Seeds of doubt, Gardens of truth...

Today we read in the Gospel of John, the well known story of Thomas and his doubts about the Resurrection of the Lord. We are reminded of our call to faith in the risen Christ, and our own personal doubts with which we sometimes struggle—in the face of disappointment, tragedy, and adversity.



19On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

24Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"
But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."
26A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
28Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
29Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
30Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20: 19-31)

Jesus accepts Thomas, in spite of his doubts. He calls him back to Himself, saying, “Stop doubting and believe.” In this way, we see that our doubts, our struggles, serve a purpose—they provide an avenue to grow closer to our living God, to reconcile with He who loves us, to perfect our faith like metal in a refining fire.

One could go as far as to say that without doubt, there can be no true faith—just as without light there can be no shadow. And this is a good thing, as we are more like Thomas than we are like the other disciples who believed without having seen proof. We constantly look for signs and reminders that God is watching over us—even the way we pray often involves a bargain-type arrangement with the Lord—just another way in which to seek proof of His undying love for us. But it is in these moments of doubt, when we are confronted with the anxiety of the unknown, that the Lord is beside us, encouraging us to believe, to step out of the shadows of doubt into the light of truth, faith, and love. We only need to find Him there and believe.



Day 101 of 365
Prayer Intentions: The courage to embrace our doubts and find the truth of faith.
Requested Intentions: Successful employment (H); Restoration of a marriage (J); For a friend’s daughter, seeking medical treatment for a blood disorder (D); For the grace and conversion of a loved one (Z); For a beloved son’s return to the faith (A); For the improved health and recovery of a mother (G); For health, blessings, and protection (K); For an improvement in a difficult employment situation (T); For a family member’s recovery from surgery (D); For the victims of an automobile accident (D); For peace of mind and health (J); For the love of a romantic partner (S).