Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle
July 3, 2021
Daily Reading from the USCCB: John 20:24-29
The apostles didn’t quite know what to make of Jesus’ resurrection. In Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances to his various followers it took more than a little persuasion on his part to win their acceptance of the wonderful reality of his new life. It seemed too good to believe.
Thomas was an especially difficult case. He wouldn’t accept the word of the other disciples. He needed to see the risen Christ personally, to touch his wounds. When Jesus appears again he accedes to Thomas’s demands, but not without a gentle reproof of his lack of faith.
The reality of the resurrection is one of the cornerstones of our Christian faith. If we don’t believe that Jesus has risen from the dead nothing else makes any sense.