How much do you know about St. Thomas the Apostle? Do you know what other name he is given in the Bible, or what symbol he is associated with in sacred art?
As we celebrate the Feast of St. Thomas on July 3, we invite you to discover five things you should know about his life and reflect on his role in Jesus’s ministry.
1. In the Bible, Thomas is referred to as Didymus or “the Twin.”
Why exactly Thomas received this name is unclear. In the Gospel of John, it is used in three different places – verses 11:16; 20:24; and 21:2.
2. Thomas was the only disciple who was unafraid when Jesus wanted to return to a dangerous region.
Once, when Jesus took the disciples to Bethany, He was nearly stoned by the people there. But later, when He heard that Lazarus was ill, He wished to return. Most of the disciples were concerned for their safety, saying: “You want to go back there?” Thomas, however, insisted they accompany the Lord despite whatever hostility they might face, saying: “Let us go, that we may die with him.”
3. Thomas was not with the rest of the disciples during Jesus’s first appearance to them after the resurrection.
After His resurrection, Jesus initially appeared to all the disciples except Thomas. John 20:19-20, 24 relates:
“When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord… But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.”
Why Thomas was not among the rest of the disciples remains unclear, but the Bible tells us that they shared with Thomas what they had seen.
4. Without physical evidence, Thomas refused to believe that Jesus had come back.
Instead of rejoicing that the other disciples had seen the resurrected Lord, Thomas doubted their story, saying: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe,” (John 20:25). A week later, Jesus appeared to the disciples again, and this time, Thomas was present. John 20:26b-28 relates:
“Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.’ Thomas answered and said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.’”
5. He is symbolically associated with a spear.
In sacred art, St. Thomas is often depicted with a spear in recognition of his martyrdom. According to legend, he was martyred in India after being pierced by a spear. At the Basilica, he is featured holding a spear in a limestone sculpture at the south entrance.
Sources:
Butler’s Lives of Saints, ed. Bernard Bangley
“St. Thomas the Apostle, Pray For Us!” National Catholic Register.
The Way of Saints, by Tom Cowan.