Chúng ta đang sống trong một nền văn hóa mà chúng ta phải biết tất cả mọi thứ. Nếu không có sự thật, nếu thiếu bằng chứng, thì chúng ta sẽ từ chối không tin. Đôi khi, chúng ta cũng chẳng chịu tin ngay cả khi sự thật và bằng chứng được bày ra trước mặt. Đôi khi chúng ta biết rằng đức tin đó mời gọi mọi người chúng ta phải cam kết hoàn toàn với ơn Chúa Thánh Thần (Dei Verbum5).
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of faith I received with baptism. I believe all that you have revealed, though I recognize that my faith is still small. I now submerge my weak faith in your overflowing goodness and mercy, and I trust in you completely. I love you, my Lord, and my God, with all my mind, heart, soul, and strength.
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” John 20:24–25
Though Saint Thomas is best remembered for doubting Jesus’ Resurrection, God used him in glorious ways. Because God is all-powerful, even Thomas’ doubt was transformed into a source of grace for the Church and a model of true faith and conversion. In Thomas, we see the journey from doubt to faith, from absence to confession, from fear to peace—an invitation for each of us to make the same journey.
Saint Thomas, called Didymus—meaning “Twin”—was not present when the risen Christ first appeared to the assembled Apostles. His absence was no accident but part of God’s providential plan. When the other disciples testified, “We have seen the Lord,” Thomas struggled to believe. His absence symbolizes the effect of isolation from the Church or from an active life of prayer, which can leave us vulnerable to doubt and disbelief. His heart demanded tangible proof: “Unless I see the mark of the nails… I will not believe.” In this, Thomas articulates a cry that echoes in every human heart: we long for certainty, yet struggle to trust without the proof we demand.
One week later—on the day now celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday—Jesus once again entered the locked room and stood among them, radiating peace: “Peace be with you.” His first words were directed not to the whole group, but to Thomas, addressing his wounded faith with tender love: “Put your finger here and see my hands… bring your hand and put it into my side.” Jesus does not shame Thomas; He invites him. He invites him to touch the very wounds that conquered death, to enter into the mystery of Divine Mercy not only intellectually, but physically and spiritually.
After being confronted by the Living Christ, Thomas is transformed. In that pivotal moment, he prays one of the greatest confessions of faith in all of Scripture: “My Lord and my God!” With profound clarity, he proclaims the divinity of Christ. The doubting disciple becomes the believing Apostle, who will later be sent forth to bear witness to the ends of the earth.
Thomas’ journey invites us to reflect on our own. Like Thomas, we are sometimes absent from encounters with the risen Lord. Failure to pray daily, to attend Mass faithfully, to confess our sins, to nourish our souls through spiritual reading, adoration, retreats, or parish missions can isolate us from Christ and diminish our faith. Absence from these means of grace can open the door to spiritual doubt and weakness.
If these struggles are familiar to you, take heart in the example of Saint Thomas. If your faith has faltered—especially if you experience serious doubts—or if worldly concerns have drawn you away from the life of grace, then let Thomas’ prayer become your own: “My Lord and my God!” He professed faith in what he saw, so that we might profess faith in Christ whom we do not yet see. That simple little prayer, prayed with the certainty of faith and with sincere passion in the heart, sparks greater faith and brings us the clarity we need.
Reflect today on Thomas being absent from Jesus’ first Resurrection appearance on Easter Sunday. Try to feel his disappointment and doubt. Thomas carried those feelings for an entire week until Jesus appeared again. See yourself in him by identifying any times you have felt the same. Then move forward to the moment, one week later, when Thomas was present as Jesus appeared to them. With him, listen to Jesus invite you to touch His wounds. Profess with Thomas, “My Lord and my God!” Repeat that prayer and try to sense Thomas’ newfound passionate belief. It is that belief our Lord desires from all of us who do not see with our eyes but come to know Him in our spirit.
My Lord and my God! I do believe in You and profess that belief with all my heart. When I struggle with my faith, when I falter, or when I become distracted from my life of prayer and devotion, please remind me of Saint Thomas. Place his words repeatedly on my lips so that I may continuously cry out with him, “My Lord and my God!” Saint Thomas, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I renew my faith in your Son. I humbly ask for help to overcome any unbelief that remains. I trust in you, Lord, and will spend my life in the service of your Kingdom. Grant me your peace.
1. Jesus Waited: Each encounter with the Risen Jesus has very unique and personal notes. We can ask, “Why did Jesus wait to encounter Thomas?” Jesus could have easily appeared to Thomas on Easter Sunday, wherever he was. Instead, Jesus knew that it was best for Thomas to wait. Thomas was tested all week: Would he believe the other apostles and the women who said that Jesus appeared to them and had risen from the dead? The longing in his heart to see his Lord built up day after day. And when Jesus appeared, Thomas was ready for his great act of faith: “My Lord and my God!” The story of Thomas teaches us that God knows the times and the places. He knows when we are ready and when we are not. God is gentle, patient, and meek. Love cannot be forced. When God seems to be absent in our lives, we need to be like Thomas and allow the longing for God to grow, so that when he appears we may welcome him as Thomas did.
“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 20:27–29
Thomas the Apostle, in many ways, represents each and every one of us in this exchange with Jesus. We’d like to believe that we always believe and are not unbelieving. But it’s important to admit the humble truth that we may not believe as deeply as we should. And it’s important to reflect upon our own reaction to the blessings that others receive that we do not.
Recall that Thomas was not among the other Apostles when Jesus first appeared to them. Therefore, when Thomas returned and heard that Jesus had appeared and that he missed His appearance, he clearly felt bad. Unfortunately, the sorrow Thomas felt at not being present when the Lord appeared to the others left him with a certain bitterness rather than joy. This is the sin of envy. Envy is a certain sorrow over the blessings others receive that we do not. Ideally, Thomas would have rejoiced at the blessing that the other Apostles received by encountering the risen Lord. But, instead, his sorrow at missing this even left him sad. He said, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Why was Thomas absent from this encounter with our Lord? Perhaps it was by divine providence, in that God wanted Thomas to set an example for us. If so, then one example Thomas set was that we must humbly rejoice in the blessings others receive when we are not also the recipient. Of course, if Thomas were there, then it would have been easier for him to share in the joy. But, in many ways, Thomas’ absence provided him an even greater opportunity. An opportunity that he failed to embrace.
When you see others receive blessings from God, how do you respond? Many people respond by immediately looking at themselves, wishing they were blessed in the same way. They struggle with envy. They think, “I wish I had received that blessing.” This form of envy is not always easy to see. For that reason, Thomas is given to us as a witness of what not to do in this situation.
Of course, Thomas is not a horrible person, which is why Jesus does later appear to him. That time, Thomas spoke words that are traditionally spoken as a devotion by the faithful at Mass when the Consecration occurs. He said, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus then gently rebukes Thomas by saying, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” But this gentle rebuke was an act of love, in that Jesus wanted Thomas to ponder the reason for his unbelief. Jesus clearly wanted Thomas to examine the unbelief caused by envy, which appears to have led to an intentional lack of faith.
Reflect, today, upon this holy Apostle. Today, Saint Thomas the Apostle is among the great saints in the Kingdom of Heaven. God used him to teach us these important lessons about envy, humility and faith. Let his weakness, from which he fully recovered, help you examine your own struggle with envy over the blessings that others receive that you do not. Learn to rejoice always in the ways that God is at work in our world and learn to grow in humility, so that when others are blessed in ways that you are not, you react as Saint Thomas ultimately did: “My Lord and my God!”
My most generous Lord, You pour forth Your blessings upon others, day and night. As I see those blessings, help me to overcome all temptations toward envy so that I may rejoice in Your grace given to all. You are my Lord and my God, and I thank You for every way that You bless my life and the lives of those around me. Fill me with a deeper gratitude, dear Lord, for every grace and blessing I see every day, especially those graces not given directly to me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I renew my faith in your Son. I humbly ask for help to overcome any unbelief that remains. I trust in you, Lord, and will spend my life in the service of your Kingdom. Grant me your peace.
1. Jesus Waited: Each encounter with the Risen Jesus has very unique and personal notes. We can ask, “Why did Jesus wait to encounter Thomas?” Jesus could have easily appeared to Thomas on Easter Sunday, wherever he was. Instead, Jesus knew that it was best for Thomas to wait. Thomas was tested all week: Would he believe the other apostles and the women that Jesus appeared to them and was risen from the dead? The longing in his heart to see his Lord built up day after day. And when Jesus appeared, Thomas was ready for his great act of faith: “My Lord and my God!” The story of Thomas teaches us that God knows the times and the places. He knows when we are ready and when we are not. God is gentle, patient, and meek. Love cannot be forced. When God seems to be absent in our lives, we need to be like Thomas and allow the longing for God to grow, so that when he appears we may welcome him as Thomas did.
Cảm xúc con người của Thomas nhắc nhở cho chúng ta biết rằng chúng ta cần một Đấng Cứu Rỗi. Chúng ta cần nhớ câu trả lời hùng mạnh của Chúa Giêsu cho thánh Thomas khi Ngài hỏi, "... Ta là Đường, là sự thật, và là sự sống, không ai đến với Chúa Cha, mà không qua Thầy" (Ga 14: 5-7)
Despite the witness of the other apostles, Thomas lacked faith. We too are very much like him, especially in times of great trial and suffering, we feel that the Lord has abandoned us. However, it is precisely in those low moments that we should experience the saving power of the risen Lord. It is in those moments that we discover the light of Christ in the midst of our darkness.
How do we know we have faith? Jesus performed many miracles because of the faith of those needing the cures or the freedom from unclean spirits. We have to show our faith in our deeds, in the way we act. In his letter St. James wrote, "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, to profess faith without showing works? Such faith has no power to save you.
"If a brother or a sister is in need of clothes or food and one of you says, 'May things go well for you, be warm and satisfied,' without attending to their material needs, what good is that? So if it is with faith without works: It is totally dead." (Jas 2: 14 -17)
Faith is lived and shown when we do good deeds to others.
Thế giới chúng ta sống hôm nay có thể là một nơi rất cô đơn, mặc dù chúng ta đang sống giữa thành thì náo nhiệt, đặc biệt là ở các thành phố hiện đại. Con người sống trong một cộng đồng nhân loại đã và đang giảm sút về chất lượng, Vì nhiều người đã tỏ ra ích kỷ, thích sống một cuộc sống cô lập vì không muốn chia sẻ với người khác, hay cũng có nhiều người bị cô lập một mình vì những người hác đã đẩy vào chỗ đó.
Trong thơ thánh Phaolô viết cho dân thành Ê-phê-sô hôm nay có nói một câu rất tuyệt vời và an ủi;
Lạy Chúa, Xin ban cho chúng con một đức tin sắc bén và sâu sắc để chúng con có được lòng dũng cãm cảm để đặt tin của chúng con vào Chúa, để chúng con có thể chấp nhận những gì mà Chúa muốn đem đến với chúng con.
Thomas was like so many of us. He was skeptical; perhaps he did not want to be hurt or disappointed. It was not any easier to believe in the resurrection on the first Easter than it is today. The Lord granted his request and gave him physical proof that it was indeed he, risen from the dead and very much alive. But he also gave Thomas a warning — blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. It is good to question and to search, but we also need to trust our hearts and learn to discern from our own experience. Each of us is given what we need to nurture and sustain our faith. Our biggest obstacle is fear. Stepping into faith always requires a bit of a risk and a willingness to let go of control. Lord, deepen my faith.
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