St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church

St. John Orthodox Church

The Apostle Thomas Touches God

by

Thomas SundayDear Beloved in Christ,

Kristos Tensiou! Bahake Tensiou!

Yesterday, in the homily, I mentioned a beautiful Kontakion written by St. Romanos the Melodist, relating to the Apostle Thomas’ touching of our Lord Jesus Christ on the eighth day after the resurrection. Here is that Kontakion, with some notes I have added.

In Christ,

Father Matthew

KONTAKION ON THE APOSTLE THOMAS

Who protected the hand of the disciple which was not melted
At the time when he approached the fiery side of the Lord?
Who gave it daring and strength to probe
The flaming bone? Certainly the side was examined.
If the side had not furnished abundant power,
How could a right hand of clay have touched
Sufferings1 which had shaken heaven and earth?
It was grace itself which was given to Thomas
To touch and to cry out,
“You are our Lord and God.”

Truly the bramble which endured fire was burned but not consumed.2
From the hand of Thomas I have faith in the story of Moses.
For, though his hand was perishable and thorny, it was not burned
When it touched the side which was like burning flame.3
Formerly fire came to the bramble bush,
But now the thorny one has hastened to the fire;4
And God Himself was seen to guard both.
Hence I have faith; and hence I shall praise God Himself, and man, as I cry,
“You are our Lord and God.”

For truly the boundary line of faith was subscribed for me
By the hand of Thomas; for when he touched Christ
He became like the pen of a fast-writing scribe.5
Which writes for the faithful. From it gushes forth faith.
From it, the robber drank and became sober again;6
From it, the disciples watered their hearts;7
From it, Thomas drained the knowledge which he sought,
For he drank first and then offered drink
To many who had a little doubt. He persuaded them to say,
“You are our Lord and God.”

NOTES
1 The “sufferings” refer to the wounds upon Christ’s body, which He suffered when He was nailed to the cross and pierced with a spear.
2 The burning bush which Moses witnessed in Exodus 3:3-5
3 St. Romanos is showing how he believes the story of the burning bush that was not consumed because of St. Thomas’ experience of touching the Lord and not being consumed.
4 St. Thomas is “the thorny one” alluding to his sinfulness for having forsaken Christ with the other apostles. “The fire” is Christ.
5 See Psalm 43:3.
6 The Good Thief in Luke 23:42.
7 Meaning that the disciples were strengthened in faith by witnessing Thomas’ touching of Christ.

About Fr. Matthew Swehla

Father Matthew was born in Modesto, California. He grew up attending the Lutheran church, until his father, formerly a Lutheran pastor, became disillusioned by the direction of the national church and left the ministry. A few years later his family visited the Orthodox cathedral of St. John Maximovich in San Francisco—on a whim because of a Russian exchange student they were hosting—and began their journey to Orthodoxy. Father Matthew entered the Church, along with his immediate family, when he was 15 years old.

As a young college graduate, Fr. Matthew attended an Orthodox College Conference at St. Nicholas Ranch, where he renewed his acquaintance with, Annie Nieuwsma. The two knew right away that they were meant to be together and married in 2003.

After working in several professions—in journalism, restaurant fine dining, and commercial real estate development—Father Matthew was called to the priesthood. He entered Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 2009, along with Presvytera Annie and their first three children. He received his M.Div. degree in May 2013. Fr. Matthew’s first parish assignment was St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood on September 8, 2013 and served for four years as the second priest.

In 2017, Father Matthew was assigned as the proistamenos (presiding priest) of St. John the Baptist in Beaverton.

Father Matthew and Presvytera Annie have seven children: Dimas (married to Jessica), Débora (married to Nathaniel), Thomas, Peter, Nicholas, Joseph, Maria, and John.