St Thomas has always been a favourite of mine and, I daresay, of many people. His doubt makes him easy to relate to, but his faith — that clear-sighted ‘My Lord and my God’ — makes me tremble. It is the kind of faith I would like to have myself: gloriously generous, absolute. Fortunately, it is not the kind of faith I have been given. I say ‘fortunately’ because the questionings and hesitations that I, at least, experience are undoubtedly part of the way in which God draws me, and without them there would be a dissonance between my ordinary life and my supernatural one.
St Thomas is a great encouragement as one who made sense of religion, who worked through the doubts and difficulties to come to an understanding that was luminous with love and delight like the very Wounds he touched. It is an understanding and knowledge that I pray will be given to all of us one day.
The story of doubting Thomas is one that we are all familiar with, and perhaps honest doubt and questioning is part of the way that God allows us to exercise the gift of free will.
I once heard a Priest say that when he meets someone who says that they are convinced and never doubt, he prays for them to have doubt. Because that type of conviction has been the cause of many misunderstandings and probably many wars, where one or other side believed that their cause was right and just.
I have to admit doubt is part of the journey of faith we make, but ultimately, we accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Redeemer in faith and trust, continuing to wobble in doubt and questions life long. But in Jesus’ words; “Blessed whose who don’t see, yet believe”.
Thank you, Ernie, very true. I’m reminded of Hopkins’
‘Cliffs of fall/Hold them cheap who ne’er hung there.’
As a Priest I know maintains: ‘The opposite of faith is not doubt. The opposite of faith is certainty.’ The point is, I think, that ‘faith’ delivers. O Taste and See.
It is interesting that after the Lord’s Resurrection, he counsels Mary Magdalene ‘Touch me not’ yet to Thomas he says ‘Handle me and see.’ Diff’rent strokes for diff’rent folks, as they say.
Whatever has befallen – even at times of feeling off God’s radar – I’ve never doubted his existence and right from earliest years have sensed that my destiny was bound up in him. This is a Gift and no virtue of mine and I pray that I actually won’t be tested to that extreme. God is merciful.
That is a great blessing, Rosy!
Thanks for posting. St. Thomas quotes direct me towards a coin of an Indian King called Sases, portraying a benediction? Leading me to quote: “In God We Trust” unfortunately, my experience has led me to not trust much else, without a doubt! LOL
But to trust God is to trust Someone worth trusting.
“Lord I believe. Help me in my unbelief.”
We all have our doubts and fears from time to time. But our Lord is faithful, even when we are not.
What an awesome God we have!
Thank you.
Indeed He is. Thank you, Steve.
Excellent. I admire Thomas in the same way and for the same reasons. Here is a sonnet I wrote for him which is currently posted on my blog
“We do not know… how can we know the way?”
Courageous master of the awkward question,
You spoke the words the others dared not say
And cut through their evasion and abstraction.
Oh doubting Thomas, father of my faith,
You put your finger on the nub of things
We cannot love some disembodied wraith,
But flesh and blood must be our king of kings.
Your teaching is to touch, embrace, anoint,
Feel after Him and find Him in the flesh.
Because He loved your awkward counter-point
The Word has heard and granted you your wish.
Oh place my hands with yours, help me divine
The wounded God whose wounds are healing mine.
Thank you, Malcolm: a perfect end to the post! (And greetings to your wife, whom I haven’t seen since Girton days . . .)
thanks, Maggie is pleased and deeply intrigued and wants to know what your surname was at Girton.
Aha! I have replied by email.