CHAPTER XV Of the touching of the sacred Wounds of Christ by the hand of St. Thomas the Apostle
CHAPTER XV
Of the touching of the sacred Wounds of Christ by the hand of St. Thomas the Apostle
O LORD JESUS CHRIST, Enlightener of Thy faithful ones amidst the darkness of this world, I bless Thee, and give thanks to Thee, for the surpassing mercy shown to Thy holy Apostle Thomas by Thy special appearance to him, thus strengthening him in believing in Thy Resurrection, which passes all human understanding, and except by faith and Divine revelation is incomprehensible to fallen man. Many are the marvellous works, O Lord God, that Thou hast wrought since the foundation of the world; and even now Thou workest marvels in Heaven and on earth that they may declare the Glory of Thy Name. But although the mind of man cannot comprehend or fathom them, yet to Thee are they no hard task: they are wrought, and are ordained, chiefly for the salvation of the elect.
It was because Thy disciple, who was dear to Thee, did not persist in his opinion, and because he had no evil intent when he said he would not believe except he should see Thee and touch Thee—for this reason doubtless it was that he was found worthy to obtain so great mercy and grace as to be allowed to see Thee openly with his eyes, and reverently to touch Thee with his hand; and this so unmistakably that all his doubt was at an end, and he was able to confirm in the faith those who were faint-hearted. Being convinced then of Thy Manhood, and believing from the heart that the Godhead was hidden therein, full of devotion and faith he exclaimed: “My Lord, and my God. This I firmly believe, this I honestly profess, this I openly declare, this I boldly proclaim, this I make known and long to tell forth to all the world, in order that all men may believe in Thee and be saved,—My Lord and my God, my Creator and my Redeemer! This is the true and established faith which leads to the Kingdom of heaven those who hold it.”
How great and how abounding is Thy sweetness, O Lord, which Thou hadst laid up for Thy saints, and for Thy chosen ones who are so dear to Thee; and how often, in this life even, dost Thou show it to them in their times of trouble and distress, giving them as it were a foretaste of it, and encouraging them, both by word and by example, to press on and to persevere. Sometimes, indeed, Thou hidest Thyself, in order that by mourning they may be led to seek Thee and long to behold Thee, and that by falling and growing cold they may come to know their own weakness, and may cease to be presumptuous and to think more highly of themselves than they ought to think. And then once more Thou showest Thyself, comfortest those who are sorrowful, enlightenest them and teachest them; that so in adversity they may not despair, nor in prosperity be puffed up, but may know themselves to be but men, mortal and sinful, needing the grace and mercy of God, and not Angels already in glory.
I praise and extol Thy gracious tenderness in that, after granting peace and pardon to Thy holy Apostle Thomas, as he knelt humbly and reverently before Thee, earnestly entreating Thy pardon, Thou didst manifest Thy love to him by showing to him Thy all-holy and glorious wound-prints, of more worth than all the treasures of the world, more precious than any jewels, more beauteous than the reddest of roses, sweeter than all spices or the sweetest-scented flowers. Those Wounds are more beauteous than all the stars which bespangle the firmament of Heaven; more than all else besides, those Wounds rejoice the souls of the Saints, inflame the hearts of the faithful, soften the hard hearts of sinners, and draw from them bittertears; they rouse the slothful to more earnest prayers; they lead the devout to kiss them over and over again; they move men of goodwill to fervent thankfulness. The frequent remembrance and earnest contemplation of those Wounds of Christ so stirred the inmost soul of the holy and most devout Father Francis, and made his eyes so run with tears, that their all-holy prints could be plainly seen upon his own body. And to this day those five holy Wounds of Jesus, worthy of all love, stir to their inmost depths the hearts of many a devout Religious, and even of many a man and woman living in the world; the sight of those Wounds brings tears to their eyes, as they gaze in church upon a picture of the Crucified, or hear the Passion of Christ preached, or read, or ponder thereon to the praise of God. Amen.
Of the great grace of devotion and the steadfast faith of St. Thomas the Apostle
O my God, how great was the grace of devotion which that holy Apostle Thomas received by touching Thy sacred Wounds, grace beyond that vouchsafed to many of the Saints who beheld Thee during Thy life in the flesh, and believed in Thee after Thy Resurrection.
With all the powers of my soul therefore do I bless Thee, and give thanks to Thee, my Lord and my God, Who by Thy Apostles hast taught me to believe rightly, to lead a good life, and boldly and without equivocation to confess the true faith: for Thou hast said, and Thy word is truth: “Every one that shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father.” Give me, then, O Lord, I beseech Thee, grace always to speak the truth, and to confess the right faith, even as holy Thomas spoke before Thee in the presence of the other Apostles, saying: “My Lord, and My God.”
What can be plainer than those words, what more true, what more perfect, what more faithful? And so it is that blessed John writes thus: “Thomas answered and said to Him (that is, to Thee, my Lord and my God), ‘My Lord and my God.’ ” Many faithful souls have addressed Thee and called Thee by divers holy names, as their faith and their devotion moved them; and rightly and fitly was this done in accordance with Thy unspeakable Majesty, Which is far beyond the rank of, and the praise due to, any creature, and far above every name in Heaven and in earth. Some in prayer to Thee have said, “Jesus of Nazareth, have mercy on me!” Others have said, “Son of David”; others, “Good Master and Lord”; others, “Rabbi or Rabboni”; others, “Teacher and Saviour of the World.” Others have addressed Thee as “Great Prophet and King of Israel”; others (as John the Baptist) have said, “Behold the Lamb of God,” or, as Nathaniel, “Thou art the Son of God.” Others, as Andrew, have said, “We have found the Messias”; or, as Simon Peter, and the other Apostles (by the revelation of the Heavenly Father), “Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.” And in order that all the names declaring Thy Godhead, and all the words setting forth Thy holiness might be briefly, though fully and exactly, summed up in one word, and might be firmly believed, Saint Thomas (enlightened and fully instructed by God the Holy Ghost, and made strong in the faith by Thee, O Lord, then present with him) says openly and boldly in a loud voice to Thee, our Lord, “My Lord and my God.” In these words he gathers up briefly all that can be truly said and believed regarding Thy Divine and Human Nature in praise of Thee, and for the Salvation of all Christians, who throughout the world believe in Thee.
Grant to me, O Lord my God, that I may steadfastly cling to this holy and catholic faith; that I may adorn and defend it by good works, and may never swerve from the truth. Amen.