No Longer Strangers

July 3, 2008
Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Ephesians 2:19-20

Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” John 20:29

Piety
(From a Prayer Service for Africa at www.crs.org)

God of Life, in you, we recognize that we are all part of one human family. Your love flows through us all, unites our fragile world, and intricately connects each of our individual hopes, dreams, and desires. At this time, gracious Creator, we lift up our brothers and sisters affected by the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. We pray that as an international community, we may one day soon stop the violence, provide the aid, and resolve the conflict.

Let your wisdom touch the hearts and minds of the leaders of the world. Help us to be your hands and your prophetic voice calling for justice. Strengthen us as an international community. Send us forth with a renewed connection to the people of Sudan. May our own hopes, dreams, and desires, be rooted more deeply with theirs. And guide us as a global community so we may one day soon, stop the violence, provide the aid, and resolve the conflict. For all these things we pray. Amen.

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/070308.shtml

Faith matters. Thomas learns the hard way…just like we do.

Consider this. Thomas was one of the original twelve disciples called by Jesus. He walked throughout the region with Jesus for three years. That means he witnessed every miracle from the wedding at Cana to the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. He was in the boat when Jesus calmed the seas and in the crowd when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Yet still, he was missing for one hour when Jesus visited the Upper Room and was not convinced of the Resurrection. After all the witnessing he did in the past three years, he still needs to put his hands into the wounds.

But how does Jesus react to his disbelief? Not with impatience but with understanding. Jesus comes back for Thomas and he comes back for us. Thomas gets the physical evidence he seeks and we get the gift of one more beatitude: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

We hope that it refers to us! In such faith we take the first step into the household of God. As we practice our loving piety, study and action, we come to know the Jesus who never loses his faith in us. We had been strangers, not because Jesus did not know us but because we did not know Him.

Action

No longer strangers? Yet how many times do we ignore the pleas of those around us. If we are no longer strangers, then we are in the process of becoming one family in the household of the Lord. Let us act like exemplary members of the family and urge our leaders to take bold action on the part of the people of Darfur who continue to face violence from their own government and their own people. Support the outreach of CRS in the region.