FIRST-HAND FAITH
INTRODUCTORY RITES
Gather as a family/ community; create an environment appropriate for prayer (dress appropriately - switch off your phones...).
We cannot gather as usual for the Eucharist. But we are conscious that Christ is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but also in the Scriptures and in our hearts. Even when we are on our own, we remain part of the Body of Christ.
Place lighted candles, a crucifix, and the Bible on a covered table. These remind us of the sacredness of our time of prayer and could help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities.
You may sing or play an appropriate hymn. For instance:
The Sign of the Cross
Greeting and Introductory Words
L: The Lord invites us to the table of his Word: let us bless him for his goodness.
A: Blessed be God forever.
L: We celebrate the Solemnity of St Thomas, the Apostle of India. We celebrate someone who bravely and boldly expressed his doubt, sought a personal encounter with God to arrive at a personal affirmation of faith.
We pray, through his intercession, that we might not be satisfied with short-cuts to faith but come to a personal knowledge of God through a personal encounter with him.
Penitential Rite
L: For the times, we have been unwilling to grapple with our doubts and have not sought a personal faith experience, we ask the Lord to pardon us.
Pause
L: Lord Jesus, you bring us the peace of your Spirit:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you invite us to faith in you:
Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you call blessed those who believe without seeing:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.
Gloria
Opening Prayer
L: Lord God, source of all faith,
day by day refine our faith,
that we who have not seen the Christ
may truly confess him as our Lord and God
and share the blessedness of those who believe.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
A: Amen.
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
Readings
The readings are those assigned for the day in the Lectionary.
Preferably use a Bible/ Lectionary for reading.
Reading 1 Jeremiah 1:4-9
Psalm Psalm 117:1-2
Response Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.
or: Alleluia.
Reading 2 Ephesians 2:19-22
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord;
Blessed are those who have not seen me, but still believe!
Gospel John 20:24-29
Reflection on the Readings
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.
Lectio Divina
Imagine you are in the Upper Room with the apostles. You hear Thomas say: “Unless I see the holes that the nails made… I refuse to believe.” What are your thoughts and feelings?
Sunday Snippets
Just for a moment close your eyes. Imagine the buzz of bungee jumping or the thrill paragliding… not happening, right? If we have never bungee jumped or paraglided, we’d find it almost impossible to imagine the experience! Someone may describe the raw excitement of the adventure, but we can feel the buzz only when we experience it first-hand!
What is true of adventure sport is true of life and of faith. Faith is not second-hand knowledge. Faith is first-hand experience; it comes from an encounter with God.
This is the thrust of today’s gospel and solemnity!
Thomas is not with the other apostles when Jesus appears to them. They testify that they have seen the Lord, but Thomas refuses to believe: “Unless I see… and place my finger… and place my hand… I will not believe.” He is not content with second-hand knowledge. He wants to see Jesus himself; he desires to experience the risen Lord first-hand.
Thomas may be known as “the apostle who doubted”, but he is not very different from the other apostles. They did not believe Mary Magdalene’s testimony or the disciples who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus. It is only after Jesus appeared to them that they believed! They believe after a personal experience.
What brings Thomas to belief is not the proof he demanded; Thomas does not touch the Lord. He believes after an encounter with the risen Jesus, which leads him to acknowledge Jesus as “My Lord and my God.”
We are like Thomas! We do not want to learn from others; we want to and have a right to experience life for ourselves. The same should be true of our faith-life. Will I be content with a second-hand knowledge of God, or will I experience the thrill of encountering God myself?
When we use our God-given intelligence, like Thomas, we will have doubts about faith and religion. Like Thomas, we need to be honest about our doubts. Will I boldly face and express my doubts, and seek a response to them? Or will I push aside my unanswered and, perhaps, unasked questions?
Thomas recognized the broken and wounded body of Jesus! May we encounter Jesus in our woundedness and in the brokenness of others and proclaim him as our Lord and God!
Questions to Ponder
Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:
Reading 1: “Ah, Lord; look, I do not know how to speak: I am a child!” What prevents me from proclaiming the gospel?
Reading 2: How do I live as a citizen of God’s household? How do I build myself into God’s house?
Gospel: Am I comfortable with doubts/questions about my faith and do I seek responses to them? How does my encounter with the Risen Jesus change me?
The Creed
Prayer of the Faithful
L: Jesus constantly appeared to his disciples after his resurrection to strengthen them in their faith. As his disciples today, we offer our prayers for the world and for people with whom we share it, as we pray: Lord, hear our prayer.
R: For Pope Francis and the bishops of the Church: that they may bear witness to Jesus and lead the people of God and all who seek the truth to experience the Lord, we pray…
R: For our world: that God may breathe his Spirit upon the chaos of our society and its financial and political structures so that the dignity of each person may blossom, we pray…
R: For all who struggle with doubts and fear: that Christ may calm their fears, help them find someone to accompany them, and touch their hearts with peace, we pray…
R: For all who are ill: that the Lord may bring an end to the pandemic, and give hope, healing, and new life to those who are sick, we pray…
R: For a renewed stewardship of creation: that we may effectively care for creation and preserve its beauty and resources for coming generations, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that we may be instruments through whom others encounter Christ and give witness to Christ’s presence by our words and deeds, we pray…
L: God our Father, your Son came among his disciples and brought them peace. Let him come among us, his disciples today, in his Word and in his Body-Blood, to bring us the peace of his presence and to strengthen our faith. He is our Lord and our God now and for ever.
A: Amen.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
The Lord’s Prayer
Spiritual Communion
A: Jesus, I know and believe in your real presence in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is you I desire to love and receive above all things. As I am unable to receive your sacramental presence now, come and be with me in heart and soul. Let my entire self be united with you as I welcome you again and know your loving embrace. Amen.
Post Spiritual Communion Reflection
Lord,
like Thomas,
I will have doubts and questions about my faith.
Lord,
like Thomas,
let me not be happy with a short-cut to faith
or be satisfied with a second-hand faith.
Be with me as I boldly face and express my doubts,
and seek a response to them.
Give me a personal experience of you
that I may be able to proclaim:
“My Lord and my God.”
CONCLUDING RITE
Concluding Prayer
L: Lord our God, loving Father,
we have not seen your risen Son
nor placed our hands into his side,
but we believe that he is our Lord.
May this faith unite us in love
and make us responsible
for anyone in need among us. Through Christ our Lord.
A: Amen.
Blessing
L: The Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and lead us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.
L: Go in the peace of Christ.
A: Thanks be to God.
Conclude with a hymn. For instance:
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