By Colleen Pressprich
On July 3, Roman Catholics around the world will celebrate the feast day of St. Thomas the Apostle. One of the 12 closest disciples of Christ, Thomas is mentioned by name in the Gospel of John.
He is one of my favorite saints, and I love being able to teach my kids about him.
Who was St. Thomas?
St. Thomas was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. Very little is known about the identity of St. Thomas. It is likely that he was born in Galilee and that he was of similar age to Jesus. He is believed to have been a builder (hence why he is often pictured holding a ruler). He is also called by the Greek word, Didymus, which means twin.
Tradition tells us that after the Ascension, St. Thomas traveled to India. He is recognized as the founder of the Syrian Malabar Christians. He was martyred in Madras in 53 AD. The cathedral, San Thome, is known as his traditional burial place, though his relics were later moved to Ortona, Italy.
St. Thomas in the Gospels:
In the Gospel of John, three important moments mention St. Thomas. In John 11, when Jesus wants to travel to Judea because Lazarus is sick, the apostles are concerned that to do so would mean death for Jesus. Thomas speaks up and says, “Then let us go and die with Him.”
A short time later, in John 14, Thomas is the one who voices confusion about where Jesus says He is going and how they will be able to follow. It is in response to this that Christ gives one of His most quoted statements, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
St. Thomas is most well-known though, as doubting Thomas (John 20). He is the one who was not present at Christ’s first appearance to his apostles and doubts their story. But this moniker doesn’t do St. Thomas justice.
Doubting Thomas?
As a mom, when I teach my kids about St. Thomas, we, of course, talk about his doubts. But we don’t focus on them. After I read them the story of St. Thomas in John 20, I make sure that I highlight the following key points:
- Everyone will have doubts and moments of weakness in their walk of faith. That’s okay.
- St. Thomas had the courage to acknowledge his doubts to his fellow apostles, and we need to talk about ours to the people we trust too.
- St. Thomas had the courage to confront his doubts when Jesus appeared
- Jesus responds to St. Thomas with grace and gentleness. He doesn’t yell or tell Thomas he should have known or done better. He just loves him and gives him what he needs.
And finally, we talk about what happened next. St. Thomas responds to Jesus with the words, “My Lord and my God.” This is the first time that anyone had explicitly stated the divinity of Jesus. It’s a big moment. I make sure to point it out to my kids and show them that because St. Thomas walked through his doubts with Jesus, his faith came out stronger.
Colleen Pressprich is a homeschooling mom of five and the author of Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children, The Women Doctors of the Church, The Jesse Tree For Families, and God the Father’s Love: A Journey Through Scripture for Catholic Families. You can learn more about her, order her books, and read more of her writing at elevatortoheaven.com.
