Feast Day ~ April 24
The Church honors saints who fall into many different categories – first the martyrs, who were killed for being Christians; then Popes, Bishops, Priests, and monastics who were spiritual leaders for the faithful; and many others, including devout rulers. The most unusual category is that of fool-for-Christ, one who gives the appearance to the world of someone who is mentally handicapped. St. Thomas, who lived in sixth century Syria, was such a saint.
Thomas undertook the monastic life in a monastery in Cappadocia (Asia Minor) and realized that his greatest struggle would be against the sin of pride. With the blessing of the abbot, Thomas became a fool-for-Christ and through the ridicule he received, he was able to become more humble and forgiving of others.
Thomas’ main obedience was to obtain the yearly supply of alms for the monastery which were provided by the Patriarch of Antioch, and one year – during a time of plague in the Byzantine Empire – the apparently simple-minded monk begged in the churches of Antioch. A steward of one of the churches became so irritated by him that he struck the monk across his face. The man was strongly rebuked by those who had witnessed this act, but Thomas simply said that the steward would no longer provide alms and that he would no longer receive alms from him.
This simple statement proved to be prophetic as the steward died the next day and St. Thomas, as he was returning from Antioch to the monastery, also passed away. He had stopped to pray at a church of St. Euthemios and here his body was buried in a part of the cemetery reserved for strangers and paupers. Soon, another person was buried in this grave and suddenly, the grave became uncovered. That body was re-buried but the phenomenon occurred again. When this was reported to the Patriarch, he realized that this had something to do with the holy fool-for-Christ, Thomas.
The monk’s relics were removed from the grave and carried in procession into Antioch where they were placed in a special tomb and the plague immediately ceased in Antioch. A small church was built over the tomb of St. Thomas and soon there were many reports of those receiving healing after prayers at the tomb.
May the intercessions of St. Thomas, the Fool-For-Christ, aid us as we face an epidemic and may his prayers help us to overcome the sin of pride. Holy Thomas, pray for us.
Resources: God’s Fools: The Lives of the Holy “Fools for Christ” tr. By Bishop Varlaam Novakshonoff; The Prologue from Ochrid by St. Nikolai; the web sites of Mystagogy, the Orthodox Church of America, and OrthodoxWiki.