Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle
It’s the Feast of St. Thomas, “Doubting Thomas,” Apostle of Jesus Christ. I wonder how Thomas feels about that nickname. But it fits him well. He did doubt, at least according to the Gospel of John that we read today: “Unless I see the marks of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (20:25b) Maybe, like me, you’ve been known to say at least once or twice in your lifetime, “I’ll believe it when I see it!” But Thomas didn’t just want to see Jesus, he wanted to touch him, to place his finger and hand in his wounds, to feel and know that this truly was the same person he had walked with, eaten with, laughed, prayed, and probably cried with; that this was the same man in whom he had placed all of his hopes and dreams, only to be shockingly crucified between two criminals. How else could he believe what the others had seen and claimed to be true?
The other disciples had seen and believed, but Thomas wasn’t there the first time (where was he, anyway?). And as we know from this familiar story, Jesus gives Thomas what he needs. He doesn’t say, too bad you missed out! Jesus knows what Thomas needs, and provides. Jesus appears again, this time when Thomas is present, and meets him where he is -- as someone who needs to experience the resurrected Jesus in the flesh in order to believe something so seemingly incredulous. He doesn’t judge Thomas for his doubting, but He does say that those who have not seen and have believed are “blessed.”
So, presumably, that would be us! And all those who have led the way before us since Jesus’ ascension into heaven.
I find some comfort in knowing that one (and truly more than one) of Jesus’ apostles, later named a saint, was so humanly imperfect. For as we read today in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (2:19-22), the Apostles and prophets are the foundation of the “household of God” of which Jesus is the “capstone.” And we, like the “brothers and sisters” to whom St. Paul is writing, are “fellow citizens” with the holy ones. We, even in our humanity and weakness, are also “being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” As our beloved, former pastor, Fr. Dave Brinkmoeller, would say, “How cool is that?!”
With this in mind, let us turn to Jesus with our needs and our doubts, trusting that He will meet us where we are, through the Holy Spirit whom He sent to strengthen, comfort, and guide us. And let us pray today, through the intercession of St. Thomas, for the faith and courage to exclaim without seeing, “My Lord and My God!”
—Eileen Miller