We will be commemorating our Patron Saint, Thomas, the Apostle, through a series of daily novenas and feast day celebrations from Saturday, 24 June till 3 July 2023, culminating with a Thanksgiving Mass. The 9-day novena to St Thomas will comprise recitation of the Rosary, litany and novena prayer to Saint Thomas as well as Eucharistic celebrations. Our feast will centre around the theme: “A Saint for Our Times” with sub-themes that focus on each intention from the Litany of Saint Thomas, the Apostle.
The word “Novena” comes from the Latin word “Novem”, which means nine. Once again, this year, as we honour Saint Thomas, we continue to seek God’s guidance through the intercession of our Patron Saint. The Novena celebrations provide a great opportunity to explore, discover and rediscover ourselves through the life of Saint Thomas while also inspiring us to deepen our faith by following his example.
For each day of the novena, we have invited celebrants who will celebrate Masses and deliver homilies based on the chosen theme. The focus will be on our Patron and his values, which will help us to live a courageous life in accordance with the Gospel. This will allow us to embrace a pure and virtuous faith life and strive towards saintliness, and ultimately lead us to good lives. Throughout the celebrations, our presiders will share their insights to aid us in fostering authentic relationships with Saint Thomas and deepen our understanding on how to live our faith in the midst of life’s challenges and discouragements. As we endeavour to follow in his footsteps, we shall seek his heavenly intercession for us to live our faith truthfully and with integrity.
As we honour Saint Thomas, we hope to have our Patron become a dear and authentic friend who brings us closer to Jesus Christ - to witness Him as Our Lord and Our God in this earthly life. Eventually, we will be able to be in communion with all saints in heaven, and this brings us great joy. In this journey of faith, we hope to remain connected to our Patron Saint by taking part in novena prayers and Eucharistic celebrations.
We turn to Saint Thomas, the Apostle, our great proclaimer, to help us deepen our understanding of our faith and beliefs. May he inspire and guide us towards a sense of spirituality, and help us earn a special place in his heart. We pay our tribute to Saint Thomas as a way of showing our affection, love and reverence to Jesus Christ. As we celebrate our feast day, it is important to remember that as baptised Catholics, we should always keep in mind that we have a crucial obligation and responsibility to evangelise Christ Jesus as “Our Lord and Our God” to those we encounter every day in our lives.
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