Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Thomas will go down forever with the nickname Doubting Thomas. And yet he utters here the most profound act of faith in the New Testament. Inserting myself in the story of Thomas, I can easily imagine being suspicious of anyone telling me that someone who had been crucified had risen from the dead and was once again walking the earth. Thomas, it seems to me, should be known as faithful Thomas or repentant Thomas. Instead, we label him as wanting because he was naturally suspicious of the almost unbelievable story of one who had been tortured and died, suddenly alive and well.

Today, we live in a scientific world, one that demands proof. Proof that God exists, proof that Jesus is really divine, proof that God created this universe billions of years ago, etc.

What topics or issues, what kinds of claims, do we require proof for? In the gospel, Christ declares a blessing on all those who believe without seeing, which, of course, is almost every Christian who has ever lived and ever will live. And it surely includes us.

Remember what we are told in 1 Peter 1:8,9, “Though you have not seen him (i.e., Jesus), you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” Thomas was rebuked by Jesus for his stubborn doubt, not simply because he expressed a desire for proof, but because he expressed a desire for proof when he already had so much. The gospels tell us so much about Jesus; how can we doubt?

Let Us Pray:

O Jesus, help me to deepen my knowledge and love of you so that I can accept your way of life as my own, that I may love others as you love me.