Welcome to our daily rosary meditation. Let's begin in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen. Let's call to mind all those we've promised to pray for. Today is the feast of St Thomas, the Apostle.

Now about 10 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus, in the year 42, King

Herod unleashed a violent persecution of the Catholic Church. He put to death the Apostle James, and then most of the

apostles were scattered. They were propelled out of their comfort zones and sent on mission by this persecution.

And at this time the Apostle Thomas traveled from Jerusalem, first to Damascus in Syria, and then eastward, preaching the gospel and establishing

the Catholic Church in towns along the way in Persia, or modern-day Iraq and Iran, until he arrived in Punjab, Pakistan, 20 miles northwest

of what is now Islamabad, and there he planted Catholicism.

Around the year 50 the Holy Spirit recalled him to Jerusalem

to be present at two important events, the assumption of Mary and the first

council of the church recorded in acts chapter 15. However, like Easter Sunday, Thomas was a little late arriving and he got

there after the assumption of Mary.

And he was distraught that he missed his mother's assumption.

And like the resurrection, which he was also late to, eight days later Mary appeared to Thomas,

assuring him of her maternal love and care, and as a sign she gave him her mantle or cloak signifying her motherly

presence that she would always be with him.

Now after this Thomas went by way of the Red Sea to Yemen, then to the island of Socotra, where he established Catholicism,

and from there he sailed across the Arabian Sea to... where he

sailed across the Arabian Sea to Western India,

to Kerala, where he arrived in the year 52.

Imagine. in the year 52. Imagine Thomas went with no companions to be the only Christian on

the entire continent of Asia, yet he was never alone, for Jesus and Mary were always with him. And likewise,

...