Hi Friends and happy feast of St. Thomas the Apostle!
St. Thomas holds a special place in our home—you’ll read the beginning of that story here. When our eldest son was born in 2015, we decided to name him Thomas after two great Thomases—my grandfather and St. Thomas the Apostle. I hope you enjoy this reflection and that it leads you to deeper relationship with Jesus through St. Thomas.
As I shared in my last post, we welcomed our son, Owen in mid-June. We are so grateful to have him and are soaking up this short newborn time.
In an effort to uphold our family motto (“Keep the main thing the main thing”) during this season of family life, I’ll be taking a short break from writing here. I look forward to what the hibernation time brings.
See you in a month or two!
Peace,
Caitlan
…
When my husband and I were in Rome for our honeymoon ten years ago, we went to Mass on July 3, the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle. After Mass, my husband said, “I love St. Thomas the Apostle.” I was surprised and intrigued by this fun fact I had just learned about my beloved. I responded, “Really, why?” My husband said, “Because he had the courage to voice his doubt and then it led to greater faith” (or something along those lines).
God is so good for giving us relatable saints. We may be attracted to a saint because of similarities we have with them—a similar struggle, state of life, or hobby. We might flee to a certain saint because of their ability to intercede in a particular and powerful way—St. Monica for those who have left the faith, St. Peregrine for those who have cancer, St. Lucy for those with eye ailments, etc.
I think the saints attract us for a deeper reason still. The lives of the saints never stop at their singular stories. The lives of the saints always reveal something more about God. They are an entry point to deeper life, love, and freedom.
So, now we get to St. Thomas. We could of course stop with the consolation that St. Thomas doubted just like we do. Thanks be to God for that. But, if we continue on, seeking after what Thomas’ story reveals about Jesus, what would we find? How is Thomas’ doubt an entry point to deeper life with Jesus?
St. Thomas the Apostle by nikasprints
In Scripture, we find that Jesus appears to the fearful disciples when Thomas isn’t there. “Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you’” (John 20:19). Jesus shows the disciples his wounds and they rejoice!
Thomas, not present for the great event, doubts their witness and stubbornly (or cynically) states that without seeing Jesus’ wounds for himself, he “will not believe” (John 20:25).
What does the Lord do?
First, Jesus comes to Thomas the same way he did for the other disciples: “Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you’” (John 20:26).
Then, Jesus speaks directly to Thomas: “Put your finger here and see my hands… Do not doubt but believe” (John 20:27). And Thomas famously exclaims, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).
We may approach St. Thomas because we empathize with his doubt. But, if we let St. Thomas take our hand and lead us past the entry point, we encounter Jesus, who came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Who stood with Thomas in his doubt and allowed that doubt to be transformed to faith through the intimate invitation to “put your finger here and see my hands…”
We meet Jesus who doesn’t leave us locked up in our rooms of fear and doubt. We meet Jesus who stands with us in all the messiness of our lives—in our insecurities and vulnerability, in our kitchens with crumbs and dirt on the floor, in our workplaces with politics and insecurity, in our families full of love and challenging dynamics.
In St. Thomas’ doubt, we find a relatable saint. Let’s not stop there. Let’s walk with Thomas through that entry point into a room where Jesus meets us. Where Christ walks toward us, stands with us, looks deeply at us, and speaks peace.
Excellent reflection, as always!