My Lord and my God

Today, July 3, as our Church celebrates the Feast of Thomas, Apostle, we are invited to first read and reflect on a passage from the first letter of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians (4:1-16) entitled "Let us imitate the Apostle just as he imitates Christ". Our treasure, which follows, is from a homily on the Gospels by Saint Gregory the Great, pope. Saint Thomas is remembered for his incredulity concerning Christ's resurrection from the dead. When confronted by the risen Lord, his disbelief gave way to belief and he proclaimed the Easter faith of the church: "My Lord  and my God!" Nothing certain is known of his life except for this evidence in the gospels. He is said to have subsequently preached the Gospel to the people of India. Since the fourth century the celebration of the transference of his body to Edessa has been commemorated on July 3. Saint Gregory was born at Rome around the year 540 is certainly one of the most notable figures in Ecclesiastical History. He rose through various public offices to the prefecture which he renounced. He entered the monastic life and, once ordained deacon, he discharged the duties of the legate at Constantinople. On September 3, 590 he was elevated to the Chair of Saint Peter and he proved to be a true shepherd by carrying out his office, helping the poor, spreading and strengthening the faith. He wrote extensively on moral and theological subjects. In essence, Gregory's lasting impact is his model of the Church as both teacher and mother—firm in truth, yet deeply attentive to the spiritual needs of her people. The essential message of our "treasure" today, "My Lord and My God," a homily on the Gospels by Gregory the Great, is that faith in the risen Christ is strengthened not by seeing with our eyes, but by trusting with our hearts. Reflecting on the encounter between the risen Jesus and Thomas the Apostle, Gregory explains that Thomas's initial doubt ultimately served the Church by providing convincing evidence of Christ's Resurrection. When Thomas touched Christ's wounds and proclaimed, "My Lord and my God!", he made one of the clearest professions of Jesus' divinity in all of Scripture. The main takeaway is that those who believe without seeing are especially blessed. Gregory reminds us that, although we have not seen the risen Lord with our physical eyes, we encounter Him through faith, the Scriptures, the sacraments, and the life of the Church. Thomas's journey from doubt to faith encourages us to bring our own questions honestly to Christ, trusting that He will strengthen our faith and lead us to the same joyful confession: "My Lord and my God." The main teaching point in our first reading from Corinthians is that Christian leaders are called to be faithful servants of Christ, and all Christians are called to imitate Christ by following the example of those who faithfully live the Gospel. Saint Paul the Apostle reminds the Corinthians that apostles are not to seek honor, popularity, or worldly success, but to be trustworthy stewards of the mysteries of God, even when this means suffering, hardship, or rejection. The Christian life is learned as much by example as by instruction. Paul urges the faithful to imitate him only because he imitates Christ. True discipleship is marked by humility, self-sacrifice, perseverance, and love rather than pride or the desire for recognition. The passage challenges every Christian to become a living witness to the Gospel so that others may be led to Christ through both our words and our example.