July 3, 2010
Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle
Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:21-22
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!" John 20:26-28
Piety
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.
Study
John’s Gospel is widely agreed to be about the most beautifully and carefully composed among the four evangelists. As we study today’s Good News, this chapter is almost composed as if it was the last chapter set down by John. It is almost a “capstone” used by John in building up his story.
From the outset, we learn that Thomas “was not with them when Jesus came.” So this encounter experience is building Thomas into a more committed Apostle. Take some time to reflect on this encounter by Thomas because what he went through is very much a mirror of what we live daily.
We were not there either. So this story reveals much of what our experience must be like with Jesus. Combined with the first reading, we learn how we, like Thomas and his experience, are being built into “into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” This can only happen by encountering the Lord through the sacraments directly and through each other indirectly.
Thomas was being built together with the other apostles into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. He needed to be absent from the first encounter in the upper room. That way, the second appearance could have maximum effect. However, even with this experience, the disciples still did not know what to do in the post-Resurrection world until the third and final encounter with Jesus on the shores of Lake Tiberius.
Through this encounter, Thomas comes to firmly believe that Jesus is both his teacher and his God. As such, the story comes to fulfill by living example the poetic opening of John’s Good News.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5
The Word (Jesus) we are taught by John early on was God. However, throughout the Gospel, John portrays the journey that many people made in order to come to that conclusion on their own. Today, it is Thomas’ turn. Peter has had his turn. Judas found out the hard way.
However, even with this experience, the Thomas and the rest of the apostles still did not know what to do in the post-Resurrection world until the third and final encounter with Jesus on the shores of Lake Tiberius. There was always hope for them around the corner because they might come to recognize Jesus, know Him and act on his commands.
There is hope for us as well. Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed. The hope for us in this story is contained in the additional beatitude recited by Jesus after Thomas’ exclamation. Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed. Even though the story comes to a close, the experience is never-ending. Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.
Action
Groups of teens and young adults who have spent this week at work camp are on their journey home. We were not with them as they engaged with people in Ohio this week. However, we know because of our shared faith that this love-in-action experience helped build them individually as well as build them as a community.
Please offer your prayers for their safe return so that they can experience this holiday weekend in dependence with their families and other members of their parish community. Then turn your prayers inward and consider what is happening in your life right now that is building you into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit?
