Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle
We identify with the very modern seeming St. Thomas. He is the scientific, skeptical man of our age. The famous meeting of the doubter and the Risen Christ is burned into our memory. Notice, though, that a doubter does not start from doubt but from faith wounded.
Have you ever noticed that the most virulent enemies of Catholicism, Christianity, or organized religion are former members of them? Even in our seminary we see very idealistic men sometimes not grow in maturity and accept the weeds and the wheat in the Church, but hurt, become cynical. The recent pandemic and our leaders’ response have frustrated or disillusioned many of the faithful. And of course, this doubt can kill faith.
When Jesus shows up in the locked upper room in His glorified body and commands St. Thomas to put His finger in the marks of the nails, He also says: “Do not be unbelieving but believe.” After Thomas’ confession of belief in the resurrection and Jesus’ lordship, Christ praises those who have faith without such empirical data. What is the great counteraction to doubt, however? It is this: joy. You cannot compel it and the joy of faith can get one from growing pains of faith into spiritual maturity. Gritting your teeth must not be all we experience but the joy of the Spirit is necessary. And these foundational stories that come to us by the Apostles remind us that the world was changed because the graces of relationship with Christ are no less powerful than they were for the Eleven in that locked upper room.
Reflection by Fr. Pachomius Meade, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections