Acts 2:42-47
Ps 118:2-3, 13-15, 22-24
1Pt 1:3-9
Jn 20:19-31
When preaching on this gospel it is tempting to focus solely
on the story of Thomas, or Doubting Thomas as he is colloquially known, so as
to engage in the popular sport of Apostle Bashing. But to do that would miss both its deeper
meaning and its relationship to the first two readings. Today’s readings are not about doubt. Today’s readings are about faith. Faith is not the polar opposite of
doubt. Mature faith must always contend
with an element of doubt, sometimes more and sometimes not so much. But faith, as it matures, must contend with
doubt nonetheless.
The first reading describes the earliest coming together of
the Church and the first gatherings of the faithful. Thus we read, “They
devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to
the breaking of bread and to the prayers.”
That is precisely what we are doing here and now, communally hearing the
words of the gospel and reciting prayers as we prepare for the Eucharistic
supper, the Body and Blood of our Lord.
Note the description of the congregation. “They ate their meals with exultation and
sincerity of heart; praising God.” We
are called to do the same at the Eucharistic Banquet.
The second reading shines a bit of light on the Gospel. “Although you have not seen him you love
him. Even though you do not see him now
yet believe in him you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious
joy." Peter’s letter describes a
joy that is the same as that described in the first reading, a joy that is
driven by participation in this, our Eucharistic feast. It is reasonable to suspect that in the
period between the apostles telling Thomas that Jesus had appeared to them and
this particular Gospel Thomas, despite not seeing him and not having seen him
with the rest of the apostles, continued to love the Jesus with whom he had
cast his lot so long ago. That love did
not die with Jesus.
What is faith? The
letter to the Hebrews puts it well, “Now faith is the conviction of things not
seen.” Paul reminds us in his Letter to
the Romans, “Faith comes from what is heard and what is heard comes by the
preaching of Jesus Christ.” That
preaching of Jesus Christ does not come to us in oral form as it did during the
Sermon on the Mount or the discourses in John’s Gospel. Jesus’ preaching comes to us in scripture and
in the tradition of the Church. Both of
the first two reading are important because they tells us what it means to be a
Church, what it means to be a people of faith, and what we can expect.
The Gospel portrayal of Thomas supplies us with a tempting
target against whom to compare ourselves—generally in a self-righteous manner,
or an example to compare—and condemn—others whose faith we do not feel is
adequate (this too is generally done from the position of
self-righteousness). Most of us would
have responded the same way as Thomas with a "yeah, riiiiiiight" had
we been there.
At the end of this Gospel Jesus asks a question and gives a
blessing, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet
believe.” It is for this last group,
those who have not seen and yet believe; it is for us that the Gospel was
written.
Neither John’s Gospel nor the synoptic gospels was meant to
be an album of verbal snapshots showing detailed scenes from the life of
Jesus. The Gospels are not a log book
tracing Jesus movements augmented by facts and figures. The gospels are not a diary of Jesus’
day-to-day thoughts. They most certainly are not history in the modern
understanding of the word. Any attempt
to read the gospels through the lens of modern historiography or, even worse,
in the light of the modern concept of journalism, is doomed to failure, frustration,
and ultimate faithlessness. The less
said about QUOTE Historical Biblical Novels UNQUOTE the better.
The last sentence of this Gospel reading puts the historical
nature of the Gospels into perspective, “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.”
The Gospel proclaims one essential truth: that the Jesus of
Nazareth of whom it speaks is indeed the Lord.
Thus, the fullness of Easter joy is contained in Thomas’ faith-filled,
startled, and ultimately joyous proclamation:
"My Lord and my God."
It is why we too can gaze upon the Body and Blood of Christ
and say, “My Lord and my God.”
"Give thanks to the Lord,
for he is good,
his love is everlasting."
Some of the newer buildings at The General. They weren't there when I was.
