Daily Bible Readings Thursday July 3 2008 Feast of St Thomas the Apostle

July 3 2008 Thursday Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle
Saint of the Day – St. Thomas the Apostle

About the sources used. The readings on this site are not official for the Mass of Roman Rite of the Catholic Church in the USA, but are from sources free from copyright. They are here to present the comparable readings alongside traditional Catholic commentary as published in the Haydock Bible for your own personal study. Readings vary depending on your local calendar.

Official Readings of the Liturgy at – http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/070308.shtml – Note. The Official Liturgical readings may not match the current NAB you may have.

Ephesians 2:19-22
Haydock NT

Now, therefore, you are no more strangers and foreigners: but you are fellow-citizens with the saints, and the domestics of God: Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: In whom all the building framed together, growth into a holy temple in the Lord; In whom you also are built together into a habitation of God in the Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm 116:1bc, 2 (Ps 117 NAB/Hebrew)
DR Challoner Text Only

O Praise the Lord, all ye nations:
praise him, all ye people.
For his mercy is confirmed upon us:
and the truth of the Lord remaineth for ever.

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint John 20:24-29
Haydock New Testament

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, who is called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples, therefore, said to him;

We have seen the Lord.

But he said to them;

Unless I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hands into his side, I will not believe.

And after eight days, his disciples were again within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said;

Peace be to you.

Then he saith to Thomas;

Put in thy finger hither, and see my hands, and bring hither thy hand, and put it into my side: and be not incredulous, but faithful.

Thomas answered, and said to him;

My Lord, and my God.

Jesus saith to him;

Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed.

Haydock Commentary Ephesians 2:19-22
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site

Ver. 19. You are no longer strangers with regard to God and his holy alliance. You are no longer travellers and vagabonds, without a God, as you were before your conversion; not knowing to whom you belonged, nor finding in paganism either solid foundation or truth, neither hopes for this nor consolation for future life. But now you are become citizens of the same city as the saints, and domestics of the house of God. Calmet.

Ver. 20. The Church is in this place said to be built upon the apostles and prophets; why not then upon S. Peter?

Haydock Commentary John 20: 24-29

Ver. 24. Thomas . . . was not with them. Yet no doubt the like power of forgiving sins was given to him, either at this time or afterwards. See S. Cyril. Wi.

Ver. 25. I will not believe. S. Cyril thinks, that the grief and trouble S. Thomas was under, might partly excuse his want of belief: however, we may take notice with S. Gregory, the his backwardness in believing, was permitted for the good of Christians in general, that thereby they might be more convinced of Christ’s resurrection. Wi. — The doubts of S. Thomas are of greater advantage to the strengthening of our faith, than the ready belief of the rest of the apostles. For when he proceeded to touch, to assure his faith, our minds, laying aside every, even the least doubt, are firmly established in faith. S. Greg. Great

Ver. 27. Put in thy finger hither. Christ, to shew he knew all things, made use of the very same words in which S. Thomas had expressed his incredulous dispositions. Our blessed Redeemer would have the mark of the spear, and the prints of the nails to remain in his glorified body, to convince them it was the same body: and that they might be for ever marks of his victory and triumph over sin and the devil. The evangelist does not say, that S. Thomas went and touched Christ’s body, though it is very probable he did as he was ordered. But how could a body that entered in, when the doors were shut, be felt, or be palpable? S. Chrys.[2] answers, that Christ at that time permitted his body to be palpable, and to resist another body, to induce S. Thomas to believe the resurrection; and that when he pleased, his body could not be felt. In like manner, his body was either visible or invisible, as he had a will it should be. In fine, he could eat in their sight, though he stood not in need of any nourishment. See S. Aug.

Be not incredulous, but faithful. In the Greek, be not an unbeliever, but a believer. — My Lord, and my God; that is, I confess thee to be my Lord, and my God; and with the Greek article, to be him, that is, the Lord, and the God. Wi.