, and they grabbed Thomas and threw him into prison. After this, the Apostle was presented to the king for trial. The king asked him:
- Who are you - a slave or a free one?
Thomas said:
“I am the slave of Him over whom you have no power.”
The king said:
“I see that you are a wicked servant who ran away from his master and came to this land to corrupt people and confuse our wives.” - Tell me, who is your master?
“My lord,” answered the Apostle, “the Lord of heaven and earth, God and Creator of every creature.” He sent me to preach His holy Name and convert people from error. The king said:
“Stop, deceiver, your insidious speeches and obey my command: just as you turned our wives away from us with your cunning so that they would not communicate with us, so turn them back to us again.” For if you do not make sure that our wives live with us again in the same love and communication, then we will put you to a cruel death.
The Apostle answered:
– It is not fitting for the handmaids of Christ to have conjugal intercourse with wicked husbands and for believers to be defiled by the wicked and unbelievers.
Hearing this, the king ordered to bring red-hot iron sheets and place the Apostle on them with his bare feet. When this was done, water suddenly appeared under the boards, which cooled them down. Then they threw Saint Thomas into a hot oven, but the next day he came out of it alive and unharmed.
After this, Carisius turned to the king with the following advice:
“Make him bow down and make a sacrifice to the sun god, so that through this he will anger his God, who keeps him unharmed in torment.”
When the Apostle was brought to the idol of the sun, the idol immediately melted and melted like wax. The believers rejoiced at the sight of such power of the Heavenly God, and many unbelievers turned to the Lord. The idol priests grumbled at Thomas for destroying their idol, and the king himself, extremely offended, thought about how to destroy him; he was afraid, however, of the people and his servants and many nobles who believed in Christ.
Having taken Thomas, the king left the city with his soldiers, and everyone thought that he wanted to see some miracle from the Apostle. Having walked about a mile, the king gave Thomas into the hands of five soldiers, ordering them to go up the mountain with him and pierce him there with spears, and he himself went to the city of Axium. Azan, the king's son, and one man named Siphorus hurried after the Apostle and, having caught up with him, wept for him. Then Thomas, having asked the soldiers for permission to pray, prayed to the Lord and ordained Siphorus as a priest, and Azan as a deacon, and commanded them to take care of the multiplication of believers and the spread of the Church of Christ. After this, the warriors pierced him with five spears, which is why he died. Sifor and Azan mourned him for a long time and buried his holy body with honor. After the burial took place, they sat near the grave of the Apostle and mourned. And so the saint appeared to them, commanding them to go to the city and strengthen the brethren in the faith. Following this command of their teacher, the holy Apostle Thomas, assisted by his prayers, they successfully ruled the Church of Christ. King Muzdius and Carisius tormented their wives for a long time, but were unable to persuade them to fulfill their desires. Realizing that their wives would never obey them until their death, they had to leave them to live freely, of their own free will. Freed from the burden of the marital yoke, women spent their lives in strict abstinence and prayer, serving the Lord day and night, and through their virtuous lives they brought great benefit to the Church.
Several years later, one of the sons of King Muzdi fell into a demonic state and no one could heal him, for he had a very fierce demon. The king was extremely upset by the illness of his son and decided to open the tomb of the holy Apostle in order to take one of the bones of his body and tie it around his son’s neck so that he would get rid of demonic torment, for he heard that Saint Thomas cast out many demons during his lifetime from people. When the king wanted to do this, Saint Thomas appeared to him in a dream and said:
“You didn’t trust a living person, do you think you can find help from a dead person?” But do not remain in your unbelief, and my Lord Jesus Christ will be merciful to you.
This dream further strengthened the king’s desire to open the tomb of the Apostle. Having gone to the place of burial of the saint, Muzdius opened the coffin, but did not find his relics there, for one Christian, secretly taking the holy relics, took them to Mesopotamia and placed them there in an appropriate place. Taking earth from that place, the king tied it to the neck of his son , saying:
- Lord Jesus Christ! Through the prayers of Your Apostle Thomas, heal my son, and I will believe in You.
And the demon immediately left the king’s son, and the boy recovered. Then King Muzdius believed in Christ and, together with all his nobles, received baptism from the priest Siphorus. Great joy took possession of the hearts of the believers, for the idols were crushed and their temples were destroyed, and in their place the churches of Christ were built. The Word of God spread and the holy faith strengthened. The king, upon receiving baptism, repented of his previous sins and asked everyone for help and prayers. Presbyter Siphorus said to all believers:
– Pray for King Muzdius, that he may receive pardon from our Lord Jesus Christ and remission of his sins.
And the whole church prayed for the king. In the same place where the holy body of the Apostle was buried, through his prayers, many miracles were performed for the glory of Christ our God. May he, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, receive honor and worship from us forever! Amen.
The Apostle Thomas is one of God's disciples, and in the Orthodox world a separate icon is dedicated to him. Prayers before her help believers cope with life’s difficulties, physical and bodily ailments.
Thomas was one of the twelve disciples of the Lord, and his story is familiar to many from the Holy Scriptures. Among the people, in connection with the events that took place in the life of the apostle, the saying “Doubting Thomas” appeared, which indicates the disbelief of the Lord’s disciple in the future. Thomas is also called the “twin”, as they find many external similarities with Jesus himself. With his decisive character, assertiveness and sincere faith, he continued the work of Jesus, going further than all the disciples and bringing Orthodoxy to India.
The Apostle Thomas was the only disciple who refused to believe that his Teacher would be subjected to terrible torture and would be cruelly executed. The rest of the disciples told him about the upcoming events, but only after his Resurrection the Lord made him understand that he was in vain to doubt the words of his spiritual brothers-in-arms. After the appearance of the Teacher, Thomas gained grace from Above and began to preach the Orthodox religion more diligently than the other disciples.
Where is the image of the Apostle Thomas?
The icon of the apostle can be found in many temples and churches throughout Russia. Icons, frescoes, paintings depicting the apostle can be found in the Intercession Church, the Church of Barbara in the city of Moscow; in Kaluga, Moscow, Don, Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Leningrad regions.
Description of the icon of the apostle
The image is not replete with many figures. On the icon we see a half-length image of the apostle in simple clothes. In his left hand he holds a scroll with Scripture. On some icons, Thomas is depicted facing the parishioners. The discreet icon is revered among believers, and prayers are performed in front of it daily. The largest number of parishioners hanging around in front of the apostle are newcomers to Orthodoxy and, with the help of sincere prayers, are strengthened in the faith.
How does the image of St. Thomas help?
Most often, people pray in front of the icon to strengthen faith in the Lord, asking for protection from the devil’s machinations and strength to fight temptations. However, the Apostle Thomas also helps those who ask for divine protection and dream of getting rid of ailments. Those who need support in difficult life situations also resort to prayer.
Prayers before the icon of St. Thomas the Apostle
“Holy Apostle Thomas! The servant of God (name) calls to You. I pray, deliver me from doubts and timidity and show me the path that will bring me closer to Orthodoxy. Don’t let me get lost in the abyss of thoughts that turn me away from the Lord. Don’t let me follow the devil’s machinations, help me in the hour of doubt. Amen".
“Great apostle of God, Thomas! I appeal to Your help. Pray to our Almighty Lord for the health of his humble servant (name). Deliver, saint, from bodily ailments that destroy my body, and allow me to live a long life for the glory of God. Amen".
Celebration date
In the Orthodox world, the eighth day of Easter is named after Thomas, which is popularly called Thomas Week, or Antipascha. Celebrate the date October 19, and July 13, on the day of the Council of the Twelve Apostles. These days, believers pray for the acquisition of faith, and also turn to the Apostle Thomas with requests for help.
Priests recommend purchasing the icon of St. Thomas the Apostle first of all for people who have just embarked on the path to the Orthodox faith. For the rest, the image in the home iconostasis will help them overcome life’s difficulties, temptations and maintain faith in the Lord. We wish you all the best and don't forget to press the buttons and
19.10.2017 05:19
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