Word to the Wise
Saturday, July 3, 2021 - July 3 - St. Thomas, Apostle
[Eph 2:19-22 and John 20:24-29]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. [Ephesians] Then [Jesus] 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." [John]
Immediately after Jesus' statement to Thomas, the evangelist John sums up the whole purpose of his gospel portrait of Jesus: Now Jewsus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name. The well-known post-resurrection scene of Jesus and Thomas the apostle should be read in the light of this summation. What must characterize a Christian disciple is unswerving faith that "Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God."
Not everyone will see the words of the gospel, at least not initially. What they will "see" is the example we give by our daily living out of Jesus' teachings - his command to "love one another as I have loved you." [John 13:14] "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." [John 13:35].
There will always be skeptics like Thomas the apostle. Each year, I meet students who either are skeptics or are upset by professors who are skeptics. I simply tell the students, "Live your faith. That's the best response." The "household of God" that St. Paul refers to will have a vast variety of members who share the same faith. The Gospel According to John was written so that we may be encouraged to be strong in faith, even when the skeptics of the world give us grief! AMEN