Thomas the Apostle
Thomas is mentioned among the number of the Apostles in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke but it is in John’s gospel that his significance is revealed. Firstly, he is heard encouraging the other disciples to go to Judæa with Jesus; then, not knowing what Jesus meant when he talked about where he was to go elicited the answer that Jesus was himself the Way. But probably most famously he was the Apostle notably unconvinced by reports of the resurrection of Jesus, causing Jesus to show him the marks in his hands and feet and side. Thomas then proclaims the words that have been described as the great climax to John’s gospel by saying to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” EH
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/3zrpr54f
Bring your hand and feel the place of the nails,
and do not be unbelieving but believing, alleluia. John 20
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires, known,
and from whom no secrets are hid:
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Music: https://tinyurl.com/ycn4djk5
O Lord, open my lips.
And my mouth will declare your praise.
Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
make haste to help me, O Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to you, O Christ, Alleluia!
HYMN: Thomas H Troeger ©
Tune: Kedron https://tinyurl.com/9ka2nkc7
1 These things did Thomas count as real:
the warmth of blood, the chill of steel,
the grain of wood, the heft of stone,
the last frail twitch of blood and bone.
2 The vision of his skeptic mind
was keen enough to make him blind
to any unexpected act
too large for his small world of fact.
3 His reasoned certainties denied
that one could live when one had died,
until his fingers read like braille
the markings of the spear and nail.
4 May we, O God, by grace believe
and thus the risen Christ receive,
whose raw imprinted palms reached out
and beckoned Thomas from his doubt.
PSALMS
Psalm 15 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y88d98g2)
1 Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle *
or who shall rest upon thy holy hill?
2 Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life *
and doeth the thing which is right,
and speaketh the truth from his heart.
3 He that hath used no deceit in his tongue,
nor done evil to his neighbour *
and hath not slandered his neighbour.
4 He that setteth not by himself,
but is lowly in his own eyes *
and maketh much of them that fear the Lord.
5 He that sweareth unto his neighbour,
and disappointeth him not *
though it were to his own hindrance.
6 He that hath not given his money upon usury *
nor taken reward against the innocent.
7 Whoso doeth these things *
shall never fall.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 16 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ydhl4u74)
1 Preserve me, O God *
for in thee have I put my trust.
2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord *
Thou art my God, my goods are nothing unto thee.
3 All my delight is upon the saints, that are in the earth *
and upon such as excel in virtue.
4 But they that run after another god *
shall have great trouble.
5 Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer *
neither make mention of their names within my lips.
6 The Lord himself is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup *
thou shalt maintain my lot.
7 The lot is fallen unto me in a fair ground *
yea, I have a goodly heritage.
8 I will thank the Lord for giving me warning *
my reins also chasten me in the night-season.
9 I have set God always before me *
for he is on my right hand, therefore I shall not fall.
10 Wherefore my heart was glad, and my glory rejoiced *
my flesh also shall rest in hope.
11 For why? thou shalt not leave my soul in hell *
neither shalt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.
12 Thou shalt shew me the path of life;
in thy presence is the fulness of joy *
and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 17 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yahr8qsc)
1 Hear the right, O Lord, consider my complaint *
and hearken unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence *
and let thine eyes look upon the thing that is equal.
3 Thou hast proved and visited mine heart in the night-season;
thou hast tried me, and shalt find no wickedness in me *
for I am utterly purposed that my mouth shall not offend.
4 Because of men’s works, that are done against the words of thy lips *
I have kept me from the ways of the destroyer.
5 O hold thou up my goings in thy paths *
that my footsteps slip not.
6 I have called upon thee, O God, for thou shalt hear me *
incline thine ear to me, and hearken unto my words.
7 Shew thy marvellous loving-kindness,
thou that art the Saviour of them which put their trust in thee *
from such as resist thy right hand.
8 Keep me as the apple of an eye *
hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
9 From the ungodly that trouble me *
mine enemies compass me round about to take away my soul.
10 They are inclosed in their own fat *
and their mouth speaketh proud things.
11 They lie waiting in our way on every side *
turning their eyes down to the ground;
12 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey *
and as it were a lion’s whelp, lurking in secret places.
13 Up, Lord, disappoint him, and cast him down *
deliver my soul from the ungodly, which is a sword of thine;
14 From the men of thy hand, O Lord,
from the men, I say, and from the evil world *
which have their portion in this life,
whose bellies thou fillest with thy hid treasure.
15 They have children at their desire *
and leave the rest of their substance for their babes.
16 But as for me, I will behold thy presence in righteousness *
and when I awake up after thy likeness, I shall be satisfied with it.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 15 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-15-1.mp3)
1 LORD, who may dwell in your tabernacle? *
who may abide upon your holy hill?
2 Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right, *
who speaks the truth from his heart.
3 There is no guile upon his tongue;
he does no evil to his friend; *
he does not heap contempt upon his neighbor.
4 In his sight the wicked is rejected, *
but he honors those who fear the LORD.
5 He has sworn to do no wrong *
and does not take back his word.
6 He does not give his money in hope of gain, *
nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
7 Whoever does these things *
shall never be overthrown.
Psalm 16 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-16.mp3)
1 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; *
I have said to the LORD, “You are my Lord,
my good above all other.”
2 All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, *
upon those who are noble among the people.
3 But those who run after other gods *
shall have their troubles multiplied.
4 Their libations of blood I will not offer, *
nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.
5 O LORD, you are my portion and my cup; *
it is you who uphold my lot.
6 My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; *
indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the LORD who gives me counsel; *
my heart teaches me, night after night.
8 I have set the LORD always before me; *
because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.
9 My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; *
my body also shall rest in hope.
10 For you will not abandon me to the grave, *
nor let your holy one see the Pit.
11 You will show me the path of life; *
in your presence there is fullness of joy,
and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 17 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-17-MH.mp3)
1 Lord, hear a cause that is just,
pay heed to my cry.
Turn your ear to my prayer:
no deceit is on my lips.
2 From you may my judgment come forth.
Your eyes discern the truth.
3 You search my heart, you visit me by night.
You test me and you find in me no wrong.
4 My words are not sinful as are men’s words.
I kept from violence because of your word,
5 I kept my feet firmly in your paths;
there was no faltering in my steps.
6 I am here and I call, you will hear me, O God.
Turn your ear to me; hear my words.
7 Display your great love, you whose right hand saves
your friends from those who rebel against them.
8 Guard me as the apple of your eye.
Hide me in the shadow of your wings
9 from the violent attack of the wicked.
My foes encircle me with deadly intent.
10 Their hearts tight shut, their mouths speak proudly.
11 They advance against me, and now they surround me.
Their eyes are watching to strike me to the ground,
12 as though they were lions ready to claw
or like some young lion crouched in hiding.
13 Lord, arise, confront them, strike them down!
Let your sword rescue my soul from the wicked;
14 let your hand, O Lord, rescue me from men,
from men whose reward is in this present life.
You give them their fill of your treasures;
they rejoice in abundance of offspring
and leave their wealth to their children.
15 As for me, in my justice I shall see your face
and be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
PRAYER
Gracious God,
in whom all hearts are glad
and all souls rejoice:
Show us the path of your presence,
that we may follow it in hope
and be filled with resurrection joy;
through Jesus Christ, our risen Savior. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
But Moses said to the Lord, “My Lord, I’ve never been able to speak well, not yesterday, not the day before, and certainly not now since you’ve been talking to your servant. I have a slow mouth and a thick tongue.”
Then the Lord said to him, “Who gives people the ability to speak? Who’s responsible for making them unable to speak or hard of hearing, sighted or blind? Isn’t it I, the Lord? Now go! I’ll help you speak, and I’ll teach you what you should say.”
But Moses said, “Please, my Lord, just send someone else.”
Then the Lord got angry at Moses and said, “What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak very well. He’s on his way out to meet you now, and he’s looking forward to seeing you. Speak to him and tell him what he’s supposed to say. I’ll help both of you speak, and I’ll teach both of you what to do. Aaron will speak for you to the people. He’ll be a spokesperson for you, and you will be like God for him. Take this shepherd’s rod with you too so that you can do the signs.”
Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me go back to my family in Egypt and see whether or not they are still living.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
The Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt because everyone there who wanted to kill you has died.” So Moses took his wife and his children, put them on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. Moses also carried the shepherd’s rod from God in his hand.
May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed! On account of his vast mercy, he has given us new birth. You have been born anew into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. You have a pure and enduring inheritance that cannot perish—an inheritance that is presently kept safe in heaven for you. Through his faithfulness, you are guarded by God’s power so that you can receive the salvation he is ready to reveal in the last time.
You now rejoice in this hope, even if it’s necessary for you to be distressed for a short time by various trials. This is necessary so that your faith may be found genuine. (Your faith is more valuable than gold, which will be destroyed even though it is itself tested by fire.) Your genuine faith will result in praise, glory, and honor for you when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you’ve never seen him, you love him. Even though you don’t see him now, you trust him and so rejoice with a glorious joy that is too much for words. You are receiving the goal of your faith: your salvation.
The prophets, who long ago foretold the grace that you’ve received, searched and explored, inquiring carefully about this salvation. They wondered what the Spirit of Christ within them was saying when he bore witness beforehand about the suffering that would happen to Christ and the glory that would follow. They wondered what sort of person or what sort of time they were speaking about. It was revealed to them that in their search they were not serving themselves but you. These things, which even angels long to examine, have now been proclaimed to you by those who brought you the good news. They did this in the power of the Holy Spirit, who was sent from heaven.
HYMN: Henry Alford
Tune: Dunlap’s Creek https://tinyurl.com/y8hxak72
1. We walk by faith, and not by sight;
no gracious words we hear from him
who spoke as none e’er spoke;
but we believe him near.
2. We may not touch his hands and side,
nor follow where he trod;
but in his promise we rejoice;
and cry, “My Lord and God!”
3. Help then, O Lord, our unbelief;
and may our faith abound,
to call on you when you are near,
and seek where you are found:
4. That, when our life of faith is done,
in realms of clearer light
we may behold you as you are,
with full and endless sight.
Thomas, the one called Didymus, one of the Twelve, wasn’t with the disciples when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We’ve seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my finger in the wounds left by the nails, and put my hand into his side, I won’t believe.”
After eight days his disciples were again in a house and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus entered and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand into my side. No more disbelief. Believe!” Thomas responded to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus replied, “Do you believe because you see me? Happy are those who don’t see and yet believe.”
(Chant by Joe Cox: https://tinyurl.com/y6ud7vva)
We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud,
the Heavens and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee.
The noble army of martyrs praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee,
the Father, of an infinite majesty,
thine adorable, true, and only Son,
also the Holy Ghost the Comforter.
Thou art the King of glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man,
thou didst humble thyself to be born of a Virgin.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death,
thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants,
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy saints,
in glory everlasting.
THE PRAYERS WS2
O Christ, born of the Father before all ages,
you took upon yourself our humanity and you rose for us:
Glory to you, O Lord.
Son of God, source of life, we invoke your goodness
upon us and upon the entire human family.
Hear us, Lord of glory.
Allow us to live by your life
and to walk as children of light in the joy of Easter.
Hear us, Lord of glory.
Increase the faith of your church;
may it faithfully bear witness to your resurrection.
Hear us, Lord of glory.
Comfort all who are burdened
and engrave in their hearts your words of eternal life.
Hear us, Lord of glory.
Strengthen those who are weak in faith
and reveal yourself to doubting hearts.
Hear us, Lord of glory.
Give strength to the sick, support the elderly,
and reassure the dying by your saving presence.
Hear us, Lord of glory.
(Plainsong Mode 2: https://tinyurl.com/yctqq8cf)DL
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today the bread of life;
and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
God of truth,
marked and pierced
and open to our touch;
you embraced the doubt of Thomas
and breathed your peace upon him:
free us from our clinging need
for certainty without trust
and teach us faith
in the heart of love unknown;
through Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord. Amen. PIC
Music: https://tinyurl.com/y9efvwm5
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen. 2 Cor. 13:14
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BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
DL © Daniel Lawson; used with permission.
EH Exciting Holiness, Ed. Brother Tristram SSF © European Province of the Society of Saint Francis, 1997
WS2 Worship Sourcebook, 2nd Edition, © 2013, Faith Alive Christian Resources
The main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.
The traditional-language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language versions of Psalm 15 and 16 are from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and are sung by Ryland Angel. Psalm 17 is from The Grail Psalter and is from the Manual Hopper YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/manualhopper/featured
Musical links are usually either to artists’ albums posted on Spotify or to recordings made available at smallchurchmusic.com. Audio stripped from YouTube videos is footnoted accordingly above.
Compilation © 2024 Stephen T. Benner. All links worked at the time they were created, but I cannot accept responsibility for their content or any damage resulting from their use. The linked content is under the control of the respective content creators and is subject to change at any time. Any copyright texts included in this compilation are provided for non-commercial purposes related to study or worship. Please contact the respective copyright holders for permission to use the texts in other contexts.
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