Saints who illuminate our path
St. Rose of Lima Parish of Glen Rose. (NTC/Rodger Mallison)
What is a saint? According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, saints — whether officially canonized or not — are people who lived lives of heroic virtue, offered their lives for others, or were martyred for their faith. They are worthy of imitation.
This is true of St. Rose of Lima, St. Thomas the Apostle, and St. Bartholomew, whose feast days we celebrate during July and August. Their lives reflect the words Pope Francis used to describe the saints: “People filled with God, incapable of remaining indifferent to the needs of their neighbor, and witnesses to radiant paths that are possible for us as well.”
St. Thomas the Apostle: From Doubt to Faith (July 3)
“We do not know how Thomas was called by Jesus to be an Apostle, but the moments in which he speaks in Scripture make him, in my opinion, the patron saint of all of us,” said Deacon Humberto Serrano of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Fort Worth.
Thomas is best known for his doubt when the risen Jesus first appeared to the other Apostles.
“At some point, all of us have doubted our faith,” the deacon explained.
For this reason, many saints have considered Thomas’ doubt to have been part of God’s plan. St. Gregory the Great wrote: “The unbelief of Thomas has done more for our faith than the faith of all the other disciples,” because by touching Christ’s wounds, Thomas helped confirm the faith of entire generations.
Another important moment occurs when Lazarus, Jesus’ close friend, dies. When Jesus announced He would go to him, Thomas said: “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”
Those words ultimately became reality. After Jesus’ Ascension, Thomas preached and evangelized in India, where he was eventually martyred.
Deacon Serrano noted that many Christians today also “die” for the Gospel when they face rejection, ridicule, or persecution for living their faith, yet they are called to persevere courageously.
The Feast of St. Thomas is celebrated on July 3. St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in the Diocese of Fort Worth, founded in 1937, marks the occasion with Mass and a dinner. The deacon shared that “both clergy and parishioners take part in this celebration, remembering the words of St. Thomas, ‘My Lord and my God,’ and recognizing that after doubt comes certainty, thanks to God’s mercy.”