“Let us also go die with him.”

What makes a disciple willing to say, “Let us also go die with him?” Did Saint Thomas all of a sudden wake up and possess this heroic virtue to unite himself to Our Lord? Saint Thomas and every disciple must first, know and love Jesus, and then serve Him, even to the point of death. Would we be able to say the words that Saint Thomas spoke? 

Did Saint Thomas live out these words? Eventually, Saint Thomas did go and die with Christ. He died as a martyr in the land of India. At first, however, Saint Thomas did not live out the boldness that he spoke in Bethany. He did go with the others to Jerusalem, but like all the others (excluding Saint John), he did not die for Christ, but rather denied Christ. Saint Thomas was also the one who refused to believe in the Resurrection. At Bethany, it is likely that Saint Thomas might have heard Jesus say to Martha, “I am the resurrection”, yet at Jerusalem, it is Saint Thomas that says that he will not believe that Jesus rose until he put his finger in His wounds and hand in His side. [1] In Saint Thomas the spirit was willing but the flesh was week. The desire of his heart was to “go died with him” and this desire he uttered by his lips, but did not live out in his life. It is a witness to us, that although he failed Jesus in Jerusalem, his desire was still to serve Jesus, and this desire did not die. Saint Thomas took the Gospel to the far off land of India and finally there, the desire of his heart and words, “let us also go die with him” was realized.

Search: Saint Thomas the Apostle

ACTIVITY – The following seven words all have to do with our relationship with Christ. We can use the following seven words as a gauge to judge the desire of our heart. How close are we to Christ?

C_ _ _ _
N _ _ _
W _ _ _ _

P _ _ _ _ _

W _ _ _ _
B_ _ _ _
L _ _ _

The words can be grouped in three categories.

The first three words are what attract us to Jesus, what intrigues or captivates us about Jesus. In any relationship we have to be drawn or attracted to the one we love. We are first drawn, intrigued, attracted into a relationship. The CROSS, the NAME, and the WORDS of Christ are what intrigue and attract people to Jesus.

The CROSS is the image, symbol or logo of Jesus. The Cross is one of the most recognized signs in the world and when people see it, they think of Christ. Christ crucified is a “stumbling block to the Jesus and foolishness to Gentiles.” [2] Whether a stumbling block or foolishness, the Cross is intriguing and causes all people to think, to wonder, and in a certain way is attractive. The Cross is not Christ’s alone, but offered to each individual. Our Lord says, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” [3] What is the first thing we recognize about a person?We usually recognize a person’s image, their style, maybe what they wear or how they carry themselves in public. It is this image that is either attractive or not. A husband is first attracted to his future wife’s image, her looks. This attraction is still from afar, as he has yet to hear her words or see her actions. The Cross is for many the first image, the first look at Jesus and for many it is in the brutality and humility of the Cross that attract them to the savior and they desire to cry out like the centurion, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” [4]

After the image or first look at a person, what is the next thing we encounter? What further attracts us and draws us into a relationship? The husband that was first attracted to his future wife, had to at some point ask, “Who is that?” It is the NAME of the person that we seek. We desire more intimacy that just seeing the person’s image, we want to know more, and we are drawn closer. On the Cross was nailed INRI, which means, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews

Search: Take me to your leader

The name Jesus means “God saves”. The one that we have seen on the Cross, we now know by name. Do we believe in His name? Do we believe that He is God? Do we believe that He saves? His name tells us not only who He is, but what He does.

After we are attracted to someone and find out or ask his or her  name, what do we do next? We usually talk to that person; we enter into a conversation to find out more. It is the persons WORDS that draw us deeper into the relationship and attract us more. The words of Jesus are contained in the Gospel and are “a sign that will be contradicted.” [5] The Words of Christ are difficult to hear and sometimes to follow, but at the same time are attractive and intriguing. What are some of the most famous words of Christ? Jesus says to love and pray for our enemies. He says that we must deny our self and pick up our Cross. In His first homily, He preaches the beatitudes in which He speaks about persecution, humility, meekness, peace and other virtues. He speaks about forgiveness of sins, the reality of hell, the meaning of suffering.

Once we have seen a person, know the person’s name and speak to the person, we are in a sense captivated, face to face and must make a decision on whether we want to take the relationship deeper. What will we do? Like the horse, we have been drawn to the water, but will we drink? If we want to benefit draw from a relationship, rather than just be drawn to a relationship, we must take the next step.

[1] John 20:25
[2] 1 Corinthians 1:23
[3] Mark 8:34
[4] Mark 15:39
[5] Luke 2:34