On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” —John 20:19
On the first Easter, Our Lord appeared to all His Apostles—except Thomas, that is. Thomas was simply “not with them” at the time, and ever since then he has been remembered as the Apostle who disclaimed the Resurrection.
Closer inspection, however, softens our perception of “Doubting Thomas.”
While all the Apostles were hidden behind locked doors—even John, who heard the pulse of the Sacred Heart, and Peter, who received the keys of heaven and earth—Thomas alone was out and about in the city.
We don’t know why he was absent—it was possibly just a simple and necessary errand: obtaining food for the group, communicating with their families, or some other “mundane” task. Perhaps reluctant discussion had led to his being chosen as the errand-goer—perhaps he volunteered.
Whatever the case may be, Thomas must have been forced to conquer his own fear to leave that secure Upper Room—and that, ultimately, was exactly what Our Lord wanted of him.
Our Lord knew that we Christians who have never seen and touched Him as the Apostles did would need proof of the Resurrection. So, to help us, He willed that Thomas not be present at His first visit. Before we could doubt, Thomas doubted, and his doubt was healed by touching the sacred Wounds of his Resurrected Lord. As Pope St. Gregory the Great says:
His clemency acted in this wonderful way so that through the doubting disciple touching the wounds in his Master’s body, our own wounds of incredulity might be healed.
We often take the virtue of faith for granted—but like St. Thomas, we must strengthen it as we journey to Christ. Nine Days to Strengthen Your Faith by beloved author Fr. Jacques Philippe is a simple, short, nine-day program to renew your faith so that it will stay strong and draw you into a profound relationship with God—in good times and in bad. Get your copy today at The Catholic Company!
