Saint Thomas, December 21

Collect:
Everliving God, who didst strengthen thy apostle Thomas with firm and certain faith in thy 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 thy sight; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Lesson: Habakkuk 2:1-4
I will stand at my watch
and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

Then the LORD replied:

"Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald may run with it.
For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
it will certainly come and will not delay.

"See, he is puffed up;
his desires are not upright--
but the righteous will live by his faith--

Second Lesson: Hebrews 10:35--11:1
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while,

"He who is coming will come and will not delay.
But my righteous one will live by faith.
And if he shrinks back,
I will not be pleased with him."

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Psalm: 126

1. When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, *
   then were we like those who dream.
2. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *
   and our tongue with shouts of joy.
3. Then they said among the nations, *
   "The LORD has done great things for them."
4. The LORD has done great things for us, *
   and we are glad indeed.
5. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, *
   like the watercourses of the Negev.
6. Those who sowed with tears *
   will reap with songs of joy.
7. Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, *
   will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.

Gospel: John 20:24-29
Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"

But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Collect & Psalm from the Book of Common Prayer
Other excerpts from the New International Bible

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