July 3, 2015 - Friday

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.” (John 20:26-29 NABRE)

If you've ever attended the wake of a close friend or family member and held vigil by the body of the deceased, you can understand Thomas' incredulity to find that Jesus had risen from the dead and was standing there right in front of him! Like Thomas, we know this is impossible, and yet it happened! And because it happened with so many witnesses, we are able to believe even today though we have not seen Jesus ourselves.

Perhaps there is a gift, a grace, in not having seen the risen Jesus for ourselves. We are called to trust in the Lord in times of struggle and opposition. Perhaps we are prepared for this trust by learning to believe, by deciding each day to believe, and by living based on our belief not founded in seeing Jesus.

I imagine Thomas, after his few breaths of disbelief, becoming overwhelmed with joy as he saw his friend Jesus right there with him, talking and smiling. I imagine how Thomas began to realize what it meant that he actually defeated death. We know his words, "My Lord and my God!" Imagine how he felt. Allow yourself to feel that triumph and elation, that relief and excitement, that confidence and hope!

Lord Jesus, give me the sight to recognize your presence right in front of me. Let me notice the impossible fact that you defeated death, that you are alive, and that you have not left us alone to be forever lost. Lord, I ask, for anyone in need of your healing mercy, that you remove the scales from their eyes so they too will recognize your living presence right in front of them, take a leap of faith, and trust in you.


Today, I will trust in the Lord, confident he is present with me even in the most difficult moments of my day.


Saint Thomas the Apostle, patron of architects, construction workers, and cooks, pray for us.