From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Choose the simple things   
      
      Simplicity is the keynote of a good life. Choose the simple things   
   always. Life can become complicated if you let it be so. You can be   
   swamped by difficulties if you let them take up too much of your time.   
   Every difficulty can be either solved or ignored and some thing better   
   substituted for it. Love the humble things of life. Reverence the   
   simple things. Your standard must never be the world's standard of   
   wealth and power.   
      I pray that I may love the simple things of life. I pray that I may   
   keep my life uncomplicated and free.   
   —From Twenty-Four Hours a Day   
      
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   July 3rd - St. Thomas, Apostle   
      
   Little is factually known about Thomas. His Greek name was Didymus,   
   which means twin. We don't know where he was born, if he had a family,   
   what kind of work he did or any other facts. Although, according to   
   one apocryphal writing, he was a carpenter.   
      
   What we do know is that he met Jesus and accepted His invitation.   
   Matthew 10:3 lists Thomas as one of the twelve Apostles, but most of   
   what we know about Thomas comes from the Gospel of John.   
      
   We know that he must have loved Jesus very much because, when Lazarus   
   was dying, the other apostles were afraid to go to Judea for fear of   
   persecution, but according to Jn 11:16, "Thomas (called the twin) said   
   to his fellow disciples, 'Let us all go along with the teacher, so   
   that we may die with Him'..."   
      
   In spite of Jesus’ teaching and his own experiences, Thomas still did   
   not really understand who Jesus was and what His mission was really   
   all about. He asked the question many of us might also have asked,   
   "Lord we do not know where you are going so how can we know the way to   
   get there?" (Jn 11:5) Jesus answer is the whole basis of our Christian   
   faith, (Jn 11:6) "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one goes to   
   the Father except through me..."   
      
   Chapter 20, verses 24-29 of St. John's Gospel are probably some of the   
   best remembered verses in John's Gospel. After the crucifixion of   
   Jesus, Thomas refused to believe that the other disciples had seen Him   
   alive and talked with Him. This is probably where the phrase,   
   "Doubting Thomas," originated and it is probably the response which so   
   endears Thomas to us today.   
      
   Jesus response needs no explanation. (Jn 20:26-29) "A week later the   
   disciples were together again indoors and Thomas was with them. The   
   doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them and said,   
   'Peace be with you.' Then He said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here,   
   and look at my hands; then reach out your hand and put it in my side.   
   Stop your doubting and believe!'...' Thomas answered Him, 'My Lord and   
   my God.' Jesus said to Him, 'Do you believe because you have seen me?   
   How happy are those who have not seen me and believe.'..."   
      
   Thomas was a witness with Peter, Nathanael, James and John and two   
   other disciples at Lake Tiberias, when Jesus had them cast out the net   
   again and then cooked some of the fish they had caught.(Jn 21:10-14)   
   In the first Chapter of Acts, Thomas is also listed with the other   
   apostles and Jesus mother Mary and some of the other women in the   
   upper room at Pentecost.   
      
   This is all we know for certain about Thomas. Eusebius tells us that   
   Thomas evangelized the areas around Persia. Another tradition tells us   
   that he went to India and was martyred there. There is a tradition   
   from the Malabar coast of India which tells us that St. Thomas   
   evangelized their ancestors. There is a large body of "Christians of   
   St. Thomas," living today in this area. They are made up of Jacobites,   
   Syro-Malabarites, Syro-Malankaraites, Reformed Syrians and Nestorians.   
      
   We don't have a lot of historical information about Thomas. We know   
   that he was a disciple of Jesus and ultimately one of the twelve   
   apostles. He most likely preached the Word of God after Pentecost to   
   the Gentiles and probably was martyred about the year 72 A.D.   
      
   We perhaps remember Thomas more because he was an ordinary person like   
   us, he had his doubts, his confusions, his misunderstanding, but he   
   was open to God's grace and ultimately was able to say to Jesus, "My   
   Lord and my God", as hopefully we too will say one day.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   We must pray without tiring, for the salvation of mankind does not   
   depend on material success; nor on sciences that cloud the intellect.   
   Neither does it depend on arms and human industries, but on Jesus   
   alone.   
   --St. Frances Xavier Cabrini   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   And he spoke also to them a similitude: Can the blind lead the blind?   
   do they not both fall into the ditch?  The disciple is not above his   
   master: but every one shall be perfect, if he be as his master.  (Luke   
   6:39-40)   
      
      
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   Christ King of Glory (Christus Vincit)   
      
   Christ Lord of glory, Christ Prince of nations, Christ our King of kings!   
   Christ Jesus, hear us.   
   Perpetual safety and welfare to the Church of God.   
      
   Redeemer, Savior; Assist and strengthen her.   
   O Mary blessed Mother;  Assist and strengthen her.   
   Joseph holy guardian;  Assist and strengthen her.   
   Blessed Michael patron;  Assist and strengthen her.   
   Blessed Saint Patrick;  Assist and strengthen her.   
      
   All repeat: Christ Lord of glory, Christ Prince of nations, Christ our King   
   of kings!   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)