But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them
when Jesus came.
John 20: 24
As I was thinking of this verse, I could not help noticing an enticing message which I wanted to share.
Using the
example of our Father Thomas, the Scripture paints to us a picture about the
ways of God, about what we stand to lose by ignoring the life in the Holy
Church.
The Risen Lord was wearing his glorified Body. He could walk through walls, pass closed doors, transcend time and space with ease. We are familiar with this attribute of God - of His omnipresence. We know that God is everywhere. But this understanding about God many times leads us into a false sense of reasoning that - if God is everywhere, why do I need to go to Church or participate in the life
of the Church?
Yet, as we note in this verse, Jesus in his glorified Body had come and gone. When Thomas appeared, Jesus was not there. In Thomas's absence, Christ became present. Jesus, despite his glorified body, was not present when Thomas came back that day.
Here we see, there is a time and place when the Lord "comes". Not everyone are present when He comes. Those who are absent miss the bliss of being present with the Lord. Inspite of the Omni Present Nature of the Creator, His being is manifest more fully, His presence is sensed more realistically, in certain times and places. Blessed are those who get to experience the Lord in these times and in these places.
We notice many such times and places in our lives. The Holy Church is the place central to the presence of the Lord. In the context of the above verse too, the Lord appears to the company of faithful which is the symbol of the Holy Church.
In the Holy Church, during the Holy Qurbana, when the priest invokes the Holy Spirit, the Lord "comes", fluttering as the Holy Spirit, descending from the most elevated heights of Heaven. At that solemn ocassion, are we present there or do we, (like Thomas) , miss it?
During the Holy Confession, when the priest
invokes the authority he has to forgive the sins we committed, the Lord
"comes" as the merciful Savior, to forgive. Are we present before the priest
in repentance at this time and place, or do we make ourselves believe that
going to the priest is unnecessary?
During Holy Baptism, the Holy Trinity "comes" as the loving Father to welcome and initiate the new born into the life of the Church, into the 'house of the Lord forever'(psalms 23). Do we have a tendency to delay this opportunity for the newborn?
In each of our Holy Sacraments, the Lord "comes" to perform the act of grace and bestow the gifts. Are we consciously aware of His coming and are we present to participate with Him at the place and in the time that He comes?
In the times of the Holy Fasting, when we cleanse ourselves in prayer, abstinence and charity, the Lord "comes" to live with us (Upa Vasam). Do we present ourselves to the Lord for this meeting or are we absent, thinking little of the importance of fasting?
When we take the Sacraments of the Holy Church lightly, when we fail to follow the instructions of the Holy Church regarding our traditions, when we ignore our preparations for the life in the Holy Church, we miss important opportunities to be present when the Lord "comes". Thomas missed being present when the Lord came. His words later reveal how dearly he missed it. Every opportunity lost to be in close communion with the Lord is a huge loss indeed. May the example of Thomas
serve as an important lesson for us, so that we, in our own lives, are not absent when it counts; 'when the Lord comes'.
Praise the Lord of Thomas who used the Holy Apostle to teach us.
Character of Thomas : A curious case of Absence
Beginning of the Series: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndianOrthodox/message/23219
Source: ICON
John 20: 24
As I was thinking of this verse, I could not help noticing an enticing message which I wanted to share.
The Risen Lord was wearing his glorified Body. He could walk through walls, pass closed doors, transcend time and space with ease. We are familiar with this attribute of God - of His omnipresence. We know that God is everywhere. But this understanding about God many times leads us into a false sense of reasoning that - if God is everywhere, why do I need to go to Church or participate in the life
of the Church?
Yet, as we note in this verse, Jesus in his glorified Body had come and gone. When Thomas appeared, Jesus was not there. In Thomas's absence, Christ became present. Jesus, despite his glorified body, was not present when Thomas came back that day.
Here we see, there is a time and place when the Lord "comes". Not everyone are present when He comes. Those who are absent miss the bliss of being present with the Lord. Inspite of the Omni Present Nature of the Creator, His being is manifest more fully, His presence is sensed more realistically, in certain times and places. Blessed are those who get to experience the Lord in these times and in these places.
We notice many such times and places in our lives. The Holy Church is the place central to the presence of the Lord. In the context of the above verse too, the Lord appears to the company of faithful which is the symbol of the Holy Church.
In the Holy Church, during the Holy Qurbana, when the priest invokes the Holy Spirit, the Lord "comes", fluttering as the Holy Spirit, descending from the most elevated heights of Heaven. At that solemn ocassion, are we present there or do we, (like Thomas) , miss it?
During Holy Baptism, the Holy Trinity "comes" as the loving Father to welcome and initiate the new born into the life of the Church, into the 'house of the Lord forever'(psalms 23). Do we have a tendency to delay this opportunity for the newborn?
In each of our Holy Sacraments, the Lord "comes" to perform the act of grace and bestow the gifts. Are we consciously aware of His coming and are we present to participate with Him at the place and in the time that He comes?
In the times of the Holy Fasting, when we cleanse ourselves in prayer, abstinence and charity, the Lord "comes" to live with us (Upa Vasam). Do we present ourselves to the Lord for this meeting or are we absent, thinking little of the importance of fasting?
When we take the Sacraments of the Holy Church lightly, when we fail to follow the instructions of the Holy Church regarding our traditions, when we ignore our preparations for the life in the Holy Church, we miss important opportunities to be present when the Lord "comes". Thomas missed being present when the Lord came. His words later reveal how dearly he missed it. Every opportunity lost to be in close communion with the Lord is a huge loss indeed. May the example of Thomas
serve as an important lesson for us, so that we, in our own lives, are not absent when it counts; 'when the Lord comes'.
Praise the Lord of Thomas who used the Holy Apostle to teach us.
Character of Thomas : A curious case of Absence
Beginning of the Series: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndianOrthodox/message/23219
Source: ICON
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