Mar Walah

He first appeared among the list of the twelve He would see Jesus bring Lazarus back to himself Fifty-three plus a hundred fish he would go on to find But not believe before thrusting a hand into His side It is Thomas, most remembered by the biblical account of how he came to believe after his episode of doubt He was there in Kidron Valley after Judas went out Talking to the Beloved Son, who took these words in His mouth If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again But the destination of which He spoke baffled him We know not whither thou goest, how can we know the wav? By authority of the Father, He turned to say I am the way, the truth, and the life No man cometh unto the Father, but by me If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him He would not believe unless he saw the mark The wounds that the nails and the lance had carved But eight days later he had a change of heart And said, my Lord and my God, Mar Walah Thomas ventured far and wide during his apostolic mission according to local legend and apocryphal tradition Appointed by Lord Jesus and led by the Holy Spirit to the Indian Ocean, across the Western Pacific Returning sins to the prince of sins Turning kings onto the King of Kings Urging sinners to sin less again Converting sinners to fishers of men He took the gospel to the ends of the earth And founded the Eastern Assyrian Church He took the gospel to the ends of the earth And established the Eastern Nestorian Church Let us also go, that we may die with him Forced to worship Kali, but Thomas would not comply And so, her priests conspired for the apostle to die While at prayer in his cave in the city of Chennai they stabbed him in the back, whereby Thomas met his demise The disciples had locked the Cenacle when Jesus came in All were present but the apostle also known as the Twin They spoke of His resurrection, but believe them, he did not Till he appeared before Thomas, who said My Lord and My God He would not believe unless he saw the mark The wounds that the nails and the ance had carved But eight days later he had a change of heart And said, my Lord and my God, Mar Walah