[Pearls Ep 167: Preparing for Sunday.]
Got Doubt?
Reminds us of the old milk commercial, “Got Milk?” The idea of the commercial is that milk is so necessary that we should always have it stocked in our fridge. And if not, run out and buy some (or a cow, but that probably wasn’t their point).
What about “doubt?” Most of us don’t have to worry about going out and stocking up on it – it shows up at our doorstep. Also like milk … Steve is old enough (ahem, but not necessarily Karen) to remember the old galvanized pale on the stoop in which, twice per week, the Milk Man would exchange empty for fresh bottles of milk.
Getting back to doubt – it isn’t the worst thing in the world, depending on what we do with it. Or what a certain divine Someone does with it.
It worked out pretty well for St. Thomas after all. His doubt led Him to be the lead player in the one of the most mystically powerful events in history.
The great scripture commentator Cornelius a-Lapide has this to say of the episode, “This finger of St. Thomas is said to be preserved, with many other relics, in the Church of Santa Croce at Rome. From Christ’s own words, ‘Thrust thy hand into My side,’ it appears that this wound was very large, and Thomas, astonished that this wound was inflicted for him, exclaimed ‘My Lord and my God.’ Many Saints, such as St. Bernard, St. Francis, and others, have longed to enter through that wound into the heart of Christ.”
Thomas’ doubt became a mystic focal point of the some of the greatest Saints of the Church. Why? Because Christ used Thomas’ doubt like an angler uses rod and reel – to draw Thomas to Him. Not only to Him, but into the most intimate parts of His resurrected body.
All things are available to Jesus, even (and especially) our doubts.
It matters not what our doubts are. Doubts about the future. Doubts about our own weaknesses. Doubts about whether a loved one will ever let God into their life.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus is calling us to come to Him with our doubts. Remember, leading up to Easter, Jesus was promising us New Life.
Well, where do we need newness if not in those areas where doubt is gnawing away at us?
Jesus invites us to come to Him and examine His wounds. It is as if He says, “I overcame these wounds. I overcame death. You can trust Me to overcome whatever is causing your doubt.”
In this week’s Pearls of the Interior Life (click here to watch or listen) we delve into how this all plays out.
Easter blessings –
Steve and Karen Smith
Interior Life
Postscript: Doubting Thomas (Jn 20:19-31)
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
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 he 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.”
Now, Jesus 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 Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.