In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
“Thomas, you believe it’s Me because you have seen Me, but blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
It seems that right after Easter, the story of the Apostle Thomas takes center stage in people’s minds whether they realize it or not. In other words, faith and doubt seem to be thought about a lot more after Easter.
We heard the story of “Doubting Thomas” read just a few minutes ago. We have come to know the Apostle Thomas as ‘doubting Thomas” as though he was any different than the other Apostles; but the reality is the rest of the Apostles didn’t believe in the Resurrection at first either. They were all very much like him. Well, this passage between the Risen Christ and Thomas helps us to see what Easter faith is like. The doubts of Thomas are actually the doubts of many, many people. These are doubts that have surfaced in the hearts and minds of generations.
Thomas wasn’t there when the other Apostles first saw the Risen Christ, so he had doubt in believing their words. “How could it be possible that the One he saw die on a cross walked up to them and spoke with them?” He had a hard time with this. “Unless I see in His hands the mark of nails and put my fingers into the mark of the nails and unless I put my hand into His side, I will not believe,” he said.
Thomas had many doubts. His first doubt was hesitation about the truth of the Resurrection because he didn’t see the Risen Lord. His second doubt had to do with the nail marks—the wounds inflicted on the body of Jesus. He knew that no one could withstand the wounds that Christ endured and live. These wounds could only lead to certain death and not to a Risen Jesus. Thomas wanted to see the scars. He wanted proof. He knew the scars were real and if the person the other Apostles were talking about had those scars, he would then believe. Thomas’ third doubt was less about physical proof and more about an emotion.
It was about forgiveness. He doubted that the Crucified and Risen Christ could really forgive the Apostles for abandoning Him. They had deserted their teacher and Thomas found it hard to believe that the Resurrected Christ returned with forgiveness for them; but that is exactly what Jesus did in today’s Bible reading.
Today’s reading shows us the birth of “Easter faith” in the heart of an Apostle. With Easter faith, we encounter Christ not with our eyes, but through our faith. “Blessed are they who have not seen, but yet believe” Jesus said to Thomas. It is through Easter faith, not through our eyesight, that we can see and know Christ. It is through Easter faith that we can know the forgiveness and love that the Apostles knew. It is through Easter faith that eternal life becomes ours. Easter faith is trust in Jesus and trust in His Church, in His Gospels and in His Sacraments.
This Bible story between Jesus and Thomas calls us to enter into a deeper relationship with the Risen Christ. Who amongst us has never had doubt? We have all had our doubts at some point or another. Thomas’ meeting with Jesus is our invitation to explore Easter faith.
If we think about it, the Gospels were written for us and the message written within them is that we, too, can experience the same relationship with Christ that the Apostles did. The story of “doubting Thomas” is the story of people born in every generation who have considered themselves Christians but had questions.
Is it wrong to question our faith? I think not. God gave us minds to think with. However, God also placed a soul in us that we cannot see or touch. It is through that soul that we see the Resurrected Christ. It is through our souls that we know how to love and how to feel love. It is through our souls that we understand right from wrong. It is through our God-given souls that we can see the face of God and believe like Thomas eventually believed.
So, leaving here today think about how Thomas nourished his faith. We can all increase our faith by nourishing it. In what area of our faith do you find doubt? The period after Easter can be used to nourish our faith. Something for all of us to think about.
Amen.