Ф. А. Д‘Круз: АПОСТОЛОТ СВЕТИ ТОМА ВО ИНДИЈА

 

An Investigation based on the latest researches in connection with the Time-honored Tradition regarding the martyrdom of St. Thomas in Southern India

PART IV

 

THE LEGENDS

1. Miracles

 

Luis Vas de Camoes (or Camoens), the most sublime figure in history of Portuguese literature, in his great epic poem, The Lusiads, which celebrates the glories of Portuguese conquests in India, thus sings of St. Thomas, The Apostle, and Mylapore:-

 

“Here rose the potent city, Meliapor

Named, in olden time rich, vast and grand:

Her sons their olden idols did adore

As still adoreth that iniquitous band:

In those past ages stood she far from shore

When to declare glad tidings over the land

Thome came preaching after he had trod

A thousand regions taught to know his God.

 

Here came he preaching, and the while he gave

Health to the sick, revival to the dead;

When chance one day brought floating o’er the wave

A forest tree of size unmeasured:

The King a Palace building leaf would save

The waif for timber, and determined

The mighty bulk of trunk ashore to train

By force of engines, elephants and men.

 

Now was that lumber of such vasty size,

No jot it moves, however hard they bear;

When lo! Th’ Apostle of Christ’s verities

Wastes in the business less of toil and care:

His trailing waist-cord to the tree he ties,

Raises and sans an effort hales it where

A sumptuous Temple he would rare sublime,

A fixt example for all future time.

 

Right well he knew how ‘tis of Faith aver’d

‘Faith moved mountains’ will or nill they move,

Lending a listening ear to Holy Word:

As Christ had taught him, so ‘twas his to prove:

By such a miracle much the mob was stir’d;

The Brahmins held it something from above;

For, seen his signs and seen his saintly life,

They fear the loss of old prerogative.

 

These be the sacerdotes of Gentoo-Creed,

That of sore jealousy felt most the pain;

They seek ill ways a thousand and take rede

Thome to silence or to gar him slain:

The Principle who dons the three-twine thread,

By a deed of horror makes the lesson plain,

There be no Hatred fell, and fere and curst,

As by false Virtue for true Virtue nurst.

 

One of his sons he slaughters and accuses

Thome of murther, who was innocent;

Bringing false witnesses, as they the use is,

Him to death they doom incontinent.

The Saint, assured that his best excuses

Are his appeals to God Omnipotent,

Prepares to work before the King and Court

A public marvel of the major sort.

 

He bids be brought the body of slain

That it may live again and be affied

To name its slayer, and its word be tane

As proof of testimony certified.

All saw the youth revive, arise again

In name of Jesu Christ the Cricified;

Thome he thanks when raised to life anew

And names his father as the man who slew.

 

So mush of marvel did this miracle claim,

Straightway in Holy water bathes the King

Followed by many: These kiss Thome’s hem

While those the praises of his Godhed sing.

Such ire the Brahmans and such furies’ flame,

Envy so pricks them with her venom’d sting,

That rousing ruffian-rout to wrath condign

A second slaughter-plot the Priests design.

 

One day when preaching to the folk he stood,

They feigned a quarrel ‘ mid the mob to rise:

Already Christ His Holy man endow’d

With saintly martyrdom that open the skies.

Rained innumerable stones to the crowd

Upon the victim, sacred sacrifice,

And last a villain, hastier than the rest,

Pierced with a cruel spear his godly breast.

 

Wept Ganges and Indus, true Thome thy fate,

Wept thee whatever lands thy foot had trod;

Yet wept thee more the souls in blissful state

Thou led’st to don the robes of Holy Rood.

But Angels waiting at the Paradise-gate

Meet thee with smiling faces, hymning God.

We pray thee, pray that still vouchsafe thy Lord

Unto thy Lusians His good aid afford.

 

(Burton’s The Lusiads, Canto X, vs. 109-118)

 

III. ST. THOMAS’ MOUNT.

 

This, the traditional scene of the martyrdom of St. Thomas, is familiarly known as the “Big Mount”, as Mr. J. J. Cotton has noted in his List of Inscriptions on Tombs or Monuments in Madras; and we should add, not “Great Mount” or “Great Mont of St. Thomas” as writers affect to call it. As far as our experience of over a half a century goes St. Thomas’ Mount has always been called “Big Mount” by the residents of Madras to distinguish it from the “Little Mount”, which is about two miles nearer Madras. In fact it is not big enough to be called “Great Mount”. Its proper name, St. Thomas’ Mount, is well known to geographers and historians, and sufficiently locates and identifies the place. It is an isolated cliff of green stone and syenite 300 feet above the level of the sea and about 8 miles south-west of Madras. It is also famous for the traditional bleeding cross which was found by the Portuguese about A.D. 1547, when digging amongst the ruins of former Christian buildings for the foundation of the chapel over whose altar the cross was subsequently fixed. When discovered, spots resembling blood-stains, it is said, were observed on it which reappeared after being scraped away. There is also a painting in this church of the Mother and Child which is believed to be one of the seven portraits executed by the hand of the Apostle Luke. St. Thomas, the tradition asserts, brought with him to India. The church itself is dedicated to “Our Lady of Expectation”. Correa relates how a beacon fire was lighted nightly on the Mount for the benefit of mariners who sooner sighted it, than they struck their sails and made obeisance;…

 

(ST. THOMAS, THE APOSTLE, IN INDIA by F. A. D’Cruz, K.S.G./ Madras: printed by HOE and co. at the “PREMIER PRESS” 1922)