Thursday 2nd July at 6pm, CBS Mass for the Eve of St Thomas the Apostle with Hymns and Plainsong.

His original Feast Day of 21st December was rather overshadowed by Advent, so St Thomas is now celebrated on 3rd July, the date of the translation of his relics from South India to Edessa near the modern border between Turkey and Syria.  Although known as impetuous and doubting in the Gospels, Thomas’ exclamation of faith, My Lord & My God, gave rise to the epithet – Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed.

While Paul and his companions spread the Good News of Jesus westward, Thomas took the message eastward through Persia and sailed onwards to the Malabar Coast of India and finally to Mylapore near modern Madras. Many Indian Christians traditionally trace their origin to St Thomas.

INTROIT. Mihi autem nimis. Ps. 139.
Right dear are thy friends unto me, O God, and held in highest honour: their rule and governance is exceeding steadfast. Ps. ibid. O Lord, thou hast searched me out and known me: thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising.V. Glory be.

COLLECT.
ALMIGHTY and everliving God, who for the greater confirmation of the faith didst suffer thy holy Apostle Thomas to be doubtful in thy Son’s resurrection: grant us so perfectly, and without all doubt, to believe in thy Son Jesus Christ; that our faith in thy sight may never be reproved. Hear us, O Lord, through the same Jesus Christ, to whom, with thee, and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, now and for evermore. Amen.

GRADUAL. Ps. 139. Right dear are thy friends, O God, and held in highest honour: their rule and governance is exceeding steadfast. V. If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand of the sea.
Alleluia, alleluia. V. Ps. 33. Rejoice in the Lord,O ye righteous: for it becometh well the just to be thankful. Alleluia.

OFFERTORY. Ps. 19. Their sound is gone out into all lands: and their words unto the ends of the world.

COMMUNION. St John 20. Reach hither thy hand, and behold the print of the nails: and be not faithless, but believing.