Advent Meditations: Monday 21 December

Dec 21, 2020 by Jill

ON THE CALENDAR –Monday Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle –O Rising Dawn   – O Rising Dawn, Radiance of the Light eternal and Sun of Justice: come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Many in the western church outside Anglican communities celebrate this feast on 3 July. While many of us are well familiar with the story of Doubt Thomas in the post –resurrection accounts, very few are aware of his missionary endeavors to India.

St. Thomas is believed to have sailed to India in 52AD to spread the Christian faith among the Cochin Jews, the Jewish diaspora present in Kerala at the time. He landed at the ancient port of Muziris He left Palayoor in AD 52 for the southern part of what is now Kerala State, where he established the Ezharappallikal, or “Seven and Half Churches”.

Poor Thomas! He made one remark and has been branded as “Doubting Thomas” ever since. But if he doubted, he also believed. He made what is certainly the most explicit statement of faith in the New Testament: “My Lord and My God!” (see John 20:24-28) and, in so expressing his faith, gave Christians a prayer that will be said till the end of time.

MEDITATION: In this passage Isaiah is not celebrating some general spirit of peace and reconciliation but rather a promise that is for all of creation when we recognize that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords has truly come. At that point, the king who will bring about the peace that the world cannot give. A world of Justice and Mercy. Not by Force but by establishing justice and mercy through changing the hearts of men and women and calling them together into a community which would learn the ways of justice and mercy freely, not under compulsion, but out of love for God and love for their neighbors.

So now we await Jesus return to bring this into full splendor, but in the meantime, the challenge is for us here present to take the traits of the Messiah, as listed in this passage, and to make them traits by which the church is known. Imagine in this world of fear and worry due to COVID the Church could be a community in which we focused on the hearts of hurts of humanity? Where the rich and powerful stand side by side with the poor and the weak! Where all people are valued and protected as citizens of the kingdom? It could be that a church known for that could change the world!

PRAYER: Ever living God, who strengthened your apostle Thomas with firm and

certain faith in your Son’s resurrection: Grant us so perfectly and without doubt to

believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and our God, that our faith may never be found

wanting in your sight; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever. Amen.

Activity/Spiritual Discipline –  Prepare some baked goods and home cooked foods and

offer it to those who will be feeding the poor and disenfranchised this holy season.

Along with this is the custom to observe this as “pie day”, with meat pies baked for the

family, then cooled and frozen. They are saved for the feast of the Epiphany, and are

thawed, reheated and eaten and shared with others in an Epiphany feast. December

21 is usually the shortest day of the year, yet this day usually commenced the

Christmas preparation of cleaning and baking. In England, this was a day of charity,

when the poor women went a “Thomasing” or begging

ANCIENT WORDS/PRESENT GRACE:

“We have all eternity to tell of the victories won for Christ, but we have only a few hours before sunset to win them.” – Amy Carmichael, 1867-1951, missionary to India

See also:  Advent Devotion – Doubting God’s Love, from GAFCON

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