Posted by The WORD in other words (2006) by Father Rudolf Horst SVD – Christ the King Seminary, Quezon City
Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle – July 3
Poor Thomas! He is often remembered as “the doubter”, yet he was the one who ultimately made the clearest and most profound profession of faith: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).
We know little about the saint we honor today, but what Scripture reveals is striking. When Jesus decided to go to the dangerous city of Jerusalem, Thomas courageously urged the others: “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16). At the Last Supper, he was honest enough to admit his confusion: “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5).
Tradition holds that Thomas traveled to India, where he preached the Gospel and eventually gave his life for Christ. To this day, Christians in southern India proudly call themselves “Thomas Christians.” In 1972, Pope Paul VI declared Thomas the patron saint of India.
Thomas’ moment of doubt came when he separated himself from the community and missed the first appearance of the Risen Lord. Disappointed and skeptical, he declared: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands… I will not believe” (John 20:25). His mistake was leaving the community, for it is within the gathered Church that Christ is present and alive: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20).
Before we criticize Thomas, we should examine ourselves. Do we not also harbor doubts? We ask: “Is Christ really present in the small host?” “Is the Pope truly infallible?” “Do I have to believe everything the Church teaches?” In the face of injustice, war, and hunger, we cry: “Where is God in all this suffering?” Like Thomas, we often say: “If I don’t see…”
Yet Thomas’ journey through doubt led him to a deeper faith. When he finally encountered the Risen Christ, he proclaimed with conviction: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). His transformation shows us that doubt, when faced honestly, can become the doorway to stronger belief.
St. Gregory the Great beautifully remarked: “The disbelief of Thomas has done more for our faith than the belief of the other disciples.” For through Thomas, we are reminded that faith is not blind—it is a response to the living Christ who meets us in our weakness and leads us to truth.
