My Lord and my God

 Today is the Feast of St Thomas - and I will be ordained a priest in the Scottish Episcopal  Church

 - Messages from colleagues and friends have inspired this prayer for this day:

John 20:24-28

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

Handling the body of Christ

The feast of St Thomas

an auspicious day for ordination

Thomas - forever dubbed the doubter

I want to embrace the insight

of an apostle who was so much more

The twin who spoke up

brave enough to own what he was thinking

and, by his honesty

got to touch the body of Christ

to feel the marks

and caress the wounds

I pray that

as I follow that calling

I, too, will continue to question

and make space for others’ voices

to be heard

And, as I handle the wounded flesh of Christ

at the altar

and in the world 

may I be able to say

with awe and reverence

My Lord and my God