Saint Thomas the Apostle
Feast day: July 3
Saint Thomas the Apostle, who said: My Lord and my God (03/07)
Who is he?
Saint Thomas, also called Didymus (which means “Twin”), is one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was a straightforward man: if he understood, he said so; if he didn’t yet believe, he said so. His declaration of faith is one of the most beautiful in the Gospel.
Life story
Thomas was brave. When Jesus wanted to go back to Judea, where people were trying to kill him, the disciples were afraid. But Thomas said to his friends: “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (Jn 11:16).
On the evening of Easter Sunday, Jesus appeared to the disciples, but Thomas was not there. His friends happily told him: “We have seen the Lord.” Thomas did not believe. He said that unless he saw the nail marks in his hands with his own eyes and touched the wounds with his own hand, he would not believe (cf. Jn 20:24-25).
Eight days later, the disciples gathered again, and this time Thomas was with them. Jesus came, stood among them and said: “Peace be with you.” Then he told Thomas to look at his hands, to reach out his hand and put it into his side, and to stop doubting and believe (cf. Jn 20:26-27). Thomas answered at once: “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28). Jesus said: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (Jn 20:29). That blessing is for us today.
According to tradition, he went very far to preach the Gospel, all the way to India, and was martyred near today’s city of Chennai. That is why pictures and statues often show him holding a spear. Today, the “Saint Thomas” Christians of India still honor him as their father in the faith.
Why is he a saint?
Saint Thomas once doubted, but he did not walk away. He stayed with his friends, and when he met Jesus, he believed completely, declaring that Jesus is his Lord and his God. Then he carried that faith to very faraway lands and dared to die for the Lord.
A lesson for you
- When you have questions about the faith, don’t hide them: ask your parents and your catechism teachers, and pray to God.
- When you receive Holy Communion, or when you see the Host lifted up at Mass, quietly say like Saint Thomas: “My Lord and my God!”
- Be glad that you belong to those who “have not seen and yet believe.”
Identifying marks
- A spear: according to tradition, he was pierced with a spear when he was martyred in India.
- A book: he is an Apostle, a preacher of the Gospel.
- A seashore lined with coconut palms: according to tradition, he brought the Gospel to southern India.
- A builder’s square (*): according to tradition, he is the patron saint of builders and architects.
- Jesus showing him the wound in his side (*): the best-known scene of him in Easter pictures (the Gospel does not say whether he actually touched it).
(*) Only in some pictures and statues.
The text on this page is the saint card in the Catholic Information app, word for word.
Collect this card and read more about the saints in the app