December21, Thomas, Apostle

Life and Mission of Saint Thomas the Apostle

Thomas is widely known for not having faith in the Resurrection.  He is less known for founded the great Church of the East. The Church of the East (Assyrian Church faced massive persecutions from the Sassanian Empire as well as from the Jewish population inside Sassanian the  Empire.  Its headquarters was at Selecia-Ctesiphon near modern-day Baghdad.  The Church of the East declared itself the official Church of the Sassanian Empire and fully separate from Christendom within the Roman Empire in 410.  Holy Saint Thomas, pray for us. 

Collect Prayer for the Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

Grant us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to glory at the solemn 

festival of Thy blessed Apostle Thomas; may his patronage

ever help us, and may we at all times imitate his faith with 

suitable devotion, through Your Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ

Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. 

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Audio for Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle, Lauds: 

Header image: Mortel, Richard. Thomas the Apostle, detail of the mosaic in the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, 6th century. Photographed 2019. Mosaic. Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_the_Apostle,_Detail_of_the_mosaic_in_the_Basilica_of_San_Vitale,_Ravenna,_Italy.jpg.

Video image: Palakkappilly, Mathen Payyappilly. St. Hormizd Rabban (Mar Hormizd Syro-Malabar Church, Angamaly). Photographed 2018. Painting. Mar Hormizd Syro-Malabar Church, Angamaly, India. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mar_Hormizd_at_Syro-Malabar_Church,_Angamaly%E2%80%932.jpg.