Friends,
today’s
Gospel celebrates St. Thomas the Apostle. Why do we love this story of
doubting Thomas so much? Perhaps because he is a saint especially
suitable for our time. Modernity has been marked, from its beginning, by
two great qualities: skepticism and empiricism, the very qualities we
can discern in Thomas: "Unless I see the mark 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."
And
I think a good amount of skepticism and "show-me" empiricism is called
for in many situations and contexts. We shouldn’t be credulous,
gullible, or naïve. Sometimes it is indeed good to wipe the slate clean,
to clear out old cobwebs and intellectual humbugs, perhaps especially
in the area of religion. Indeed, Catholicism has a very rich
intellectual tradition, a tradition of questioning, wondering, and
seeking understanding.
Yet
when the risen Jesus reappears, this time in the presence of Thomas, he
invites the doubter to look, to see, and to touch. Then that
devastating line: "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."
Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle
Lectionary: 593
Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord."
But Thomas said to them,
"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe."
Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment