Orthodox Icon of Saint Thomas the Apostle

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October 6th
Troparion (Tone 4)
Thou wast a disciple of Christ and one of the Twelve, and by thine unbelief didst proclaim Christ's Resurrection. By touch thou wast assured of His holy Passion, O glorious Apostle Thomas. Pray to Him to grant us peace and mercy.

Kontakion (Tone 4)
The grace-filled Apostle and true servant of Christ cried out in repentance: Thou art my Lord and my God.

Many deride Thomas for his unbelief in the resurrection of Christ, thus we have the expression that someone is a "doubting Thomas". But it was through his honest expression of doubt that we were given a greater proof and knowledge of the reality of the bodily resurrection. Thomas touched the wounds of Christ and exclaimed: "My Lord and my God!" (John 20) After Pentecost, the lot fell on Saint Thomas to preach the Gospel in India. He was dismayed at having to journey so far from home, but Christ comforted him. He founded a Church there and converted many to the faith, ordaining priests and bishops. When the Mother of God reposed, the Apostles were miraculously borne to Jerusalem for her funeral. Once again, God used Thomas' late arrival to reveal precious truth. He arrived after Mary had been laid in her tomb. He went to reverence her body, but when they opened the tomb, it was empty. Christ had taken His Mother to his heavenly home. Two of Thomas' converts were the sisters Tertiana and Mygdonia, who were both wives of Indian princes. They were reviled by their husbands for their faith, who then divorced them. Tertiana's husband, Prince Misdaeus, was so outraged with Saint Thomas for baptizing his wife and his son, Iuzanes, that he sent five soldiers after Thomas. They ran him through with their lances.

This Icon is by the hand of Constantine Youssis and is from St. George's Antiochian Orthodox Church, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Order #ygo-05