TEXT: The Holy Gospel according to St. John 20:19-31

There are many times that we are allowed by God to touch and to feel the Presence of Jesus in ways that are tangible to some of us. More often than not, however, we are challenged in our Faith to trust completely in God without seeing God, or, feeling with the senses.

St. Augustine reflected upon this issue of doubt and doubting in this way --

"Who doubts that he lives, and remembers, and understands, and wills, and thinks, and knows, and judges?
For indeed, even if he doubts, he lives;
if he doubts he remembers why he doubts;
if he doubts, he understands that he doubts;
if he doubts, he wishes to be certain;
if he doubts, he thinks;
if he doubts, he knows that he does not know;
if he doubts, he judges that he ought not to give consent rashly.
Whoever therefore doubts about anything else, ought not to doubt about all these things;
for if they were not, he would not be able to doubt about anything."

St. Augustine: De Trinitate, 10:4 (5th century)

It is St. Thomas (1st century apostle), whom many have unfortunately called, "doubting Thomas," who perhaps best reflected these later words of St. Augustine.

We are given in life much to believe.

We come into the world, and, when we reach the age where we may become accountable for the things of God, we are thrust into the Presence of God’s catechesis, and, we are like Thomas, and have doubts, as have so many.  Our Faith is challenged and we reach a place where we need to touch God, and, where we need the touch of Jesus in a uniquely personal way.

The disciples were afraid.

The doors were locked.

19  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."

Do we not first need this touch of peace?

The doors are no barrier to the Peace of God, Jesus!

How often have we locked our "doors," for fear and hidden behind, because we did not possess the full assurance of Faith in our Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ?

So, he comes into our rooms and is there, and we see with our eyes.  The light reflected from Jesus rejoins our retinas and touches our souls with his very Presence, the Presence of God.

It is Jesus who reaches out and touches us at the points of our needs.

It may not be a touch we want.  But, it is always the touch we need.

20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.  The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
21  (Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

Then, Jesus desires that the Father who sent him to touch the disciples, now, are to be sent to touch others with this Truth who is the Way, the Truth and the Life!

He does not stop with mere seeing.  He now breaths upon them.  He gives the apostles their authority through Christ to touch people at the greatest place of their need-- sin, the remission (the forgiveness) of sins.

22  And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit.
23  Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

What a precious gift, this sacramental endowment, for all of us.

But, wait, one is missing.

24 Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.

Yet, the others have learned the manner of their new "touch" from God.  They proclaim the message to Thomas.

25 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."

Thomas is truly one who --

. . . indeed, even if he doubts, he lives;
if he doubts he remembers why he doubts;
if he doubts, he understands that he doubts;
if he doubts, he wishes to be certain;
if he doubts, he thinks;
if he doubts, he knows that he does not know;
if he doubts, he judges that he ought not to give consent rashly.

We must not judge Thomas rashly either.  He doubts as we have doubted, because this is part of the process where we become united to Jesus intimately, through a special touch directly from God.

Here this in the fulness of your own "week."

26 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."

It is the same message.  Thomas is there.  Now, he sees.  Still, he doubts.  He wants to make absolutely sure that this is for real!  Thank God. Thank God for Thomas!

I am so glad that Jesus gave Thomas a special touch from himself.

27 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."
28  Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

How we need those special times with Jesus.  May God touch us in ways that show us the Way, the Truth and the Life.

But, I ask that God would show me a better way than just have a physical sight and touch of Jesus who loves us so much.

There are better eyes to see with, and better ears, and hands, and better taste buds and a better sense of smell to know that Jesus is near.  The eyes and ears of Faith are always active in the Holy Spirit.  We sense the Real Jesus in Eucharist, the reading of the words of the Holy Scriptures, the Homily, the Presence of God fully envelops us, as we wait upon in expectancy our God, the God who is Present fully with us.

Come and see.  Come and taste and see that he is good.

Share him with others that they may taste and see.

Let is be touched by God.  Let us know the Lord fully through the means of Grace made available to us in the sacraments. . .

29  Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."
30  Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of (his) disciples that are not written in this book.
31 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.

These are written that we might believe.

Mary, our Mother, was also there in that room.  St. John had taken her to his own home.  The more I read the Gospels, the more I sense with the Venerable Mary of Agreda the involvement of Maria in the writings of the Gospels we read at Mass.  We owe so much to the Mother of God, because God has highly exalted her, as he desires to highly exalt us in holiness and the newness of life we have in Jesus.

May God present us, touched by Jesus through the assistance of Mary, as that chaste virgin that he would have us become in Christ.



Deus et Sanctissima.