The Feast of Saint Thomas Apostle

Today's first reading speaks of us, the Church, as being built on the foundation of the apostles. The Gospel reading on the other hand, opens with an apostle with a reluctant faith. Is this the foundation of the Church that we are speaking of?

Our generation today most probably identifies well with Thomas' incredulity. We are a people who are looking, not only for signs, but for proofs as the foundation of our belief. Not a few fall out of faith, not only because they lack proofs of God's existence, but more often because they have run out of proofs of God's love in their lives.

But Jesus today challenges us, not to look around for proofs but to look on him instead with the trusting eyes of faith that is able to see even in the darkness of doubt, desolation or despair. He invites the Thomases in us, with great gentleness and understanding, to dwell on his hands and his side, pierced and wounded for love of us, as the real proof of his love, more than on any petty or fantastic proofs of his existence in our lives, as the foundation of our faith.

The Church builds indeed on a firm foundation, which is otherwise fragile if not for Jesus himself, the capstone who holds everything together and makes us grow in our littleness of faith to become a temple sacred to the Lord. Our faith too is weak and fragile, and so we always beg the Lord to strengthen and increase our faith.

On this feast of Saint Thomas, the apostle who was reluctant to see but was given eyes of faith, who was looking for a proof but was overwhelmed by touching God's love, we pray with that man in the Gospel, 'Lord, I do believe, help my unbelief!' Not only seeing the Lord with our eyes, but touching him with our hearts, we exclaim with Thomas, 'My Lord, and my God!'

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