My Lord and my God

Treasures of Our Faith with Deacon Richard Vehige

Today, July 3, as our church celebrates the Feast of Thomas, Apostle, our treasure is from a homily on the Gospels by Saint Gregory the Great, pope.

Saint Thomas is remembered for his incredulity concerning Christ’s resurrection from the dead. When confronted by the risen Lord, his disbelief gave way to belief and he proclaimed the Easter faith of the church: “My Lord and my God!” Nothing certain is known of his life except for this evidence in the gospels. He is said to have subsequently preached the Gospel to the people of India. Since the fourth century the celebration of the transference of his body to Edessa has been commemorated on July 3.

Saint Gregory was the pope from 590 to 604, a reformer and excellent administrator, “founder” of the medieval papacy which exercised both secular and spiritual power. His papacy is considered one of the most consequential in history.

His title “the great “reflects his status as a writer as well as a ruler. As the fourth and final of the traditional Latin Fathers of the Church, Saint Gregory was the first exponent of truly medieval and sacramental spirituality.

Saint Gregory is best known for his contributions to the liturgy. He reformed the Mass and the daily prayer of the church and wrote prayers we still use today, as well as commentaries on scripture that shaped theology throughout the Middle Ages. Among his many teachings, Saint Gregory famously taught: “The Christian life is conceived of as, above all, a life of detachment and desire: detachment from the world and from sin, and an intense desire for God.”