Martyrdom of St. Thomas

Martyrdom of St. Thomas

December 21st is the commemoration of the martyrdom of St. Thomas the Holy Apostle +72AD according to the Liturgical Calendar of the Syriac Orthodox Church.Mor Touma Sleeho was one of the 12 Apostles of our Lord. His twin brother is St. Aday bishop of Edessa & one of the 72 Disciples mentioned in Luke 10:1. Thus he is also known as Didymus(Greek-twin).Thomas was a faithful servant of his Master, always willing to give his life for the Lord (John 11:16). He is traditionally referred to as 'Doubting Thomas' because of the exchange between him & his fellow Apostles as written in the gospel of St. John 20:24-25. However, this doubt isn't a lapse in his character as a disciple or his genuine belief in God. It should be seen in the light of one whose faith is further strengthened by the manifested glory of God's miraculous power. Doubt is the first step to belief. It is his confession of faith in front of the newly appeared Christ, that will be etched in Christendom for eternity. Christ knew the heart of Thomas & tells him to feel His wounds. There is not an unbelieving word in our tongues, nor thought in our minds, but it is known to the Lord Jesus; & he was pleased to accommodate himself even to Thomas, rather than leave him in his unbelief. Thomas proclaims 'My Lord and my God' (John 20:28). This proclamation is the sum total of the salvific act of Jesus Christ on earth. This confession of faith is repeated in the Holy Qurbono when the second coming of Christ is commemorated. Following the Ascension, Thomas isn't spoken of in the rest of the New Testament. However, the writings of the early Church fathers including St. Ephrem, St. Gregory Nazianzus, St. John Chrysostom & St. Jacob of Serugh all state that St. Thomas evangelized India. The 'Acts of St. Thomas' is a Syriac text by an unknown author which chronicles the journey & life of Thomas. The prayers written by the Syriac Church fathers also indicate St. Thomas went to India. Additionally, the oral tradition passed down for generations amongst the Christians of Kerala including Margamkali (Dance of the way) & Ramban Pattu (Song of the Monk) also speak of the arrival & work of St. Thomas to convert the locals in India. Archeological excavations in the 19th century have shed more light on what's written in the 'Acts of St. Thomas,' confirming many of its details. More recent digs in the port village of Muziris from 2007 & beyond have found key pieces of evidence corroborating the existing oral traditions. St. Thomas is said to have been ordered to build a palace for King Gondaphorus. However, Thomas used the money for charity work which enraged the king who sent Thomas to prison for later execution. The King's brother died & he visited the King in a vision telling him that St. Thomas had a place in heaven prepared. The King released Thomas & he then converted to Christianity, an incident that is alluded to in the evening prayer (Bovuso) of the first Sunday after Easter (hadto/New Sunday). St. Thomas attended the wedding of the king's daughter, but was attacked by one of the pagans, however the attacker's hand was bitten off by a menacing dog. St. Thomas then heals the man in front of the crowd. The miracle done at the wedding feast is referred to in the morning prayer of the First Sunday after Easter. St. Thomas came to Kerala in AD52 at Kodungalur. He initially preached to the existing Jewish community, followed by evangelization of the gentiles. He performed many miracles. Local tradition states he established 7 churches & ordained elders from 4 families of the upper echelons of their society. The Syriac Christians of Malabar from the state of Kerala, the southwest coast of India, call themselves 'St. Thomas Christians' on account of missionary efforts. The Government of India even released two commemorative stamps in honour of St. Thomas, once in 1964 then again in 1972(for the 19th centenary of his martyrdom). His Apostolic mission brought him from Malankara to Mylapore in what is now Tamil Nadu, south India. Sadly, his evangelization work would be cut short. While praying on a hill, St. Thomas was attacked by the servants of the hindu king & temple priests who were angered by his preaching. The soldiers pierced Mor Touma with spears on December 18th 72AD leaving him mortally wounded. He would succumb to his injuries 3 days later. Thus Mor Touma attained the crown of martyrdom. His remains were entombed in Mylapore. The Holy Relics were later transferred to Edessa (Urhoy) on July 3rd AD394 & interred on August 22nd. The relocation of the relic of St. Thomas to Urhoy is described in the Hoothomo of this feast. His relics would later be transferred to St. Thomas Cathedral in Mosul, Iraq. In 1964 during renovation work, the thrice blessed late Patriarch HH Mor Ignatius Zakka (who was then Mor Severios, Archbishop of Mosul) rediscovered the priceless relics in the Altar of St. Thomas Church. A portion of these relics were gifted to the Malankara Christians in 1964 & again in 1982. In 2014, due to the onslaught of the ISIS insurgency, the relics were shifted for safekeeping to the Beth Qadishe of Dayro d-Mor Mattai Nineveh Iraq. The Feast of St. Thomas is celebrated on 3 occasions in the Syriac Orthodox Church calendar. He is commemorated on New Sunday(Sunday after Easter), July 3rd (translation of his Holy Relics to Edessa in AD 394) & December 21 (his martyrdom; December 18, the day he was stuck by the lance of the unbelievers, is also honored in Malankara). The thrice blessed late Patriarch HH Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas of blessed memory in an encyclical dated October 20, 1987, added the name of "Apostle Thomas, the preacher of the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in India" to the 4th Thubden of the Malankara Jacobite Church. St. Thomas is the Patron Saint of India. Biography courtesy, 'Martyrs, Saints and Prelates of the Syriac Orthodox ChurchOh Mor Touma Sleeho! May your intercession on your blessed feast be with us all. May your prayers protect the Syriac Orthodox Christians of Malankara. Plead for us before God's throne of grace. Amen.St. Thomas and The Syrian Christians of Kerala: https://urhotheway.com/lectures-on-st-thomas-and-the-syrian-christians-of-kerala/Lecture Series - Malankara Church and Throne of St. Thomas (courtesy Hymonutho): https://bit.ly/30TN7AVEvening:St. John 11: 5 - 16Morning:St. John 14 : 1 - 7Before Holy Qurbana:Genesis 9: 1 - 12Daniel 1: 8 -21Isaiah 43: 1- 7Holy Qurbana:Acts 1:12 -14I Corinthians 12 : 28 -13 : 10St. John 20: 19-31https://urhotheway.com/2020/07/05/st-thomas-the-apostle/